CARROLLTON, Texas — Editor's note: This article originally appeared in the Dallas Business Journal here.
An apartment building is going vertical near Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton as part of a $1 billion project that aims to catalyze development and improve connectivity in an increasingly urban part of the Metroplex.
Groundbreaking occurred in December for the mixed-use community's first apartment building, called Eviva Trinity Mills. The $101 million project represents a partnership between public and private entities striving to create a walkable and transit-friendly district.
But the transformation started more than 20 years ago, when in 2003 the city of Carrollton bought 16 acres around Dickerson Parkway for future development. In 2021, the city teamed up with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, to build infrastructure for a project near the station that planned to blend residential, retail and restaurant space at the southeast corner of Interstate 35E and President George Bush Turnpike.
In early 2023, construction was completed on a three-acre public esplanade that runs through the project and features an artistic and colorful water fountain. The city hopes to host outdoor concerts and festivals in the park in the future.
It all adds up to a clear example of what's called transit-oriented development: the dense construction of buildings with a mix of uses and designs reachable even without a car. This kind of big city development is crucial throughout the Dallas metro to keep up with its immense growth, experts have said.
The development is flanked by two major shopping centers that were recently revitalized, thanks to a city grant program that sought to rehabilitate old retail centers. They are the Carrollton Town Center — anchored by an Asian supermarket chain, 99 Ranch Market — and the Korean Mall shopping center, home to an H Mart.
The transit-oriented development, one of the largest TODs in North Texas, seeks to further this trend of revitalization and prepare the city for the future, said Ravi Shah, Carrollton's urban development director.
“This is a catalyst project," he said. "This is a 20-plus acre site. We are looking at the future, not only on the east side of I-35 but even on the west side.”
Shah said he hopes it will create opportunity for people to embrace a "live, work, play" lifestyle and make Carrollton a desirable spot for corporate headquarters.
City officials and DART approved Atlanta-based Integral Group Ventures LLC to develop the Eviva apartments. Plans for the five-story building call for 11,000 square feet of ground-level retail space and more than 430 family units. The $101 million building on close to four acres is slated to open by the end of 2025.
Additionally, the Trinity Mills Station represents one of the few stations that has two different transit lines, serving as the transfer location between the DART Green Line rail, which extends into downtown Dallas, and the Denton County Transportation Authority train. The DCTA also offers connections between Lewisville, Denton and Highland Village.
"It is a connection to downtown Dallas and provides for great mobility between the northern suburbs and the downtown area," Shah said.
Another driver of this transit project is to connect cities across North Texas and accommodate the growing population of the region, which is expected to increase by 50% in the next 20 years, said Gordon Shattles, spokesperson with DART.
"There’s only so many roads you can build for the influx of people and their ability to travel around North Texas," Shattles said. "We have to have a way for people to move around safely and inexpensively."
DART’s new Silver Line, which is under construction, will connect the downtown Carrollton stop to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. This line is expected to be finished by the end of 2025 or early 2026. Further down the line, DART plans to build a rail system from downtown Carrollton to Frisco, said Steve Babick, mayor of Carrollton.
"It will be the largest single crossing or interchange of DART in the Metroplex outside of downtown Dallas," Babick said of the $1 billion development.
A six-story office building is also in the works for the first phase of the project. Irving-based Koa Partners is seeking tenants for the 135,0000-square-foot building that will be built across from the apartments. It is also expected to be complete sometime in 2025.
After the first phase is complete, Carrollton plans to grow the station into a 300-acre district, Babick said. Initial plans for the rest of the project include a class A hotel and additional multifamily components.
Babick added he hopes this project, once complete, changes the way people view Carrollton, which was formerly known as a bedroom community. The mayor said he thinks further growth is on the city's horizon, which would provide more jobs, additional sales tax revenue and new places for businesses.
While the geographic center of the Metroplex may be in the vicinity of Arlington, the development north of Dallas in Colin County has shifted the population center closer to Carrolton.
"As we think about the future of Carrollton, we are going to be that central point for transportation," Babick said.
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