16 minute read
Fort Bend Neighborhoods
FROM CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO CATTLE RANCHES, FORT BEND COUNTY BOASTS THE BEST THAT TEXAS HAS TO OFFER. LOCATED IN THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS, THE COUNTY ENCOMPASSES 875 SQUARE MILES OR 562,560 ACRES. THAT’S ONE TEXAS COUNTY JUST 300 MILES SHY THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND.
WHERE TEXAS ROOTS RUN FAR AND WIDE
BY PATTI PARISH-KAMINSKI
THE CITIES THAT COMPRISE FORT BEND EACH HAVE A UNIQUE IDENTITY THAT OFFER A MULTITUDE OF LIFESTYLES AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A BROAD APPEAL – ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY FORT BEND HAS A TEXAS-SIZE APPEAL. WHETHER YOU PREFER THE AMENITIES OF A BUSTLING METRO AREA, THE NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL OF A PLANNED COMMUNITY OR A SMALL TOWN, RURAL ENVIRONMENT, A DIVERSE FORT BEND REALLY HAS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.
The Birthplace of Texas
Founded in 1837, Fort Bend was created from portions of Austin, Harris and Brazoria County, and it holds a prominent place in Texas history as the Anglo-American colonization of Texas where grants from the Spanish government were initiated in the early 1820s in Fort Bend. Stephen F. Austin’s original colony of 300 families, known as the Old Three Hundred, were comprised of the first organized, approved group of Anglo-American immigrants from the United States to Texas. Austin is known as the “Father of Texas,” and a life-size bronze statue of Austin on horseback honoring his contribution to Fort Bend by renowned artist Bob Pack is permanently installed in Sugar Land Town Square.
Just as Austin’s Old Three Hundred continued to grow and prosper, Fort Bend continues that trend today. With a growth rate of 25.69% according the most recent census estimates, as of 2022, Fort Bend is one of the fastest growing counties in Texas. And when you look at the abundance of living choices, it’s easy to see why.
Honky Tonks to High Rises
SUGAR LAND
Fort Bend’s largest city with a population of over 111,000, Sugar Land boasts award-winning amenities, including internationally acclaimed parks and recreation facilities, programs and events and has earned the distinction as not only the “Sweetest City in Texas,” but one of the safest cities in the country. Located just 20 minutes from Downtown Houston the Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, Reliant Center and the Toyota Center, and home prices from the $300,000s to the millions.
Discover the unexpected closer to home. Visit the beating heart of the city, Sugar Land Town Square, a vibrant city center that includes a mix of upscale retail, restaurants and businesses surrounding a public plaza that offers year-round community events. Additionally, Sugar Land’s pro-business climate and family-oriented quality of life attract everything from vast company headquarters to innovative startups, making the city an economic powerhouse within the Greater Houston region.
On the horizon is the development of the Imperial Historic District by PUMA Development, the site that once housed the historic Imperial Sugar factory, that will include a walkable, mixed-use project of retail, entertainment, multi-family and single-family residential, commercial office space and outdoor parks.
“The city partnering with PUMA Development is a unique opportunity for us to continue our legacy of world-class public private partnerships,” said Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman. Sugar Land is known for its public private partnerships, including Constellation Field, a minor league baseball stadium, and the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, a top-rated entertainment venue.
Sugar Land boasts several master-planned communities offering comprehensive amenities where housing is affordable, and the property values remain strong. The city has three area country clubs and golf courses – Sugar Creek, Sweetwater and Riverbend – along with one of the state’s lowest tax rates for cities of comparable size. Now that’s sweet!
MISSOURI CITY
Located minutes from the Greater Houston area, Missouri City is in the northern part of Fort Bend, with a portion of the city situated in Harris County. Due to its convenient location to Houston, according to a 2016 Missouri City Commercial Corridor Study, 80% of Missouri City residents commute out of the county for employment.
Missouri City boasts one of the nation’s top selling master planned communities, the over 10,000-acre Sienna, where home values remain strong, and children attend top rated Fort Bend ISD schools in their neighborhood.
