GAINESVILLE, Texas — Gainesville officials and development partners broke ground this week on a 500-acre industrial rail park at the former Camp Howze site north of the city, launching what developers describe as one of the most significant economic development milestones in Cooke County’s recent history.
The Camp Howze Industrial Rail Park is designed to accommodate up to 7 million square feet of rail-served industrial space. The project is led by the B-29 development team, whose principal investor John Schmitz has backed the site’s transformation for years.
Mayor Tommy Moore, Gainesville Economic Development Corporation Director Matt Carlson, and state Sens. Brent Hagenbuch and Tan Parker attended the groundbreaking. Kelly Bub, Vice President of Real Estate who helped lead the project through its development stages, credited Schmitz’s long-term commitment as central to making the milestone possible.
“This week marked an important milestone for a project that has been years in the making,” Bub announced during the ceremony. “What excites me most is what comes next: new jobs, new investment, expanded opportunities, and a project that will create lasting impact for generations to come.”
A strategic partnership with BNSF Railway is central to the park’s concept. Rail access for industrial tenants is a key selling point as Gainesville competes with other North Texas markets for large manufacturing and logistics operations.
Stream Realty Partners, represented by brokers Connor Land and Matt Dornak, is handling leasing for the park. Initial estimates for the park, once fully built out, could be as high as $1.6 billion once developed, per Matt Carlson of the Gainesville EDC.
The Camp Howze site served as a U.S. Army training installation during World War II. The Army Corps of Engineers has conducted munitions sweeps on portions of the former installation in recent years as the land transitions to civilian use.
The groundbreaking adds momentum to a broader development surge along the Interstate 35 corridor in Cooke County. Industrial rezoning requests, new infrastructure grants, and a wave of commercial investment are reshaping the area north of Gainesville — a trend that has made the I-35 corridor one of the most-watched development markets in North Texas.
For more on the development activity surrounding the project, see The I-35 corridor boom: Rail parks, ranches, and billions reshaping Cooke County and Gainesville advances water, rail and industrial infrastructure.