Houston-based Johnson Development Services purchased 117.17 acres to expand Candela, a master-planned community in Richmond that opened last year.
The land is along FM 359, just south of Settegast Ranch Road and about 2 miles south of Candela. The land was acquired from two sellers, but neither the sellers nor the purchase price were disclosed. Claudia Wright with R&W Real Estate Inc. represented both parties.
Candela's new section will include 346 homes on 40-, 50- and 60-foot homesites as well as a community lake and a 2.3-acre park. Pricing for the new section hasn't been determined yet, but sales are expected to start in mid- to late 2023, said Michael Cox, president of Johnson Development Services.
Texas-based homebuilders Coventry Homes, Perry Homes and Westin Homes currently sell in Candela and will offer homes in the new section, too.
The first homesites in Candela were released to builders in fall 2020. At the time, the master-planned community spanned 460 acres and was designed to include 1,500 homes. The homes in the first section were also on 40-, 50- and 60-foot lots, but builders will soon start offering 70-foot homesites as well.
As of November 2020, homes were priced from the mid-$200,000s to the $500,000s, but pricing in Candela now starts in the mid-$300,000s.
Since sales started in late 2020, hundreds of homes have been sold in Candela
“Demand continues to rise for homes in Candela,” Cox said. “Our sales total is double this year from what it was at this time last year, thanks to our builder partners.”
Candela's Axis Amenity Center also is now open. It features meeting space, a courtyard with large fire pit, a fitness center, resort pool with shade structures, a yoga lawn and a splash pad. The community also offers a playground and pavilion, and a dog park will be added.
Candela is zoned to the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, and an elementary school is slated to open within the community in time for the 2023-24 school year.
Johnson Development Services is an affiliate of Houston-based Johnson Development Corp. that focuses on smaller communities. In the Houston area, Johnson Development Services has developed Alder Trails, Amira, Grand Vista, Lost Creek and Willow Creek Farms. San Antonio-area projects of Johnson Development Services include Cinco Lakes, Davis Ranch, Overlook at Creekside, Willow Point and Winding Brook.
Earlier this year, Johnson Development Corp. announced it's building a 1,258-acre master-planned community called Cross Creek West just north of Fulshear in Fort Bend County. Builders are expected to start construction on the first of 410 homes in the spring, and the first of those homes likely will be ready late this year. Cross Creek West also is situated along FM 359 and is a few miles west of two other Johnson Development communities: Cross Creek Ranch and Jordan Ranch.