Recent commercial developments in the city include the Lakeview Business Park, Ben E. Keith distribution facility, Twin Star Bakery and FedEx Ground warehouse representing the food services, energy and shipping industries.
The city features a newly renovated golf course and City Centre and multiple parks where community events are held.
Accessibility is key to Missouri City. The Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road connecting Missouri City to Houston makes living in the “Show Me City” and commuting to “H-Town” a breeze.
RICHMOND
The county seat located 15 miles southwest of Houston, some of Richmond’s early residents are the best known in Texas history. Jane Long, Erastus (Deaf) Smith and Mirabeau B. Lamar all called Richmond home along with other members of The Old Three Hundred.
Rich in history and small-town charm, Richmond’s Historic Downtown District features restaurants, bars, shops and offices that participate in community events throughout the year. The Historic Richmond Courthouse, statues throughout the city, the Morton Cemetery where several Texas heroes are interred, the Moore House and the Fort Bend History Museum are tributes to the town’s historic past and are immaculately preserved for future generations.
Located on the Brazos River with a population of about 12,000, both older, established neighborhoods, historic homes and new master planned communities are in Richmond proper and its extraterritorial jurisdiction with additional development progressing along the Interstate 69 corridor. Small businesses still dot the town from professional offices to service industries, along with a few larger retailers scattered about, such as HEB, Amazon, and Walmart.
Stepping back in time through Texas history is a charming walk in Richmond. Best of all, you can still enjoy the past with all of the amenities of the present right in your own back yard.
STAFFORD
In 1824, William J. Stafford was granted a league-and-a-half of land from Stephen F. Austin and began farming cotton in a business-friendly climate that remains as a trademark of Stafford, Texas today.
Home to the state’s only municipal school district, with grades K – 12 and the longest-serving mayor in the United States, Mayor Leonard Scarcella, who served 50 years beginning his tenure at the age of 29, Stafford is approximately seven square miles with most of the city in Fort Bend and a small portion in Harris County.
Unique to Stafford was the 1995 elimination of the city property tax under Mayor Scarcella’s reign. This makes the city attractive for the over 2,000 businesses that call Stafford home, including retailers like Walmart and Sam’s Club, restaurants, industrial parks and distribution centers for companies such as UPS and Amazon. The Fountains On The Lake, a recently acquired project by Dhanani Private Equity Group, is a retail center currently being renovated featuring restaurants, retailers, office space and a movie theatre.
Stafford features six public parks, both single and multi-family housing and is located on Interstate 69 just outside of Houston making it easily accessible to the city.
ROSENBERG
Rosenberg is located at the geographic heart of Fort Bend 25 miles west of Houston on Interstate 69, and it is a fast-growing community with a population of nearly 40,000. Settled in 1823 from the Mexican land granted to Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred, the city was affectionately known initially as “Mudtown” due to the dirt streets and regular flooding of the Brazos River. It later became Rosenberg named after Henry von Rosenberg, a wealthy railroad tycoon as the town became a thoroughfare for the early railroad industry.
Approximately 12% of real estate in Rosenberg is entertainment/lifestyle based with the primary residential development single family in a wide variety of home sizes and price points. Among the new residential communities in the city’s exterritorial jurisdiction are the Land Tejas Starbridge project and the Hines Development project.
Rosenberg Economic Development Director Joe Esch said Rosenberg “benefits from having a well-managed city with numerous sites and quality developers that leverage tremendous infrastructure including transportation, utilities, great access to qualified workers and an aggressive economic development program” to encourage residents to relocate to Rosenberg.
The city encompasses approximately 108 square miles with 37 in the city limits. To date, approximately 63% of this land is undeveloped, which means opportunities for commercial, residential and industrial enterprises.
Not quite a small town or a big city, Rosenberg has the best of both worlds: full-service retail at Brazos Town Center, access to world class healthcare, quality education, and best of all, room to grow.
MEADOWS PLACE
Covering exactly one square mile and known as “The Gateway to Fort Bend,” Meadows Place is located along Interstate 69 off of Beltway 8 and is the closest city in Fort Bend for convenient access to Houston and to Fort Bend.
