Addison Town Council approved a $39.9-million abatement for Vitruvian Park. Culwell credits city officials with embracing UDR's vision from the project's inception while making recommendations about the end result during weekly work sessions with the developer. "Their fingerprints are all over this final design. As we encountered some hurdles, we sat down at the table. There really were no dark moments here," he stresses. "I'm not sure if anywhere else in the country that we've enjoyed this kind of collaborative spirit."

UDR's collaboration hasn't gone unrecognized by the city either. "We deeply appreciate UDR working with our town to give us the opportunity to have our visions come to fruition of a greener Addison with a sustainable, world-class community," says Addison Mayor Joe Chow, who will be on hand for the groundbreaking as will a bevy of local officials. "UDR is helping us to create a community that will not only be the envy of this region, but of every city in America."

Vitruvian Park is named after Rome's renowned architect, Vitruvius. The project will include three parks with trails, amphitheater and athletic fields, surrounded by lush landscaping, bridges and water features in a pedestrian-friendly design. Kevin Sloan Studios of Dallas is the landscape architect.

The buildings will be a hybrid of Energy Star and LEED standards, with UDR committed to recycling as much of the demolished materials as possible. The rebuilding will include recyclable materials.

Vitruvian Park will replace 2,499 apartments along Brookhaven Club Drive and Spring Valley Road near Brookhaven College. Due to the project's scope and construction schedule, Culwell says UDR will continue to operate some complexes during the phased-in work for the new mid-rise residential buildings, which could include for-sale units and senior housing as the development takes shape.

UDR's plan is flexible although the dirt is entitled for 500,000 sf of retail and 500,000 sf of office space. "We're not totally prepared to commit to any numbers. We're going to respond to the market," Culwell says. "It's flexible in uses and it allows us to be opportunistic."

With the groundbreaking at hand and the heavy lifting of planning now done, Culwell says UDR is poised "to embark" on courting institutional circles for a partner. "We're going to see the interest that's there," he says, "and we think it will attract institutional-quality interest."

Instant Insights /

UDR Ready to Start Work on $1B Vitruvian Park

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