Image courtesy of Larkspur
A three-story development of townhomes and apartments is planned for one of the largest pieces of undeveloped Old East Dallas.
Larkspur Capital plans to build 54 townhomes and 32 spacious apartments on 3.6 acres on Live Oak at Collett. According to Larkspur, which has about nine multifamily projects working in Dallas right now, this would be the largest townhome project in our neighborhood. The developer is not requesting any public financing nor any zoning change.
Detached townhomes will have stoops facing Live Oak, and all of the townhomes, comprising 2,000-2,400 square feet each, will have private garages. The property also includes a little island that can’t otherwise be developed but will be used for a private dog park.
The city abandoned a strip of Bennett Avenue that runs through the property at the request of a previous owner years ago. Larkspur will turn it into a brick-lined driveway and courtyard between the townhomes and the apartments. The apartments will comprise 1,400-1,600 square feet and have underground parking.
Townhome residents will have access to apartment amenities, including the pool and dog park.
Larkspur managing partner Carl Anderson says they plan to use brick and other sturdy building materials, and the company is not building the apartments with the intent to sell them, which is the strategy of many apartment builders.
“These are projects that are going to help our credibility and establish our reputation,” he says.
Neighbors long feared the land would be crowded with apartments or a shopping center, since it is such a large piece of land. A plan to build an Albertson’s on the site in 1999 failed.
“Joyous. So much better than a grocery store and parking lot,” says neighbor and preservationist Virginia McAlester. “Or a two-block, five-story apartment without green space. Fifty-four new homeowners. Not 400 tiny new apartments.”
But renters tend to be transient and don’t create the same sense of neighborhood, she says. She points to the townhome development at the corner of Glasgow and Abrams built in 2007-08. “That area used to be a little rough,” she says. “Then you bring in these townhomes and suddenly you see young people walking their dogs at all hours of the day. That area just came to life. So to get that adjacent to our Swiss Avenue Historic District, I think it could be transformative.”
