According to Fire Chief Ronnie Tucker, another important benefit of the new fire station is that insurance rates are also expected to drop dramatically, saving Windsong residents and other area homeowners on their homeowners insurance.

Trinity Falls recently announced two new homebuilders to build in the next phase of the 1,700-acre premier master-planned community in northwest McKinney.  Trinity Falls, located only minutes from the intersection of 75/Central Expressway and Highway 380, is the newest and one of the largest master-planned developments in Collin County.  Award-winning builders Highland Homes and MHI’s Plantation Homes are expected to break ground on their models in Phase II by late Fall and will be open by early 2016.

“This is a very exciting time for Trinity Falls,” said Leisha Ehlert, Vice President of Asset Management and Development for Castle Hill Partners, who is overseeing the development of the community.  “Highland Homes and Plantation Homes are both well-established builders recognized for their high quality product, exceptional customer service and innovative home designs. Both builders will greatly complement the development and current builder program.”

New home sales in the initial phase of the master-planned community have already surpassed 200 homes since its Grand Opening in August 2014. First phase Trinity Falls builders include Ashton Woods, Beazer Homes, Emerald Homes and Gehan Homes and feature multiple product types with prices ranging from the mid $200s to upper $400s. Experts say this new premier master-planned community, with upscale amenities typically expected in a much higher priced community, is the answer to the underserved affordable market.

“With the recent completion of The Club, and the first phase of the 300-acre Trinity Falls B.B. Owen Park, the North Texas community has been very receptive to Trinity Falls and the unique lifestyle that blends natural and resort-style amenities for residents to enjoy,” Ehlert said.  “We are thrilled with the enthusiasm for our growing community.”

With nearly two miles of frontage on the East Fork of the Trinity River and over 450 acres of open space planned, Trinity Falls will feature a park system unrivaled by any other master plan in the DFW market. Backed by an $11 million endowment from the B.B. Owen Trust, amenities planned for the Trinity Falls Park include over 20 miles of nature and hike and bike trails, an amphitheater, athletic fields, championship disc golf, multiple outdoor gathering spaces, playgrounds, picnic areas and a series of recreational lakes for fishing, boating and canoeing.

Plans also include three onsite McKinney ISD elementary schools as well as retail and commercial components.  At full build-out Trinity Falls will have approximately 4,200 homes. For more information on Trinity Falls, please visit www.trinityfalls.com.

Castle Hill Partners (www.castlehillco.com) (CHP) is a private investment firm based in Austin, Texas.  Each principal has more than 25 years of experience in his or her respective area of expertise.  Collectively, Castle Hill Partners and its affiliates have been responsible for the development and acquisition of over 12,000,000 square feet of office, industrial and residential projects with an aggregate value of $2 billion.  To learn more about CHP, visit http://www.castlehillco.com. 

One year after Dallas-based, full-service digital marketing agency, Agency Entourage acquired Numantra, the agency is once again on pace to double its size and triple its footprint.

Known for its digital strategy and integrated online marketing approach, Agency Entourage is behind successful digital marketing campaigns for Texas-based brands such as Christian Brothers Automotive, Pizza Patron, Centurion American Development, Chalkboard China and TIGI Hair Care.

Principal and CEO Ben Randolph credits the agency’s success to its unique client service approach inside its think tank clubhouse in the Alto 211 “tech mecca” tower in downtown Dallas. 

“We think like partners but bring an entrepreneurial energy to problem solving for our clients,” said Randolph.  “The merger doubled our size and capabilities and strengthened our creative services and strategic consulting offerings.  Over the last year we have experienced quick but steady growth and expect to double our size again in the next two years.” 

Agency Entourage plans to move into a new 26,000 square foot headquarters by the end of the year, tripling its footprint from the 7,000 square feet in currently occupies.  That move will allow the agency to add another 60 employees.  The firm has grown from 14 employees prior to the acquisition last year to a current staff of 27.  Its revenue has also increased 37% percent since the merger was completed last July. 

But Randolph says it’s not about getting bigger.  The agency wants to provide an entourage of strategists for its clients’ growth. 

“Most of our clients are mid-size businesses but as they grow, we want to grow with them.  Many of our clients have been with us since the agency began in 2009.  They stay with us because we take a business approach to marketing and build intelligent, efficient plans that get results.  We are entrepreneurial and provide value to our clients in other ways besides just marketing support.”

Agency Entourage, a Dallas-based full-service creative digital agency (www.agencyentourage.com), helps brands explore modern ways to communicate.  Founded in 2009, Agency Entourage is a five-time winner of the DFW AMA Marketer of the Year award with work spanning across the web, mobile, social media strategy, digital advertising, video production, product innovation, brand development and consulting services.  Agency Entourage has been a pioneer in the digital marketing and communications industry.  For some inspiration please follow our Instagram www.instagram.com/agencyentourage.

Judges for the 2015 Gold Nugget Awards have named Windsong Ranch as a Grand Award winner in its annual competition, which honors architectural design and planning excellence and draws entries from throughout the United States and internationally.   Windsong Ranch earned its Grand honors for Best Site Plan, recognizing the innovative land plan designed by TBG Partners in collaboration with developer Terra Verde Group.