Though the city is small, it offers a wide variety of retail and medical facilities, as well as a number of outdoor activity options, featuring 12 acres of developed parks. With a strong sense of community, Meadows Place is defined as “a small town in a town where the best of business, lifestyle, education and transportation converge.”
With some of the fastest response times in the nation for Fire and EMS, Meadows Place was awarded an ISO Class 1 rating, which represents superior property fire protection and translates to lower fire insurance rates for Meadows Place business owners. And that’s just one of the reasons why many top-rated businesses, such as Helfman Ford, Sterling McCall Toyota, Discount Tires and Aldi call Meadows Place home.
Mayor for the past 15 years, Charles Jessup IV, is a testament to the city’s slogan – the city where he has lived for the past 37 years. The slogan? “Meadows Place: Your Place for Life.”
FORT BEND COUNTY JUSTICE CENTER
Richmond’s Fort Bend County Justice Center (FBCJC) is a 265,000-square-foot, fourstory neoclassical building with a five-story, 85-foot-high domed rotunda that houses 17 courtrooms, judges’ chambers, jury assembly and grand jury rooms, plus District and County Clerk offices, District Attorney and Bailiff’s offices, a law library and 13 other court-related departments. The lower level includes holding cells for 112 incarcerated adults and juveniles.
NEEDVILLE
The mantra for the city of Needville sums up the two square mile community of a little over 3,000: “The home of friendly people where thousands live the way millions wish they could.”
Located in southern Fort Bend 11 miles from Rosenberg, this rural community boasts its own school district and was founded in 1891. Today, Needville is a civic minded community that hosts several annual events supporting youth, parks and community endeavors. The town is home to small, independent businesses ranging from retail to service industries along with agriculture with single family homes both in town and on rural, acreage sites.
For life in the country, the way it used to be, Needville delivers.
“We are starting to see a quick addition of several commercial developments throughout Fulshear,” said Goodlander. “We have several new businesses along FM 1463, and there are many more coming in and around our downtown.” If you’re looking for small town charm with first class amenities, “moo”ve on out to Fulshear.
Established in 1824 by a land grant from Mexico to Churchill Fulshear, one of Stephen F. Austin’s original Old Three Hundred, Fulshear is located in northwest Fort Bend only 20 minutes from Katy. The city limits are comprised of 12 square miles with an additional 45 miles in the extraterritorial jurisdiction making Fulshear the best in small town living with big town amenities.
Incorporated in 1977, Fulshear retains its small-town charm with locally owned retail and agriculture roots. It remains a marketing center for locally produced rice, cotton, soybeans, corn, poultry, sorghum, horses and cattle. Texas Longhorns still graze in the pastures, and farmers still drive their trailers into town.
But Fulshear is also home to several high-quality master planned communities and top ranked school districts, making it one of the most popular places to live in the Greater Houston area. According to Assistant City Manager Zachary Goodlander, this is contributing to the natural increase of commercial development.
“We are starting to see a quick addition of several commercial developments throughout Fulshear,” said Goodlander. “We have several new businesses along FM 1463, and there are many more coming in and around our downtown.” If you’re looking for small town charm with first class amenities, “moo”ve on out to Fulshear.
FORT BEND EPICENTER
Located in Rosenberg, the Epicenter will be a community hub for all things in Fort Bend: a gathering place for entertainment providing various event-hosting services, including sports tournaments, livestock shows, conferences, concerts and more with a massive 10,000-seat capacity. The Epicenter is scheduled to open August 2023.
Building the Best in the Bend
JOHNSON DEVELOPMENT’S AWARD-WINNING MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITIES IN FORT BEND
As the largest active developer in Fort Bend, award-winning Johnson Development has been elevating the concept of master-planned communities to new levels since 1975, boasting more top-selling communities in America than any other developer in the past five years.
“What an honor that in 2022 Johnson Development was named Developer of the Year for both Houston and Texas,” said Christen Johnson, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Fort Bend resident. “But while we are proud to win awards — especially in such competitive markets — we’re also very proud of the ways our company and our people have given back. One example of this is the ‘Give Back, Build Hope’ campaign in Cross Creek Ranch that donated nearly $20,000 to six Fort Bend charities. When we help make the greater community a better place, everyone wins.”
