Downtown Fort Worth is getting another high-rise apartment
April 4,2019
See full Fort Worth Star-Telegram article by Carla Jimenez here.
Downtown Fort Worth is getting more luxury apartments.
A 26-story apartment building with ground-level restaurant and retail space is planned to go in at 901 Commerce St. Another apartment and townhome complex project is planned 701 Hampton St. The two apartment projects came before the Downtown Design Review Board on Thursday afternoon, and both were conditionally given certificates of appropriateness for their designs.
Southern Land Co., the developers behind the high-rise on Commerce Street, first introduced its plans in 2017. Originally the tower was planned for 32 stories with up to 295 units averaging 800 to 900 square feet. However, the plan was revised after discussions with the Downtown Design Review Board and Downtown Fort Worth Inc..
The apartment will be an L-shape at Commerce and Ninth streets, wrapping around the existing Purple Land Management building. The building will have 283 units at an average of 1,050 square feet. There will be 380 parking spaces, and an amenities deck on the 23rd floor with views of downtown, a pool and fitness center.
This is the third high-rise apartment or condominium project so far for downtown Fort Worth. A 24-story luxury condo tower is planned for West Peach Street, and the Downtown Design Review Board last month approved an 18-story apartment building on West Weatherford Street.
The design for the building on Commerce reflects the art deco inspiration for the architecture throughout downtown Fort Worth, and the architect for the project is GDA Architects.
No timeline has been set for the construction.
The plans for the high-rise were approved with the condition that the developer and the city work together to determine the best options for landscaping.
The apartments at Hampton Street also came before the review board in 2016. The project is called Hampton Urban Apartments, developed by StoneHawk Capital Partners. According to submitted plans, there will be four buildings of apartments and five buildings of townhomes spanning 9.5 acres along Hampton Street, abutting the train tracks. The plans also include an amenities building with fire pits, ping pong tables and lounging areas. There will also be a pool and grill area in addition to two dog parks. Dunaway Associates provided civil engineering, landscape architecture and surveying services for the project.
Plans for a 6-foot wall around the amenities caused concern for the Downtown Design Review Board and Downtown Fort Worth Inc.
Brandon Hopkins with StoneHawk Capital cited security concerns — he said there has been a problem with crime in the Rock Island neighborhood, and the amenities building will contain a lot of valuable furniture and electronics.
The Downtown Design Review Board, however, said the standard height for fences in downtown is four feet. However, at the end of the meeting the developers and the review board said they would work out a plan to address all concerns of both parties.
Hampton Urban Apartments hopes to break ground on the project in June.