Large-scale Planned Community 
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DETAILS

Location, Texas United States
ClientSugarland Properties, Inc.; Gerald D. Hines Interests

First Colony is a 9700-acre planned community located on the southwest of Houston in suburban Ft. Bend County. It was one of the first truly large-scale master-planned communities to become fully developed. SWA directed a community design effort to determine the treatment of the primary elements of the community including the major boulevards that define the site, a well-articulated open space system, residential neighborhoods, local and regional shopping centers, industrial and office sites, schools and churches, and a golf course and country club. SWA was involved in all aspects of the project, from large-scale planning to detailed landscape design and implementation, which included the planting of many thousands of trees throughout the community. Sugarland Properties has stated about the planning effort: “First Colony is the outcome of extensive planning and a process that has stood the test of time. The 9700-acre master-planned community, valued at $3 billion, has created a cycle of development that has been remarkably successful.” First Colony Metrics: • 49,500 Residents • 300 Companies representing some 10,000 employees • 1.5 Million square feet of office space • 2 Million square feet of industrial space • 1.1Million square feet of retail space • 61 Neighborhoods • 22 Public schools, 7 Private schools, 1 Junior college • 22 Recreational and Athletic Facilities • 20 Churches and places of worship