A sprawling 270-acre development that could “rewrite perceptions” of Southern Dallas got a groundbreaking near the UNT Dallas campus Monday.
Local investment group Hoque Global acquired the undeveloped land next to the University of North Texas at Dallas campus in 2022, saying it planned to create new housing, commercial buildings, and green space in the development, which it calls University Hills.
University Hills could ultimately feature a town center, hundreds of single-family homes, around 1,500 apartments, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, and 50-plus acres of open green space—all near the intersection of I-20 and Lancaster Road.
The project could also feature a potential mixed-use stadium built with the aim of landing a pro sports team, Hoque Global said.
“A large scale, mixed-use, multi-phase development in this location will rewrite perceptions of investing in and moving to Southern Dallas,” Hoque Global CEO Mike Hoque said in 2022.
Aiming to jump-start ‘the next Frisco’
Hoque Global CEO Mike Hoque
At Monday’s groundbreaking, Hoque said, “We owe a big deal to Southern Dallas to dream big,” according to the Dallas Morning News. “We started looking at this deal [as] how can we create a project [so] that Southern Dallas can become the next Frisco. Today, I will start with my team.”
Attendees at Monday’s groundbreaking included Dallas City Manager Kim Tolbert, Dallas City Council members Tennell Atkins and Jesse Moreno, State Sen. Royce West, and UNT at Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach.
As homebuilders sign on, new hotel to be part of the project
Two leading homebuilders have signed on to work on University Hills. Arlington-based DR Horton and Miami-based Lennar have made commitments to acquire nearly 600 lots for single-family homes and townhomes as part of the project.
In addition, University Hills’ town center is slated to feature the second iteration of Hotel Local, Hoque Global’s new hotel brand. Hotel Local’s first iteration was launched just last month in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, via a partnership with Dubai-based The First Group Hospitality.
Received tax increment financing
The Dallas City Council has approved up to nearly $36 million in tax increment financing for University Hill’s initial construction phase, which includes infrastructure work on residential and commercial aspects of the project.
“Today’s groundbreaking for University Hills marks an important milestone for growth and investment in Dallas’ Southern Sector,” said Arthur Santa-Maria, vice president of Hoque Global, according to Fort Worth Report. “We’ve worked diligently to plan and bring together many components for a dynamic and successful development, which would not have been possible without the tireless years’ long efforts of the city and numerous community leaders.”
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