Curating the ideal mix of prime location, high-performing schools and quality builders, Johnson Development has gone beyond the expected by also providing an outstanding amenity package that transforms its communities into masterpieces. Directors of Fun enhance resident lifestyle with an engaging array of events and activities for all ages, creating communities that celebrate life.
Johnson Development’s nine Fort Bend communities include:
CANDELA - RICHMOND
The 460-acre Candela community is located in Richmond along FM 359 about a mile south of the Westpark Tollway. Candela is designed to be a bright spot for residents, offering beautiful homes by acclaimed builders and something-for-everyone amenities at Axis Amenity Center and Solstice Park. Residents enjoy a pool, splash pad, fitness center, dog park, yoga lawn, playground and more.
CROSS CREEK RANCH - FULSHEAR
Cross Creek Ranch is a 3,200-acre community in Fulshear, just minutes west of the Grand Parkway off of FM 1093 and near the new Texas Heritage Parkway. Cross Creek Ranch is known for its many lakes, natural landscaping, generous planned amenities and sustainability efforts. This top-selling community has moved into its “Final Frontier,” with new home sales happening in the last section to be developed.
CROSS CREEK WEST - FULSHEAR
The 1,258-acre Cross Creek West community is on FM 359 at Jordan Road. Opened in 2022, Cross Creek West shares amenities with nearby sister community Cross Creek Ranch, with an upscale recreation complex and pool expected to open onsite in 2023. Its master plan includes space for a Lamar CISD elementary school. Builders Lennar, Highland Homes, Newmark Homes, Perry Homes, Village Builders and Westin Homes will showcase eight models in the community.
HARVEST GREEN - RICHMOND
Harvest Green is a 2,000-acre farm-centric development located in Richmond, offering residents a true farm-to-table experience from its 12-acre Village Farm, edible landscaping and farm-themed lifestyle programming.
Fast-selling Harvest Green has been named both “Master-Planned Community of the Year” and “Best Community in Texas.” New home sales in a 630-acre extension of Harvest Green will be ongoing throughout 2023.
IMPERIAL - SUGAR LAND
Imperial surrounds the historic Imperial Sugar Company refinery at the northeast corner of Highway 90A and Highway 6 in Sugar Land. The 720-acre community boasts unique onsite attractions, including Constellation Field and the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center. For sale in Imperial are brownstones by Gracepoint Homes, offering traditional East Coast architecture with all the conveniences of modern living.
JORDAN RANCH - FULSHEAR
Jordan Ranch is a 1,350-acre project in Fulshear that is located along Texas Heritage Parkway and one mile south of Interstate 10. Named as one of the nation’s 50 top-selling master-planned communities in 2022 and “Community of the Year” in the 2022 Houston’s Best PRISM Awards, Jordan Ranch is where you can get away from it all – without being away from it all.
RIVERSTONE - SUGAR LAND
Riverstone is a 3,860-acre project in Fort Bend County just minutes from U.S. 59 and the Fort Bend Parkway. The community offers a country club lifestyle, with upscale amenities, beautiful homes and a graceful landscape. More than 1,200 acres are devoted to lakes, greenspace and parklands. Only a handful of opportunities remain to own a new home in Riverstone.
SIENNA - MISSOURI CITY
One of the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities, Sienna offers 10,800 acres along Highway 6 in Missouri City. Sienna promises a signature lifestyle, with a busy resident event calendar, multiple water parks and pools, two fitness centers, a 160-acre Camp Sienna sports park, numerous public and private schools onsite and much more. Sienna boasts a wide selection of homes, with pricing from the $300,000s to more than $1 million.
VERANDA - RICHMOND
Veranda is a 710-acre development in Richmond near the northwest corner of Williams Way Boulevard and U.S. 59. Veranda is a mix of today and yesteryear, paying homage to the rich legacy of Richmond’s past and offering residents all the modern conveniences of an upscale master-planned community. Engaging resident events are hosted by an onsite Director of Fun, who maintains a busy calendar. Phelan Elementary opened onsite in Veranda in 2022.
