A Houston developer known for building large retail centers with tenants including H-E-B, Whole Foods and Kroger has set its sights on New Caney, a growing community north of Houston.
Fidelis Realty recently bought 33 acres within the Trails, a 1,400-acre master-planned community underway off Grand Parkway 99, according to Austin-based Castle Hill Partners, developer of the Trails.
Fidelis has not announced construction plans nor retail tenants for the proposed strip center (Trails at the Parkway). But the developer’s Houston portfolio includes several strip centers anchored by grocery stores, including Meyerland Plaza and Tanglewood Court, each with an H-E-B, and Yale Marketplace near the Heights with a Whole Foods. Fidelis' River Oaks Plaza features a TJ Maxx while its Hedwig Village is anchored by a Marshalls.
The land acquisition gives Fidelis a foothold in a community expected to have 2,000 new homes when complete. Castle Hill Partners said this would be the \rst commercial development within the Trails.
“Easily accessible amenities are a key selling point for a new community of homes, and we’re delighted to have an organization with the caliber of Fidelis on board to imagine this site,” Tiffany McMillan, a vice president at Castle Hill Partners, said in a statement.
With 150 homes complete or under construction, residents have started moving into the Trails, according to Castle Hill. Homebuilders Chesmar Homes, Coventry Homes, Lennar, Village Builders and Westin Homes recently opened model homes at the project. Home prices start at less than $300,000.
The Trails adds new homes to a booming area. The Porter-New Caney area was the fourth “hottest” selling community in the Houston region last quarter because of a 71% spike in home sales, according to Houston Association of Realtors.
