Lennar gets green light for 1,600 homes

Lennar continues to make its mark on the south suburbs of Austin.

The Caldwell County Commissioners Court approved the developer’s proposal to build a 491-acre neighborhood with 1,600 lots, across the road from the San Marcos Regional Airport at State Highway 21 and William Pettus Road, the Austin Business Journal reported. The project’s estimated cost wasn’t revealed. 

The community in San Marcos, called Cotton Gateway, will be Lennar Homes’ second major development in Caldwell County, in addition to three others in the neighboring Hays County, the outlet said. In addition to San Marcos, the region encompasses towns like Lockhart, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs. San Marcos, situated between Austin and San Antonio, is seeing explosive population growth. 

Pricing for Cotton Gateway homes hasn’t been revealed, but the nearby Summerside complex has listings of about $330,000. Lots at Cotton Gateway will range from 40 to 60 feet wide, with a minimum of a 30-foot building setback. At least eight acres will be reserved for amenities, green space or parks, and Kimley-Horn will serve as the engineer, the outlet said.

Developers are eyeing areas east and south of Austin for future projects, as these communities are experiencing surging economic growth, and its open farmlands allow for seamless construction efforts. 

Lennar Homes CEO Jonathan Jaffe and Tesla owner Elon Musk recently announced they were partnering to build Project Amazing, east of the city in Bastrop County. The project will include 110 new homes on 75 acres, near Musk’s Boring Company headquarters.

Lennar Homes is one of the most prolific builders in the Austin metro. In 2021, the firm sold over $627 million of homes, which was second most of any developer, behind only D.R. Horton.

—Quinn Donoghue