The nation’s economy bounced back this year, and commercial development on our side of the river started blowing up. These are the highlights.
The $42-million Bishop Arts Village project, which will create a connection between the Bishop Arts District and Jefferson Tower, received $5 million in tax increment financing. The developer plans to create sidewalks and street lighting that will match the look of Bishop Arts, as well as 200 apartments, plus retail and office buildings as high as four stories.
Jefferson Tower now has chic new apartments, a trendy brew pub and more in the works thanks to developer Jim Lake Cos.
Cienda Partners bought the former Oak Farms Dairy site. Under the Oak Cliff Gateway zoning, that property could have buildings as high as 20 stories. However, if the city’s plan for the Jefferson Memorial Bridge, part of the Trinity toll road plan, goes through, it likely would make that property difficult to redevelop.
Sylvan Thirty opened in April with Cox Farms and apartments. Developer Brent Jackson also had the industrial lot behind Sylvan Thirty rezoned for as many as 250 apartments.
Almost 1,500 other new apartments are under construction or being planned in West Dallas. About 250 apartments are being built on the site of a former trailer park. About 300 apartments are planned on the site of the old Mission Motel. About 300 more are planned near the Belmont Hotel. A five-story apartment complex at Trinity Groves will have 350 units. And 300 more are coming near Singleton and Sylvan.
We lost the Humble Oil Station on Beckley at Zang, but one Oak Cliff family is renovating the old Cannon’s Village shopping center.
The Canyon, a planned development near Interstate 30 and Westmoreland, is receiving more than $97 million in public funding, but the developers gained permission to delay construction until summer 2015.
