The swelling Austin suburb of Hutto is about to undergo a hippo-sized growth spurt.

On September 16, Scottsdale, Arizona-based homebuilder Taylor Morrison announced a new development in Hutto called Emory Crossing. The 315-acre project, just north of State Highway 130 and U.S. Highway 79, will feature 1,341 single-family homes. Homes are priced from the $330,000s.

If each home in Emory Crossing were occupied by three residents, the project would boost the population of Hutto by about 4,000. As of April 2020, Hutto was home to 27,577 people, up 88 percent from April 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The addition of 4,000 residents would represent an 18 percent population increase based on the 2020 head count. One forecast indicates Hutto could be home to more than 85,000 people by 2040.

Hutto, located in Williamson County and known as the Hippo Capital of Texas, has long been a sleepy community, but with Austin and its neighboring areas nearly bursting with the growth of recent years, it may have been only a matter of time before towns like Hutto gave way to master planned communities. Despite the size of the new development, Taylor Morrison notes it aims to maintain Hutto’s charming neighborhood feel.

“This is our first community in Hutto, and we are excited to bring quality homes at a great price to this fast-growing area,” April Whitaker, president of Taylor Morrison’s Austin division, says in a news release. “Emory Crossing is in a great location and allows buyers the space they need while still keeping the character and small-town feel that residents love about this town.”

Taylor Morrison will build one- and two-story, three- to five-bedroom homes at Emory Crossing ranging from 1,700 to 3,000 square feet. The development’s model homes are now open for tours. Community amenities will include a pool, a clubhouse, a park, trails, and a nature playscape created in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation.

Construction is expected to be finished in the next couple of years.