Featured on Houston Chronicle
Published June 25, 2023
By: Sonia Garcia

You’ve probably heard of beach and lake living, but what about lagoon living?

It’s the latest craze to hit the area, where developers are bringing “crystal clear lagoons” paired with luxury living and other fun amenities. Houston is currently home to two of these communities and has more on the way. 

LAGOON: State-of-the-art surf resort and lagoon coming to northeast Houston

“Communities with lagoons have been popular because we provide a destination to a really unique lifestyle. And people never really have to leave their neighborhood to enjoy it,” said Tim Johnson, director of sales at Land Tejas, a Houston company known for its master-planned communities.

The best part, some of these lagoons are or will be open to the public for Houstonians to be transported to what will feel like a private island.

Balmoral Crystal Clear Lagoon & Beach Club

15808 Crystal Terrace Drive, Humble

Balmoral Crystal Clear Lagoon & Beach Club says it is Texas’ first man-made, crystalline lagoon. The lagoon and club in Humble opened in 2018 offering a beach lifestyle for Balmoral residents. The community surrounding the two-acre lagoon is 750 acres with luxury homes. The new lagoon amenity in the Balmoral development is comprised of several separate pools and white sand beaches in Humble.

The lagoon with two white sand beaches is only accessible to residents of the community. The shallow area, where the water doesn’t get deeper than three feet is designated for swimming. Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards can be seen in other parts of the lagoon that goes as deep as 8 feet. Crystal Lagoons is patented technology that keeps the lagoon clean with minimal amounts of chemicals and energy, according to its website and the Balmoral community site. Developer Land Tejas partners with the company to use its technology. The lagoon is in Amenity Village that includes a 7,500 foot clubhouse.

More than 2,000 homes are in the master-planned community that opened in 2017. The lagoon opened in 2018.”(Balmoral) was a very successful development for us, and the lagoon can definitely be attributed to one of the main reasons why it was a successful development,” said Johnson said.

From the developers behind Balmoral, the lagoon at Lago Mar is Texas-sized at12 acres with 5,000 feet in shoreline. It boasts being the largest lagoon in Texas with the same Crystal Lagoons technology as Balmoral. It has white sand beaches and other amenities like an infinity pool, splash pad and clubhouse, but the lagoon is bigger and 10 feet at its deepest. 

A portion of the lagoon is open to the public with a variety of memberships residents and non-residents can choose from. Day rentals, open to anyone, start at $20 for paddle boards, $25 for a single-person kayak, $60 for a sailboat ride and $175 for an electric boat cruise. Lago Mar is a 2,033-acre master-planned community that opened in 2018. Its lagoon opened in 2020.

https://lagoonfesttexas.com/

Cool off in 24 million gallon lagoon along Gulf Coast

Featured on Ksat.com
Published: July 17, 2023
By: Mary Claire Patton, Digital Journalist

TEXAS CITY, Texas – There’s a place along the Texas coast where you can swim in 12 acres of crystal-clearwater. Lagoonfest Texas, located at 12600 Crystal View Boulevard in Texas City, brings paradise vibes to the GulfCoast. For reference, Texas City is a roughly four-hour drive east of downtown San Antonio. Tickets start at $20 for children ages 3-13 and $38 for anyone aged 14 and older. Children ages 2 and younger are free.If tickets are sold out online, that means that particular day has sold out and more tickets will not be available.

In addition to the 24 million gallon lagoon, tickets give guests access to bumper boats, a 42-foot tall slide,beach and lounge chairs and complimentary parking.“Lagoonfest Texas offers something for every type of vacationer,” CEO of The Lagoon Development Company Uri Man previously told KSAT. “Whether you want to relax under a luxury cabana or keep activekayaking or testing your agility on our massive floating obstacle course, you can do it.” Access to kayaks, aqua cycles, paddleboards, a captained sailboat and an electric ferry is available at an additional cost.

Lagoonfest Texas is open Wednesdays through Sundays for the summer season and will switch to a weekend-only schedule in mid-August. For a full list of frequently asked questions visit LagoonFestTexas.com.

