3,000-home development in Fort Worth suburb will include town center, trade school
Chisholm Summit, Burleson’s first master-planned community, is set to open, at least partially, in the next two years, according to the developer, Burleson-based R.A. Development.
The 800-plus-acre property sits near the intersection of County Road 914 and Alsbury Boulevard, less than two miles from the Chisholm Trail Parkway in west Burleson. When completed, the mixed-use development will be home to more than 3,000 homes, a commercial town center, an office park and the first campus for Craftmasters, a new trade school created by Jonathan Phelps, the founder of Florida-based Full Sail University.
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A town within a town
Three quarters of Chisholm Summit’s residential units will be traditional single-family detached homes, with the rest being a mixture of multifamily units, townhomes and small-lot homes for seniors. Single-family residences will range in size from patio homes with shared front yards to large “estate homes.” Prices will range from around $290,000 to approximately $1 million.
The development will have its own community center, an equestrian center, miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails and more than 100 acres of parks.
In the midst of the residences will be a commercial center called Chisholm Square that is expected to resemble Burleson’s Old Town, a historic nine-block restaurant and shopping district.
The city partnered with R.A. Development to extend roads and add drainage and sewer infrastructure to Chisholm Summit. Water is being provided by the Johnson County Special Utility District.
While Chisholm Summit is in the Burleson city limits, the Joshua school district will serve the community.
Roughly 400 residential lots are ready for construction, and R.A. Development has sent out plans for bid to home builders. Justin Bond, chief operating officer at R.A. Development, said “several hundred” residential units should be completed in the next 24 months.
Craftmasters’ $150M headquarters and campus
In addition to the commercial interests in Chisholm Square, Chisholm Summit will be home to the Hooper Business Park. One of the first confirmed occupants will be Craftmasters, which has acquired 62 acres for its $150 million headquarters and campus.
Like Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, Craftmasters is a private, for-profit institution. But whereas Full Sail specializes in entertainment, media and technology courses, Craftmasters offers courses in things like carpentry, welding, masonry, HVAC installation and maintenance and plumbing.
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New enrollment at Craftmasters will occur on a rolling basis with programs lasting about a month. Total enrollment is expected to rise to around 5,000 students over the next six years. Over the same time span, Craftmasters is expected to hire approximately 400 employees at its corporate headquarters.
Chad Turnbull, managing director for Craftmasters, said students and staff at the campus and headquarters will make a significant economic impact in Burleson, primarily through retail spending and taxes, though he declined to provide a specific figure. But just as important as that revenue, he said, the Craftmasters campus will help develop a robust workforce of high-demand tradespeople in the area, which will allow local companies to complete more projects.
Craftmasters has not broken ground on its buildings, said Turnbull. The school and the city of Burleson are still working to identify a project start date, he said.
Economic impact numbers for Burleson
In 2021, consulting firm TischlerBise estimated that Chisholm Summit’s taxable value to Burleson would be around $1.15 billion. The firm said the development would increase the city’s sales tax revenue by approximately 10%. That excludes revenue from the commercial development at the Hooper Business Park.
In May, the Burleson City Council approved a motion to create a Chisholm Summit Public Improvement District. That was the first step; if the public improvement district is established, the city can assess an additional tax on Chisholm Summit property owners, not to exceed 40 cents per $100 of assessed property value, to pay for the construction and maintenance of things like parks and infrastructure.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 2:02 PM.