‘This Location Will Re-Write Perceptions’: Dallas Development Takes Much-Needed Direction

Dallas-Fort Worth has been growing with residential developments in all directions, but one front hasn’t seen much activity in the past few years.

Southern Dallas, specifically undeveloped land near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Lancaster Road, will be the site of a project that will include hundreds of homes.

Called University Hills, the 270-acre property is being developed by Dallas-based Hoque Global. The development will have a town center in its core with commercial buildings and green spaces throughout. It will be the first large-scale, mixed-use community of its kind in Southern Dallas.

“A large scale, mixed-use, multi-phase development in this location will re-write perceptions of investing in and moving to Southern Dallas.”

Mike Hoque, CEO of Hoque Global

“We hope University Hills will be the first of many community-driven and neighborhood-building developments bringing much-needed quality jobs and housing for the area to grow,” he said.

According to Hoque’s profile on his firm’s website, the project fits his vision.

“Always finding opportunities among what others might perceive as business obstacles, Hoque’s companies have fostered his vision of creating vibrant urban environments,” his profile reads.

Hoque is also on the board of Downtown Dallas Inc. and has received honors from the National Restaurant Association. In 2019, he was featured on KERA’s CEO Spotlight where he explained his company’s development plans.

The project is next to the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) campus. The firm worked with the city of Dallas and other stakeholders in the community.

Farmers Branch-based Centurion American owns the property, which is south of DART’s blue rail line. Centurion bought the site in 2016 and proposed its plans for a mixed-use development in 2017, but the plan didn’t happen.

Last week, the Dallas City Council’s economic development committee reviewed a proposal for up to $31.4 million in tax increment financing for the first phase. The proposal hasn’t gotten past the committee yet. | 📝 Read the proposal

Any city funding will require some units to be reserved as affordable for certain income levels and require homebuyers to encourage buyers to participate in a to-be-developed homebuyer assistance program.

Suburbs ringing Dallas on the north and east have seen rapid growth in the past few years. Fort Worth is seeing growth on its north, south, and west fronts. Arlington is also experiencing development on its north and south sides.

UNT Dallas is north on University Hills Boulevard off I-20. In addition, Dallas College’s Cedar Valley campus and Lancaster High School are south of the development.

In a release, Hoque Global said the area has a demand for quality office space, life science facilities, and flex buildings from companies doing business in the southern sector as well as their suppliers, customers, and partners.

“The area needs projects that create jobs, good housing, and high-quality retail,” Dr. Bob Mong, president of UNT Dallas, said in a statement. “With excellent rail and bus service, UNT Dallas welcomes visionary developers who can attract transit-oriented development near us. We remain very hopeful about this project.”

The project, at full build-out, will have hundreds of single-family homes, 1,500 residences in multifamily communities, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, and over 50 acres of open green space.

The first phase will have more than 500 single-family homes, 250 multifamily units, and nearly 200,000 square feet of commercial space including office and retail.