Three decades after the fictional Ewing family departed the illustrious Southfork Ranch after filming of popular TV show Dallas wrapped up, the property is one step closer to winning luxurious homesites close to the ranch’s mansion.
Farmers Branch-based Centurion American Development Group, which has owned the 241-acre property since 2022, received unanimous approval from Parker’s Planning and Zoning Commission to go forward with its plan to develop 89 two-acre lots by the Southfork Ranch mansion.
Centurion still needs to take its plans to Parker City Council. But the Thursday decision from Parker’s Planning and Zoning Commission moves the company forward in its goal of preserving the legacy of the legendary site and reinvigorating the property for years to come.
“This property is so unique because it’s got so much history on it, and there’s so many people that want to build on this property,” said Sean Terry, Centurion American’s vice president of entitlements. “So we’re going to bring our Longhorn cattle up closer to the road there, so people that live there can look out and see that. We’re going to keep that as a working ranch like it was in the show and continue doing tours and events.”
By the time Centurion is finished, it’s also possible the streets may be named after characters from Dallas, Terry said. (In fact, there are already two subdivisions in North Texas with streets named after characters from the show, from J.R. Avenue to Sue Ellen Avenue.)
Centurion needs to consult with Parker City Council to determine which company will help realize its vision, Terry said. But it will put together a list of potential builders to present to City Council soon. The builders and timeline for the residential project will be determined in the coming months.
One of the elements Terry heard feedback from Parker residents on was potential flooding and draining issues and it’s something he hopes to address when the time arrives, he said.
“One thing that we have to go through is an extensive engineering layout of once we get zoning done, then you move into your engineering phase, which will look at the topo, the drainage and fix all of that,” Terry said. “We can’t do everything residents ask us to do. But we’ll really take that to heart as we’re designing our phases and incorporate solutions into our design.”
During its presentation to the commission, Centurion leaders also pointed to its grand vision for retaining and improving tourism at the site through the 5,900 square-foot Southfork Mansion, 63,000-square-foot conference and event center and new rodeo arena.
Southfork Ranch, despite being about 26 miles north of Dallas, remains one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions as it was the filming site of the Dallas TV show between 1978 to 1989. The property has since gone through face-lifts and changed ownership several times.
In 1991, shortly after Dallas left the airwaves, San Francisco-based Glenfed Financial Corporation purchased the property for $3.15 million at auction after a foreclosure. The following year, Arizona entrepreneur Rex Maughan purchased the ranch at auction for over $2.5 million.
Bishop T.D. Jakes could at one point reliably amass a crowd of over 1,500 followers at the ranch on a weekly basis after 2010 when his congregation transformed the Southfork Ranch Event and Conference Center into the site of his services.
The ranch also famously started hosting overnight stays after 2019 where guests could get a tour of the property and Dallas memorabilia. Finally, in 2022, Centurion acquired the ranch for an undisclosed amount.
Because of the property’s historical value to North Texas, making sure Centurion honors the tradition of the site and embracing what made it popular in the first place will be the key.
“I think today, in our society, we’re so quick to go in, build something new, and forget where we came from. We want to remember how did we get here,” Terry said. “We respect the history and this development’s going to allow us to preserve that history and let people come out there and understand that Dallas was a show for everybody.”
