Neighbors responded Tuesday to news of an 1,100 home residential development in West Dallas that will accelerate the transformation already underway along Singleton Boulevard.
Megatel Homes' So Ho Square project will include single family homes and town-home row houses with a $3 million amenity center, according to developer Zac Ipour.
“Our goal is to have a for-sale product here in So Ho Square to target the millennials and renters that are in Uptown and Downtown,” he said.
With townhome prices starting at $240,000 and three story single family homes priced at $389,000, Ipour said many buyers could find mortgage payments are the same or less than they were paying to rent.
“We think it’s, for the money, the most affordable for-sale product that we could have in less than 5 minutes drive to Downtown Dallas,” Ipour said.
Since the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opened in 2012 to extend Woodall Rodgers Freeway across the Trinity River, West Dallas development has spread down Singleton Boulevard, starting with the Trinity Groves restaurant cluster at the base of the bridge.
New apartments and town-homes are already occupied.
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“I used to live in Uptown, so it’s the same kind of commute to get to work,” said West Dallas Apartment tenant Miles Griffin. “I think everyone is kind of thinking this is going to be the next, next.”
Apartment resident Natasha Reyes said she welcomes an additional 1,100 families from the Megatel development.
“I think it’s great that they’re expanding and kind of developing this and making it into a really nice spot,” Reyes said. “It’s a lot of land and there’s some rough areas still in the area, but I think they’re making a lot of improvements to make it a neat place to live.”
Long time residents of existing houses nearby are less enthusiastic about all the new development.
Arlene Guzman said the four story apartment building immediately beside her house spoiled a great skyline view, but she now hopes to profit from the changes by selling her property to a developer.
“I just don’t want to give it away because I’ve got to get another place to live,” Guzman said. ”They’re trying to make West Dallas better, I hope they do.”
Guzman’s home is also beside the new Megatel development and around the corner from the house where Eleanor Escamilla lives. She welcomed the Trinity Groves restaurants, but now sees the new developments with mixed feelings.
“At first I thought maybe it’s going to be good, but I didn’t realize they were going to build apartments,” she said. “There’s the taxes going up, and then all this traffic that we’re having. It’s just crazy.”
Ipour said his project will bring 1,100 new home owners on what was an old warehouse and commercial business site.
“We are changing the whole dynamic of the neighborhood here,” Ipour said.
His company is betting that new buyers will support West Dallas.
