Main Square Development’s Terra Nova Project Moves Forward

Main Square’s Terra Nova community is moving forward after revisions prompted by community concerns.

The Terrell City Council approved the first reading of an annexation request this week covering 712 acres for a 1,550-acre mixed-use development proposed by the Plano-based developer, the Dallas Business Journal reported. The project faces a final council vote Nov. 4.

Main Square President Hugo Morales called the annexation vote “an important milestone in the life of this project.” The firm’s plans call for roughly 3,600 single-family homes, 1,200 multifamily units, 145 acres of parks, and a 50-acre mixed-use center called Terra Nova Village along Griffith Road near FM 245. The community is expected to unfold over 14 to 16 phases.

Council also approved the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone encompassing the entire 2,061-acre Terra Nova footprint. It’s designed to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and utilities using future tax revenue. The TIRZ, like the annexation, will return for a final reading early next month.

Some Terrell residents weren’t originally on board with the scale of Terra Nova, bringing up concerns about congestion, rising home prices and strain on schools. The city of about 23,000 people could see its population surge by potentially tens of thousands under the plan. Morales said his team has modified the project in response to feedback.

“Multiple edits have been made to the development agreement to address the concerns brought up by the citizenry and reaffirm their voices have been heard,” Morales said.

Main Square’s strategy mirrors the suburban megaproject model reshaping much of North Texas. Developers are targeting cities beyond Dallas County for large-scale, mixed-use communities that blend single-family, multifamily and retail components with parks and open space.

Terra Nova would be one of the largest in Kaufman County, part of Main Square’s broader push to expand its footprint. Though this is Main Square’s first project, the firm also controls about 1,100 acres in Cedar Hill and is eyeing projects in Sherman and Royse City.

— Eric Weilbacher