A Fireplace on Every Balcony: Legacy West to Get Stunning Luxury Condo Tower — With Al Coker at the Helm

It’s a 30-story condominium tower called Windrose Tower at Legacy West that will provide unprecedented luxury high rise living to West Plano. It’s the only luxury condo north of LBJ since the Bonadventure on Keller Springs Road and Addison Circle’s 8-story tall Aventura. It’s like the elegant frosting on a very tall cake for an area that is quickly becoming a North Texas powerhouse of corporate business headquarters. New York City has Wall Street for the financial sector, California has Sand Hill Road for Silicon Valley venture companies,  Washington DC has K Street for political think tanks and lobbying groups, and Houston has the Energy Corridor.

And we have Legacy Drive,  a 21st century take on the corporate office park, bordered by the Dallas North Tollway on the west, the new homes of Toyota, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Federal Express and the $400 million Legacy West Urban Village.  Toyota is doubling the original size of its $350 million campus — and I have word that in 30 days, we will hear of yet another Fortune 500 Company moving lock, stock and barrel to Legacy:

Dallas-Fort Worth real estate sources say the Japanese automaker is considering doubling its $350 million corporate campus to 2 million square feet, and plans to bring in more jobs than originally anticipated.

With 8,000 + jobs at Toyota, and another 4,000 at Liberty Mutual, the combined economic impact of the corporate campuses is expected to be $7.2 billion over a period of 10 years, and a total of 13,000-plus jobs. They are well-paying jobs, too, says Al Coker, owner, Al Coker & Associates, handling the sales and marketing for Windrose Tower at Legacy West.

 : “The average salary is $117,000, says Al, whose firm is marketing Windrose Tower. “Salaries at the other corporate headquarters were at or above $100,000 a year on average.”

Windrose will take the affluence already in the area and marry it with the high incomes. Al says this is the first time there is a certainty of success for success for a luxury condo high rise north of LBJ. Used to be you’d have to head south to find the kind of amenities planned for the development.

Windrose Tower at Legacy West is planned for a block between Toyota and Liberty Mutual Insurance’s new office campuses, all near the Dallas North Tollway, across the street from the Legacy West urban village (under construction) with shops, restaurants, apartments and more offices, so you will get a walkable community feel. The luxury residential units will range from 900 square feet for the smallest one-bedroom to a 2,800 square foot plus penthouse. Pricing will begin at $500,000 and deposits for 25 of the 150-ish units (Al says the final number might be in the 125 to 140 unit range) are already on the books. And his phone was ringing as we spoke. *

Development partners for the project are are Fehmi Karahan, the land owner (along with J.C. Penney) who also developed the uber successful Shops at Legacy. Karahan also helped orchestrate the giant corporate moves to the area. Legacy West has put together a dream team including Plano’s Duggan Realty Advisors — headed by Jim Duggan — as lead developer,  and the brother team of Ted and Mark Bradford of Brentfield Investments and Bradford Putnam Realty. Ted has built multiple high rises and condos across the US. Ron Gafford, a retired top executive from Austin Industries, is going to work with the team as ombudsman keeping an eye on the construction process.

GDA Architects of Dallas is the architect of record.

Al tells me the exterior of the high rise will be modern and timelessly classic, not uber cold or modern.

“There will be a function of as much glass on the wall as possible for each home,” he said. “Think over-sized balconies and I’m lobbying for a fireplace on each balcony!”

Better than a chicken in every pot! Twenty years from now, says Al, Windrose will still be an amazing classically modern building that will adapt to the future.

“The common areas will have a feeling commensurate with a Four Seasons.”

As for the interiors and amenities, plans are still fluid right now, but Al says a few certains have been nailed. Like gas for cooking in every unit vented to exteriors. He is also working to craft a menu of services and amenity areas…  they will likely devote 2/3rds of an acre to a total amenity deck. They are talking about a virtual golf and tennis lounges, even having pros come in and give lessons.

“Virtual sports facilities are pretty amazing, and residents love them, “says Al.

Since 99% of the people who have shown interest in the building have pets, Windrose will be VERY pet friendly with thoughtful areas for dogs, both exercise and grooming.

“After talking to 30 people yesterday, our parking deck in the garages with nine and a half foot spaces on level decks are a huge hit,” says Al. “It’s where you will want to park your $200,000 car.”

Buyers will get at least two car parking spots per unit, and they are also contemplating garages within the garage.

Of course there will be a swimming pool plus an owner’s lounge, a lush and inviting extension of everyone’s home. There will be an owners lounge, kitchen, summer kitchens and pool side cabanas. Not written in stone, but Al would like to see an owners herb garden. Also planned: a spa with his and her’s steam room and sauna,  massage rooms with heated tables.

And because Plano has almost as many bike paths as Portland, Al says Windrose will have a bicycle storage and work area with air compressor for owners. Oh yes and an Owner’s cafe.

“The idea is to have a sense of community here,” says Al.

Buyer profiles thus far?  A couple that has lived all over the U.S. who now live in a north Texas neighborhood and own a large home in Vail.  They want a lock and leave lifestyle and have no desire to come south of LBJ.

“They tell me they want to leave their car in the garage on weekends, and walk everywhere,” says Al.

A single female executive likes the idea of living closer to her North Dallas job.  Another interested couple lived in the Claridge in Dallas, and are moving back to the area from California. They want to be out north — closer to DFW. Al says he has even had interest from people living in South America. Many will see a one or two bedroom unit here as a second home.

“We will have a limited number of one bedroom units, says Al, ” this will be great for the horsey set who want to keep a place in the city.”

Because Plano IS a city many see as an extension of Dallas. A  300-room, $82 million Renaissance Hotel, with 280,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, hundreds of apartments and about 240,000 square feet of offices is being built along the west side of the tollway, south of State Highway 121.

Just down the block from the Windrose. Al is taking phone calls: 469.900.9333.

With all the surrounding development, Windrose may end up having one of the most walkable experiences of any high rise in Texas.