Kyle, TX – With an estimated population surpassing 150,000, Hays County is the 4th fastest-growing county in Texas according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census. Expansion of the services and infrastructure that the communities in this area need is underway. This effort to support population growth involves cities such as Kyle planning cooperatively with public and private entities. Recent infrastructure development in the Kyle area, which has been achieved in collaboration with the city, county and the Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT), includes improvements along the I-35 corridor and investment in the improvement of arterial roads.
Investment in services has also continued, with the opening of Seton Medical Center Hays in Kyle in early October representing the biggest achievement of late. The second hospital in Hays County, Seton Medical Center Hays is fulfilling pent-up demand for medical services with its 112-bed facility, which will have a capacity of more than 300 beds in the future. Medical services that support and complement the new hospital include Austin Regional Clinic, which opened a practice in Kyle neighborhood Plum Creek in May of 2009, and two medical office buildings surrounding the Seton hospital property, which are expected to open in 2010.
Planning for education has been a top priority for Hays Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD), which opened a new middle school this fall and plans to open two elementary schools in 2010. The need for elementary schools directly correlates with the rate of housing development in the area. Including the schools under construction, HCISD has 13 elementary schools, five middle schools, two comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school.
Grocery and retail are also expanding in response to local population growth. Kohl’s and Target have recently opened new locations in Kyle and two financial institutions, TrustTexas Bank and A+ Federal Credit Union, have selected sites in Kyle’s Plum Creek neighborhood. These retailers and service providers join other retailers in the area including HEB, Lowe’s, Starbucks, Walgreens and Wells Fargo.
Multifamily development is also happening in Kyle. In May of 2009 Vantage Communities purchased 12.5 acres in Plum Creek site for a 264 unit apartment community. Expected to open in 2010, Vantage in Kyle is adjacent to the Plum Creek golf course and will include a fitness center, business center, leasing center and a swimming pool.
Mixed-use master-planned community Plum Creek has had a role in the growth of Hays County’s population for over ten years. The Plum Creek development effort began in 1999 and today Plum Creek includes 1,500 homes, 4,500 residents, two schools (one public and one private) and businesses ranging from doctors offices to dance studios. The first phase of the project occupies 30% of land available in Plum Creek; the current phase of development includes 790 available acres. The current development phase encompasses the Uptown District, a mixed-use town center; commercial tracts supporting a variety of uses; single-family residential development; and multifamily development.
Plum Creek is different from many neighborhoods in Hays County because it incorporates the principles of New Urbanism. New Urbanism is an approach to neighborhood and city planning that revives traditional neighborhood structures, supports pedestrian activity, fosters communication with neighbors and creates a mix of uses and housing types. Plum Creek is considered to be one of the more affordable traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs) available today. Austin Business Journal named Plum Creek the “Master-planned Community of the Year” in 2005 and Envison Central Texas named Plum Creek the “New Development of the Year” in 2006.
For more information about growth in Hays County, Kyle, Texas and the Plum Creek neighborhood, please contact Cile Montgomery at Giant Media, 512.462.4666 or cmontgomery(@)giantmediallc.com.
Investment in services has also continued, with the opening of Seton Medical Center Hays in Kyle in early October representing the biggest achievement of late. The second hospital in Hays County, Seton Medical Center Hays is fulfilling pent-up demand for medical services with its 112-bed facility, which will have a capacity of more than 300 beds in the future. Medical services that support and complement the new hospital include Austin Regional Clinic, which opened a practice in Kyle neighborhood Plum Creek in May of 2009, and two medical office buildings surrounding the Seton hospital property, which are expected to open in 2010.
Planning for education has been a top priority for Hays Consolidated Independent School District (HCISD), which opened a new middle school this fall and plans to open two elementary schools in 2010. The need for elementary schools directly correlates with the rate of housing development in the area. Including the schools under construction, HCISD has 13 elementary schools, five middle schools, two comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school.
Grocery and retail are also expanding in response to local population growth. Kohl’s and Target have recently opened new locations in Kyle and two financial institutions, TrustTexas Bank and A+ Federal Credit Union, have selected sites in Kyle’s Plum Creek neighborhood. These retailers and service providers join other retailers in the area including HEB, Lowe’s, Starbucks, Walgreens and Wells Fargo.
Multifamily development is also happening in Kyle. In May of 2009 Vantage Communities purchased 12.5 acres in Plum Creek site for a 264 unit apartment community. Expected to open in 2010, Vantage in Kyle is adjacent to the Plum Creek golf course and will include a fitness center, business center, leasing center and a swimming pool.
Mixed-use master-planned community Plum Creek has had a role in the growth of Hays County’s population for over ten years. The Plum Creek development effort began in 1999 and today Plum Creek includes 1,500 homes, 4,500 residents, two schools (one public and one private) and businesses ranging from doctors offices to dance studios. The first phase of the project occupies 30% of land available in Plum Creek; the current phase of development includes 790 available acres. The current development phase encompasses the Uptown District, a mixed-use town center; commercial tracts supporting a variety of uses; single-family residential development; and multifamily development.
Plum Creek is different from many neighborhoods in Hays County because it incorporates the principles of New Urbanism. New Urbanism is an approach to neighborhood and city planning that revives traditional neighborhood structures, supports pedestrian activity, fosters communication with neighbors and creates a mix of uses and housing types. Plum Creek is considered to be one of the more affordable traditional neighborhood developments (TNDs) available today. Austin Business Journal named Plum Creek the “Master-planned Community of the Year” in 2005 and Envison Central Texas named Plum Creek the “New Development of the Year” in 2006.
For more information about growth in Hays County, Kyle, Texas and the Plum Creek neighborhood, please contact Cile Montgomery at Giant Media, 512.462.4666 or cmontgomery(@)giantmediallc.com.