Featured in Houston Agent Magazine
Published July 10, 2023 
by Emily Marek 

First-generation immigrant Uri Man grew up going to the beach on

family vacations — so when he got the opportunity to bring crystal-

clear lagoons to Houston, he jumped at the chance to give Houstonites a taste of paradise. Originally from Israel, Man says

he’s defined by the fact that he’s the first generation in his family to

grow up in the United States.

“My father was a prisoner of war. My grandparents were in concentration camps during the Holocaust,” Man said. “I’m really the first generation in my family that gets the opportunity to live in the United States and benefit from the great country we have.”

Man attended the University of Michigan and then lived in London and New York as an investment banker before moving into real estate. “I always had this idea I would be in business,” he said. “I used my MBA to get into real estate development from 2002 to 2015, building master-planned communities, rental apartments and mixed-use projects.” 

Man says he learned one of the most vital keys to his career while working for George Perez of The Related Group, one of the most well-known developers in Florida. Perez taught Man that

there’s two types of real estate development: Waterfront and not waterfront. “And you wanna be in waterfront,” he said. After serving as the head of Gables Residential, Man met Fernando Fischmann of The Crystal Lagoon Corporation. He flew to Santiago to visit several crystal lagoons that were already built there.

The crystal lagoons are, in the simplest terms, giant swimming pools the size of a lake. However, when Man visited that first lagoon in Santiago, he saw how special this amenity could be in areas without beachfront access. “I took a boat from one side to the other of San Alfonso Del Mar Lagoon — it was incredible,” Man said. “I Imagined parents sitting on lounge chairs while children built sandcastles in front of them. We love building communities that help people get to know each other.” At that time, there were no regulatory approvals for swimming in crystal lagoons in the U.S. So Fischmann made Man an offer he couldn’t refuse: join as CEO for 10% of the company and bring crystal lagoons to the United States.

After joining The Crystal Lagoon Corporation, Man’s job was to travel around the country, meet people, and convince them that for their next large-scale project, they should consider adding one of these lagoons. “When you add a crystal lagoon, suddenly you have waterfront properties,” Man explained. “Now you can attract developers to come in and build hotels, restaurants, et cetera.” “It became very evident to me that the best markets for these lagoons would be Texas and Florida. Texas by far is the biggest and best state for master planned community development, and Houston is the best city in the world for MPC development,” Man said. “The affordability of the housing is there, there’s great infrastructure, and one of the best medical centers in the U.S. Houston sells more new homes than the entire state of California in a year. And that is a testament to these successful master-planned communities.”

Poolside cabanas at Lago Mar Lagoon

Man met with numerous developers in the Houston area, including Howard Hughes, Caldwell and Skymark — but Al Brendi of Land Tejas was the developer most drawn to the lagoons. “He is very focused on being first to market with new innovative concepts,” Man said. “When he saw the lagoon concept, he said he grew up going to see crystal clear water, and he had a gut feeling the lagoons would have a positive impact on these projects.” Man and Brendi worked together on the first U.S. lagoon project — Balmoral — a 2-acre crystal

lagoon built as a beta test. The community broke all records and became the No. 1 master-planned community in Houston, outselling even Bridgeland. They then started working on Lago Mar, which included a much larger lagoon and also subsequently won best master-planned community in Houston.

“The lagoons have had a huge positive impact on home sales,” Man said. “Projects with lagoons get 10 times more visitors than those without. And during the construction of a lagoon, there are

many milestones. Each is a great opportunity for events where we invite the general public. “Once the lagoon is open, we’re creating great experiences for our guests,” Man continued. “Many of these families don’t have the money to hop on a plane and go to the Bahamas to see crystal clear water. We’re creating that opportunity for them.” As CEO of Crystal Lagoons, Man had an easy time showing developers how the lagoons could generate more sales. However, most had some concerns about the cost of maintaining the Lagoons. “When I left Crystal Lagoons, I partnered with Greg Singleton to form The Lagoon Development Company,” Man said. 

