Apartments planned for an Arlington eyesore, but some are worried about the location
A longtime night club spot along South Cooper Street may soon be reincarnated as apartment homes for recent college graduates.
The warehouse-like building in the center of a sea of empty parking has had seen a revolving door of business under names including Graham Central Station, Denim and Diamonds and, most recently, Escapade 2001. Escapade has been closed since at least 2007, according to city records, and has posed an eyesore to nearby residents, businesses and city officials.
That may change, as Texas development company OHT Partners looks to build apartments in its place. Howell Beaver, who oversees the company’s Dallas-Fort Worth developments, said his company has long wanted to build communities in the mid-cities, particularly Arlington, and was struck by the 7.7-acre property.
“It just jumped out at us,” Beaver said.
The 270 apartment homes would cater to college-aged students and young professionals, Beaver said. His company listed a rooftop deck, WeWork studio, rideshare service lounge and bike room and repair station among the amenities planned for the area.
“There’s a lot of great, young demographic that comes out of UTA every year, and there are not a lot of housing options for them, much less quality housing options,” he said. “We feel like we’re filling the gap.”
Beaver said OHT Partners hopes to start construction by the end of the year. OHT Partners has five apartment communities either in the works or completed in Dallas, as well as properties in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
Nearby gas drilling sites
The apartment proposal, while cheered by neighborhood leaders, was met with some criticism over its proximity to a gas well drilling site.
The property is next door to a Valero gas station, as well as a the Perr gas well drilling site that takes up part of 2825 S. Cooper St. City stipulations require a certain amount of space between homes, businesses and gas well sites. Leaders also asked OHT Partners to meet certain requirements on fencing between homes and the site.
Ranjana Bhandari, executive director of environmental group Liveable Arlington, urged city leaders in a June 29 letter to deny the building request.
“The setback requirements for drilling in Arlington are extremely inadequate and have contributed greatly to exposure to dangerous air pollution for most of our residents,” she wrote.
Bhandari has long advocated through Liveable Arlington for stronger policies surrounding fracking. Her group, with help from former District 3 council member Marvin Sutton, successfully pushed for stricter requirements for fracking companies looking to drill near day cares. However, the changes — and existing policies — fall short of the environmental group’s desires, Bhandari told the Star-Telegram in March.
She wrote in the letter about OHT Partners’ proposal that residents have felt shaking and experienced noise, odor and diesel emissions around other sites.
“Residents at this new development will face the same,” Bhandari said.
Beaver with OHT Partners said his company’s proposal meets the city requirements surrounding building near gas wells. His company, Beaver said, has committed to working with the city to enact safety measures.
“That was honestly the first thing we looked at,” Beaver said.
Cooper Street makeover
Randy Hendricks, president of Westador Neighborhood Group, described the project proposal and timing as a “perfect storm,” as the city seeks a redo of one of Arlington’s busiest roadways.
Since moving into their home in 1980, Hendricks and his wife have watched the area around Escapade develop then decline as businesses moved to south Arlington. New apartments have not sprung up around the area that holds Escapade in 30 years, Hendricks said.
City government recently outlined a plan for businesses and homes along South Cooper Street, from UTA Boulevard to Bardin Road. The property OHT Partners wishes to develop at 2805, 2811 and part of 2825 S. Cooper St. falls into an area where officials want to attract a range of housing, including for students and those who work in the business-heavy zone.
Beaver said he worked with Hendricks and other neighborhood leaders on the apartment’s design and discussed impacts on traffic and drainage.
“While neighborhoods normally are not supportive of multifamily, I think this area needs it,” Hendricks said. “Arlington needs housing. The mayor wants to add jobs. Well, you can’t have jobs without housing, so it was just all what I would call a perfect storm of the right product at the right place at the right time.”
