Phelps helps christen first Texas crystal lagoon in Atascocita

PHOTOS: First look at the completed Crystal Lagoon

23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, right, addresses the media during the grand opening of the Crystal Lagoon in the Balmoral community in Humble on August 23, 2018.

>>>Take a look around the completed 1-acre water feature... less 23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, right, addresses the media during the grand opening of the Crystal Lagoon in the Balmoral community in Humble on August 23, 2018. PHOTOS: First look at the completed Crystal Lagoon

23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, right, addresses the media during the grand opening of the Crystal Lagoon in the Balmoral community in 23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, right, addresses the media during the grand opening of the Crystal Lagoon in the Balmoral community in ... more Photo: Jerry Baker, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Photo: Jerry Baker, Houston Chronicle / Contributor Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Phelps helps christen first Texas crystal lagoon in Atascocita 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

Olympic gold medalist and Crystal Lagoons Ambassador Michael Phelps was the guest of honor at Balmoral’s VIP crystal lagoon preview event on Thursday in Atascocita.

People who were invited to the exclusive event got a first-hand look at the only crystal lagoon in Texas. The crystal lagoon is a 2-acre resort-style pool located in new subdivision Balmoral.

VIPs gathered around the Balmoral Amenity Village clubhouse and watched a special presentation and heard a few words from Phelps.

“This is a dream come true to be able to basically have a beach in your backyard. For me, I’ll speak for myself, it’s pure happiness. It’s pure excitement for me and my family to be able to be here in Texas and open the first crystal lagoon,” Phelps said.

Different activities were available in the lagoon, such as jet skiing, kayaking and paddle boarding. Some were eager to jump into the crystal blue waters or simply lie on the many lounge chairs, hammocks, or cabanas while enjoying the white sand and sipping on a drink.

For those who chose to dive in the lagoon waters, they had the opportunity to meet a mermaid.

“The residents at Balmoral will be able to come and enjoy the ideal beach lifestyle in the middle of Humble, Texas without actually having to go to a beach,” Land Tejas Director of Community Sales and Marketing Tim Johnson said.

The Crystal Lagoon will be right in the center of Balmoral's "Amenity Village," an 8-acre area that will also have a 7,500 square foot clubhouse, fitness center, volleyball court, splash pad, playground, walking path, food truck area and the resort style pool.

The lagoon itself is on 2 acres of land, which will be surrounded by white sand, and goes as deep as 8 feet, allowing residents to enjoy not only swimming but the use of kayaks and paddle boards.

Johnson said creating the first crystal lagoon in Texas was a great learning experience.

“We have a really great group of contractors, consultants, engineers, architects and we all worked together to make sure that we deliver a world class experience for our residents at Balmoral,” Johnson said.

Johnson said there are still a few minor details to finish, but the crystal lagoon will be open to Balmoral residents in mid-September.

Uri Man, CEO of UM Development and former CEO of Crystal Lagoons, was a consultant for Balmoral’s Crystal Lagoon.

“I’m the one that brought Crystal Lagoons to Texas. I was looking for the right developers that would embrace the new technology; I put out a vision (of a developer) that really wanted to improve the lives of the people in the community where they’re building homes and Land Tejas is that type of developer,” Man said.

kaila.contreras@chron.com