An aerial rendering depicts the plan for the Puerta del Lobo development between Fredericksburg and Johnson City.
Courtesy of CB Wine Tourism
A Querétaro, Mexico-based company has bought 218 acres in the Hill Country, with plans to build luxury houses, a boutique hotel, restaurants and other amenities surrounded by vineyards.
CB Wine Tourism bought the land at 576 Young Ranch Road — along U.S. 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, where a slew of wineries have opened — from Balcones Land Co. for an undisclosed price, according to a recent announcement.
The company’s development, named Puerta del Lobo USA, will encompass 100 1.5-acre lots of high-end houses on about 200 acres, along with a spa, fitness center, fresh food market, parks, trails, restaurants, a hotel, a coworking space, a health care clinic and event spaces for music festivals and wine classes. The lots are expected to cost $650,000 to $700,000.
Article continues below this ad
“The Texas wine country has been called the Napa Valley of the 1960s, and though it’s already booming, the potential for growth abounds,” Luis Miguel Correa, CEO of CB Wine Tourism, said in a statement. “For someone looking to be a part of this growing market, the chances to find a prime piece of property along the heart of the wine trail in the Texas Hill Country are dwindling.”
Construction is expected to begin this year or in early 2025 and take 48 to 60 months to complete. The development is forecast to draw more than 100,000 visitors annually, according to CB Wine Tourism, which developed a similar project in Querétaro in 2014 under the Puerta del Lobo brand.
“With its expansive views, rolling topography, terraced land, and an abundance of lush, mature oak trees, as well as being a major tourist attraction, we know this land will be the perfect property for us to bring our Puerta del Lobo concept to Texas,” Correa said.
Article continues below this ad
The Hill Country is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States.
It is drawing families seeking a small-town feel, more space, a quieter lifestyle near outdoor attractions, wineries and breweries, and jobs at facilities that corporations such as Tesla and Samsung have opened or plan to build. Development has exploded in recent years, with companies building custom houses, hotels, restaurants and shops on hundreds of acres.
That’s transforming the area, prompting concerns from residents and environmental advocates about the effects on natural resources and infrastructure, escalating housing prices and overcrowding at schools.
The median sale price in the Central Hill Country — an area that encompasses Blanco, Gillespie, Kimble and Mason counties, where Johnson City and Fredericksburg are located — was $499,000 in 2023, up 37% from 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Central Hill Country Board of Realtors.
Credit: Source link