Midline looks ahead to 2026 grand opening after groundbreaking ceremony

Work on Midline is underway after Brookfield Residential and CDC Houston invited VIPs from the Bay Area and Greater Houston to a groundbreaking ceremony.

Midline is heading full speed ahead toward its mid 2026 grand opening following a groundbreaking ceremony on May 1, which introduced the 2,800-home community to a select group of VIPs from the Bay Area and Greater Houston.

Midline is a joint venture between Brookfield Residential and CDC Houston. Executives from both companies spoke about the history of the land and the vibrant potential of Midline’s exceptional infill location, just west of I-45 South, between El Dorado Boulevard and Grissom Road.

“We saw the future of this area even before NASA and all the other development that has come since,” said Warren W. Wilson, executive vice president of CDC Houston. “We are thrilled to partner with Brookfield Residential to create Midline on the final 1,000 acres of the original 3,000-acre Webster Ranch site, which we have been slowly and carefully developing since the 1960s.”

Matthew McCafferty, senior vice president of operations for Brookfield Residential, said that Brookfield and CDC Houston had discussed the idea for a new large-scale community on the site since the companies partnered to develop The Lawn at Baybrook Mall outdoor lifestyle center about 10 years ago.

Baybrook Mall, which borders Midline to the north, is owned by Brookfield Properties.

“We are excited about working with CDC Houston again, this time to envision a first-class master-planned community with signature amenities including The Midline Club recreation center and The Line, a signature namesake trail that will stretch the length of the community and provide amazing connectivity for residents,” McCafferty said.

Midline’s new homes and amenities will be a welcome addition for employees of many new developments coming to the area, said Brian Freedman, president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

In his speech, Freedman noted a number of projects in the Bay Area, including Exploration Park at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where the $200 million Texas A&M Space Institute will be the cornerstone. The $200 million Great Wolf Lodge in Webster and the new 9.5-acre headquarters site for Wellby Financial, Houston’s second-largest credit union, are also adding to the area’s growth.

Other organizations represented at the groundbreaking ceremony included Baybrook Mall, the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce and League City Chamber of Commerce. Several companies with major roles in designing and developing Midline were also on hand, including Clark Condon & Associates, Studio Red Architects, LJA Engineering and Cohere.

Along with getting the first look at renderings of Midline’s master plan and amenities, attendees enjoyed coffee specials with creative names, such as The Urban Oasis, a nod to Midline’s motto as “a new way to live between Houston and The Bay.”

Midline’s announcement was covered by a number of regional publications, including the Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal and Community Impact.

What’s next for Midline? Brookfield Residential plans to announce homebuilders this summer, as work continues on streets, utilities and other infrastructure in the community. A grand opening for the Model Home Row and Welcome Center is planned for the first half of 2026. The first major amenity, The Midline Club, will open in 2027.