T Bar M Camps & Retreats is charging ahead with a multimillion‑dollar buildout that will stretch its New Braunfels campus onto roughly 20 additional acres and overhaul its family‑camp layout. New lodges, a bigger dining hall and a teen center are rising where scrub oaks and limestone once stood, and camp leaders say the upgrades will let many more families attend together during the summer. Construction crews are already visible off Highway 46 as the early phases move toward next summer’s season.
According to Community Impact, the expansion carries a $47.8 million price tag and converts roughly 3.5 acres of existing developed campus into a newly acquired 20‑acre tract purchased from longtime neighbors Sam and Mary Howard. The outlet reports that Phases 1 and 2 will add two 18,150‑square‑foot family camp lodges, a 6,450‑square‑foot teen center and a dual‑sided dining hall designed so family guests and elementary programs can eat separately. Camp leaders told the outlet the project will more than double family‑camp capacity to about 44–45 families per week across an extended 10‑week summer schedule.
As per T Bar M’s Forward campaign page, the nonprofit has raised about $24.3 million toward a roughly $30.5 million target for Phases 1 and 2, and campaign materials state that Phase 1 is fully funded while Phase 2 is underway. The campaign site features renderings, an information packet for donors and a short FAQ that presents family‑camp growth as the project’s central aim.
Design and green infrastructure
The project’s architect, assemble + co., describes a master plan that leans on low‑impact development. A detention lake is set to serve as a central feature, and a meandering, recirculating creek will run alongside the family cabins to help preserve the camp’s wooded character. The firm’s project page lists the work as a 19‑acre expansion, a small discrepancy with the camp’s 20‑acre figure, and highlights minimal site disturbance and the use of natural materials in the layouts.
Access, schedule and who’s building it
Plan documents obtained by reporters call for a new entrance on FM 1863 with a traffic signal, intended to improve access and create a stronger sense of retreat from surrounding development. Schumann Consulting is listed as the project manager. Community Impact reports that Phases 1 and 2 are expected to wrap up in time to host expanded family‑camp programming in summer 2027.
Camp leaders present the expansion as a response to rising demand for shared overnight experiences, and staff writing on T Bar M’s blog say they are eager to welcome guests onto the new property and to show donors how the work is progressing. Fundraising and construction will continue through the Forward campaign as leaders get ready to open the enlarged family‑camp footprint to more visitors in the years ahead.
