PARKER COUNTY Growth in
By Rose Kertok
The last 20 years or so has
seen explosive growth in the
county, with more employers
moving their businesses west and
a hot market for real estate and
retail. Weatherford ISD is now
a Class 6A district – the largest
classification in the state – and
Aledo ISD is a 5A district.
Cities and the school district
have raced to build facilities and
infrastructure to keep up with
demand, with two new players
on the horizon – Walsh and
Morningstar Ranch – dramatically
changing the game in the eastern
part of the county.
Aledo ISD will take the
brunt of the growth. AISD is
expected to more than double
in enrollment in the next ten
years and there are more than
10,000 lots planned for the
future. Rooftops are coming –
and quickly.
The biggest player in east
Parker County is Walsh, which
upon buildout will be the largest
planned development in the
country. Walsh is located off
I-30 in the far eastern part of
the county. In addition to retail,
commercial, and medical, Walsh
has a total of 12,860 single family
lots – more than 9,000 of which
are in Aledo ISD – and 810 future
townhome/condo lots and 3,700
multifamily units. 215 homes in
Walsh are already occupied at the
time of this writing.
Morningstar Ranch – now
entering Phase 2 – will eventually
build out to 2,100 lots on 740
acres, with all students feeding
into Aledo ISD. There are
currently 330 occupied houses in
Morningstar Ranch with 1,320
planned for the future.
In Willow Park, Meadow
Place has a total of 134 lots with
50 homes occupied as of Spring
2019. Just down the street, The
Reserves at Trinity will feature
97 single family lots and 110
townhomes. Parks of Aledo is
continuing to grow with its
second phase, Vista Point, and
will have more than 500 homes at
completion.
More homes are planned
for several developments in the
Annettas, and the sale of Bear
Creek Ranch to a developer could
potentially mean even more
housing in the far southeastern
part of the county.
Aledo ISD currently ranks 17th
in new home growth in the DFW
metroplex and that ranking is
expected to rise.
Not surprisingly, business
owners have recognized a need
for services in the area, and the
local economy is thriving with
the injection of new products
and services offered locally. Texas’
newest H-E-B location in Hudson
Oaks will open in May and CVS
is building a store in Aledo.
The Shops at Willow Park, the
commercial anchor for Willow
Park North, is at full occupancy,
with more businesses building
around the development. The
Willow Park North neighborhood
will also be getting a Springhill
Suites by Marriot.
The growth means local
cities and the county have more
revenue to increase spending
on infrastructure to help
accommodate the ever-growing
population, as east Parker County
becomes an ever-improving place
to call home. n
PHOTO CREDIT: WALSH
A Proud History,
A Bright Future.
106 EAST PARKER COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | RELOCATION & BUSINESS GUIDE 2019- 2020