Texas Construction News from Virtual Builders Exchange

by Adolfo Pesquera

Arlington (Tarrant Co.) – The Arlington Planning & Zoning Commission approved the development plan Wednesday evening for Arlington Commons, an upscale multifamily community at 425 E. Lamar Blvd.

The vote was for Phase 1A, or the development of 5.56 acres out of a 22.18-acre project. It will now go to City Council for approval on an October agenda.

This is essentially an urban renewal project being done by The Nehemiah Company. The entire site was previously developed with three multifamily apartment complexes built in the 1970s; Huntington Chase Apartments, the Pointe of North Arlington Apartments and Country Wood Apartments were all recently demolished.

Arlington Commons is a public-private partnership with the city and is located near Roquemore Elementary School and Parkway Central Park.

The Nehemiah Company presented its site plans, floor plans, and building elevations, all designed by JHP Architecture/Urban Design. In Phase 1A, the developer proposes 353 residential units. The total development will have about 1,328 units which will be built out over four phases and comply with the maximum density of 60 units per acre.

Nehemiah Company has described Arlington Commons as a 10-year project that will create a high quality redevelopment near the Globe Life Ballpark.

“The project will be one of the largest multifamily redevelopment projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and the largest in Arlington. The company is proud that the project has received unanimous support from the Arlington City Council and a ‘thumbs-up’ from neighbor groups, the school district and other stakeholders,” Nehemiah Company boasts on its website.

Units will range in size from 580-square-foot efficiencies to 777-square-foot one-bedroom units and 1,281-square-foot two-bedroom units, according to the Community Development and Planning Department report. Most units have a private patio/balcony.

Phase 1A will include a 1,589-square-foot leasing office, 869-square-foot clubhouse, 1,173-square-foot fitness center, and 2,100-square-foot lounge and conference area.

Building materials proposed consist primarily of a combination of architectural cementitious panels, stucco stone and stucco. Accent materials include wood slats and wood columns and brackets. The roof will be made of standing seam metal roofing material and composition shingles.

There will be a parking garage, and multiple pedestrian access points.

Nehemiah proposes a series of courtyards totaling 9,100 square feet that would be directly accessible to the units. There will also be a leasing plaza courtyard and a 2,600-square-foot south plaza courtyard.

The Streetscape

Nehemiah proposes a varied width landscape setback on East Lamar Boulevard, which will contain a four-foot green space with 10-foot tall trees, 31 ornamental trees and a five-foot to seven-foot wide sidewalk. Also, along the south side of the building, there will be a large quantity of shrubbery to accentuate the building perimeter.

On the east side of the property on the Van Buren Drive, a four-foot green space with a 11 four-inch caliper, 10-foot tall trees, 13 ornamental trees and a five-foot to seven-foot wide sidewalk, in addition to accentuate the building perimeter.

One of the internal courtyards will have a swimming pool court theme and the other will have a more passive design.

The property owner is Arlington Commons Lands LLC, and is represented by Howard Porteus.

In November 2014, Arlington City Council gave Nehemiah more time to complete this $200 million project. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Phases 1A and 1B were to have been completed by January 2019, but Nehemiah was given an extra five-year cushion. Other phases were given extended deadlines and are to be completed by 2027 and 2029, respectively.

City Council also assisted the project by providing $10.5 million in economic incentives, such as reimbursement for demolition and abatement expenses. Another incentive was a guarantee of up to $5 million to cover investors’ losses if the project fails within a certain period, the Star-Telegram reported.

adolfo@virtualbx.com