In late April, a public-private partnership with the city of Rowlett, Texas, officially broke ground on Bayside, a $1 billion, 262-acre mixed-use development anchored by an eight-acre blue lagoon that would be the first of its kind in this state.
Rowlett is 15 miles east of downtown Dallas, âand itâs not often that you find yourself on a peninsula on a lake outside a major metro area,â Kent Donahue, a local developer and managing partner of Bayside Land Partners, told the Dallas Business Journal.Â
Humphreys & Partners Architects is the firm behind Baysideâs master design.
Donahue has been working for three years on this project, located along the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard. The property was once called Elgin B. Robinson Park and had been owned by the City of Dallas Parks Department. Donahue purchased the land for $31.8 million.
Donahue is working with TxDOT and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to put in a new overpass on Interstate-30 to connect the two pieces of Bayside real estate.
Western Rim of Coppell, Texas, will soon begin Phase I construction on 845 luxury apartments, 600 townhouses and single-family homes, and 400,000 sf of retail and office space. Roadways on the north side of Bayside should be ready by September, and the first part of the project will start receiving residents and tenants in the fall of 2017.
The second phase, according to the Journal, would include a 500-room resort, a marina with 1,000 boat slips, 650 luxury apartments, 450 high-rise condos, 300,000 sf of entertainment space, 800,000 sf of office and retail space, and the blue lagoon.Â
The $1.1 million lagoonâessentially a giant swimming pool with 10 football fields worth of waterâis fashioned after water attractions at other resorts, such as Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, and the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. Its 150-nozzle, 280-foot show fountain âcan shoot water 200 feet in the air with LED lights,â the Journal reports. Miami-based Crystal Lagoons developed the lagoonâs filtration system. This would be Crystal Lagoonsâ first lagoon in Texas, and its 12th in the U.S.
An open-air trolley system that would run around the lagoonâs periphery is also planned. Bayside also calls for walking and biking trails, dog parks, and a launch point for kite surfers.
âWe are excited about what it means not only to Rowlett but the entire D-FW region and the state of Texas,â Jim Grabenhorst, Rowlettâs economic development director, told the Dallas Morning News. âIt has the potential to be the front door to Rowlett.â
The latter phase should be ready by fall of 2018.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Jul 18, 2016
Studio Libeskind designs jagged mixed-use tower for Lithuaniaâs capital
The glass facade, and spaces for restaurants, a luxury hotel, and offices will lure visitors and tenants.
Retail Centers | May 10, 2016
5 factors guiding restaurant design
Restaurants are more than just places to eat. They are comprising town centers and playing into the future of brick-and-mortar retail.
Mixed-Use | Apr 24, 2016
Atlantaâs Tech Square is establishing The ATLâs Midtown district as a premier innovation center
A much anticipated, Portman-developed tower project will include collaborative office spaces, a data center, and a retail plaza.Â
Mixed-Use | Mar 2, 2016
Spiral forms dominate SWAâs planned mixed-use complex in China
The 1 million-sm development is expected to serve as a destination for Chengdu, Southwest Chinaâs largest city.
Mixed-Use | Feb 22, 2016
Goettsch Partners and Lead 8 win design competition for Shanghai mixed-use complex
The designers stressed walkability and green space to attract visitors.
Mixed-Use | Feb 18, 2016
New renderings unveiled for Miami Worldcenter master plan
The âHigh Streetâ retail promenade and plaza is one of the largest private master-planned projects in the U.S. and is set to break ground in early March.
Green | Feb 18, 2016
Best laid plans: Masdar Cityâs dreams of being the first net-zero city may have disappeared
The $22 billion experiment, to this point, has produced less than stellar results.
Mixed-Use | Jan 25, 2016
SOM unveils renderings of dual-tower Manhattan West development
The five million-sf project includes two office towers, a residential tower, retail space, and a new public square.
Mixed-Use | Jan 8, 2016
Aedasâ Shanghai project named the worldâs best mixed-use architecture
Mapletree Business City Shanghai and VivoCity Shanghai took home a crown at the International Property Awards
High-rise Construction | Jan 7, 2016
Zaha Hadid designs a tower of 'stacked vases' in Melbourne
The structure is supported by sets of curved columns that taper to four different base heights. Â