The Bellagio development in Forney, also known as “The Lagoon”, has been a hot topic since it’s approval last year. Part of the reason it’s been such a fiery subject is due to various pieces of misinformation spread by politicians and their followers. Much of the discussions around the development include fears of surrounding property values decreasing, the development being made up of affordable housing, and the claim that small lots equate to a lower quality product with less value.
Meanwhile, various media outlets released articles about the development this week which included several details that are contradictory to these false claims. The project is projected to have an $800,000,000 value which would provide just under $20,000,000 to the community in property taxes. Next, home sizes will range from 1,800sf to 4,200sf. On top of that the homes start at $349,000 and go all the way up to $600,000. Hardly affordable housing, hardly low quality or low value, and any effect on property values would most certainly be an increase. That price range will make the homesites in Bellagio some of the most valuable in Forney. In fact, that price range is comparable to Dalview Estates near downtown Forney, which is made up of mostly one acre lots and certainly doesn’t provide as much value to the City of Forney as Bellagio will.
In addition to the value described above, as stated in the Development Agreement, the developer for Bellagio agreed to work with the City of Forney on a parcel of land within the development to be donated to the city for a future public city site . That particular request was necessitated by previous City Council before the development was approved. The idea behind this request was to dedicate a site for a new fire station. A fire station on the south side of town, centrally located, and next to Forney High School is an ideal location. However, sources have stated that Amanda Lewis has been pushing to use taxpayer money to purchase a separate site, outside of Bellagio for a new fire station instead. Furthermore, a review of an email conversation between Amanda Lewis and the developer shows that representatives from the developer reached out to Ms. Lewis in an attempt to introduce themselves to the new City Council and talk about plans they have for their development and the community. However, Ms. Lewis replied, even speaking for “others on City Council”, showing displeasure for the development, rather than initializing a meeting to talk about how each party can be partners in the community and work toward common goals such as providing infrastructure such as a fire station on the south side of Forney. Whether Amanda Lewis and the rest of City Council elects to take Bellagio up on their offer or to waste taxpayer money remains to be seen.