From its Addison Tree House project to the. iconic prism of AMLI Fountain Place in downtown Dallas and beyond, Chicago-based AMLI Residential has been doubling down on its North Texas presence for a good while. In February it did that literally, by more than doubling the size of its regional Dallas HQ at Addison’s Liberty Plaza.
Moving from the second to the fourth floor at Liberty, AMLI expanded its regional office from 6,601 to 13,214 square feet—creating one of the larger regional headquarters behind its corporate headquarters in Chicago.
Taylor Bowen, president of AMLI Development Company, told Dallas Innovates there’s good reason for that expansion—and it’s not just because his has 11 stabilized communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and AMLI Treehouse currently under construction.
“People vote with their feet—and subsequently moving vans,” Bowen told us. “There are many attractive qualities about the Dallas market that have led to this: business-friendly environment, quality of living, low taxes, etc. As the population grows, we’ll continue to provide the highest quality luxury rental housing options for residents.”
That population growth is a big reason Dallas is one of AMLI’s core, strategic markets.
“Also, as a company, we focus on long-term planning objectives for our developments, a strategy that is compatible with the towns and cities where we build,” Bowen added. “We do think the population trends will persist.”
A growing project presence in Addison
It’s no coincidence that AMLI chose to keep its expanded regional HQ in Addison, since the company has a growing project presence in the city.
Its first Addison apartment community, AMLI Addison with 349 apartment homes, opened in 2020. During 2023, AMLI broke ground on its innovative, multi-use AMLI Treehouse, “which not only brings a combination of 419 apartments and privately owned townhomes, but includes an impressive public park and trail extension.” Leasing for AMLI Treehouse is slated for fall 2025.
AMLI has also been named the town’s partner for the upcoming Addison Circle transit-oriented development that will anchor the new DART Silver Line rail project.
To back up its North Texas growth, AMLI said its local team expanded from 15 employees in 2023 to 35 today, with plans to increase to 40 or more by mid-2024 and eventually exceed 50. The hiring and relocations are largely driven by a national centralization strategy designed to support property operations through a new Resident Services department “that will enhance the leasing experience for both current and prospective residents,” the company said.
“The Dallas market is one of AMLI’s largest markets, and it’s centrally located within the country, making it an ideal location for AMLI’s new Resident Services Group,” Bowen. said. “By providing centralized support to our on-site teams nationally in one location, we can streamline tasks that can be completed off-site and provide more time for our onsite teams to provide the best level of service and support to our residents.”
“We’ll continue to grow this group in our Addison office,” he added.
Climbing toward finish line at the Treehouse
Meanwhile, at the Treehouse development, AMLI received building permits for the 419-unit project in February. The new community will include a 4/5 story wrap building with garage parking, a smaller “boutique” 3-story building that has larger floor plans, and two 3-story rental townhome buildings with approximately 2,200-square-foot floor plans. Amenities will include a café and co-work space with private offices, resident lounge and lobby, maker’s space, large fitness center, pet spa, and expansive courtyard with a large pool.
“We’re wrapping up installation of all utilities and have commenced foundations for AMLI Treehouse,” Bowen said.
The company spent the last year working closely in partnership with the Town of Addison to design the future 3-acre Redding Trail extension, as part of the living-amid-nature feel of the Treehouse.
“Those plans were also approved in February and will allow us to begin the next phase of construction within the park, which includes park grading and retaining walls,” Bowen said. “The park features four large heritage live oak transplants, in addition to hundreds of new trees.”
A hike-and-bike trail will also be featured, along with an upgraded dog park and dog park plaza.
“AMLI’s expansion of its offices in Addison and involvement in the forthcoming Transit Oriented Development signifies a substantial investment in our Town’s commercial sector,” Wayne Emerson, Director of Economic Development for the Town of Addison, said in a statment. “Additionally, AMLI’s development of residential projects like AMLI Addison and AMLI Treehouse highlights Addison as an ideal place to call home for today’s workforce.”
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