concept rendering
Key Takeaways
Boats on a lagoon are coming to Prosper's tollway corner
A $2 billion village just got the green light
Prosper is getting another awesome lagoon
This builder has made splashes before in McKinney
Just got approved, awaiting details on construction date
Tuesday night (October 27, 2026), the Prosper Town Council said YES to a village with a lagoon in the middle of it. Canals big enough for boats. Water taxis on the plan. All of it on the northeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and US 380.
It's called The Marco, and it's a $2 billion, 143-acre bet that Prosper can be a place people travel to, not just drive past. If you've been watching the tollway and wondering what Prosper TX does with its 3 miles of it, this is the first big answer. (Quick honesty check: nothing here is for sale yet. This is a story about what's coming.)
What Is The Marco, and Who Is Building It?
Picture 143 acres, roughly 108 football fields, built as a walkable village. Homes, hotels, offices, shops, and a performing arts center, all gathered around the water.
The builder is Jeffory Blackard of Blackard Companies in McKinney. If the idea sounds familiar, it's because he's the developer behind Adriatica Village, the one modeled after a Croatian fishing village. This time he wants a village that feels like it grew up over generations, with water as the heart of it. He's said he learned a lot from the first one.
Rendering courtesy Blackard Companies
Why Is There a 15-Acre Lagoon in Prosper?
Because of rainwater.
Every big development has to hold stormwater somewhere. Blackard said he would have needed about a 10-acre pond. So he decided that if he had to dig one anyway, he'd build a 15-acre lake and make it the front yard of the whole village.
A drainage pond became the centerpiece. That is genuinely unusual.
A 26-foot wide walkway, called a passeggiata, rings the water with limited car access. The cars live on the outer edge. The walking happens in the middle. Water taxis are on the list of permitted uses.
How Many Homes Are Planned at The Marco?
The plan caps the total at 4,400 residential units. By type, the maximums are:
Mid-rise apartments: 2,500
High-rise condos or apartments: 400
Retirement community: 500
Single-family and duplex homes, including villas and townhomes: 1,000
The 4,400 total and the 2,500 mid-rise cap were firm in the draft I reviewed. The rest can still move, and I haven't seen the final council ordinance.
Translation: those are ceilings, not promises. The homes most buyers will be looking at are the smaller slice: up to 1,000 single-family and duplex homes, plus up to 400 high-rise units. The developer has said one-bedroom apartments are expected to start around $2,500 a month, so this is aiming at a premium experience.
What Happened Before the Vote?
Council took its time, and that's a good sign. Planning and Zoning recommended approval 4 to 2 in August. In September, council postponed to Oct. 27 after asking about apartments, phasing, and safeguards to make sure the village gets finished the way it's pictured. Blackard agreed with the pause and called the questions reasonable.
Here's the detail worth holding onto. The zoning leans on renderings, and one commissioner called it "zoning via picture." The specifics, like building materials, heights, and setbacks, get locked in later through the development agreement and site plans.
Translation: the picture is approved. The fine print is still being written.
What Happens Next at The Marco?
The developer says construction could begin by the end of this year. In August, Blackard said Phase 1 (the lagoon, utilities, and some retail, residential, and office) would probably start within a year. No full completion date has been released.
Then there's The Phoenix, the planned performing arts center. Prosper ISD voters approved $125 million for a new performing arts center in 2023, and the developer hopes to partner with the district. As of August, those talks hadn't happened yet.
Prosper's mayor has called the tollway plan a blueprint for the next 25 to 50 years. Blackard has said he hopes this corner can become to Prosper what soccer and the Cowboys are to Frisco. That's his dream, not a forecast.
Here's What This Means for You
If you've been dreaming about Prosper, this is the first time the tollway corner has a face. Nothing at The Marco is for sale today, and no finish line has been announced. What you can do now is get clear on which slice of this village fits your life and budget, because the homes are the smaller share and the choices will be shaped by the details still ahead.
FAQ
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The Marco is planned for 143 acres at the northeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and US 380 in Prosper.
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Not yet. I haven't seen a builder, floor plan, or sales launch announced. Zoning approval comes before site plans and construction.
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The plan includes canals big enough to navigate by boat, and water taxis are listed as a permitted use. Specific boat operations haven't been detailed.
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The plan caps the total at 4,400 residential units, with up to 1,000 single-family and duplex homes. Unit mix numbers other than the total and the mid-rise cap may still change.
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The developer says construction could begin by the end of 2026. A full completion date hasn't been released.
Conclusion
A drainage pond became a lagoon, a lagoon became the heart of a village, and Prosper just said yes. The homes are still ahead, and the part you can do today is get a head start on what fits you. I'm happy to walk through it with you.
Curious: would a neighborhood built around a boat-ready lagoon change how you think about where to buy in Prosper?
