A new community-within-a-community is beginning to take shape on a 1,157-acre spread in Denton County.

Developer Hillwood Communities just started construction on the first 630 single-family homes in its $1.5 billion Pecan Square master-planned development in Northlake. Though the entire community will contain more than 3,000 new houses at build-out, the first phase of construction is slated for completion in late 2019.

Located on FM 407 near Interstate 35W, Pecan Square is between Denton and Fort Worth, just a stone’s throw from Hillwood’s 1,200-acre Harvest, a community with a resident millennial farmer, in Argyle and Northlake.

“Pecan Square is one of the largest master-planned communities we have developed in our 25-plus year history. It is in a perfect position to offer a wide variety of home prices in a high-quality master-planned community within a tremendous school district,” Brian Carlock, senior vice president of Hillwood Communities, said in a statement. “Northlake has a wonderful quality of life and happens to be in one of the highest growth areas in North Texas.”

Aerial view of typical Texas neighborhood

Pecan Square Living

Hillwood’s development style intends to preserve and celebrate the land’s history in its communities. Since most of the acreage at Pecan Square formerly housed horses at Woodhill Farm, the look and feel of the new community will blend modern architecture, design, and amenities with the land’s rural equestrian heritage.

Because the main horse barn has seen its best days, a replica will be constructed as a community center containing a lounge, fitness center, coworking business center, and event areas. While the back side will open onto one of several resort-style pool areas, the front side will open onto lush greenspace, picnic areas, and the community’s own town square. And Hillwood is redeveloping the adjoining horse arena into a new venue for special events and community gatherings.

Despite an abundance of pecan trees throughout the community, Hillwood is preserving two rows of 200 trees to line the main drive into Pecan Square.

Served by the highly-acclaimed Northwest Independent School District, Pecan Square will eventually include an onsite elementary school, middle school, and high school as well as a new Northwest ISD stadium.

The Homes and Neighborhoods

Like most Hillwood communities, Pecan Square is a tapestry of environmentally friendly neighborhoods that are developed around five Live Smart principles: connection, well-being, enrichment, stewardship, and convenience.

The homes feature smarthome automation, which allows homeowners to control the thermostat, light switches, front door camera, and security system with a smartphone. Builders include Ashton Woods, CalAtlantic Homes, DR Horton, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes, and Pulte Homes.

According to the press release announcing the community, new single-family home prices range from the mid $200s to more than $500,000, and lot sizes vary from 40-feet to one acre. Pecan Square aims to make homes available for purchase in summer 2019. 

What’s Nearby

Northlake will offer Pecan Square residents the best of two worlds—a small-town vibe within commuting distance of Dallas-Fort Worth, the nation’s fourth largest metro area. The town is 46 miles from Dallas, 27.2 miles from Fort Worth, and only 15 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

Located just 12.5 miles from Pecan Square, Denton is the county seat and largest city in Denton County as well as the 12th most populated city in Dallas-Fort Worth. Although it’s home to the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University, Denton isn’t just a college town.

Denton’s hot live music scene attracts a steady flow of listeners from Dallas and Fort Worth, and the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival draws hundreds of thousands of people annually. The eclectic culture extends to the Denton Square where a collection of shops, restaurants, and bars adds another layer to the city’s popularity.