Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... land-park/

A new residential tower on the way just east of Highland Park may be the most exclusive rental high-rise in the works in the Dallas area.

Called The Galatyn, the 20-story apartment building on North Central Expressway will have only 56 units with an average size of 2,700 square feet. That’s almost three times the average size of many new North Texas apartments.

Dallas-based apartment builder Streetlights Residential is developing the plush high-rise on Monticello Avenue between North Central and McKinney Avenue.

“Scheduled construction start is this summer, which would put the opening at spring of 2025,” Streetlights’ chief investment officer Tom Bakewell said in an email.

A gorgeous tower, for sure. I can't imagine the self storage joint next door is long for this world.

Nice addition. This looks to be a great candidate for future condo conversions if Dallas ever gets to that place in the real estate market. I wonder if Streetlights learned their lesson about using cheap windows next door in the McKenzie. This one is even closer to the noise of NCX. Freeway noise inside the units are the only complaint I am aware of with the McKenzie. I see a pool on ground level LITERALLY next to NCX. That will be less than relaxing I would think. If the pool is on the ground, perhaps there is no parking garage. Unfortunately, that aggressive timeline suggests above ground parking. There must be site plans on OLC website or somewhere else. Streetlights has a history of above ground parking monoliths, but unless they purchased the self storage next door, not sure where that goes here.

UPDATE: I can't read the DMN story, but an article in TheRealDeal https://therealdeal.com/texas/dallas/2022/09/16/streetlights-residential-returns-to-north-dallas/ was posted this afternoon which says:

"Its subsidiary StreetLights Creative Studio is attached as the design firm. Plans call for a pool, dog park and a 90-spot below-grade parking garage. Construction is set to kick off early next year with an expected delivery date set for 2025."

Self storage facilities, in general, require a serious purchase premium for the land once built in order to return a similar ROI to the facility owner. They are basically giant ATMs which spew cash to the owner. Once built, there is very little capital expenditures required. If I ever hit the lottery, I will build a self storage place or buy land and turn it into a mobile home park (same reasoning--very little CapEx and only cash flow to deposit into the bank).

I really love the use of so much brick/stone in Knox District. Keep that coming! With Modera Katy Train and the proposed The Ivy residential tower at McKinney and Webb, this little slice of Knox District is getting quite dense with residential units. That will be some view as you drive NCX.

LongonBigD wrote:Nice addition. This looks to be a great candidate for future condo conversions if Dallas ever gets to that place in the real estate market. I wonder if Streetlights learned their lesson about using cheap windows next door in the McKenzie. This one is even closer to the noise of NCX. Freeway noise inside the units are the only complaint I am aware of with the McKenzie. I see a pool on ground level LITERALLY next to NCX. That will be less than relaxing I would think. If the pool is on the ground, perhaps there is no parking garage. Unfortunately, that aggressive timeline suggests above ground parking. There must be site plans on OLC website or somewhere else. Streetlights has a history of above ground parking monoliths, but unless they purchased the self storage next door, not sure where that goes here.

UPDATE: I can't read the DMN story, but an article in TheRealDeal https://therealdeal.com/texas/dallas/2022/09/16/streetlights-residential-returns-to-north-dallas/ was posted this afternoon which says:

"Its subsidiary StreetLights Creative Studio is attached as the design firm. Plans call for a pool, dog park and a 90-spot below-grade parking garage. Construction is set to kick off early next year with an expected delivery date set for 2025."

Self storage facilities, in general, require a serious purchase premium for the land once built in order to return a similar ROI to the facility owner. They are basically giant ATMs which spew cash to the owner. Once built, there is very little capital expenditures required. If I ever hit the lottery, I will build a self storage place or buy land and turn it into a mobile home park (same reasoning--very little CapEx and only cash flow to deposit into the bank).

I really love the use of so much brick/stone in Knox District. Keep that coming! With Modera Katy Train and the proposed The Ivy residential tower at McKinney and Webb, this little slice of Knox District is getting quite dense with residential units. That will be some view as you drive NCX.

Facts! I love that as well.

Current resident of the McKenzie and I agree that noise from Central is the biggest design flaw of the building. Considering how many units have been retrofitted with extra windows for soundproofing, I would be flabbergasted if StreetLights didn’t do a better job at this new building. Having lived at many StreetLights properties, I know first hand that they typically select *cheap* windows. My assumption and hope is that Galatyn will have windows befitting the style and tier of the property.

