Chris Faulkner

City Homes, a division of Centex Homes has opened sales on their townhome neighborhood, Presidio on Carroll Street accross the street from the Montgomery Plaza on West 7th Street in Fort Worth.

City Homes is the same company that brought Westview condos to downtown Fort Worth last year. Currently Westview has about half of their 40 units either sold, contracted or reserved.

City Homes new project, Presidio, will offer two and three story townhomes with attached garages. There are four floorplans to choose from ranging in size from 1,844 square feet to just over 2,000 square feet. Prices start around $300,000. You may remember reading about this development in an earlier blog of mine. Here.

I'm sure with prices below $300,000 and $160/SF these homes should be a successful and affordable alternative to their higher priced condo counterparts along west 7th street in Fort Worth.

West Bend is a new mixed-use development in Fort Worth's University district on the Trinity River, consisting of 90,000 square feet of specialty retail and restaurants, 122,600 square feet of Class-A office space, a 140 room lifestyle hotel, and potential residential.

West Bend is directly across from the University Park Village, south of I-30 and sits smack dab on the Trinity river and Trinity trails. Right now the plans are for "life style" retail chains, fine restauraunts, yet another boutique hotel and possibly a retail component.

This is a wonderful location and looks to be a very pedestrian friendly design. Fort Worth's urban living is picking up steam every day and we are finally utilizing a wonderful resource, the Trinity River!

I have more details if you'd like to contact me directly.

Below you'll find a great article about Oleander Place Townhomes written by Betty Dillard of the Fort Worth Business Press. Oleander Place's sales center is now open and we have some wonderful pre-completion pricing!
The buzz is building so please stop by the sales center at 1112 S Adams in Fort Worth's Near Southside soon to see our beautiful floorplans and finishes or give me a call.

Oleander Place Townhomes sales center hours:
Anytime by appointment or:
Thursday and Friday 4:00 to 6:00
Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 2:00

Oleander Place development breaks ground

Construction is under way on Oleander Place Townhomes, the newest kid on the trendy block in Fort Worth's blossoming urban renewal in the Near Southside.

Located in the heart of a growing urban village on the Oleander Walk and South Adams Street, the three-story development consisting of 17 luxury units is another sure sign that owner-occupied, higher-price-point multifamily housing is on the rise in the central city's Medical District.

The Oleander Place townhome project comes on the heels of several recent developments - including Magnolia Green Townhomes, Texana Townhomes and the Fairmount Lofts - that exemplify the type of higher-density properties Fort Worth South Inc., which heads up the Near Southside's revitalization efforts, is promoting.

According to the organization, an increase in medical professionals within the neighborhood is helping push demand for a live-work environment. Out of the 30,000 people employed in the Fort Worth South district, 18,000 are employed in the health care industry, making the area the second largest employment center in Tarrant County, according to the Fort Worth South Web site.

The marketplace is responding with a rapidly expanding selection of living options for the urban dweller, said Mike Brennan, project planner for Fort Worth South.

"Oleander Place continues the revitalization of Magnolia Village and the emerging Oleander Walk neighborhood," Brennan said. "It expands the selection of urban living options located within easy walking distance of Magnolia Avenue's restaurant row and the Near Southside's major hospitals."

The project will spur further commercial redevelopment in the district, as well, Brennan said.

"Attracting more residents will support new retail, will improve the neighborhood's stability, and will be the most effective way to continue the area's revitalization," said Brennan. "We think Oleander Place builds on the success of other townhouse projects in the immediate area."

The Oleander Place sales center recently opened at 1112 S. Adams St. According to Chris Faulkner, sales and marketing director, a presentation center is scheduled to open by March 15.

Faulkner is bullish on both Oleander Place and the Near Southside.

"The Near Southside has a true neighborhood feel to it," said Faulkner. "While I'm promoting this project, I also want to promote the Near Southside. A lot of people haven't been to the Near Southside to see what's going on. I want people to know what a great place it is to live," he said.

Faulkner lives in the historic neighborhood, and said he has seen an increase in the demand for a live-work environment, where residents live close to their place of employment and have quick, easy access to dining, shopping, entertainment and recreational opportunities.

"If you work nearby, you can walk or ride your bike to work. I can walk within minutes to several great restaurants, including Lili's Bistro, and to the new Starbucks on Rosedale," said Faulkner. "Oleander Place will add to that true urban living alternative this neighborhood already provides. It's a place to be. And it's a great time to invest," he added.

The first phase of the project will include four units. Architect is RC3D Visualization Design of Dallas, an award-winning firm headed by Roberto Castanheira, who is building similar properties in Uptown Dallas.

Developer of Oleander Place is Mint Interest Group LLC, also Dallas-based. Partners Jay Mathiesen and Phillip Ratkovic have built several townhome projects in Dallas before deciding to venture into the Fort Worth market. Oleander Place is their first development in Tarrant County.

"We actually stumbled across the location," said Ratkovic. "We liked the area as soon as we saw it. It has all the qualifications, features and characteristics of an urban lifestyle. You can walk everywhere. It's safe, friendly. It has character like the Village in New York. We have a lot of confidence in this project," he said.

Priced from $263,000, Oleander Place Townhomes offers open living areas with high ceilings and oversized windows, hardwood floors, chef's kitchens with granite countertops and gas cook tops, limestone or travertine marble tile entryways, baths with a jetted tubs, gas fireplaces and two-car, attached garages.

The best amenity, however, may be on the roof, according to Faulkner.

"Oleander Place is the first in the neighborhood to offer rooftop decks with available hot tubs and outdoor kitchens," Faulkner said. "You'll be able to relax in your hot tub and look at the beautiful downtown skyline."

The project sports another first: a 24-hour online construction camera that allows homebuyers a peek at the progress of their new townhome.

Ratkovic said he and Mathiesen will be looking to build similar projects in Fort Worth and may consider some commercial development.

"We're excited to be part of the early development and transition of the Near Southside into an urban lifestyle neighborhood," said Ratkovic. "We're excited to create a missing piece to help it become a true urban lifestyle."

Hughes Development LP, the Dallas based developer of So7 on west 7th street near downtown Fort Worth, has released a rendering of the new seven story mixed use retail and residential condo building that is breaking ground this week.
Emily Ray Porter, a sales representative for Hughes says the building will have retail on the first two levels (approximately 70,000 square feet) and 72 residential condos on floors three through seven.
Retail tenants will include the likes of Primo's retaurant, Backwoods outdoor clothing store, Hola Tapas Bar, Performance Playground gym, and a few more that are yet to be named.
The rendering shows the view of the building from West Seventh Street.