INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND TEAM DENISON Supporting the Preston Harbor development requires massive infrastructure upgrades that provide benefits throughout Northwest Denison. “We don’t have water and sewer to this site,” explains Kaai. “To properly infrastructure these 3,100 acres, we need two 24-inch water lines so we have a loop and then we need a sewer line.” The community is investing approximately $80 million in water and sewer infrastructure, with the project already fifty percent complete according to Mayor Crawley. The infrastructure investment creates multiple opportunities.“In doing so, we’ll also light up another 1,500 acres that are on that same corridor, Highway 84 that serves the Preston Harbor development,” Kaai notes.The strategic approach addresses current needs and future growth potential across the entire northwestern quadrant of the city. Developers expect to deliver the first homes with complete utilities by late 2026 or early 2027. Downtown infrastructure receives equal attention The scale could fundamentally alter Denison’s demographics and economy. With the city’s current population around 26,000 across 9,588 households according to the 2020 census, Preston Harbor’s planned 7,500 new households has a potential population growth of nearly 80 percent. Developer David Craig, whose Craig International successfully developed the master-planned Craig Ranch community in McKinney, brings proven expertise to the $6 billion project. The development leverages Lake Texoma’s established appeal as a recreational destination.The 89,000-acre lake already attracts millions of visitors annually and ranks as one of the most popular federal recreation facilities nationwide. “There will be other amenities out there that obviously we don’t have downtown lakeside,” notes Kaai. “We’ll have a marina out there. Margaritaville is going to be a big tourist attraction.” The project includes two golf courses and extensive retail components, creating what planners envision as a self-contained community that complements rather than competes with downtown Denison’s entertainment district. 110 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx