R.A. Development, Trade School Answer Demands Near Fort Worth

A fast-growing Fort Worth suburb is gearing up for two major projects: a master-planned community and a $150 million trade school.

The projects, in Burleson, are expected to deliver over 2,000 homes and a campus focused on training construction workers, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

The planned Craftmasters school, a new venture from the founders of Full Sail University, will sit on 62 acres. It will offer courses in subjects such as carpentry, HVAC installation and masonry, and is set to start construction next summer, with a target to enroll 5,000 students by 2031, according to Alex Philips, Burleson’s economic development director.

Next door, Chisholm Summit will become Burleson’s first master-planned community. The development will feature 2,500 homes, 100 acres of parks and 10 miles of trails, according to Justin Bond, chief development officer at R.A. Development, the firm behind the project.

Infrastructure work on the community is already underway, and construction on the first homes is set to begin later this year, with the first homes ready for occupancy by spring 2026. Together, R.A. Development and the Burleson Economic Development Corporation, have already completed 2 miles of roads, 1.5 miles of water systems and 2.5 miles of sewer systems.

Given the proximity between the Craftmasters school and the residential development, Bond sees a synergy between the two, with students from the trade school assisting with the construction of homes in Chisholm Summit.

Burleson’s population grew nearly 16 percent from 2020 to 2023. The combination of new housing and a trade school dedicated to construction could help address the increasing demand for homes and skilled labor in the area.

The Associated Builders and Contractors organization estimates that 454,000 new workers will be needed in the construction industry next year. Craftmasters plans to build at least 100 homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth region as part of its curriculum.

— Andrew Terrell