What's happing in THE WOODLANDS ??

(Information provided by The Woodlands Real Estate Report)

• The Woodlands' newest village, Creekside Park, is scheduled to open in October, 2007. A Showcase of Homes will take place in Carlton Woods Creekside from October 13- 28. The Public Grand Opening event will take place on October 20, 2007, including a Showcase of Homes in the neighborhood of Wilde Creek. Details about all Grand Opening events will be posted on www.thewoodlands.com beginning in mid-August. 

New homes in The Woodlands range in price from the $150's to more than $3 million. Do you need a Realtor when purchasing a NEW home? Absolutely!! Please see our page on Buying a Home!

• Trolleys are running daily throughout The Woodlands Town Center from 11 am until 8 pm. Rides are free as part of a two-year pilot project.   For a map of the trolley route and its stops, visit www.town-center.com. 

• The University Center offers 232 courses from six universities! The course delivery methods include 63% traditional, face-to-face instruction; 18% interactive TV (videoconferencing); and 19% taught online.  

The main island, located near Two Waterway Lofts, is approximately ½ acre in size. A pedestrian walkway with three new pedestrian bridges currently connects the islands to the mainland along the southern edge of The Waterway. Two additional bridges within the garden will provide scenic connectors between the land and water elements upon completion of the project. When the "Koi Garden" is completed, construction will begin on a pedestrian corridor linking it to Waterway Court and Timberloch Place.   That phase of the project and the opening of the garden to the public is planned for early spring of 2008.

A variety of distinctive materials and exotic plantings will enhance Koi Garden, along with a 2,400-square-foot, 54,000-gallon koi pond that will be separated from The Waterway by dams. The koi pond will be one of the largest of its kind outside of public arboreta or gardens. Designed by SLA Studio Land and constructed by Millis Construction , the Koi Garden will be secluded from the pedestrian walkway by walls, fences and towering timber bamboo, native to Asia. The koi pond was designed in collaboration with Laguna Koi Ponds of Laguna Beach, California, using bio-filtration methods for fish health and water clarity.

US Oncology was named to FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Companies list for 2007 and the Houston Chronicle's Top 10 Private Companies list. The company has experienced substantial growth in recent years, demonstrated by the addition of several new businesses and services, and a 58 percent increase in corporate employees since 2003.

Petroleum Wholesale/Sun Development is relocating its national offices from the FM 1960 Champions area to a three-story, 63,622-square-foot building at Technology Forest Place off Research Forest Drive in The Woodlands. The gas wholesaler is expected to bring approximately 100-150 employees to work in The Woodlands. Both companies were granted 10-year tax abatements by Montgomery County.

VARIETY OF NEW HOME CHOICES OFFERED IN THE NEW VILLAGE OF CREEKSIDE PARK - Seven homebuilders - Chesmar Homes, Darling Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Plantation Homes, Village Builders and Wilshire Homes - have begun new home building in the neighborhood of Wilde Creek in the new Village of Creekside Park in The Woodlands. Wilde Creek is situated near the Gosling Road entrance to the Village of Creekside Park, located south of Spring Creek in Harris County. New single-family and luxury patio homes are offered in Wilde Creek, priced from the $230's - $600's. Pictured is Design 6736 by Darling Homes, a 1 ½ story design that is being built in Wilde Creek.

Planned to be home to 7,100 new families, the Village of Creekside Park will offer a mix of home styles, price ranges and homebuilders, similar to the other villages in The Woodlands. "Many of the popular homebuilders that build elsewhere in The Woodlands have purchased lots in Creekside Park," said Tim Welbes, president of The Woodlands Development Company. "They are attracted by the plans for the new village, which include 1,850 acres of parkland, 79 acres of lakes and ponds, a new Aquatic Center and YMCA complex, plus schools that are part of the Tomball ISD, places of worship and a village shopping center."

A Grand Opening of the new village and Showcase of Homes event are planned for October 13-28, 2007. Details about all the Grand Opening events will be posted on thewoodlands.com and thewoodlands.net in mid-August.

GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN CARLTON WOODS CREEKSIDE - Also within the Village of Creekside Park is the private, gated enclave of Carlton Woods Creekside, the 500-acre expansion of Carlton Woods . At Carlton Woods Creekside, new properties have recently been released, including a great mix of homesites ranging from ¼-acre patio home sites to 2-acre estate properties. With prices from the low $200s to over $1.8 million, there are opportunities for a wide range of customers. Approximately half of the released inventory has already been purchased in Carlton Woods Creekside.

A total of 19 new home contracts have been signed this year, and builder inventory is on a steady pace. Homes range from patio homes priced in the $800s to estate homes at over $3 million.   Ten featured builder homes have sold this year. There are currently 36 homes in various stages of construction in Carlton Woods and Carlton Woods Creekside. Eight homes are complete and ready for move-in, ranging in size from 3,600 - over 9,000 square feet. These homes are by Jeff Paul Custom Villas, Jeff Paul Custom Homes, Rohe and Wright, Termeer and Associates and Olympia Builders. Pictured here is the completed 6,754-square-foot home by Olympia Builders, located in the enclave of Gallery Grove on a 1-acre lot. For more information, visit www.carltonwoods.com or call 281-681-1945.

THE CYNTHIA WOODS MITCHELL PAVILION RANKS #1 IN THE WORLD - According to the July 23, 2007 edition of Pollstar magazine, the concert industry's leading trade publication, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands ranked first in its listing of top 50 amphitheatres in the world based on the number of tickets sold during the first six months of 2007. The Pavilion's ticket sales totaled 106,723 for shows played between January 1 and June 30, 2007.

So far this season, The Pavilion has had two sold out concerts (15,000+ tickets sold), including Buzzfest XIX April 21 and Kenny Chesney June 15. Other concerts with attendance over 10,000 include Gwen Stefani May 6, Kenny Chesney June 14 and John Mayer June 23. These acts also were listed in the ranking of the Top 100 Tours in the same issue of Pollstar. Pictured is Gwen Stefani (photo by Ted Washington).

"I attribute the strong showing to the vibrant Houston market and our booking partnership with Live Nation," said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion. "Our facility is a wonderful way to experience concerts and our location is one of the keys to our success. The Woodlands is becoming a destination for individuals and families in the region. They come to The Woodlands to enjoy concerts at The Pavilion but remain in Town Center to enjoy the area amenities such as restaurants, shopping and hotels."