Want to live in downtown Arlington? This plan could bring 65 homes for rent to area
Developers want to turn the site of a downtown drive-thru bank into a rental town home community that would be a first-of-its-kind neighborhood for Arlington.
Nikki and TJ Moore with Arlington-based ECM Development plan to place 65 homes at 501 E. Second St., blocks from UT Arlington and downtown attractions. Homes in Echelon Downtown Arlington would be spaced three feet from one another and include private yards and a private dog park. In all, the plan includes about 29,000 square feet of green space, some of which would be open to the public.
They have told city officials that Echelon would provide housing somewhere in the middle of downtown’s historic homes and new apartments like 101 Center and Park Place. Nikki Moore said the project was designed for recent college graduates, young families and empty nesters who are looking to move to urban areas, but not quite interested in apartment living. The home would be the first high-density housing community of its kind in Arlington.
“You have all these wonderful students at UTA — bright young minds, right?” Moore said. “Then, they leave college and they don’t need that apartment-style living anymore. They want to live in something different, something more established, but maybe they’re not ready to buy.”
Moore said drafting the project took a couple years to develop, including the details surrounding the property’s park area. ECM Development originally proposed a 50,813-square-foot green area that would have included a playground, space for lawn games and promenade. Developers changed the plans after consulting with the City Council and government staff, but the open space plans still call for fire pits, seating and lighting.
The City Council unanimously approved ECM’s zoning request that would open the property to residential development on first reading. Council will take up the case before approving the proposal, and will add stipulations for off-road parking for residents and guests and establishing a mandatory homeowners association.
Construction would begin, if approved, as soon as the bank drive-thru relocates, Moore said.
Alicia Gray, president of Heart of Arlington Neighborhood Association, said ECM Development consulted with her group early in the planning process. It’s her and her group’s hop, she said, that Echelon attracts tenants to the nearby Chase building.
“We think they created a really thoughtful and unique project that offers a great rental housing alternative for that neighborhood,” Gray said. “We think that the project will appeal to young families and empty nesters alike that are looking for an urban living experience with walkability to businesses and entertainment venues downtown.”
Downtown housing
Leaders and downtown advocates have prioritized attracting housing and a wider variety of businesses to the once-sleepy district to create a pedestrian-friendly midpoint between UT Arlington and the entertainment district.
Arlington’s housing market is largely composed of apartments and spaced out houses, according to the city’s downtown development plan published in 2018. The plan calls for a mix of housing options and price points.
While residential development normally attracts new storefronts to an area, leaders and developers have succeeded in attracting businesses and retailers downtown, TJ Moore told council members at an Aug. 24 council meeting.
“Now, it’s time to bring in housing,” Moore told council members.
Moore said the couple crafted the proposal after noticing downtown Arlington, after years of investment from city leaders and developers, had myriad retail centers, restaurants and bars, but little green space and a lack of housing options.
TJ Moore told council members the homes would be rented out at market rate, and estimated that rent could run around $2,500 by the time the homes are ready to lease.
ECM Developments has built around 1,000 homes like the ones proposed at Echelon’s throughout the region, TJ Moore told council members Aug. 24. The company has also built homes in a community by the same name near Dallas’ Bishop Arts District that are leasing for at least $2,995.
