A micro-unit apartment complex is in the works, with developers looking to build over by Interstate 30 in Old East Dallas.
Dallas developers Jon Hetzel and Alex Lowe plan to call the project the Bloc House at the corner of Carroll Avenue and Willow Street.
Lowe is working with Madison Partners, Hetzel’s employer, which purchased a 1.3-acre piece of land directly across from the Santa Fe Trail. The land was chosen partly due to its proximity to the Santa Fe Trail, but Lowe said they also want renters “to be close to their job, close to their favorite coffee shop, close to the place where they work,” according to NBC 5.
While it appears the project is moving forward, the new housing development comes at a time when building in Dallas can result in significant delays, in no small part due to the inefficiencies and permitting backlogs common to the City’s Development Services Department.
“The trail itself is the primary amenity,” said Hetzel. “And so, we’re exploring a variety of things like apartment bikes that are loaners so people can use the trail, pool, some ability for coworking and fitness and community gathering.”
The project is expected to contain 72 apartments, according to Dallas Innovates. Micro studio apartments measuring 350 square feet will account for 52 units, while the remaining 20 units will be roughly 783 square feet, two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath units.
“One of the key components of that design is our partnership with Ori Living, which is a modular furniture company out of New York,” Lowe said, according to NBC 5. “Because of that, at first it sounds like 350 square feet, but more effectively, it’s around 440 square feet with how the space is multifaceted.”
A video from Ori Living shows how the small space can be transformed, and the same square footage can be used for multiple purposes.
Shared living spaces, including a pool, clubhouse, and lawn, should offset the small apartments at the new complex.
“You can build inherent natural community through design of the shared space you have with your neighbors,” Lowe said, per Dallas Innovates. “What we want to do is build a community of the future and build them in a smaller space and give people a place where they can love where they live. The pillars we have are community, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability.”
Although prices have not been determined, the smaller living spaces are expected to be less than the average rent for an apartment in Dallas, according to NBC 5.
Construction on the units is expected to begin in 2024, and Madison Partners has reportedly already started looking at other North Texas sites for more micro-apartment projects.
