Construction begins Thursday, Aug. 20, on the next expansion of Mosaic, the 1,700-home master-planned community in Celina where two new residential phases will add more than 2 million square feet of development at a combined cost of roughly $13 million.

Tellus Texas I LLC filed permits with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on Aug. 13 for Phase 5 and Phase 4A, both located southwest of 5116 Triadic Lane in Celina. Phase 5 carries an estimated cost of $7.2 million and covers 1,053,455 square feet of residential construction running through Jan. 11, 2027. Phase 4A, at $5.87 million, covers 1,010,374 square feet of residential improvements including excavation, paving and utilities, with work scheduled from Oct. 5, 2026, through March 8, 2027.

The permits follow a three-way land deal Celina City Council approved 6-0 on June 9, first reported by Community Impact. Under that agreement, the city traded approximately 113 acres of parkland at Earthman Park to Prosper ISD for a future high school site. In return, Celina received roughly 107 acres off Smiley Road from Merritt/Thornton Farm, a partnership tied to the Mosaic development, plus $2 million from the district. Prosper ISD separately transferred land to Tellus Group near Teel Parkway and Parvin Road for future single-family development.

That deal matters here.

"What we find compelling about this trade is we are able to trade 113 acres of parkland for about what essentially becomes 296 acres of parkland," Celina City Manager Robert Ranc said at the council's April 14 meeting, when members first authorized the agreement to move forward.

The combined acreage Celina received carries deed restrictions limiting its use to a park and prohibiting development for three years, with plans for a nearly 300-acre park off Smiley Road.

Justin Craig is listed as the contact on both TDLR permits. Tellus Texas I LLC, headquartered at 5301 Headquarters Drive in Plano, is the development arm behind Mosaic, which is zoned to Prosper ISD.

Neither the TDLR filings nor available city records specify how many homes or lots Phases 4A and 5 will contain. The permits classify both as privately funded new construction on private land.

Phase 4A construction begins Oct. 5, with the final completion date for both phases set for March 8, 2027.