Ratliff Ranch New Community

Odessa, Texas

West Texas is known for its agricultural and energy-based economy, hearty sense of identity, and high desert landscapes.  With the Midland and Odessa marketplace experiencing a new economic boom due to new techniques to access untapped oil reserves, the population of the region has been growing quickly.  Catalyst was engaged by a ranching family to prepare a master plan for its 25,000 acre ranch outside Odessa, Texas.  The planning strategy was to keep the majority of the property in energy production, but position 3,000 acres for new community development.  Programming included the full range of land uses around a West Texas theme in which neighborhoods were scaled around central open space and amenity features to form a connected village experience. The new community utilizes sustainable approaches to water management and landscape selection, including a storm water management system that features neighborhood-specific central open space amenities that serve as detention basins known locally as “playas.”  These central open spaces are interconnected with the other amenity centers of the adjacent neighborhoods, and the broader community framework is based upon a New Town experience with a West Texas identity.  As part of this assignment, Catalyst prepared a Tax Increment revenue analysis for use in discussions with the governing authorities regarding the establishment of a special utility district and related bond financing.

Client: Private

Status: Plan Accepted

Services: Market Analysis, Master Planning, TIF and Financial Modeling