Booming Prosper is turning to public-private partnerships to keep up with growing strain on its infrastructure.
"The west side of the Dallas North Tollway up in Prosper hasn't developed primarily because of a lack of infrastructure," said Craig Martin, Terra Verde Group founding partner.
However, the development of the Windsong Ranch project, which Martin calls "one of the largest master plan communities in North Texas," has brought a $5.1 million partnership between Martin's company, land investors and the city.
"With our budget right now, we don't have the funds to build these trunk lines for water and sewer," Mayor Ray Smith said.
The partnership will allow for the construction of two miles of sanitary sewer lines and about five miles of water lines. The work should be complete by 2013.
Town leaders and developers say the utility work is necessary to be prepared for new residents.
"The population of Prosper could grow to 80,000 in several years," Martin said.
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In all of its phases, Windsong Ranch could be home to up to 20,000 new residents.
The town's current population is about 13,000 people.
"[To] the departments that are run thin, we say, it's coming, it's coming," Smith said, referring to larger budgets and tax revenue.
