
In Spicewood, Texas, Areté Collective has announced its initial plans for a 2,200-acre development in the hills of Lake Travis. While serving the westward expansion of Austin, Thomas Ranch will create roughly 3,500 new privately developed housing units across multiple price points and housing types for sale and rent.
“Areté is working to create a new frontier when it comes to Lake Travis living,” says Rebecca Buchan, CEO and co-founder of Areté Collective. “Our vision for Thomas Ranch is that it will pave the way for more integrated planning to better support the inevitable growth of Austin. While the last generation was about what you build, this generation is focused on what you preserve. We hope to inspire our entire region to remain attentive to the needs of our unique community and landscape, developing in a way that honors both the land and the people who call it home.”
Encouraging sustainability and multi-mobility, the site will include a new walkable downtown district with 250,000 square feet of retail, dining, civic spaces; over 40 miles of hiking and biking trails; more than 1,200 acres of open space; community gardens; a large destination farm; and over 2 miles of river frontage. Plans also include a member-only eco-friendly golf course designed by world-renowned golf course architect David McLay Kidd; a regional cultural hub; school and health care offerings; a boutique hotel; and a private lakefront community.
“Transparency and dedication to the preservation of the Texas Hill Country is at the forefront of the commitment we hold ourselves to when it comes to this undertaking,” says Tom Hogan, Areté Collective co-founder. “Thomas Ranch will be a community unlike anything in Central Texas. Construction is set to begin in 2023 and will be completed through a phased development process with early residential sales beginning in late 2023 and full sales rollout in 2024.”
Housing options will include single-family, townhomes, multifamily, senior living, and affordable housing. To accomplish this, Areté has been engaged with the community about the development.
“Our team is dedicated to working with the community every step of the way,” says Joe Rentfro, Areté Collective’s managing director of Thomas Ranch. “We hope that the addition of infrastructure like new, safer roads, a hospital, schools, state-of-the-art civic amenities, and so much more will further improve the quality of life in the region and provide opportunities for all, like me, who call this place home.”