Agriculture and wellness will be a central part of a new housing community near downtown Anna that broke ground on Wednesday.
Anna has deep agricultural roots and the development is focused on exposing residents to agriculture, said Andre Ferrari, chief operating officer of the real estate development firm Tellus Group.
“We’re not going to teach every resident how to become a professional farmer, but we are going to provide opportunities for connection with their neighbors through learning how to grow tomatoes from the local farmer,” Ferrari said.
At Sherley Farms, residents could have other opportunities like getting a lesson from a beekeeper, Ferrari said. Tellus Group’s 970-acre housing project will be anchored by a farm and have 150 acres of open space.
D-FW Real Estate News
Sherley Farms is a $1.5 billion master-planned community that will include about 3,000 homes, according to a news release. Tellus Group first introduced plans for the project in April 2024.
The first phases of the project will bring 45-foot and 70-foot lots. Estate lots are planned for future phases.
Infrastructure improvements are already underway after construction started in December. Ferrari said the company didn’t want to schedule a groundbreaking event during the winter.
Home lots are expected to be delivered in late 2026 and model homes will be available in spring 2027, according to the news release. The first phase of an amenity center will also be delivered next year. The project will probably develop over the next decade, Ferrari said.
Tellus Group is building a 970-acre housing project anchored by a farm and centered around wellness activities in Anna.
Tellus Group
Tellus Group has created other developments with unique amenities, like Windsong Ranch, a 2,000-acre community in Prosper with a 5-acre lagoon.
The idea for a community with a focus on farming came from the property’s landowner who wanted to find a developer that would do something special with the land, Ferrari said.
The 65-acre organic working farm will have a mix of purposes. The plan is for the farm to be owned by the area home owner association and will potentially have pick gardens, supply farmers markets and have other uses, Ferrari said.
The community will be about five minutes from Highway 75 and will eventually connect to downtown Anna and Geer Park through a trail system.
Sherley Farms is a meaningful investment in Anna’s future, attracting new residents and expanding the city’s tax base, said Kevin Toten, the mayor pro tem of Anna, in the news release.
“This project will generate new economic activity, support local businesses and strengthen Anna’s position as a destination for high-quality development in North Texas,” Toten said.
Part of the design of the community is meant to subconsciously encourage people to get outside, Ferrari said.
“A big thing that we always hear from the parents is, ‘How do we get the kids off these iPads?’” Ferrari said. “The amount of times we’ve asked that question in our design, that’s such a big focus is, ‘How do we get people out there really enjoying the outdoors?’”
Dubai developer abandons planned 2,300-acre D-FW project
Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the project last month.
Fehmi Karahan: How the ‘crazy Turk’ became one of D-FW’s billion dollar developers
He went from bartending student to real estate mastermind. He’s responsible for some of D-FW’s biggest projects.
Everything Texans need to know about property tax homestead exemptions
How much is it, what exemptions are there and how do I apply?