Tres Lagos Success Sparks RGV Developments

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Tres Lagos Success Sparks RGV Developments

Tres Lagos has a grand entrance to its neighborhoods off of Ware Road in north McAllen. (Courtesy)
Tres Lagos has a grand entrance to its neighborhoods off of Ware Road in north McAllen. (Courtesy)

In 1997, the limits of north McAllen didn’t go much past Trenton Road, with the first signs of development just beginning to take shape in the form of a sign promising a new H-E-B on the way.

From that corner of Trenton and 10th Street, it was a trek much further north on adjacent Ware Road as it went past state Highway 107. Farmland with scattered duck ponds is what that part of McAllen’s extra territorial jurisdiction looked like back then. An East Texas family that had recently sold its meat packing business saw the same farmland and envisioned other possibilities in the years to come.

Esperanza Homes offers various price points for its new homes in north Brownsville.
Esperanza Homes offers various price points for its new homes in north Brownsville.

Nick Rhodes recalled his family coming to the Rio Grande Valley around that time and sizing up a region they believed was poised for significant growth. It would take time, they realized, for McAllen’s growth to migrate further north in its ETJ. They were confident it would. They began buying up farmland and used it for those purposes to generate revenue.  

Being patient, waiting it out, they purchased more property in going further north from Ware to Monte Cristo Road. By the year 2000, the Rhodes family had purchased 10,000 acres. Mission and Edinburg city limits pushed up against the western and eastern boundaries, respectively. The ambitious project was beginning to take shape. It was the beginning of Tres Lagos, a 2,571-acre master planned community, which opened in 2017. In just five years, over 1,500 homes have been built at Tres Lagos. There is block after block of new homes in what is now McAllen’s new north. 

A new home at Palo Alto Groves in Brownsville is representative of the style and size of homes from Esperanza Homes.
A new home at Palo Alto Groves in Brownsville is representative of the style and size of homes from Esperanza Homes.

It’s not only homes. There are parks, walking trails, ponds and picnic areas, and schools. One is an IDEA Academy campus and another is a nearby middle school on Rooth Road that is part of the Edinburg school district.  Just over the horizon of the main entrance to Tres Lagos, a large multi-story building comes into view. It’s the Valley’s Texas A&M University campus.

“Everything so far has exceeded our expectations,” said Rhodes, the president and chief executive officer of his family’s mixed-use development company. “We’re ahead of schedule.”

Looking Ahead

Rhodes Enterprises sees Tres Lagos as a 30-year project as it continues to push northward.

Rhodes Enterprises includes green space and parks in its developments, including the Palo Alto Groves project in Brownsville.
Rhodes Enterprises includes green space and parks in its developments, including the Palo Alto Groves project in Brownsville.

The progress thus far is impressive, but there are still several thousand acres to develop. There are 25 years to go before completion. The goals in addition to home construction include enhancing the emerging community with retail and health care facilities and other services that will be readily available to Tres Lago residents. 

Shoppes At Tres Lagos is under construction with the first stores and restaurants to be opened by summer. South Texas Health Systems has announced plans to build and open a facility in the Tres Lagos area. The concept is to create a designed living area with green spaces, parks, and commercial and retail space. It will be possible to walk or take a quick drive to attend schools or go to work.

The concept of Tres Lagos is being taken by Rhodes Enterprises to other Valley communities. The size of Rhodes developments in Mission, San Juan, Donna, Brownsville, and soon in Weslaco and Harlingen, is not of the scale of Tres Lagos. They are welcome developments nonetheless in their communities. 

“Every city in the Valley has been very welcoming and appreciative of the investments we’ve made,” Rhodes said. “They’re excited to see rooftop growth in their communities.”

Rhodes Enterprises and its Esperanza Homes brand expand into the Cameron County market with new home construction in north Brownsville.
Rhodes Enterprises and its Esperanza Homes brand expand into the Cameron County market with new home construction in north Brownsville.

In Brownsville’s Sports Park area, Rhodes Enterprises and its Esperanza Homes brand is building new homes at a rapid clip. The price points at Palo Alto Groves start in the $180,000s-to-the-$230,000 range. Homes in the $300,000 range are considered “move-up products.” The company’s cost cap for new home construction is $500,000.

Forecasting Trends

Rhodes sees new home construction in the Valley heading eastward to Mid-Valley communities like Donna, Alamo, Weslaco and Mercedes. Property prices in these areas are more affordable than in Brownsville or the McAllen/Edinburg area. 

Access to Expressway 83 from these Mid-Valley communities is a plus for commuters traveling from the new neighborhoods to work. Developers, Rhodes said, look for communities that invest in utilities and infrastructure. Job growth in communities are a key driver of home sales. He predicted there will be less starter and entry-level home construction in the region as the Valley continues to grow and develop.

Rhodes said his company will continue to grow their existing developments and communities while searching for tracts of land that fit their criteria. The company has sold 500 homes thus far in 2022. It expects this year’s volume to exceed last year’s number of 600-plus. 

“We’ve sold more than we can build (right away),” he said as Rhodes Enterprises grows its reach across the region.

Children make their way down a hike-and-bike trail at Tres Lagos with the RGV's Texas A&M University campus in the distance. (Courtesy)
Children make their way down a hike-and-bike trail at Tres Lagos with the RGV’s Texas A&M University campus in the distance. (Courtesy)

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