Houston area: George Ranch: 1,500-Acre Community In progress

In Houston, Johnson Development has started work on a 1,500-acre large-scale planned community on land purchased last year from The George Foundation, the overseer of the historic 20,000-acre George Ranch.

The George Ranch was founded in 1824 on a league of land along the Brazos River in Mexican territory that was then known as Tejas.

Today, the ranch is visited by 20,000 school children a year for educational purposes.

The George Foundation sold the 1,500 acres to Johnson Development to meet its fiduciary responsibility to fulfill the charitable distribution amounts required by the IRS.

The first phase of the new development will have 270 home sites, Johnson said.

“This is a momentous occasion as we take the first steps to demonstrate our vision for a large-scale planned community that honors the legacy of this land,” said Derek Goff, Vice President and General Manager of the community. “The George Foundation has entrusted Johnson Development with the purchase of the first significant parcel of land the nonprofit has ever sold. We are deeply honored by their confidence and are committed to being dedicated stewards of this remarkable property.”

In Located in Fort Bend County southwest of Houston, the master, planned community will have a mix of 40-, 45-, 50- and 60-foot homesites. Model homes are slated to open in 2026. The name of the community and builders will be reported later this year.

Working with Johnson Development on the project are Clark Condon and Associates and LJA Engineering. The property is located off FM 2977 at Koeblen Road, southwest of Houston.

It will be Johnson Development’s ninth community in Fort Bend County, marking a significant milestone during the company’s 50th anniversary celebration. With nearly 24,000 acres under development, the company is currently the largest developer of large-scale planned communities in Fort Bend County. Other Fort Bend communities by Johnson Development include Sienna in Missouri City, the largest large-scale planned community to date in the history of Fort Bend County; Riverstone and Imperial in the Sugar Land region; Veranda and Harvest Green in Richmond; and Cross Creek Ranch, Jordan Ranch and Cross Creek West in Fulshear.

The 81-year-old George Foundation reported the decision to sell the tract of land early last year, saying the sale was driven by its fiduciary responsibility to fulfill the charitable distribution amounts required by the IRS. As a private foundation, IRS regulations require The George Foundation to distribute 5 percent of its total assets annually, which includes the asset value of the foundation’s vast land holdings.

“This transaction underscores our long-term commitment to supporting the citizens of Fort Bend County by ensuring we have the liquid assets we need to fulfill our charitable mission,” Ruthanne Mefford of the Board of Trustees of The George Foundation, said at the time of the sale. “In fact, The George Foundation is intent on awarding hundreds of millions of dollars to local scholarship recipients and nonprofit partners serving our community over the next century, and this transaction will help us realize this dream.”