A multinational North Texas real estate developer has finalized plans for one of the largest mixed-use developments in the region.
North Texas developer Hillwood will break ground this September on home lots at Landmark, a 3,200-acre property at I-35W and Robson Ranch Road southwest of Denton.
Plans call for roughly 6,000 single-family homes at the development’s completion. Landmark will also hold more than 5 million square feet of commercial, mixed-use space and roughly 3,000 multifamily units fronting more than five miles near I-35W.
The project will be Hillwood’s first large-scale combination residential and mixed-use development.
The sprawling property was one of the original land holdings purchased by the Perot family in 1987. It serves as the entry gateway to Denton and was pivotal to Hillwood’s long-term vision of what would later become AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre development in north Fort Worth and southern Denton County.
Previously called Hunter’s Ranch, plans for the Landmark development came into focus in 2018 on the heels of Hillwood’s success with other masterplan communities. Entitlements were approved in 2020, and Hillwood began moving forward with the project, company representatives said.
The property has been established as an improvement district to pay for infrastructure.
“It’s been a labor of love for the last 20-plus years,” said Kim Cole, vice president at Hillwood Properties and commercial project manager for Landmark. “This is the next big mixed-use node on the I-35 corridor. … We see it as the next big launch for us.”
Hillwood plans to develop its Landmark community around a 1,110-acre “green ecosystem” that includes key regional landmarks.
The property is home to Pilot Knob — a 900-foot-high natural rock protrusion that is one of the highest points in North Texas. The natural marker was used as a lookout station or signal point by members of the Native Caddo tribe, Spanish explorers and American pioneers. Outlaw Sam Bass once used the knob as a hideout.
It’s from this “landmark” that development’s new name was born.
Hillwood Communities plans to protect the knob and its surrounding areas with strict conservation easements. A structure can’t be built on the formation, but the developer wants people to enjoy the land and all its geological features.
Hillwood plans to incorporate Pilot Knob and the Post Oak trees that were once part of the Cross Timbers region into an interconnected trail system, recreation areas and parks. Landmark’s 300-acre entertainment and park district will encompass the knob and surrounding hills.
A series of science-, technology-, engineering-, arts- and math-focused learning parks aimed at Denton ISD students and students from other neighboring school districts are also planned for the development. Hillwood aims for Landmark to be a “city-in-a-city.”
“I think we have to try, sometimes too hard in Texas, to create [really cool spaces],” Cole said. “At Landmark, you’re just going to walk out and experience that space. There’s no place in North Texas you can have this type of experience.”
Landmark’s opening phase will feature 747 single-family lots. Nine builders will offer homes in a variety of sizes, designs and developments. Lot sizes will run from 40-foot wide to 70-foot wide, said Andrew Pieper, vice president at Hillwood Communities and residential project manager for Landmark.
Pieper said contracts with builders are still being worked out and pricing information will be released later.
“The spectrum is wide where we can offer first-time move-up to kind of luxury, almost somewhat custom homes,” he said. “We see the opportunity in future phases to really increase these offerings. We are moving very thoughtfully and are trying to be very calculated and intentional about how we develop this.”
Home models are slated to open in Spring 2026. Commercial planning and leasing are underway.
Ted Wilson — who leads Residential Strategies, a Dallas market research firm focused on Texas’ new home industry — said Landmark will be one of the region’s premier master-planned communities.
“It’s in the path of growth, and it’s going to be the crown jewel of what they have in their spectrum of communities,” he said.
Through its communities division, Hillwood has delivered close to 50,000 single-family lots in master-planned communities across 13 states and Costa Rica. About a third of its construction has been along I-35W starting near Alliance Airport.
Landmark will be close to other Hillwood developments in the AllianceTexas area, including Harvest in Argyle and Northlake, Pecan Square in Northlake, and the soon-to-open Treeline community in Justin.