Grand Central Park primed for boom
The master-planned community is expanding with a new hotel and convention center, hundreds of homes and a retail center
CONROE — Five years after the first home was built in Grand Central Park off Interstate 45 in Conroe, the master-planned community is expected to see continued expansion in 2022 with a new hotel and convention center, hundreds of new homes and a new retail center.
The Johnson Development Corp. has been molding the undeveloped land into a community aimed at offering residents shopping, dining and entertainment in one location. The heavily wooded property includes six natural lakes totaling approximately 128 acres. The largest lake, Grand Lake, spans about 80 acres. The property also offers 1.6 miles of frontage along the San Jacinto River.
In 2013, the Sam Houston Area Council of Boy Scouts of America selected Houston-based Johnson Development to purchase the longstanding Boy Scout camp just south of Loop 336 on I-45.
Spanning over 2,000 acres, the first home was completed in 2016. Today, there are 650 occupied homes with another 50 under construction.
“We are ready for the new year,” said Shannon League, director of marketing for Johnson Development. “We expect to deliver over 250 homesites over the year. Most will be similar lot sizes we currently have but we will be introducing some larger home sites later in the year.”
League said the community’s newest builder, Gehan Homes, is finishing its model townhome starting at a price point of about $200,000.
League said there is a demographic of home buyers looking to downsize.
“We have that empty nester buyer and that young professional buyer so we kind of split the spectrum. We are right on Interstate 45 so it is easy access to The Woodlands and downtown Houston. We talk about there is no commute because you are already on 45.”
There’s been an increase in young families looking for houses, moving away from townhomes or apartment life. She noted many home buyers are not looking to downsize but rather they want floorplans that offer home offices or flex space with the increase of professionals working from home.
There are currently about 8 miles of nature trails with plans to expand them to the other side of Grand Lake later this year.
Picnic Park is expected to open this year and will feature a harvest table and open lawn with hammocks, League said.
On the commercial side of development, League said Marcel Boulevard will be opening the first quarter of the year.
Marcel Boulevard is an openair market with 68,160 square feet of enticing shops and restaurants for friends and family. The 10.5-acre center also includes 32,400 square feet of executive office space and ground-level special event and entertainment areas in a pedestrian-friendly environment.
To date, Atelier Beauty Suites, Perfect Round, Thrive Spa, Edward Jones, Voodoo Grille and Strategic Mind Games will open locations in the new retail development.
“We will be announcing several more this month,” League said.
On the hospitality side, Grand Central Park will be the home of a new $98 million Hyatt Regency Hotel and Convention Center. The project features 250 upscale rooms. The hotel will also include amenities such as a full-service restaurant, full bar, pool deck, fitness facility and a market.
The convention center will have 41,000 square feet of space, including a 15,000-square-foot grand ballroom, an 8,000square-foot junior ballroom, 8,000 square feet of breakout and boardrooms, and pre-function space.
The hotel and convention center is expected to be complete in 2023.