Celina Approves $2.5 Million for Rainwater Crossing Amenity Center

City filings show more than $2 million was approved for the first phase of Rainwater Crossing, with a recent $2.5 million entry tied to construction of the development’s first residential amenity center. The funding marks the first recorded expenditure for the 641-acre community that the Celina City Council approved in an updated development agreement on Aug. 21, 2023.

Rainwater Crossing straddles future Custer Road and lies north of County Road 130, split into two districts on either side of G.A. Moore Parkway. The revised plan replaces an earlier 2016 layout and adds more green space, wider sidewalks and additional amenity centers. Dallas-area reports describe about 13 acres of parkland ribboned by trails surrounding a pond; city maps show the pond and park as a focal point for neighborhood open space.

Housing counts reported in public coverage vary. One local report lists plans for 1,800 multifamily homes and four residential amenity centers. Other coverage, citing the City Council action, describes a revised mix of 1,300 multifamily units plus 300 rental “tiny homes,” a reduction from a prior multifamily total of 1,483. Local planning summaries also note 2,200 single-family lots including townhomes and houses with lot widths ranging from 40 to 70 feet. Those divergent figures remain in public reporting and merit confirmation from the final development agreement or city planning records.

Infrastructure commitments are already part of the phase-one conversation. Developer Phillip Thompson, president of HFI Celina Realty, agreed to complete G.A. Moore Parkway construction in the first phase. Thompson said developers want to preserve trees and build trails: “We want to make nice trails. It’s definitely a feature and something great to have so those worried about trees going away and us bulldozing, that’s not happening.” City filings linking the initial funding to an amenity center suggest visible public-facing improvements will arrive early in construction.

Traffic and property impacts drew comment at the council meeting and in neighborhood exchanges. Council Member Jay Pierce warned about roadway strain and said, “Everyone has to understand that even if we approve this tonight I personally think it’s a better plan than what it was before.” Neighbors Jay and Lynn Bender raised concerns that a planned roadway would run through their property, and others have highlighted County Road 97 as a chokepoint that will need upgrades as growth continues. Meanwhile new residents like Lauren Dufour welcome growth that retains a small-town feel while adding services for families.

For Collin County residents, the immediate effects will include construction activity, targeted park and amenity development, and road projects tied to the plat. The city has said the overall Rainwater Crossing project will unfold over several years, and the newly recorded phase-one funding signals the development is moving from planning into visible work. Watch city planning filings and the developer’s public schedules for confirmed unit counts, the location of the amenity center funded by the $2.5 million entry, and the timetable for G.A. Moore Parkway and other road improvements.