Construction is underway on the first phase of apartments and rental townhomes called The Boat House on Billingsley Co’s Austin Ranch (west of the Dallas North Tollway and south of SH 121). The multifamily project will feature 526 units scheduled to open in February. The second phase includes 650 units scheduled to start in February 2016, says Billingsley Co's Lucy Billingsley (here, second from top with her family). This area has always been a mecca for growth, she says. Billingsley has built 3,000 apartment units and seven commercial buildings in Austin Ranch before Nebraska Furniture Mart even announced its move to North Texas.

"We knew it was flowing up from the south, but we never knew it would come from all four directions at once," she says. Billingsley has owned this land for more than 30 years. Lucy tells us The Boat House has some cool features including the party shed, the workout dock, and the leasing center, which are all wooden boathouses hanging over Painted Lake. The retail corners of nearby Windhaven and Plano Parkway will have new retailers announced soon, she says, and the southeast corner will have a large dog park and beer garden.