A prominent Texas homebuilder is poised to shake up the residential landscape in Williamson County following the recent approval of the North Fork Municipal Utility District.
County commissioners greenlighted the 343-acre North Fork MUD last week, clearing the way for what could become a large-scale residential community between Hutto and Taylor, the Austin Business Journal reported. Green Brick Partners, led by director and CEO James Brickman, will spearhead the project through its subsidiary GRBK Edgewood.
The location, at the intersection of county roads 368 and 369, is expected to make the site a prime target for residential development, though specific details are limited.
Green Brick’s involvement suggests the district could mirror some of the company’s previous successful projects in the region, such as its Trinity Ranch development in Elgin, which spans 383 acres and is set to include over 1,700 homes. Green Brick’s Trophy Signature Homes brand alone accounts for 850 of those homesites.
If North Fork follows a similar model, it could result in construction of 1,500 homes — a welcome prospect considering Williamson County’s 65 percent increase in population between 2010 and mid-2023.
The county’s population growth has largely been fueled by industrial expansion, particularly Samsung’s massive semiconductor plant under construction in Taylor, just east of the North Fork site.
This facility, along with a growing network of Samsung suppliers and other tech companies, has driven much of the housing demand in the area.
Several industrial players have already staked their claim in the region, including Soulbrain Holdings, which is constructing a $575 million chemical plant in Taylor, and Hanwha Advanced Materials, which is building a $100 million high-tech manufacturing facility near Georgetown.
— Andrew Terrell