- Tell us about your history with Celina. I have had family in the Celina/Weston area since the mid-1800s, but my family and I moved here in 2000. I was in 3rd grade and school was at our current administration building. Some of my most cherished memories happened because of Celina. It’s where I first met and dated my wife who is now the mother of my two beautiful daughters, Harper and Palmer. Sports were a way of life in Celina, and I was involved in several extracurricular activities including football, basketball, baseball, golf, track, and wrestling. I was fortunate enough to go to State in football all four years and won two state championships! I was in FFA and a proud member of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).
- What is one of your favorite memories of growing up in Celina? When my brother came home from Iraq, our community lined up all along Preston Road and the entry to our neighborhood to welcome him home. Only something like this would happen in Celina.
- Tell us about your family? My wife Melanie and I met in 5th grade in Celina and we dated in high school. We have two daughters, Harper (3 years) and Palmer (4 Months). I am the youngest of four boys –Josh Babb (Class of 2001), Eli Babb (Class of 2003), Zach Babb (Class of 2005). My mom, Kelly Babb, graduated from Celina in 1977 and was part of Las Gatitas during her school years. She has worked for Celina ISD for 19 years and was in charge of Las Gatitas for 16 of those years. My dad Frank Babb graduated from DeSoto in 1975 and played football for the University of North Texas. He has worked in real estate his entire life and is the reason I went into the industry. He has sold multiple deals in Celina and has always been my role model. My grandfather Louis Cave has lived in Weston his entire life as did his parents. He married my grandmother Sharon Cave, and they have lived in the same house since 1966.
- What is your role with Centurion American? At Centurion American, I am an Asset Manager. My job starts as soon as we find a piece of property, and I get the land under contract. While we are in the due diligence period of the land purchase contract, it is my job to get the project designed with engineers, entitled, and under contract with builders to purchase the future developed lots from us. The entitlement process can be quite elaborate working with all departments of the City to ensure that the Development Agreement covers all aspects needed for all parties including zoning, public financing, school sites, public use sites, open spaces and all other aspects that go into the development. Once entitlements are approved, and we are set to close on the property, it is my job to secure the financing to close on the land and develop the property. After financing is secured, I manage the onsite project managers to ensure that they meet their contract deadlines for construction, manage the budgets, and quality control.
- What are your thoughts on Celina being the fastest growing city in North Texas? Mixed emotions as the inner child in me who was fortunate to be raised in the best little town in Texas is saddened because I know it will never be like what I experienced. Growing up in Celina, everyone knew each other’s name and it is hard to find that in North Texas these days. But I am also beyond excited about it! Celina is growing very quickly, and I truly believe the Celina city staff is growing it the right way.
- What part of the city's growth excited you the most? Celina is growing rapidly but with that growth comes opportunity. Besides being a part of the growth, what excites me about it the most is that it is being done the right way and with meticulous thought. With the growth, the city is staying focused on what is important in life – faith and family. Celina continues to grow with more churches and has plans to increase the amount of parks, open spaces, amenity centers and entertainment zones for the community to come together. With every development that we bring into Celina, city staff always asks where we can put up a school and how we can help the school district with funding. That is so critical for our children and their future.
- Can you give us a sneak peek into the Legacy Hills project? Legacy Hills is essentially a small city within Celina. It will consist of 6,882 Single Family Residences, 4,000 Multi-Family residences and approximately over 1-million square feet of commercial retail space. The development will consist of some of the nation’s biggest builders including First Texas Homes, Mattamy Homes, Ashton Woods, Starlight Homes, M/I Homes and Del Webb. The Del Webb portion of the community, which consists of approximately 1,200 lots will be age restricted to add another lifestyle to the community. We have reserved two future Celina ISD sites for elementary schools, two Fire and Police Stations as well as 27 acres for Celina’s next large sports complex. There will be a total of seven amenity centers which will include pools, shade structures, playgrounds, basketball, and tennis courts. The land itself is beautiful with the topography of the site and the floodplain. Typically, in developments the floodplain is just a native area and might have some trails but for the most part it’s an under-utilized area. Legacy Hills will be different. All of Legacy Hills is split by over 900 acres of floodplain, and we are going to utilize all of the land to increase activities for our residents and the community. There are plans to have trails that take you from the south end of the property underneath FM 455 and all the way to the north end of our property. We will have ponds for residents to enjoy and plan to include a large playground for children and frisbee golf for all ages. The largest improvement to the floodplain will be the golf course we are constructing along the north side of FM 455. It will consist of 18 holes, driving range, short game area and putting areas. We will be constructing a large club house with a pro shop, locker rooms, lounges, bars, and a restaurant with outside dining to enjoy the views overlooking the course. This is a once in a lifetime development opportunity, especially with it being in my hometown. I am so fortunate that Mehrdad entrusted me to bring this community to life for him. He is an amazing person and leader, and I am fortunate enough to know him both personally and professionally
- How would you describe Celina to someone who is looking to move here? A growing city with small town charm. The heart of Celina is the downtown square. It is where you feel like you are back in a small town and where community is everything!
Originally published in Celina Lifestyle
