A development designed as a modern take on town squares and city main streets has broken ground west of Austin.

Legend Communities began work on the first phase of the Square at Lohmans, the Austin Business Journal reported. The project at 1931 Lohmans Crossing Road is in Lakeway, a Travis County exurb.

The 57-acre development will include parks, an amphitheater and a pavilion.
“We are creating something Lakeway has never really had before — a central gathering place for all the people who live here,” Bill Hayes with Legend Communities told the outlet.

The $500 million project, which is expected to take about five years to complete, will include single-family homes, townhomes and age-restricted multifamily. The development will also include office, retail, restaurant and hotel space.

The first phase of the project, which will take about a year to complete, will see the construction of Main Street, Lohmans Spur, 150 single-family homes and 210 multifamily units.

“Main streets and town squares have been around for hundreds of years,” Legend Communities co-founder and CEO Haythem Dawlett told the outlet.

“This project will combine the charm of those traditional features with the convenience and other advantages of modern design and energy efficiency.”

The project reflects the recent trend of bringing work and entertainment to
areas outside of big metros. Other projects that support the trend include the $2 billion Pearson Ranch in Williamson County and the $200 million the District development in Round Rock.

Carlson, Brigance & Doering Inc. has been hired as the civil engineer for The Square at Lohmans while DTJ Design Inc. will oversee landscaping, commercial architecture and land planning.