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Russell Glen Company is moving forward on Rivulet, a 90-acre master-planned community at the northwest corner of University Hills Boulevard and Camp Wisdom Road in Southern Dallas. The Dallas City Council voted unanimously on November 12, 2025 to approve a $23.5 million economic development grant to fund infrastructure improvements on the site. It marks one of the most significant private investments this corridor has seen in decades.
Groundbreaking is targeted for late summer or early fall 2026.
What Rivulet Will Deliver
The Southern Dallas master-planned development is designed as a true mixed-use community, addressing longstanding gaps in housing, retail, and civic infrastructure. When complete, Rivulet will include:
- 300 single-family homes with LGI Homes confirmed as one of two homebuilders
- 240 apartment units targeting a range of income levels
- 20-acre retail district including a neighborhood grocery store, restaurants, and retail shops
- 40,000 square feet of office space
- 20,000 square foot public library and innovation center
- Green spaces, trails, and pedestrian connectivity throughout
The site sits directly across from the University of North Texas at Dallas, placing Rivulet inside what is becoming Southern Dallas’s primary education and employment corridor.
The Land and Legacy Behind the Project
The 90-acre master-planned site carries significant history. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end, businessman, and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman owned the property from the mid-1970s until selling it to Russell Glen in 2022. Norman had held the land for nearly 50 years with a vision for community investment, eventually trusting Russell Glen CEO Terrence Maiden to carry that vision forward.
Maiden grew up in Southern Dallas. He previously led the redevelopment of The Shops at RedBird, converting a declining 1970s mall into a functioning medical hub for the community. Rivulet is the follow-up: a master-planned community built around documented needs including grocery access, workforce housing, and a civic anchor.
The path from land acquisition to groundbreaking took roughly four years.
Why the $23.5M Grant Is the Key Development Signal
Infrastructure deficits are the most common reason Southern Dallas parcels have sat dormant. Private developers can absorb land cost and vertical construction risk. What breaks project economics in underserved corridors is the cost of extending utilities, improving roads, and building out drainage on sites that have never been developed.
The unanimous city council approval of a $23.5 million infrastructure grant signals that Dallas is willing to share that risk to activate land value south of I-30. For professionals tracking development-ready land in underinvested urban corridors, this is the mechanism to understand. City infrastructure grants de-risk sites that private capital alone cannot pencil.
The Rivulet approval sets a precedent. It will not be the last time this tool is used in Southern Dallas.
Dallas is not alone in using public financing to unlock underserved land. In Denton, a $149 million affordable housing development called Arbor Ranch recently broke ground with similar city-backed infrastructure support — a pattern playing out across North Texas development corridors. Read: Denton Affordable Housing Gets a $149M Shot in the Arm
A Corridor With Momentum
Rivulet is not an isolated bet. A 270-acre master-planned community called University Hills, developed by Hoque Global, recently commenced construction nearby. UNT Dallas is adding a $79 million STEM building. Paul Quinn College continues expanding its campus. School safety ratings across the area have improved since 2021.
The cumulative effect is a Southern Dallas land corridor shifting from overlooked to actively competitive. Multiple developers are now underwriting sites that would not have received serious attention five years ago.
Republic Property Group is managing infrastructure construction on Rivulet, bringing nearly six decades of development experience to execution. Civitas Capital Group is an equity investor. The capital stack is substantive and the institutional backing is real.
What Land Professionals Should Monitor
As Rivulet moves toward its 2026 groundbreaking, several data points will shape how this master-planned community performs and what it signals for Southern Dallas land values:
Homebuilder absorption rates. LGI Homes is one of two confirmed builders for the 300-unit single-family component. How quickly those homes sell will validate real demand from buyers priced out of North Dallas submarkets.
Retail leasing velocity. The 20-acre retail district directly addresses food desert conditions the city has documented for years. Lease-up speed will indicate whether national retailers are willing to plant a flag in Southern Dallas at scale.
Adjacent land pricing. Activity on University Hills Boulevard will compress available supply and lift per-acre pricing on surrounding parcels. Sites that have not transacted recently warrant a current underwriting.
Grant replication. The $23.5M approval creates a template. Expect developers pitching projects in Districts 3 and 8 to reference Rivulet when requesting city support over the next 18 to 24 months.
The Window Is Narrowing
Southern Dallas has the land supply, the anchor institutions, and now the political will. What it has lacked is a proof point for successful absorption and lease-up at scale.
Rivulet will provide that data. A successful Southern Dallas master-planned community of this scale changes the calculus for every surrounding parcel. Investors and developers watching this corridor should be underwriting now, not after the ribbon cutting.
Request a Southern Dallas Market Brief to identify parcels in active development corridors, evaluate land use and zoning trends, and get positioned ahead of the next city-backed infrastructure cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rivulet development in Southern Dallas?
Rivulet is a 90-acre master-planned community being developed by Russell Glen Company at the northwest corner of University Hills Boulevard and Camp Wisdom Road in Southern Dallas. When complete, it will include approximately 300 single-family homes, 240 apartment units, a 20-acre retail district, 40,000 square feet of office space, and a 20,000 square foot public library and innovation center.
Who is developing Rivulet?
Russell Glen Company, led by CEO Terrence Maiden, is the primary developer. Republic Property Group is managing infrastructure construction, and Civitas Capital Group is an equity investor. LGI Homes is one of two confirmed homebuilders for the single-family component.
How is the Rivulet project being funded?
The Dallas City Council unanimously approved a $23.5 million economic development grant on November 12, 2025 to fund infrastructure improvements on the site. Private capital from Civitas Capital Group and construction lending round out the project’s capital stack.
When will Rivulet break ground?
Russell Glen is targeting a late summer or early fall 2026 groundbreaking, pending finalization of the full capital stack and homebuilder partnerships.
Why was Southern Dallas chosen for this master-planned community?
The site sits directly across from the University of North Texas at Dallas and adjacent to Paul Quinn College, placing it within an emerging education and employment corridor. The area has historically lacked grocery access, quality housing options, and civic infrastructure gaps Rivulet is specifically designed to address.
Who previously owned the Rivulet site?
Former Dallas Cowboys tight end, businessman, and civil rights advocate Pettis Norman owned the 90-acre property from the mid-1970s until selling it to Russell Glen in 2022. Norman held the land for nearly 50 years with a vision for community investment.
What other development is happening near Rivulet?
What other development is happening near Rivulet? A 270-acre master-planned community called University Hills, developed by Hoque Global, recently commenced construction nearby. UNT Dallas is also adding a $79 million STEM building, and Paul Quinn College continues expanding its campus.
References and Sources
- Russell Glen Company. “Russell Glen to Deliver Rivulet, a Transformational 90-Acre Master-Planned Community in Southern Dallas.” PR Newswire, November 13, 2025. prnewswire.com
- Bisnow Dallas-Fort Worth. “Russell Glen to Bring Aspirational Community to Long-Overlooked Southern Dallas.” Bisnow, 2026. bisnow.com
- WFAA / Dallas Business Journal. “Southern Dallas Mixed-Use Project Secures City Grant.” WFAA, November 14, 2025. wfaa.com
- WFAA / Dallas Business Journal. “North Texas CEO, Developer Pitches Mixed-Use Community in Southern Dallas.” WFAA, November 4, 2025. wfaa.com
- CRE Daily. “Master Planned Communities Expand in Southern Dallas.” CRE Daily, March 2026. credaily.com
