SouthStar Communities, along with the City of Cedar Hill and local officials, celebrated the opening of the Lake Ridge Parkway Hike & Bike Trail, a three-and-a-half mile bike trail that runs through the community and is part of a larger $12 million road-widening project.
"A healthy, active lifestyle is one of the things that attracts residents to Lake Ridge," said Thad Rutherford, chief operating officer of SouthStar Communities. “Our community is thrilled to have this bike trail as an additional amenity and our residents can’t wait to try it out.”
The Lake Ridge trail connects Mansfield Road to Highway 67 along Lake Ridge Parkway and, once the $80 million Cedar Hill Trails Master Plan project is complete in the Fall of 2017, it will connect to 300 miles of hike and bike trails throughout the city. The city currently has 36 miles of trails.
“I saw people running along the trail and cyclists as I came here today and that gave me great joy to see it being used,” Mayor Rob Franke said.
The city received a $2.5 million federal grant for the Lake Ridge Parkway trail. The project was a partnership between multiple entities including the city of Cedar Hill, Dallas County, and TxDOT.
“This project is a beautiful example of the fruits of working together,” Cedar Hill Deputy City Manager Greg Porter said.
One of Cedar Hill’s next construction projects is to widen Mansfield Road to four lanes, which is the main artery connecting Lake Ridge to Highway 67. That project is in the early stages and should be complete in 2016. Mansfield Road at Lake Ridge Parkway is the entrance to the Lake Ridge community and will be the gateway into Cedar Hill. The Mansfield Road project includes a new entry design and future traffic signal at the intersection.
As part of the Trails Master Plan, the city has also created a free Trails of Cedar Hill app (http://tinyurl.com/ppejkbo) on iTunes. Once the app is downloaded, you can select your sport – cycling, hiking, walking, etc. and it maps all of the trails in the city as well as your progress on the trail in case you get lost.
Nestled among rolling hills reminiscent of the Texas Hill Country, Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake offers a unique landscape unlike any other in DFW with panoramic lake and skyline views. The community features gated and non-gated neighborhoods with spacious half to 1+ acre wooded and lake view homesites. Residents enjoy the benefits of the neighboring Tangle Ridge Golf Club, Lynn Creek Marina and over 200 acres of community parks, walking trails and fishing ponds. Centrally located just 20 minutes from Downtown Dallas and 28 miles from Downtown Fort Worth, residents in Lake Ridge are within a short commute to the attractions of both Metroplex downtowns. For more information on Lake Ridge, visit www.lakeridge.net.
SouthStar Communities is a fully integrated real estate investment, development and management firm focused on the residential marketplace. Based in Austin Texas, SouthStar has been creating healthy communities and a legacy of success throughout the Southern United States for a generation. Since its inception in 1999, SouthStar has acquired and developed residential assets valued in excess of $2.5 billion. The company continues to seek opportunities to leverage its experienced team and processes to deliver great experiences for owners and strong financial results for its portfolio partners. For more information, visit www.southstarcommunities.com.