‘Your legacy will live on.’ Fort Worth affordable housing property named for Opal Lee
Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, stood in front of a crowd of over 50 people Thursday, April 17, at a new apartment community dedicated in her name.
The Opal, a $55 million mixed income apartment complex with 338 units, held its grand opening Thursday morning at 13445 Green Cedar Ave. off Westport Parkway in the Alliance Corridor.
“I dream there will be more Opals across the city,” said Lee, who hopes Fort Worth and other cities will continue to address the need of housing for all people.
The 19-acre development is the sister property to The Holston, located next door at 3301 Keller Haslet Road, an apartment complex of 265 units that opened in 2021. It was named in honor of Barbara Holston, who served as president of the Fort Worth Housing Authority from 1993 to 2014.
Lee became known as the grandmother of Juneteenth for her long fight to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday.
The Opal was funded through Interbank, Bank of America, and AMTEX Development, a real estate development company based in Dallas and a part of the AMCAL Group of Companies.
Construction for the property started in January 2023 and ended last December.
The Opal is an affordable housing complex that offers half of its units at market rate, and the other half are available to householders earning 80 percent or less of the area median Income. Five percent of the units will be reserved for households earning 50 percent or less of the area median Income.
There are 1-,2-,and 3- bedroom units available. The apartment complex includes a fitness center with a children’s section, an outdoor pool, outdoor spaces, a playground, and a media room with arcade games and two TVs.
Currently, 62 percent of the units are occupied and 81 percent are leased.
A $3,000 check was presented to Lee to benefit the National Juneteenth Museum.
The Opal is the sixth property developed by Fort Worth Housing Solutions and AMTEX.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions and AMTEX have committed to addressing the challenges of Fort Worth, where population growth, rising housing costs and a shortage of available units poses problems for low- and middle-income residents in finding stable housing, said Stephen Clarke, vice president of AMCAL and AMTEX.
“We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Fort Worth Housing Solutions and continuing to provide Fort Worth housing residents with high quality, affordable housing today and in the future,” said Clarke.
Terry Smith, executive vice president of the DFW Region for InterBank, said InterBank is committed to financing projects that provide diverse, inclusive, and affordable housing, which is the foundation of economic mobility and community stability.
A better living and quality of life shouldn’t be luxuries, but should be accessible to all members of our community, Smith said, echoing the words of Opal Lee.
“Your legacy will live on, not just in the name on this property, but in the positive impact you have made on countless families, both today and for generations to come,” Smith said.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
