Southstar Unveils New Brand Celebrating Award-Winning Legacy

Southstar was pleased to unveil a new brand look and refined company name this month. The award-winning mixed-use planned community developer has built a 24-year legacy of successful large-scale planned communities across the southern United States. The new brand reflects a freshened look to the enduring development company. 

A Fresh Outlook: Embodying SouthStar’s Commitment

Originally founded by Larry Rutherford in 1999 as Southstar Development Partners, the company has grown in its scope and geographic reach over the years.

Over the 24 year history of Southstar, the company has operated under a number of brands and affiliations, representing the company’s work in land acquisition, entitlement, planning, development and operations. From Southstar Development Partners, Southstar Land, Southstar Texas, Southstar Property Management and SouthStar Communities, today these brands will all live under the Southstar moniker. 

The company’s underlying vision for delivering quality communities featuring diverse residential, retail and amenities remains. Southstar’s legacy of planning and delivering communities that are locally and regionally additive is on full display in their active projects across Central and South Texas. 

Transforming Vibrant Areas: VIDA’s Story

VIDA San Antonio is a 600-acre master-planned community development on San Antonio’s southside, bringing  much-needed infrastructure, retail and varied housing options to the area. The award-winning project is adjacent to Texas A&M University-San Antonio and will provide the community components of the thriving campus. 

Southstar broke ground in 2021 on the 12-year project, which includes 4,000 residential units ranging from single family, multi-family, townhomes, duplexes and planned student housing units; a 68-acre University Health campus including a suburban hospital, medical offices and the new Bexar County Dept of Public Health, a vibrant retail town center and Zócalo urban plaza; and the 35-acre Madla River Greenway park and trails with connectivity to the Texas A&M-San Antonio campus. 

VIDAs delivery of varied housing options, greenspaces, retail and healthcare to the Southside will have lasting regional benefits for generations. 

Mission del Lago: A Legacy of Transformation

Another active southside community is Mission del Lago. Commenced in 2006, the community features over 2500 residential units to date, wrapped by a municipal golf course and connect to the Howard Peak Greenway system and the Mission Reach trail system connecting to San Antonio’s famed RiverWalk. The community’s amenities are unparalleled in southside San Antonio, attracting residents from across the City. Plans are underway to add trail connections to adjacent Mitchell Lake Audubon Sanctuary, offering additional recreation and greenspace in this world-renowned birding sanctuary. 

Future-Focused: Mayfair’s Ambitious Vision

Southstar’s most recent planned community development is Mayfair in New Braunfels, which broke ground in 2022. Over the next 15 years, the 1,900-acre central Texas community will provide 6,000 residential units of all types and price points; varied commercial, mixed-use, and light industrial along I-35; multiple Comal ISD schools; and regional emergency services. The infrastructure developed in Mayfair has lasting regional benefits that support the fast-growing I-35 corridor connecting Austin and San Antonio. Mayfair represents a unique collaboration with the City of New Braunfels, Comal County and local utility partner New Braunfels Utilities to deliver updated utilities, public greenspace and trails, innovative schools and quality housing together with a thriving retail corridor. The Mayfair development represents proactive and innovative measures in One Water initiatives, traffic mitigation and public land use to preemptively address regional impacts. 

Southstar’s Commitment to Long-Term Community Building

Another signature of the Southstar brand is their long-term position in communities, staying to operate and stabilize communities to ensure their success. While atypical of most community developers, Southstar believes staying in communities represents the company’s commitment to successful communities, happy homeowners and lasting public impact. While the company’s look and feel is new, the company’s passion for high quality work remains steadfast.