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DALLAS—Located just north of downtown Dallas, the multifamily development, The Academic, will repurpose the site and portions of the former Dallas Independent School District/DISD administration building. Leon Capital Group has broken ground on the project located north of downtown at 3700 Ross Ave.

The preservation of the structure and several features of the site were included in the zoning ordinance, the first of its kind in Dallas, resulting in residential living along with historical architecture. Leon worked closely with the Landmark Commission to identify what historically relevant aspects of the 70-year-old building could be saved, and Leon preserved 16,000 square feet of space including the two-story main building, several large oak trees and key features of the former DISD campus. Additionally, the building's main entrance and facade will be incorporated into The Academic's design.

"Through our preservation work, The Academic is a nod to the area's original essence, returning Ross Avenue to its fabric and vision," said Carl Starry, managing director of multifamily with Leon Capital Group. "The transformation of the DISD administration building into The Academic has been a true collaboration made possible by the community, Leon Capital Group, and our design team working together for the best outcome."

The Academic will be situated on four acres and will include a five-story class-A apartment community with 365 units including studio, one- and two-bedroom apartment homes ranging from 500 to 1,150 square feet. The development will also include a six-story parking structure and exterior materials of cast stone, stucco, wood and metal.

"At The Academic, we preserved the facade, designed around one large oak tree and saved four other trees around the perimeter, and preserved the two original building signs that state Administration Building Dallas Independent School District. We will re-install one on the front of the building and the other will be displayed inside," Starry tells GlobeSt.com. "We have also preserved the existing setbacks to provide open space and preserved some of the original fabric of Ross Avenue by setting our new structure back from the existing structure for emphasis. With these setbacks, we were able to provide public space and a plaza for future artwork at the corner of Ross and Washington."

Amenities include private balconies/patios and yards, 10- to 12-foot ceilings, quartz/granite counters, stainless steel appliances, full-sized washers/dryers and oval tubs with separate glass-enclosed showers. Community amenities include a clubhouse with golf and sports simulators, convenience mart and an executive business center with flex office along with a pool and fitness center.

The design team included Architecture Demarest, Urban Structures, Basharkhah Engineering, Spiars Engineering and DesignSixTwo.

Other area projects Leon Capital Group is developing include Society 190, an apartment community in Richardson, Lakeyard District near the Grandscape development and Hangar 19 located within Centerport just south of DFW International Airport.

Despite differences in size, growth, geography and local culture, Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020, co-published by the Urban Land Institute and PwC, notes that the highest ranked markets for investment and development prospects are those that are successfully positioned as interesting, lively places with ample employment opportunities and a good quality of life, even as housing affordability challenges intensify. In addition to the top five markets, Dallas/Fort Worth tops the list of other favorites for 2020.

Instant Insights /

Preservation Included in Ordinance is First of its Kind in Dallas

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