Cole Ranch Breaks Ground

A ceremonial groundbreaking occurred at Cole Ranch recently as crews are beginning preparation to start construction on Cole Ranch, a 3,100-acre community west of Interstate 35W in Denton that will preserve an estimated 1,200 acres of green space in recognition of the passion for the outdoors shared by Miner Thomas “MT” Cole, who purchased the land in the 1930s.

Last October, a partnership between Johnson Development, The Cole Ranch Company, L.P., and Denton Range LLC was announced to develop the community, planned for 4,365 single-family homes. A private groundbreaking ceremony attended by members of the Cole family and the Cole Ranch development team was held June 3.

“This is an exciting milestone that means very much to my family,” said MT Cole’s great-granddaughter Jennifer Alexander, who lived on the ranch for a time with her grandmother. “We are looking forward to seeing our vision for a timeless community that honors our family and the beauty of this area come to life.”

At least 26 miles of trails will crisscross the community, offering access to sections of the heavily treed Hickory Creek areas, as well as two large lakes — a 32-acre waterway and a 13-acre lake that MT Cole originally constructed with mules pulling a Fresno Plow. The master plan also includes 156 acres of commercial development; a 55-acre business park; and 206 acres for two Denton ISD elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Two amenity centers and multiple parks — including a 50-acre city park — are also planned. Partnerships with local residents will help preserve and communicate the environmental significance of the surrounding open spaces.

Home sales are expected to begin late next year.

“We are proud to be part of the next chapter for this incredible ranch rooted in the history of Denton County,” said Tommy Tucker, Johnson Development’s Vice President of Business Development for Central and North Texas. “And there’s no better time to enter the Denton market, which has grown nearly 29 percent since 2020. A development like Cole Ranch is ideal for accommodating this kind of monumental growth, not only by bringing new homes to the area, but by doing so in a way that considers open space, schools, commercial opportunities and long-term livability.”

This is Johnson Development’s third Dallas-Fort Worth community. The company is also developing Viridian in Arlington and Trinity Falls in McKinney. With master-planned communities throughout Texas and in the Atlanta region, Johnson Development has more top-selling communities over the last decade than any other developer in the nation.