Full Plan Revealed for Former Camp Strake Property
The Johnson Development Corp. has revealed its master plan for Grand Central Park, a new master-planned community on the former Camp Strake property north of Houston.
The Houston developer released a map showcasing its plans for the 2,046-acre wooded property, located on the southwest corner of Interstate 45 North and Loop 336 in Conroe. The site is five miles north of The Woodlands and less than 10 miles north of the new EXXON Mobil Corp. campus, which recently finished moving 10,000 employees into the region.
The master plan calls for traditional single-family homes, townhomes, apartments, condominiums, offices, retail shops, hotels and conference centers, as well as Montgomery County’s first medical school. Boston-based Sasaki Associates, which designed most of The Woodlands and Bridgeland, is the architect behind the master plan for Grand Central Park.
Neighborhoods will feature homes with alley parking, pocket parks and miles of connected trails. Residents will be zoned to Conroe Independent School District’s Rice Elementary, Cryar Intermediate, Peet Junior High and Conroe High schools.
Retail: Houston-based Fidelis Realty Partners purchased 112 acres along Loop 336 near Interstate 45, to develop 336 Marketplace, a regional shopping center that will feature 750,000 square feet of retail.
Houston-based Boucher Design Group is the architect. The Shopping center, which will feature big box stores, is expected to open in late 2016.
Commercial: Johnson Development plans to build a “business center” along Interstate 45, featuring corporate campus and Class A office space.
Mixed-Use: Johnson Development plans to build Town Center along Deer Lake. The mixed-use development will feature an urban main street with retail, bars and restaurants surrounded by townhomes overlooking Grand Lake.
A waterfront plaza will feature a hotel and conference facility along with a park, promenade and boat launch onto Deer Lake. A public space – perfect for farmers markets, is also planned.
Medical Campus: Sam Houston State University plans to build an osteopathic medical school on 10 acres, between the Business Center and Town Center. The school, which would start with 150 students per class, could open as early as fall 2018.
Johnson Development purchased the former Camp Strake property from the Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts of America for an undisclosed price in November 2013. Montgomery County assessed the value of the property at $27.9 million.
Last year, the Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved a tax incentive that would repay Johnson $20 million over 10 years as it builds out its plans for Grand Central Park.
Johnson Development is developing 11 other master-planned communities in the Houston area: Cross Creek Range, Edgewater, Fall Greek, Harmony, Harvest Green, Imperial, Riverstone, Sienna Plantation, Tuscan Lakes, Willow Creek Farms and Woodforest.
Source: Houston Biz Journal – Paul Takahashi