Gov. Abbott Says Proposed Muslim-Centric Development Near Josephine May Violate Fair Housing

Gov. Greg Abbott said on Feb. 15 that a proposed development on the rural edge of Collin County, variously called Epic City or EPIC City, may run afoul of fair-housing protections, escalating scrutiny over a project tied to members of the East Plano Islamic Center. Abbott’s remarks followed the Sept. 12, 2025 signing in McKinney of House Bill 4211, a law Abbott and co-sponsors have said was crafted in response to Epic City and intended to prevent developments that exclude people on the basis of religion; at the signing Abbott said, “Religious freedom is a central part of the Texas Constitution, but ‘bad actors’ like Epic and Epic City tried to use religion as a form of segregation.”

The project’s origin traces to 2024, when members of the East Plano Islamic Center formed a for-profit entity called Community Capital Partners to pursue a sprawling development just outside Josephine. Local reporting and officials have described the plan as a “Muslim-centric community,” and project planners have disputed claims of exclusion. Imran Chaudhary, president of Community Capital Partners, told KERA News that “there has been a lot of rumor-milling and misinformation circulated by many who are uninformed” and said the group looks forward to “working with the Attorney General to ensure that we are in legal compliance every step of the way and educating the broader community about our project.”

State environmental regulators have intervened. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director Kelly Keel wrote in a letter that the group behind EPIC City had not submitted required permitting documents and that any construction without TCEQ approval “is in violation of state law and should be halted immediately.” Keel’s letter demanded confirmation within seven days that the project and affiliates “have not and will not engage in any construction or pre-construction activities in violation of state law.” Collin County commissioners, speaking at a public hearing reported in September, said they had not received any permit applications tied to the development.

Project planners say they remain in a preliminary stage. David Kalhoefer, identified as a senior planner on EPIC City, said the team is “looking at the options to prepare an application for TCEQ, but at this time we’re still in our due diligence period.” Despite that assertion, lawmakers and Republican leaders pointed to excerpts they say show exclusionary intent. Rep. Candy Noble, a Collin County co-author of HB 4211, read language she attributed to Epic City officials, “We will limit sales to only people who will contribute to the overall makeup of our community,” and “Investments are nonrefundable”, and called the situation “weird” and “egregiously against our principles.”

The political response in Collin County has been high-profile: Abbott pressed for HB 4211 in McKinney with supporters including Sen. Angela Paxton, Rep. Jeff Leach, Rep. Katrina Pierson and Rep. Keresa Richardson in attendance, and the ceremonial signing drew cheering and visible security. Community advocates have pushed back; Darrel Evans, a former Democratic candidate for District 89, told a public hearing that “the numerous state investigations into the project are unfair.” For now, with TCEQ demanding paperwork, Collin County reporting no permit filings, and developers saying they will cooperate with state authorities, Epic City remains in regulatory limbo as fair-housing questions and political tensions continue to reverberate across the county.