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City of Princeton Holds Meeting on Luxury Apartment Project – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
What was once intended as a luxury apartment complex in Princeton, turned out not to be so luxurious after all.
Construction stopped last year for various reasons. What remains is in such disrepair that the city is expected to take major steps that could determine the fate of the project.
“It’s embarrassing to be the third fastest growing city in the country and we have apartments being torn down on the side of the road. So this needs to be addressed,” Princeton Mayor Brianna Chacón said in a Facebook live on her page Wednesday night.
The city of Princeton said the project was approved in 2017 and construction began in 2021, but all construction was halted in 2023 after it failed a city inspection. In an online statement at the time, the city said the unfinished structures pose some threats to the public health, safety and welfare of the community.
In a news item in JuneA member of the property owners group told NBC 5 that work was halted because a contractor walked off the site in May 2023 after experiencing lending issues.
The city of Princeton said the project was approved in 2017 and construction began in 2021, but all construction was halted in 2023 after the structures failed a city inspection due to deterioration and other issues. A contractor subsequently left the site due to lending issues.
The buildings have been standing along Highway 380 in the heart of the city for more than a year and are falling into disrepair.
After an outside engineer was hired to prepare a thorough report on the safety and structural integrity of the buildings, the city was informed in the report that more than half of the structures would have to be demolished and rebuilt to meet city regulations.
The municipality has given the project developer until this week to think about what to do.
On Thursday evening the city will take some important steps in its destiny in a hearing on social housing with the developer and other parties. The public is also invited to respond.
“Give your opinion. I can guarantee that we probably all have the same opinion. Unfortunately, this is where we are now,” Mayor Chacón said in her livestream.
The meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. at the Princeton Municipal Center.
“We have new legal cases, we have a new administration. We have new management. We have a new development. We have a team that, since they took over the last six months, has been pursuing this project more aggressively than in recent years. And that is the pace at which we are continuing,” Mayor Chacón added.
Another dilemma that Mayor Chacón raises is zoning. The project was zoned for multi-family residences in 2017, but Princeton has changed and grown tremendously since then. The project is now in a prime location for commercial real estate.
The mayor fears that it would be expensive to convert the area into a commercial area if it ultimately gets bogged down in lawsuits and other legal issues.
The other decision from all involved is the possibility of demolishing the structures due to the latest report from the independent engineers. Some of the findings include extensive weather damage and mold throughout the complex, with building materials and other components of the project left exposed to the elements.
The engineering report should be presented during the meeting on Thursday evening.
