Eco-friendly and affordable apartments planned for this Arlington hot spot
Construction is underway for an environmentally friendly affordable apartment community in south Arlington, just a mile from Parks Mall and within walking distance to restaurants and retail.
Deepak Sulakhe, CEO of Dallas-based OM Housing, said he found an ideal location for Bardin Apartments at 751 W. Bardin Road. The 112-unit multifamily apartment community will leverage the property’s proximity to nearby jobs, financing from mortgaging firms and housing tax credits to offer 80% of its units as affordable housing and the remaining fifth at market rates.
“It’s a very good location,” said Mindy Cochran, executive director for Arlington Housing Authority. “There’s a significant number of jobs in that area.”
In addition to conventional amenities such as a business center, fitness areas and community lounges, the property will also be the first in the city to meet National Green Building Standards, or a set of requirements on environmentally friendly utility services and upkeep. The project has a $27 million price tag that Sulakhe said, is an investment in the property and community it will house. The eco-friendly features will benefit families looking to save money on utilities.
“I’m not just doing this for style points,” he said. “This is a very conscious decision to spend that money upfront so that the residents and the property reap the benefit of that upfront investment.”
Sulakhe said he tries to incorporate sustainability into all of his projects, but the standards will benefit tenants’ wallets more than his company’s revenue.
“”We want to put our money where our mouth is,” he said.
Construction on the 115,618 square-foot complex began in October and should finish by fall 2021.
Bardin Apartments is one in a handful of projects in Tarrant County to receive a 9% competitive tax credit awarded to affordable housing projects. The development is one of two Arlington projects to receive the benefits; the other, Mariposa Apartments, is planned along West Harris Road.
Additionally, Bardin Apartments will offer residents recreational and educational programming in partnership with local groups including Mission Arlington. The longtime faith-based service organization focused on addressing homelessness and poverty is stationed in several affordable housing facilities including Paddock at Park Row.
However, Tillie Burgin, Mission Arlington executive director, said she was impressed by Sulakhe’s commitment to holding Bible studies in the apartments and incorporating faith into their services.
“We had perfect harmony and agreement to that, so we’re pleased to support them,” Burgin said.
City Council and staff have spent several meetings this year revisiting multifamily housing strategies. A study published in May examining barriers to fair housing found that the city’s lack of affordable housing units posed a barrier to middle- and lower-income residents.
Cochran said the demand for affordable housing is not unique to Arlington.
“Incomes are not rising as fast as housing costs are,” she said. “There’s a significant demand.”
Affordable housing in Arlington has been in the news recent weeks. the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced weeks ago that the city may have violated federal law by denying a 2017 affordable housing proposal because it was not limited to elderly residents.
