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DevelopmentWest Fort Worth, TX (Tarrant and Parker county line)6 min read

Brown Ranch: Fort Worth Clears Path for Hines Project

Fort Worth approved a development agreement for Brown Ranch, a 1,476-acre Hines project near Walsh Ranch. What the planned MUD means for future tax bills.

Published July 4, 2026
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What Fort Worth actually approved

Posts circulating on local development accounts frame this as "Fort Worth approved Brown Ranch." The precise version matters if you plan to buy there. On June 23, 2026, the city council approved a DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT with Hines Acquisitions LLC for Brown Ranch, roughly 1,476 acres in Fort Worth's extraterritorial jurisdiction on the city's west side, straddling the Tarrant and Parker county line. The agreement sets the framework; it is not the taxing district itself, not zoning, and not annexation. Hines still plans to file with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to create the Municipal Utility District, and strategic partnership and utility agreements come back to council later.

  • -Approved June 23, 2026: a development agreement between Fort Worth and Hines Acquisitions LLC (Fort Worth Report, June 25, 2026).
  • -Site: about 1,476 acres north of Old Weatherford Road, south of White Settlement Road, northeast of Walsh Ranch (Fort Worth Report; The Real Deal Texas).
  • -The MUD is NOT created yet: Hines plans a TCEQ application, with partnership and utility agreements to follow at council (Fort Worth Report).
  • -Planned land use: single family homes, urban residential units, and commercial space. No home count has been published anywhere yet.
  • -Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff called the deal a win-win, citing Hines concessions on parkland preservation and road building (Fort Worth Report).

The MUD: what future buyers should understand

A Municipal Utility District finances the roads, water, sewer, and drainage a new community needs, then repays that debt through district taxes collected from the people who live there instead of from citywide taxpayers. That is the tradeoff to price in: homes in MUDs typically carry an extra district tax line on top of county, city, and school taxes. For Brown Ranch specifically, no district tax rate and no bond amount have been published, so treat any number a sales office quotes as unofficial until it appears in the district's own documents. Texas law requires sellers to give MUD buyers a written notice of the district tax before contract.

  • -The district would help finance roads, water, sewer, drainage, and other improvements (Fort Worth Report, June 25, 2026).
  • -The city retains the right and obligation to provide water and sewer service (The Real Deal Texas, Oct 30, 2025).
  • -No Brown Ranch tax rate or bond figure is public yet. Do not rely on any number until the district publishes it.
  • -Texas requires a written MUD notice to buyers before contract. Read it, and see our MUD disclosure guide for what each line means.

The west side growth corridor, and what neighbors worry about

Brown Ranch joins the fastest-growing corridor on Fort Worth's west side. Next door, Walsh spans about 7,200 acres with up to 18,000 homes planned at build out. Dean Ranch, roughly 1,825 acres of mixed use along the Fort Worth and Aledo border, is moving on a similar arc. Local reaction to the Brown Ranch news centered on the questions that always follow announcements this size: road capacity, school seats, and the power grid. One caution for early buyers: no published source yet states which school district serves the Brown Ranch site, so verify the parcel's district in county appraisal records rather than assuming it follows a neighboring development.

  • -Walsh: about 7,200 acres, up to 18,000 homes and roughly 50,000 residents at build out (walshtx.com facts page).
  • -Dean Ranch: roughly 1,825 acres of planned mixed use near the Fort Worth and Aledo border (Fort Worth Report, June 24, 2022).
  • -Hines would help fund connections to Walsh Ranch Parkway and Old Weatherford Road (The Real Deal Texas; Fort Worth Report).
  • -School district for the Brown Ranch site: not yet published. Confirm the parcel's district at the county appraisal district before you buy.

Verify it yourself

Before reserving in Brown Ranch or any new west side community: confirm the parcel and its county at the Tarrant Appraisal District (tad.org) or Parker County Appraisal District, since this site straddles the county line. Ask the builder for the MUD tax rate in writing and read the required Texas MUD notice before signing anything; no official rate exists yet, so treat quoted numbers as estimates. Confirm the school district from the appraisal record, not the sales office. And run the seller, builder, and listing through a free scam check before wiring any deposit.

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Frequently asked questions

Did Fort Worth approve the Brown Ranch MUD?

Not yet. On June 23, 2026 the council approved a development agreement with Hines Acquisitions LLC that sets the framework. Hines still plans to apply to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to create the Municipal Utility District, and strategic partnership and utility agreements will come back to council later.

Where is Brown Ranch?

About 1,476 acres on Fort Worth's west side, in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction straddling the Tarrant and Parker county line: north of Old Weatherford Road, south of White Settlement Road, and northeast of the Walsh Ranch development.

What will Brown Ranch residents pay in MUD taxes?

Unknown. No district tax rate or bond amount has been published for Brown Ranch. In general, Texas MUD residents pay a district tax on top of county, city, and school taxes to repay the infrastructure debt, and sellers must give buyers a written MUD notice before contract. Get the rate in writing once the district exists.

Who is the developer behind Brown Ranch?

Hines, the Houston based global real estate firm, acting through Hines Acquisitions LLC per Fort Worth city documents and local coverage. Hines has not published its own announcement page for the project as of early July 2026.

Sources

  • Fort Worth Report, "Fort Worth approves agreement with Brown Ranch developer" (June 25, 2026)
  • The Real Deal Texas, "Hines seeks taxing district for West Fort Worth megadevelopment Brown Ranch" (Oct 30, 2025)
  • City of Fort Worth, City Manager's Office work session presentation "Proposed Special Districts for Shelton and Brown Ranches" (Oct 14, 2025)
  • WALSH official facts page (walshtx.com), for the Walsh Ranch comparison figures
  • Fort Worth Report, "Dean Ranch development plan sets the stage for distinctive mixed-use project" (June 24, 2022)
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