What’s All the Drama Over the EPIC City Community About?
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Still in the early phases of development, the master-planned EPIC City community has become a cultural lightning rod in North Texas, drawing scrutiny from state authorities and prompting accusations of bigotry from the project’s developers.
In case you haven’t heard about it, EPIC City is a proposed 402-acre development in unincorporated Collin County and Hunt County near the intersections of County Roads 695 and 850. The project was launched by the East Plano Islamic Center through the entity Community Capital Partners. Stakeholders envision more than 1,000 homes, a mosque, a faith-based school, a community college, and commercial amenities.
The project’s website initially included a statement acknowledging non-citizens from outside the United States might be interested in buying property in the Muslim-centric neighborhood, noting they would be allowed to do so per U.S. law pending vetting by the community.
“[W]e will limit sales to only persons we believe will contribute to the overall makeup of our community and are legally eligible to invest and buy property in the United States,” the now deleted statement read, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Critics of the project latched onto the wording and have since mobilized in person and online, making accusations ranging from “EPIC City is discriminating against non-Muslims” to “EPIC City wants to institute sharia law.”
The Local Response Has Been Very Icy
A meeting of the Collin County Commissioners Court last week saw an overflow crowd turn out, with an overwhelming majority of people voicing opposition to the project. The public hearing was held by commissioners even though EPIC City has yet to officially submit any plans.
“I’m against a religion that I believe allows abuse to women. We are a nation founded on Christian values. Why are we even allowing this?” said resident Tasha Escoto, per DMN.
Others made less inflammatory arguments against the project, instead focusing on the notion that developers might discriminate against prospective homebuyers on the basis of race or religion.
Erin Ragsdale, speaking on behalf of Community Capital Partners, insisted that anyone can buy land or a home in the community and suggested that opposition stemmed from Islamophobia.
“I don’t think we’d be here today at this early stage if there were plans floating around for a master-planned community with a place of worship that was Christian,” she said, according to WFAA.
Collin County Judge Chris Hill retorted that the particular house of worship was not the issue.
“This is about the vision of building a housing development that would limit access and control opportunities,” Hill said, per WFAA.
Community Capital Partners subsequently said it would still pursue the project, stating that it “intends to follow all applicable rules, regulations, and laws and intends to develop an inclusive community that all citizens can be proud of,” according to the outlet.
EPIC City’s Getting Attention in Austin, Not the Good Kind
State officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton caught wind of the drama (people have been tagging them on X about it) and announced investigations into the development.
“Texas is investigating EPIC City for many allegations,” the governor tweeted. “I directed multiple state agencies to get to the bottom of it. The Texas Rangers also opened up a criminal investigation. Sharia law is not allowed in Texas.”
EPIC City’s developers have since hired high-profile defense attorney Dan Cogdell, who accused the governor of spreading inflammatory lies about the planned community.
“These aren’t foreign adversaries. These are Texans. These are Americans. These are United States citizens,” Cogdell said, claiming the project and its developers were victims of racial profiling and that no one affiliated with EPIC City believes in or supports sharia law, according to CBS News Texas.
“All they want to do is to build a community that allows them to live together with people who value family and faith,” he said.
That about sums it up so far. Needless to say, this particular master-planned community will likely continue to make state and local headlines. If you’re interested in investing in the project or buying property there, be sure to check out their website. Political flashpoint or not, real estate is still opportunity, and who knows how this one’s going to pan out.
