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An aerial rendering showing what Magnolia Town Center could look like once completed. The 200-acre project is proposed west of Highway 249 in Montgomery County, north of Houston.<\/p>\n
Tannos Development Group<\/p>\n
Renderings show what the proposed Magnolia Town Center mixed-use project could look like once complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tannos Development Group<\/p>\n
Opposition is building in Magnolia over a proposal to turn 200 acres of rural land into one of the largest mixed-use developments <\/a>the small Houston-area city has seen.<\/p>\n Pitched on an undeveloped site around 45 miles north of Houston, Magnolia Town Center could eventually include 1 million square feet of residential, multifamily, retail, office, medical and hospitality space near downtown Magnolia.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The $1 billion project proposal comes as development spreads rapidly throughout Montgomery County, where some residents are wary of change.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to destroy all of old Magnolia,\u201d said\u00a0L.L. Edward, who opposes the project.<\/p>\n The project has not yet received city approval and remains in the planning stages. Representatives from the city did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n Louis Tannos, founder of Tannos Development Group, said his team is working with the city\u2019s engineers to develop a proposed development agreement, reviewing everything from utilities and infrastructure to traffic impacts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe are very, very slowly and methodically working with the town of Magnolia. If they see things that need to change, we change it,\u201d\u00a0Tannos said. \u201cWe\u2019re not here to push our will and our way on people.\u201d<\/p>\n Although the city council is not scheduled to vote on the project this week, a group of Magnolia residents plan to voice their concerns over the development at a city council meeting on Tuesday. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, opponents are also circulating a petition<\/a> on Change.org, hoping it will help get their voices heard. The petition was started last month by Sharon\u00a0Valdespino and, as of Monday, had over 1,500 signatures.<\/p>\n DEVELOPMENTS COMING:\u00a011 major retail projects planned in Houston in 2026 and beyond<\/a><\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Longtime resident Lauren Bohannon founded Magnolia Preservation Society with several friends, and said the group is working to protect and preserve Magnolia’s historic areas.<\/p>\n \u201cThis whole area has experienced insane growth, and it\u2019s not being managed responsibly at the city or county level,\u201d Bohannon said. \u201cWe strongly feel the historic areas of Magnolia should be kept the way they are.\u201d<\/p>\n Like other opponents, Bohannon said she is also worried about the impact to the area\u2019s environment, flood risk, traffic patterns and infrastructure.<\/p>\n However, several steps remain before the project can move forward.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Project still in planning; no date for approval<\/p>\n The development agreement would include a Planned Unit Development (PUD) proposal detailing rules around what could be built, the types of building materials that could be used, the landscaping and more,\u00a0Tannos said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Development agreements typically outline infrastructure responsibilities, zoning, phasing and design standards, while the city would separately have to approve financing tools such as a Public Improvement District, or\u00a0PID, or a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, known as a TIRZ.<\/p>\n The development agreement would need approval by the city council, but at this time, there is no date for when the council would even consider a vote on the matter, Tannos said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Although he was aiming to start initial site work for the project later this year, the planning process is moving more slowly than expected, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n