FORT WORTH -- A lawsuit filed to block development of an apartment building in the So7 neighborhood on the near west side has been dropped after the land was sold to another home builder.
The lots, the last available in the section that started So7, were recently sold, said Martha Williams, who was among the 39 plaintiffs in the lawsuit.HGC Residential Development in Fort Worth will "build single-family homes the way it was supposed to be," Williams said Monday. "That's good news. The neighbors are happy."The group of owners sued to block Dallas-based Hughes Development from building a four-story, 29-unit complex on land that is platted for seven town homes at 2701-2729 Miro Court at the south end of So7, adjacent to the Lancaster Avenue bridge.John Giordano, an HGC principal, said three of the seven lots are spoken for and construction on one home will begin in 90 days.HGC has been involved in the project almost from its start and has built at least 40 of the luxury town homes in So7, Giordano said. Its home-selling division has also handled many of the sales.Giordano said his firm had asked several times about buying the lots, but the developer only recently wanted to sell."We want to finish it and finish it right," Giordano said.The group sued in April and tried mediation to settle the issue, but that failed in October, according to state District Court records.The apartment building would have violated property deed restrictions that said only town homes would be built in that portion of the development, the homeowners argued. The suit was dismissed Feb. 7, court records say.The 25-acre So7 development, started in 2004 by Ken Hughes, included plans for 59 two-story Mediterranean-style town homes. The town homes, many of them sold in 2005 and 2006, carry appraised values from about $344,000 to $617,000, property records say.So7 also includes a Residence Inn by Marriott, and other town homes and apartments, as well as office space, restaurants and shops on West Seventh Street.Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727Twitter: @SandraBakerFWSTHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
