City Square Artist Lofts by Garland HFC
This development is truly unique. Not just for Garland, but for mixed-income affordable
housing. The development is a centerpiece of a downtown community revitalization plan implement by the City in 2014. The develop- ment is in two phases. The first phase has just been completed. It is transformational for downtown Garland, which has invested heavily in improving public infrastructure and developing properties around a very robust light rail presence in downtown Garland.
The development would simply not be fea- sible without the active involvement and
participation of the Garland Housing Finance Corporation. The journey begins in 2015 with a downtown eyesore. The very vacant former Bank of America Tower. An obsolete 6 story office and bank building with flooded basements, broken elevators, vagrants and a 1970’s all glass cladding package that was badly faded. The site is directly across from the City planning and engineering departments at Glenbrook and W. Avenue B. It was simply a problem for the community and the neighborhood.
Working with City staff on new downtown design standards, the team put together a two phase development plan to bring more housing to downtown. The first phase, City Square, is 70% affordable and 30% market rate. The Tower was an adaptive reuse to create 46 apartments with the fitness area, leasing offices and common amenities on the first floor in the former Bank Tower. There were lots of changes to the building, including a totally new cladding package with operating windows with balconies serving each unit.
A good amount of time and effort went into life-safety issues. There is a significantly different approach from a daytime office use to housing residents 24-7 on the 6 floors. Spectacular views from the three upper floors on the adapted bank tower support affordable units throughout the property. The Tower is the tallest structure in downtown Garland with unobstructed vistas in all directions. Premium living units to say the least! With land cost and adaptive reuse costs on the site, more units were required for feasibility. Eighty additional new construction units were added to the site using the same cladding and design package. All new,
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TALHFA
Spring 2019
Talk
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