The Prosper Town Council has approved a rezoning request for The Marco, a large-scale Italian-themed mixed-use community planned at the intersection of Dallas North Tollway and University Drive. Envisioned as a $2 billion destination, the project will span 143 acres and combine residential, hospitality, office and retail uses around a central water feature.
The Marco is being developed by Blackard Cos., led by founder Jeff Blackard, with Cawley Partners joining as a partner on the project. Blackard previously delivered Adriatica, a Croatian-inspired village in McKinney that totals 45 acres and was developed at a cost of $350 million. The Marco extends that European-village concept at a significantly larger scale and value.
Plans for The Marco call for more than 4,000 residential units across a mix of product types, including apartments, senior living options and luxury condominiums. Some of the for-sale condo units are expected to reach price points as high as $10 million each, positioning the community at the upper end of the local residential market.
Hospitality is also a core component of the master plan, with entitlements allowing for up to two hotels. On the commercial side, the development is expected to include approximately 1 million square feet of office space, supported by specialty retail, restaurants, a grocery store and a market hall. This blend of uses is designed to activate the site throughout the day and evening and to attract a range of users and visitors.
A Venetian-inspired design will define the project, anchored by a 15-acre lagoon and network of navigable canals. The waterways are planned to be large enough to accommodate electric boats, adding a resort-style amenity and reinforcing the project’s Italian theme. Residential, hotel and office components will be organized around these water features to maximize views and access.
The 15-acre lagoon will serve not only as a visual focal point but also as a key differentiator for both the hospitality and residential components in a competitive regional market. Combined with the planned office and retail space, the amenity package is intended to support a self-contained mixed-use environment within Prosper.
Construction on The Marco is targeted to begin in winter 2027, following the recent rezoning approval. Once vertical development starts, the full build-out of the community is expected to take between five and ten years to complete, reflecting the scale and phasing requirements of the multi-asset master plan.
