Luke Crosland Wants to Build a 29 Story Luxury Apartment Tower in Preston Center, The Highland House

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8315 Westchester

While everyone in Preston Hollow has been busy saying “No” to Transwestern over their plans to build a luxury apartment complex on five or so acres Behind the Pink Wall, developer Luke Crosland has been quietly gearing up for a 29 story luxury apartment tower in the heart of Preston Center to be called The Highland House. Specifically, the site proposal is for 8215 Westchester Drive, currently a two-story medical office building. An application for re-zoning has been filed with the city and the Plan Commission will hear the case on April 17th.

Current zoning in Preston Center allows for 9 stories max.

A meeting was held Thursday at The Athena with  City Councilwoman Jennifer Gates and her plan commission representative, Margot Murphy, Laura Miller, former Texas State Representative Steven D. Wolens (Laura Miller’s husband) and about 30 interested homeowners to discuss the proposed building. Residents who attended the meeting tell me it is likely the April 17 date will be postponed.

Many of the Preston Hollow homeowners who have been following the Transwestern deal just found out about this new structure last week. Apparently, University Park residents are not too thrilled because this complex could feed additional students into University Park’s already bursting-at-the-seams school system.

One concerned UP resident wrote her concerns to Luke Crosland in a letter:

“increased enrollment (in UP) has been a huge factor. There are lots of things contributing to this and the last thing we need is a new high rise in our district. I understand that families with children are not your target market; however, there likely will be some families with children living there. The district is already going to need to use portable buildings to accommodate current growth, and this will only add to the problem.”

Other concerns are parking, traffic and congestion, but I have been told the first five floors of the complex will be for parking. The developer, who I have not yet contacted (but will) maintains that this complex will be for high income, retired residents who live a “lock and leave” lifestyle, will likely not have children and therefore will minimally impact the school district:

“The Highland House project is not only going to be marketed to empty nesters, the entire concept and amenity package is designed primarily to appeal to older, active individuals and couples, primarily those downsizing from large homes in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow that wish to remain in the neighborhood they have known for many years.  The large units, very high rents, fewer bedrooms and high levels of personal service included in the project make it more attractive to those wishing to escape the issues and cost of maintaining a large, underutilized home.  The apartment concept is also ideal for those looking for a “lock and leave” lifestyle, spending several months a year at other homes in other locations, which is generally a childless demographic.”

Photos and more information forthcoming, stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

3 Comments

  1. Sue Berk on April 5, 2014 at 12:47 pm

    We live in the immediate area and the traffic is ALREADY a huge concern. This is a crazy project. How do they think they are going to handle traffic? Toll tunnel from Preston & Nwy hwy to the tollway?
    The whole thing gives me a headache just thinking about it!

  2. Peter Livingston on April 5, 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Way to go Luke! Now if you can just get UP to put a school on top of the center parking lot in preston Center, the deal is done. I can’t think of a better use ……….. The Four Corners is the future, Now!

  3. Jeanne Marie Daggett on April 6, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    A new residential complex which is proposed to replace a commercial office should not be granted a “grandfather” clause into Highland Park School District zoning. If lawmakers decide to approve this, it should be contingent upon the building’s appropriate alignment with Dallas Independent School District since the building would be in Dallas County. The developer has said he is targeting older clientele, therefore he should face minimal impact from this agreement, and it would protect HPISD in future years when the clientele or ownership of this large property changes. If the developer proposed this new building aligning with DISD, he would show good faith on his target clientele intentions, and his support and respect for the local community impacted by this proposal.

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