Focused on offsetting maintenance costs, they began to open

lagoons at 30% capacity during Covid. “Since then, we’ve been growing the number of people coming to the lagoons.” The Lagoon Development Company started an event called Lagoon Fest Texas, a family-friendly festival with food, music and activities. They also added the Blue Lagoon Bar and Grille to Balmoral and have begun hosting events such as triathlons and concerts. Eight concerts are scheduled to appear on the lagoon’s floating stage this summer.

In addition to social events, LDC also partners with local charities and groups that make use of the lagoons, including Galveston Food Bank, Houston Pets Alive, Houston Theater, the U.S. Coast Guard, Dickinson ISD, Texas City ISD and Special Olympics.

The Lagoon Development Company’s Houston outreach only continues to grow. There are three crystal lagoons already planned in the area: Sunterra Lagoon, which will open in 2024; Sierra

Vista, a four-acre lagoon that will break ground in 2024 and open in 2025; and an additional four-acre lagoon in Dayton that is set to open to the public on Memorial Day weekend 2024. “I’ve had my fingers in the development of every crystal lagoon in Houston,” Man said. “We have basically transformed Houston into a beach community. Soon you’ll be just a short drive from a public beach from just about anywhere in Houston.”

Featured on Khou 11
Published: July 3, 2023
Author: Michelle Homer

Fireworks, festivals and parades return in full force this July 4th with events planned across the Greater Houston Area.

The celebrations of America’s independence will include everything from traditional parades to festivals large and small, concerts and, of course, the star of the show: Fabulous fireworks.

TEXAS CITY

Lagoonfest Texas is the place to be for an action-packed Freedom Rocks Fest in Texas City.

The two-day festival on July 3 and 4 features live music from tribute bands including Van Halen, Joan Jett, AC/DC, Motley Crue and Black Sabbath.

Monday, July 3

2 p.m.: The Joan Hearts (Joan Jett Tribute)

3:30 p.m.: Electric Love Temple

5 p.m. Supernaut (Tribute to Black Sabbath)

6:30 p.m.: Skidd Row

Tuesday July 4

2 p.m.: VHT (Van Halen tribute)

3:30 p.m.: TNT (AC/DC tribute)

5 p.m.: Hysterimania (Def Leppard tribute)

6:30 p.m.: Motley Krue (Motley Crue tribute)

Tickets start at $38 or $20 for kids ages 3-13.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

WHERE: Lagoonfest at 13900 Crystal View Boulevard

https://lagoonfesttexas.com/

Featured on University of Houston Downtown

Published: June 30, 2023
By Laura Wagner

The heat won’t let up—but neither will Houstonians, when it comes to celebrating a proper Fourth of July. Whether you have the day off on Tuesday or you’re taking a long weekend to celebrate our nation’s freedom from tyranny (because you’re that patriotic), fun awaits you, Houston style. Here are just four of the many options for showing the heat who’s boss in our fair city.

Head for the water.

Lagoonfest Texas, a self-described beach club and aqua adventure park in Texas City, is open July 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission prices vary but all include parking, lounge chairs and umbrellas (first-come, first-served), bumper boats, a 42-foot Titan Slide, food, and 6,000-feet of “shoreline” (a pool with three-foot-deep swimming areas and 10-foot-deep lagoon). 

Kayaks and stand-up paddle boards are available for rent, and food is available for purchase. Ready to re-enact Washington crossing the Delaware? For $375, you can rent a floating cabana that holds up to eight soldiers. Details on the Lagoonfest website.

Featured on Culture Map Houston

Published June, 28, 2023

By: Holly Beretto

Founding Father and second president John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, that the newly signed Declaration of Independence Was something to celebrate. “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade…Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward and forever more,” he said. Now, 247 years later, Americans may not recall Adams’ words, but they surelycelebrate this birthday of all birthdays pretty much how he’d imagined.Houstonians looking for ways to mark our country’s most festive nationalcelebration will find a host of things to do this Fourth of July weekend.

