An investment of $110 million will bring about 400 new homes to The Bottom district.
A developer backed by community stakeholders recently broke ground on the first of 85 homes that will be priced “from the low $200s to low $300s,” according to a website for the development.
The 126-acre redevelopment is the first major investment in the neighborhood, which dates back to 1845 and is part of the historic freedmen’s town that also includes the Tenth Street District.
The project from Texas Heavenly Homes is being financed by Texas Capital Bank.
“We’ve been planning this project for some time and are developing an amazing enclave of both affordable and market rate housing,” City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold stated in a media release. “The City is making an investment here to move forward, and we are poised to bring back this historic and vibrant community.”
The neighborhood was neglected by the city for decades and still has 150-year-old plumbing. It’s also a neighborhood where the city has taken liberties to demolish old homes.
But Arnold says she’s recently pushed for streetlights and WiFi access in the neighborhood and has helped remove homes from the floodplain.
“Our goal is to revitalize this area steeped in culture and history without changing the eclectic character of the community,” Dick LeBlanc, president of Texas Heavenly Homes, stated in a media release. “The area’s proximity to downtown and the Trinity River, combined with its available lots offers a great opportunity for infill development while enhancing the streetscape of the neighborhood.”