Located in the Town of Prosper -- about 35 miles north of Dallas, Windsong Ranch is a 2,030-acre community with more than 600 acres of open space, lakes, wooded creeks, parks, walking trails and outdoor fields and resort-style amenities.  Prosper’s premier master-planned community offers an unmatched lifestyle by enhancing the natural beauty of the land and creating luxurious, state-of-the-art facilities. A full calendar of community activities and events includes clubs and fun gatherings exclusively for residents as well as fitness classes, music festivals, dive-in movies, artisan markets and more for both residents and the public. Carefully designed to bring people together, Windsong Ranch has created a unique lifestyle experience for active, growing families. 

“The preservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the land, coupled with the spectacular combination of parks, amenities and public art that is connected by almost 30 miles of trails is what makes this site plan a standout,” said Craig Martin, Founding Partner of Terra Verde Group. “Our neighborhoods are all surrounded by beautiful green space.”

Chosen from the elite pool of Merit Award winners, Grand Awards were announced on June 25 as a feature highlight of PCBC, the nation’s largest regional conference and trade show for the real estate development field. 

“Gold Nugget Award winners reflect our industry’s best, brightest and most innovative architects, planners and builder/developers,” said Judging Chairman and Gold Nugget ceremonies administrator Lisa Parrish.  “We applaud them all, and were thrilled to recognize them on June 25 with a celebration of Merit and Grand Award winners.”

Now in its’s 52^nd year, GNA is the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the nation.  It honors design and planning achievements in community and home design, green-built housing, site planning, commercial, retail, mixed-use development and specialty housing categories.  Winners this year were chosen from 635 entries from around the world.  The Gold Nugget Awards recognize those who improve our communities through exceptional concepts in design, planning and development.

Windsong Ranch homes range from the mid-$300s to the $900s.  Model homes are open for Chesmar Homes, Darling Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes and Huntington Homes. Grenadier Homes will Grand Open their model in late 2015. For more information on Windsong Ranch, please visit www.windsongranchliving.com.

Prosper-based Terra Verde Group, LLC (http://www. http://tvgllc.com), is a real estate investment firm focused on the purchase of opportunistic real estate assets.  Its principals have decades of combined experience in investments and development in the real estate marketplace and account for more than $6.5 billion of sales in real estate product.  TVG delivers risk-adjusted rates of return, which exceed expectations and strives to build and sustain investor trust throughout the investment cycle.  TVG creates significant added value by engineering and executing smart, disciplined, proactive management and capital strategies, while adhering to the core values it shares with its partners.

With a series of commercial real estate deals completed over the last six months and significant residential land sales, Craig Ranch announced today it has sold over 58 acres, contributing more than $132 million in future ad valorem taxes to the city of McKinney.

“It is the tried and true strategy we said all along was going to work,” said David Craig, founder and master developer of Craig Ranch.  “We needed roof tops to make the corporate center, town center and retail in our core vibrant. We’ll have 20,000 residents in Craig Ranch in the next five years and that is attractive to retailers, multifamily developers and companies wanting to relocate.”

Craig Ranch has seen a flurry of new deals, with the most recent being the Sewell Audi Dealership at State Highway 121 and Stacy Road, Moviehouse & Eatery near the northeast corner of Craig Ranch Parkway/Exchange and State Highway 121 and a Holiday Inn Express along State Highway 121.  The Marketplace at Craig Ranch, a grocery-anchored retail shopping center at the northeast corner of Custer and Stacy roads, is also underway. Additional commercial development includes the second phase of the Parkside luxury apartments and Southern Hills office suites at Custer and Collin-McKinney.

McKinney Corporate Center Craig Ranch, a 137-acre office park,  is a public-private partnership with the City of McKinney.  London-based Barclays Bank relocated to the McKinney Corporate Center in 2014 and the development team is currently working to attract other marque companies.  “We’re seeing McKinney evolve and it’s exciting,” said Craig.  “Our vision 15 years ago was to create density and increase commercial valuation which brings job growth, employees and more ad valorem taxes.”

Located at the crossroads of Frisco, Plano, Allen and McKinney, Craig Ranch is quickly accessible to major employment centers, regional and specialty shopping, fine dining and sports and entertainment venues throughout Collin County as well as both major DFW airports.  Craig Ranch is located within the outstanding Frisco and Allen ISDs and boasts on-site schools within the community, a major draw for families looking for top rated schools. 

Craig Ranch is a 2,200-acre master-planned business, retail and residential community in McKinney, Texas - recently ranked #1 by Money Magazine as the Best Place to Live in America and Top 10 Best Places to Move by Forbes Magazine.  Located just 25 minutes from DFW airport, Craig Ranch is a high profile, regional point of destination. The TPC Craig Ranch private golf course is the centerpiece of the community and a member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program. The open green spaces and small-town ambiance of Craig Ranch serves as a natural setting for outdoor concerts, water-inspired events, art fairs and exhibits. Soccer and baseball fields, hike and bike trails and unique amenities give residents a sense of place they are proud to call home. Craig Ranch is an AT&T Connected Community. Its marquee venues include: the TPC Craig Ranch, Michael Johnson Performance, the Cooper Fitness Center & Spa at Craig Ranch, Victory Medical Center at Craig Ranch, Dr Pepper StarCenter McKinney at Craig Ranch, The Ball Fields at Craig Ranch, The Premier Soccer Fields at Craig Ranch and The Beach at Craig Ranch, a youth to pro-level sand volleyball venue. For information call 972-529-5700 or www.CraigRanchTx.com.