Freedom Rocks at Lagoonfest Texas

Lagoonfest Texas will present their Fourth of July celebration, Freedom Rocks Fest, a two-day festival featuring an array of live music from a variety of tribute bands, with performances honoring Joan Jett, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Mötley Crüe. There will be hot dogs and festive cocktails for sale. Guests are encouraged to dress in their favorite red, white, and blue attire.

WHERE

Lagoonfest Texas
12600 Crystal View Blvd, Texas City, TX 77568, USA
EVENT WEBSITE >

Featured on CW39

Published on June 24, 2023

By: Kara Willis

HOUSTON (KIAH) — Lagoonfest Texas is a waterpark in Texas City, just 40 minutes away from downtown Houston, and is ready for families to come out and enjoy all it has to offer now and through the summer. The waterpark is back for its fourth year and includes an obstacle course onthe water, floating cabanas, concerts on the water, water sports and more.

Owner Uri Man encourages not just families to come out to enjoy it, but he also wants this to be aspace for friends and adult gatherings, too.“The general public can come here and enjoy crystal clear water, white sandy beaches — and families get to know each other,” Man said. “Parents can have that frozen margarita or piña colada while the kids are playing in the white sand.”

After Memorial Day, hours are 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day and it’s closed on Tuesdays (except for July 4). Pricing is $20 for children ages 3-13 and $38 for adults. Tickets will include the newly-added Bumper Boats and Titan Slide. People can also rent an obstacle course on site at $5 per person with unlimited play until they get off, or $15 for all-day play. Other water activities include the kayaks, paddle boards, aqua cycles, sail boats and duffy boats with decks. There is a restaurant and food trucks onsite as well. Concert Days will be included in admission to Lagoonfest. A full schedule can be found online.

https://lagoonfesttexas.com/hours-and-events/

Featured in El Norte Houston

Published on June, 19, 2023
By: Marisol Núñez

Vivir una experiencia llena de cultura, sabor y estilo es posible este verano.

Houston, la ciudad conocida como la joya del sur de Estados Unidos, es el destino perfecto para aquellos quedesean disfrutar al máximo sus vacaciones de verano. Esta ciudad en constante transformación ofrece unaamplia variedad de experiencias por descubrir, como sus eclécticos barrios, donde la moda y el estilo seentrelazan, y su exquisita oferta gastronómica internacional de renombre.

Cuenta con emocionantes atraccionesacuáticas que satisfacen las ansias de aventurade los turistas, como Palm Beach, un parqueacuático con toboganes, piscinas de olas y unahermosa playa de arena blanca; y LagoonfestTexas, un espacio que alberga una laguna deaguas cristalinas y una gran variedad deactividades acuáticas.

https://lagoonfesttexas.com/

Waterparks, pools to visit in the Greater Houston area

Featuerd in Communty Impact
Published on Jun 14, 2023
By: CI Staff Compilation

As temperatures continue to rise and school remains out, many families are looking for a way tokeep cool and entertained this summer. Read down below to find out more about your local waterparks. This list is not comprehensive.

Lagoonfest Texas

Cost of admission: Free (kids two and under), $20 (kids three to 13), $38 (adults 14 and up)

Hours of operation: Wednesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

What makes them unique: This park offers activities such as kayaking, paddle boarding, aquacycling, sailing and cruising.

• • 12600 Crystal View Blvd., Texas City
  • 281-941-6001
  • https://lagoonfesttexas.com

Featured on Greater Houston Partnership
Published: May 25, 2023
By: Hailea Schultz

Through its uniquely diverse culture, innovative developments and vibrant communities, Houston has no shortage of exciting places to see and experience. With summer fast approaching, here are a few Houston hotspots you need to check out.

Lago Mar Lagoon

Looking for a crystal-clear waterfront view, white sand beaches and resort-style amenities without leaving the city? Lago Mar Lagoon is Houston’s own piece of paradise with a large aqua course, catapult swings, sailboat cruises and private cabanas. Following a day on the water, you can enjoy tropical cocktails and delicious food at Lago Mar’s Blue Lagoon Bar and Grill for an ultimate luxurious summer experience.