New mixed-use high-rise buildings have been planned for Uptown Dallas, with Kaizen Development Partners collaborating with news broadcaster KERA on the project.
The endeavor will see residential and commercial towers and a new KERA headquarters built on 2.4 acres between North Harwood Street and Harry Hines Boulevard by 2027.
Announcing the development partnership on Thursday, KERA leaders spoke about how the venture will usher in a new period for the non-profit news organization.
“North Texans have relied on KERA for essential news and programming for over 60 years,” said KERA President and CEO Nico Leone, according to a news release. “But our current facilities simply aren’t equipped to meet the needs of our growing community for the next 60 years and beyond.”
KERA has been operating out of a building that once served as a studio for television broadcaster WFAA.
“We’re thrilled to work with Kaizen to develop a new building that allows us to better serve and connect with the North Texas community — now and for generations to come,” Leone continued.
After the project breaks ground in late 2024, Kaizen will get to work erecting KERA’s new 70,000-square-foot headquarters on the northern end of the lot adjacent to Katy Trail, outfitting it with a center for the community.
“This new facility will be a game changer for KERA,” said KERA COO Christopher Wagley, per the release. “KERA’s physical space will reflect our organizational mission while continuing to serve as our broadcast operations hub. … [T]his new building will be a central destination for the staff, audiences, members, donors, and volunteers that help make KERA’s essential services possible for millions of people.”
On the site’s southern end, Kaizen will develop what it dubbed Chalk Hill, which will feature a 400,000-square-foot 21-story office tower and a 270-unit 25-story residential high-rise with restaurant and retail space stretching over 20,000 square feet.
Dallas-based architectural firm Corgan will bring the vision to life, and Gardiner & Theobald will serve as project manager. Leasing agents from Chicago-based JLL will handle tenancy in the office tower.
With the demand for office space lagging across the metroplex, tenants tend to opt for new state-of-the-art offerings, as covered by The Dallas Express. Some owners are looking to sell, with almost two dozen office developments currently listed on the market.
Yet developers of new building projects in the city must grapple with Dallas’ slow permitting process. As recently reported by The Dallas Express, the Dallas City Council requested that the Development Services Department improve its turnaround times for reviewing and approving commercial building permits.
