No kitchen? No problem for these tenants. Inside Fort Worth’s newest ‘micro-apartments’
Near Southside’s newest apartment building isn’t for everyone.
The units at Bryan Flats come fully furnished with a bed, chair, mini fridge and microwave — all fitting into less than 300 square foot studio units. The larger of the building’s two floorplans comes with a second chair and a lamp.
It’s a relatively new living concept in Fort Worth, with all of the five-story building’s 94 units being studios. Residents can cook in common kitchens on each floor, which have stoves, ovens, large refrigerators and expansive counter space. The property has shared laundry facilities and bike storage.
But what tenants give up on size, they gain on affordability. Rent is about $1,000 per month and includes utilities; leases range in length from three to 12 months.
The building opened in December at 455 Bryan Ave., just off South Main Street near Pennsylvania Avenue, in a neighborhood that has become a hotspot for residential and hospitality development.
The property cost about $7 million to build, according to city permits.
Though the Bryan Flats’ co-developer, Seattle-based Eagle Rock Ventures, is new to Texas, the company is no stranger to micro-apartments. The firm has built 11 efficiency apartment buildings across the country. Eagle Rock plans to begin construction on another three micro-apartment communities in Asheville, North Carolina, this year, which will create 310 new units total.
Eagle Rock’s managing director Scott Shapiro said the firm expanded to Fort Worth because of the area’s rapid growth and the company’s longstanding relationship with local partners, including Andrew Blake, the founder and managing partner of Presidio Interests, a Fort Worth-based development firm. Eagle Rock and Presidio Interests are co-developers of the Bryan Flats.
Blake said the project provides a different housing option for those who might find the neighborhood difficult to afford, or don’t need a large apartment with lots of amenities.
Shapiro also said the city’s zoning codes were attractive. Eagle Rock didn’t have to build parking for the building, which has no parking lot for residents. Though some free street parking is available, a lack of free parking in the Near Southside has been a concern of local business owners for years.
The developer does not yet have plans for another project in the Metroplex.
Shapiro said the building’s space-efficient concept offers Fort Worth renters an option that may be attractive for those who don’t need flashy amenities that most apartment buildings come with, like a gym or pool.
“We’re giving people choices that they didn’t have before in Fort Worth, where they want a safe, clean, affordable, well-located place to stay, but they don’t necessarily need something bigger, and they’d rather use their $5,000 a month, or a year after tax, on something else,” Shapiro said.
The average rent for a studio apartment in Fort Worth is about $1,142 per month, according to Apartments.com.
Shapiro said micro-apartment tenants are usually single people who come from a range of professions, including traveling nurses and construction workers. He said the building’s shared amenities foster a sense of community among residents.
The developers know a small apartment isn’t every renter’s dream — that’s the point.
“We only need 94 people out of a million in Fort Worth, so we’re not trying to be everything for everybody,” Shapiro said.
This story was originally published February 6, 2025 at 5:50 AM.
