Rowlett's $1 billion Bayside project has a new developer.

And plans are up in the air for the long-awaited Crystal Lagoon in the project on Lake Ray Hubbard.

The owners of the 262-acre mixed-use Bayside development on Interstate 30 say they have hired longtime Texas developer Tom D'Alesandro to lead the lakeside commercial and residential project in Rowlett.

Developer Kent Donahue, who has worked on the Bayside project for three years, is no longer involved in the project.

"While we appreciate earlier leadership on Bayside, we recognized moving into new phases required a development leader who has extensive, successful experience in national and international complex mixed-use real estate incorporating transit-oriented development, " said Tyler Kruse, principal of Bayside District Partners, which owns the property. "Tom D'Alesandro has just that experience and track record."

Plans for the 8-acre Crystal Lagoon, which was to be the centerpiece at Bayside, are in discussion, the developers say.

"There will be compelling water features in Bayside, and we are currently in talks with the Crystal Lagoon," D'Alesandro said in an email. "We are currently doing extensive residential and retail market studies in addition to consumer choice modeling research.

"We are digging deeper to learn what kinds of trends are occurring in this market, especially in the types of amenities people want — we have to be market-driven in order to be sustainable."

Huge interest

Widely publicized plans for the Crystal Lagoon have generated huge interest in the Bayside project during the last few years.

The manmade lagoon was originally described as "25 times the size of an Olympic swimming pool and equivalent to 10 football fields of water."

It was to be surrounded by private beach clubs, cabanas, poolside areas and terraced gardens overlooking the water.

A giant fountain was planned with more than 250 water nozzles and lasers that would be used for displays on the lagoon.

And a waterfront zipline, electric boats and cruisers for sailing and a surf machine were part of the lagoon's features.

Miami-based Crystal Lagoon was hired by the developers of Bayside to plan the giant water resort.

Along with the lagoon, plans for Bayside called for two condominium towers, luxury apartments, single-family homes and more than 1 million square feet of retail, entertainment, restaurant and office space.

Former park site

The Bayside property is on the site of former Elgin B. Robertson Park, which Rowlett acquired for the mixed-use development.

A formal groundbreaking was held for the project in early 2016.

The Bayside property is owned by Wilks Development, a real estate firm owned by billionaire brothers Dan and Farris Wilks of Cisco in West Texas. The energy industry execs have invested in several North Texas real estate projects.

D'Alesandro, Bayside's new developer, has been involved with projects valued at $3.5 billion in Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

In Texas, he has worked on major community developments in Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

"I have a long history in Texas and have built a number of successful developments over the past several decades," D'Alesandro said in a statement. "I look forward to working together to build a welcoming destination where families in and around the community can go outside and play for years to come."

While the Crystal Lagoon project in Rowlett is being rethought, work has started on a smaller version of the water feature in Prosper.

The Windsong Ranch residential community on U.S. Highway 380 is building a 5-acre Crystal Lagoon next to its new home neighborhoods.