MONT BELVIEU, Texas – (Houston Business Journal) Residents of Riceland, McGrath Real Estate Partners' 1,500-acre master-planned community in Mont Belvieu, now have their main amenity complex. The Lakehouse is officially open, and the community's first commercial building, The Millhouse, is on track to open this fall.
Set on a 3-acre site along the shore of 16-acre Eagle Lake, The Lakehouse is the social and recreational heart of Riceland. The complex pairs a 2,590-square-foot fitness center with a 5,639-square-foot community event center and catering kitchen, along with a resort-style pool, lakeside terrace, event lawn, playground, dog park and outdoor seating with televisions. Eagle Lake itself is stocked with more than 55,000 fish.
"People today are looking for more than a place to live," said Randy Hopper, senior vice president of acquisitions and development at McGrath. "They want a community-driven lifestyle where they can spend time with their families, connect with neighbors and enjoy recreation, dining, entertainment and the outdoors without having to leave their community."
THE LAKEHOUSE AT A GLANCE
MOMENTUM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY
As of mid-September, approximately 300 families call Riceland home, and 407 homes have been completed or started since McGrath broke ground in 2022. Home sales began in 2024. Chesmar Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Perry Homes and Autograph Homes are building on homesites ranging from 42 to 80 feet wide. At full build-out, Riceland is planned for approximately 4,500 homes.
The Lakehouse joins Sweetgum Park, the community's first amenity, which opened last year with a playground and trails. Next up is The Square, a recreational complex scheduled to break ground this fall with an outdoor pavilion, whiffle ball fields, pickleball courts and a playground.
A TOWN CENTER FOR MONT BELVIEU
Beyond new homes, Riceland is restoring something Mont Belvieu has been without since the 1980s: a true town center. The City of Mont Belvieu completed its 30,721-square-foot City Hall and a new fire station within the Town Center in 2023, and McGrath plans restaurant space on both sides of an event lawn between the two buildings.
The Town Center's signature building, the two-story, 16,956-square-foot Millhouse, broke ground in December and is expected to receive its certificate of occupancy in October. McGrath expects to announce the first tenants soon, and the Riceland Development Homeowners Association will occupy 2,275 square feet on the second floor. Three additional buildings totaling 35,000 square feet of retail are planned, with Houston-based SPD Construction serving as general contractor for the 30-acre Town Center.
The land has been in Hopper's family since 1824, when Texas was still part of Mexico, and Riceland was conceived to bring back Mont Belvieu's downtown and small-town character.
"Each of these projects represents another step toward the complete Riceland vision," said Barrett Kirk, chief investment officer of McGrath. "The response from homebuyers and our builder partners has been very encouraging, and opening the Lakehouse gives residents an opportunity to experience firsthand the lifestyle and sense of community we set out to create."
Riceland is located at 1 Town Center Blvd. in Mont Belvieu, approximately 35 miles east of downtown Houston near Interstate 10 and the Grand Parkway.
Mont Belvieu's Riceland opens main amenity complex as first commercial building nears completion
by Houston Business Journal, September 23, 2026
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2026/09/23/mcgrath-riceland-lakehouse-amenity-complex.html
About McGrath Real Estate Partners
McGrath Real Estate Partners is a Houston-based real estate investment and development firm with a growing nationwide portfolio of thoughtfully planned, experience-driven communities. The firm specializes in master-planned residential communities, multifamily and mixed-use projects that combine high-quality design with long-term stewardship, delivering places where residents, businesses and cities can thrive across the United States.
