Hoque Global Wants More Money, Time to Build Massive Residential Project Near UNT Dallas

The Dallas City Council will vote Wednesday on changes to a development agreement with Hoque Global for the University Hills catalyst project, which could bring hundreds of new homes to a 279-acre site near the University of North Texas at Dallas. 

Developer Mike Hoque’s plan for phase one calls for up to 571 homes on property generally bounded by Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Lancaster Road, and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail line. Builders D.R. Horton and Lennar Homes have signed on and infrastructure construction could begin early next year, according to reports. The phased project is expected to deliver multifamily and single-family homes, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, and over 50 acres of green space.

The City Council approved an incentive agreement with Hoque Global in 2022 for phase one. The developers are now asking to increase the approved $34.2 million subsidy from the City’s Public/Private Partnership Fund by about $1.75 million. 

The decision will be made Dec. 11 by the Dallas City Council but was discussed last week in an Economic Development Committee meeting. 

“Basically at the end of ‘23, Hoque Global had been required under the previous deal to execute that agreement,” said Interim Economic Development Director Kevin Spath. “That did not happen for a variety of reasons. However, since January of 2024, Hoque Global has been acting in good faith to make very substantive progress with lots of city departments to address lots of outstanding issues.” 

The developer has created urban design guidelines, coordinated with home builders to improve home designs, and worked with Dallas Water Utilities to finalize plans for wastewater infrastructure improvement. 

In addition to more money Hoque Global is asking for deadline extensions, a transfer from the DWU American Rescue Plan Act Redevelopment Fund to the Public/Private Partnership Fund, and modifications to requirements set forth by the original development agreement. 

Hoque Global’s Proposed Amendments

The developer wants to transfer DWU funds so he can take on the infrastructure work himself, Spath explained.

“Dallas Water Utilities had been planning to provide a wastewater infrastructure line that serves this entire area through their unserved areas program,” Spath said. “Well, Hoque Global has requested to be required to construct and deliver and receive city acceptance of that public infrastructure item … Instead of DWU delivering it, Hoque Global would be delivering it. They think they can do it faster, cheaper, and with better coordination with all of their private development activities that they’re going to be doing.” 

Hoque is also proposing to add $2 million of minimum investment, sell an additional 50 sites for single-family homes, and construct an amenity center with a pool. 

Pushback from Council

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua said Hoque Global has other properties where work has stalled. 

“When we look holistically at entities who are not in good standing with other projects, why is it that they are being given the benefit of the doubt here?” Bazaldua said. “I don’t want to throw too many accusations out there but this is another example of the big guys getting a much bigger piece of the pie and opportunity. We are, in my opinion, giving them a great benefit of the doubt when a lot of these incentives are not afforded to the smaller guys … I’m just wondering, when we look at these global corporations, why are we allowing them to buy up land around our city and not hold them accountable and come back to them with our wallets open.” 

Interim Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley said while Hoque has been in the news lately regarding projects in other cities, they have only worked with Dallas on University Hills, on which they defaulted, and the Newpark project, on which they are in good standing. 

“I know they did have issues on a deal in Fort Worth and a deal in Mansfield,” Bentley said. “It is hard to tell if those were market-related or if they were deal-specific. On this one, all of the city funding is tied to the infrastructure. We decided, on this deal, it is good for Dallas to get this property into one company with an effort toward infrastructure creation. We need that done regardless.” 

Councilmember Carolyn King Arnold said she was concerned about the headlines related to Hoque’s Fort Worth project. 

“What I have seen over the years is that we continue the same behavior, where we give these developers an opportunity,” Arnold said. “We vote around the horseshoe, we vote on a deal, we talk about a target date, and then they get these opportunities to defer. Every time they defer, it costs us more in terms of taxpayer dollars.” 

Arnold said Hoque has let down the city.

“We must change our policies so if these folks don’t have money when they come to the table, and they can’t prove themselves worthy of the taxpayers’ dollars, then they don’t need to be given an opportunity to keep playing with us,” she said. 

Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, who chairs the Economic Development Committee and represents the area where the project is planned, acknowledged Hoque’s good faith effort but said he has concerns. 

“I’ve been having concerns from Day One,” he told Bentley during the Dec. 2 committee meeting. “I also do know that we are the policymakers. You are the administration. You bring the deal to us and we either accept it or deny it. I’m holding you and the attorneys [responsible]. These are the terms of the contract; this is how you’re going to monitor the contract. If the contract doesn’t follow through, we tear it up and we go try to find someone else.”