Berkeley Place
FORT WORTH — New neighbors might be settling in to an old neighborhood in Fort Worth, and it's driving a push for a compromise.
The first of what could be several apartment buildings has applied for tax-funded improvements to keep up with a growing market.
Square One Development and a Dallas-based developer are asking for $2,500,000 from a Tax Improvement Finance District. The money would cover stormwater upgrades and public road access, but developers need support from neighbors just blocks away in Berkeley Place.
Homeowners there worry what a 262-unit complex means for children and families.
Berkeley Place secretary Mary Dulle says the major concerns are traffic, design and property values. The developers' initial drawings were overwhelmingly rejected by the homeowners as unacceptable for the area of Craftsman-style homes.
So Square One and its Dallas partners have gone back to the drawing board to win community approval. Chris Brassard said new plans will be revealed Wednesday. They will use more brick to match the neighborhood and divert traffic away from Berkeley Place onto 8th Avenue.
Brassard says the medical population near Fort Worth hospitals demands closer, more affordable housing. He sees as many as 2,000 apartments in the near future on the Near South Side. His 262 units are just the first, and he wants to set the standard.
Brassard said if the TIF funding does not come through, the developer will change the plans again, and will be forced to build more apartments to break even on the project.
"Here's the opportunity to participate and impact what that looks like and how it impacts the neighborhood with a developer who really does care," Brassard said.
E-mail cnorton@wfaa.com
