The land has belonged to the Perot family for nearly four decades. Soon, it will have thousands of homes and an H-E-B.
The newest project from a North Texas real estate developer could add more than 20,000 residents to Denton’s population and be valued at $10 billion once complete.
Ross Perot Jr.’s Hillwood hosted an unveiling celebration Thursday night for Landmark, a 3,200-acre project at Interstate 35W and Robson Ranch Road. It is one of the region’s largest mixed-use development projects, and Denton’s first master-planned community. Hillwood leaders tout Landmark as a city within a city.
“When you look at this community and you look at this neighborhood we’re building, it’ll be the best community in this part of the United States,” Perot said. “It will be the best product that we’ve done.”
Built on the historic Hunter Ranch, the property was acquired by the Perot family in 1987. Landmark is the company’s first large-scale, combination residential and mixed-use development. The Dallas Morning News first reported on development plans in July 2024.
At full build-out, Landmark will feature 6,000 single-family homes and 3,000 apartments. The development will also include 900 acres of commercial space, highlighted by Denton’s first H-E-B. The first 120 acres are actively being leased for retail, dining and entertainment.
The first phase will include 747 single-family lots. Nine builders will offer a variety of home sizes, designs and price ranges.
Builders include American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, M/I Homes, Perry Homes, Toll Brothers and Tri Pointe Homes. Models are slated to open in spring 2026.
The grocery store and 600 apartments will also be built as part of the initial phase, and the grocery-anchored retail is expected to open in 2027, according to a presentation provided to The News.
Roughly 1,100 acres of the development will be preserved as parkland, making it one of the largest natural preserves in Texas, the developer said.
That space is home to Pilot Knob — a roughly 830-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.
Landmark will also feature three Denton ISD schools and a series of learning parks focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
“We’ve got a huge clean sheet of paper. You start with a master plan but never know what opportunities are going to come your way” said Mike Berry, Hillwood’s president. “This will be a significant economic engine.”
For Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, the project brings much-needed housing to the city. He said a recent housing study found the city needed more high-end homes.
The uniqueness of the residential and commercial component is unrivaled,” he said. “There’s nothing like it in this area.”
Andrew Pieper, vice president at Hillwood Communities and residential project manager for Landmark, estimates the development could add 20,000 to 25,000 residents to Denton over the next two to three decades.
Once completed, the firm estimates that Landmark’s assessed value could hit $10 billion. The project is a combined effort of Dallas-based Hillwood Communities and Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties.
“We’re excited about the growth patterns in Denton County and this quadrant of the Metroplex,” Pieper said. “We at Landmark are really on the same coordinates as Frisco. We see ourselves a few years behind that but a similar pattern.”