The city is seeking a developer, owner and operator for the property at 1950 Fort Worth Avenue formerly known as the Hotel Miramar.
The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) application for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for unsheltered individuals opened Jan. 9 and will close on March 11. The city hopes to find an applicant that will take on the roles of developer, owner and operator, and will acquire the property which is currently owned by the city, rehabilitate the property, obtain additional capital needed and operate the facility as a permanent supportive housing location.
The property was originally purchased by the city for $3.5 million in 2020 using federal COVID money. Since it’s purchase, the building’s vacancy has been a source of frustration for members of the city council, who called the project a “disappointment” and “outrageous” in an October briefing.
In addition to an unexpected asbestos remediation stalling the project, the planned operator, Dallas non-profit CitySquare, pulled out of agreements to manage the facility last March.
Now, the city hopes one company will be able to play multiple roles for the property.
According to the city application, the chosen applicant will be required to convert the former motel into at least 40 housing units whose design will comply with the city’s selected Architecture and Engineering firm design plans. While the city will contribute $2.43 million into the property rehabilitation, the operator will be expected to fund any additional costs.
Once the NOFA closes in March, the city will begin an internal process to review and score the applicants through May 2024.
The City Council is expected to award the contract in June 2024, according to a city timeline, with renovations to the property wrapping up as early as Fall 2024.