That said, we love living at the McKenzie and have no other complaints. The level of service is phenomenal. The staff is superlative. Truly we have never experienced better apartment living and we have spent our lives in apartments. We would enjoy making the move to the Galatyn if we’re not priced out.

When we visited Novel Turtle Creek it was clear that service wouldn’t be at McKenzie levels. It felt like an apartment. Something about what the McKenzie team does is make you feel that you are at a high-end condo and home.

Small note - Demolition of existing buildings on site is underway!!!

2 July 2023

Thank you and fair warning we'll be taking up a collection now to send you a webcam for our upcoming observation of the project

Not quite a webcam but from today 6 July 2023. It looks like the concrete island went away — I wonder if indeed a fountain will go in its place as a concept sketch posted by @longonbigd in the McKinney Ave Master Plan thread (https://dallasmetropolis.com/dfwu/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1199) showed. Probably not — but I am excited by the prospect of less roadway and more pedestrian-friendly environments.

A fountain would be excellent

That's a perfect view of the project interestedobserver. Thank you.

Great view. Also, note to self. Make sure the port-o-potty is as close as possible to demolition. Boomstick, new version of the Tardis. It didn't even move! : )

11 July 2023.

Somebody bumped into the port-o-potty-tardis just a bit. But, seriously, thanks for the photo updates.

25 July 2023.

Now I am watching for the port-o-potty on every picture
It finally moved and multiplied ...

Could this be considered UC now? Or is that pre-mature?

There was a long line of trucks waiting along the southbound Central service road in the last couple of days here. I was on the other side, so I couldn't tell if it was incoming materials, or trucks waiting to load up with dirt being scooped up to make room for the underground parking.

Trucks for dirt.

08 August 2023

It’s def UC.

That black truck and the white van sure spend a lot of time at the liquor store over the last few months. Sure! They "work" there. : )

Work starts on 20-story high-rise near Highland Park
The new apartment tower is one of several planned along Dallas’ Central Expressway.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/rea ... land-park/

I have a unit at the self storage facility behind The Galatyn. Any bets on how long it will be before I have to move everything out because the facility has been sold to a developer wanting to build a shiny new residential tower?? lol

eburress wrote:I have a unit at the self storage facility behind The Galatyn. Any bets on how long it will be before I have to move everything out because the facility has been sold to a developer wanting to build a shiny new residential tower?? lol

Since you're storing there, I would be in regular contact with that facility's management (better in-the-know than surprised!). That Extra Space may not be getting snapped up right away, but it's clearly in the development path.

17AUG23

08SEPT23

interestedobserver wrote:08SEPT23IMG_7487.jpeg

Thanks for the update!

The article title refers to "groundbreaking", but work on the site is past that point already. Otherwise, there are descriptions of layout and amenities. The writer makes it a point about the naming of the building, and how it is already used locally.

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/real ... nney-knox/

I thought the same thing about using the Galatyn naming, even if in another city up the road. But, I just let it go. It's ok to have eleventy Midtowns in the same city as well. Everything is fine!

BTW, I think I see those vehicles all over Uptown and surrounds. The ones parked by that storage. Do they say something like Highland Park Housekeeping on the sides?

Yep, that's correct. Their office is across-ish the street and they seem to keep their fleet of vehicles at the self storage joint.

28SEPT23

online keyboard typing

The porta potties have moved again

Thanks for all of the site updates!

The black truck that only backs-in and the white transit van are back at the liquor store, too. : )
Porto 1 and 2 hangin' in there.
HP Housekeeping is on the job.

Good to see a Crane base.

20OCT23

The crane for this one went up yesterday.

Great photos.

I hope those guys get paid a LOT! I do not care for heights! hahaha

I get the vertigo-willies just seeing the pictures !!

Their background in that video was epic AND epic II

24NOV23

28DEC23

Framework for Tres Market is being placed.

Thank you for the updates!

Ah, they're starting to lay the foundation of that fancy food place across the street as well. Nice!

eburress wrote:Ah, they're starting to lay the foundation of that fancy food place across the street as well. Nice!

OH yes I was wondering about that little box. Thanks for the reminder.

09FEB24

It's going to be fun to watch that whole slice of Dallas reconstruct. Gotta get highland Park to find a way to get the streetcar route into the SMU campus.

interestedobserver wrote:09FEB24

Coming right along!