DFW Developers Take Notice Of Caribbean-Like Crystal Lagoons As First One Opens In Prosper
It looks like a scene out of a vacation magazine: a woman gently paddles over crystal clear water under the tropical sun.
The only catch is the woman is not actually in a tropical area, but rather Prosper, Texas: a North Dallas suburb that now has its own Crystal Lagoon water fixture as part of developer Tellus Group’s Windsong Ranch residential community.
The lagoon opened this past week, the only completed Crystal Lagoon in North Texas, although the creator of the water feature has 110 lagoon projects in various stages of development across the U.S.
The opening of a lagoon the size of 15 Olympic pools is surreal for Tellus Group and its team of developers.
"It has been really well-received. I think there were a lot of skeptics that thought they read about it, heard about it and that it couldn’t be done," Tellus Group partner David Blom said. "And then, when they actually touch it, see it and sink their toes into the sand and jump into the water, they are amazed."
The reality of seeing a Crystal Lagoon in person also is whetting the appetites of developers who are searching for amenities to anchor DFW-area hotels, multifamily developments and mixed-use projects. The finalization of the lagoon prompted even more interest in the product this past month, the lagoon manufacturer said.
"I’ve had so many more tours with developers here locally, even developers in other nearby states will fly in to look at the lagoon," Crystal Lagoons Regional Director Lisa Moore said.
In the past year, Moore has hosted up to 100 developers at the site to help them understand the value-add potential.
“I always tell everyone you have to see it to believe it regardless of the beautiful photos and videos we have of our lagoon,” Moore said. “Water creates an ambiance, so you really need to be here in this environment to feel the sand under your toes, to see the beautiful blue water.”
And a real tangible benefit exists for developers who add a lagoon to existing or new communities, according to Moore.
The addition of a lagoon helped one Miami multifamily complex push its leasing to almost full capacity right away, Moore said.
In addition, tenants paid $300 more for units overlooking the lagoon than they paid for units in the same complex overlooking the ocean.
Moore considers the lagoons centerpieces for every type of commercial property, from mixed-use developments to hotels and multifamily complexes.
“Historically, our lagoons have fit wonderfully into master-planned communities and hotel projects around the world,” Moore said. “I would say that … at least 90% of the projects that I am working on are mixed-use developments.”
“But even if I have a master-planned community, being able to bring a waterfront destination to a community allows the community to now convert to a mixed-use site and to bring in a restaurant-retail boardwalk or even higher-density townhomes or multifamily around the perimeter.”
Moore can't reveal the names of developers who toured the lagoon this past year, but with Moore continuing to receive inquiries, their interest is as clear as the lagoon's water.
