Plan to repair abandoned luxury apartment project moves forward in Princeton – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

City leaders have found a possible solution to the heated dispute over an abandoned apartment complex in Princeton.

The Princeton Luxury Apartments have been under construction for seven years, but the unfinished buildings have been sitting on the ground since 2023, sparking outrage in the neighborhood.

In downtown Princeton, a plan for more than 300 luxury apartments has literally fallen apart.

The 12-building project was abandoned in 2023 after failing a city inspection. Residents told NBC 5 it has become a target for vandalism and an eyesore.

“The unfinished luxury apartments on Highway 380 have become a symbol of failure and broken promises,” said Madeline Awalt.

This week, engineers updated the city on the state of the buildings, revealing that three buildings need to be completely demolished and eight need major repairs, including treatment for mold.

“There's not enough money in this whole world that I would ever want to live in those apartments,” Maxine Ellis said. “People are going to end up with chest infections, they're going to end up with asthma.”

A contractor working on the project told city officials that the property owners still owed the builders $6.8 million for work they did after construction was halted.

“We all reached a settlement, but because of the financing issue, no one was able to get paid,” said Bryce Delean.

The owners of the building came forward and said they were having financial problems.

“We must apologize to the community,” said attorney Himesh Gandhi. “This project was never intended to look like those horrible pictures that you saw earlier today.”

The owners have installed security guards and video surveillance at the property and have agreed to a new plan to complete the long-awaited apartments.

Under the agreement, three buildings would be demolished by Sept. 15 and the entire complex would be completed by February 2026, nearly a decade after the project began.

“I understand there needs to be some repair work, but it still seems a little excessive to me,” said Marlo Obera, Place 2's representative on the Princeton City Council. “I don't work in construction, but two years seems like a long time.”

Ultimately, the city council approved the plan and hired an outside engineering firm to ensure the work proceeded on schedule.

“In summary, these buildings can be repaired,” said Tony Childress of Childress Engineering Services. “It’s obviously going to take time and money.”

Some residents demanded that the city change the zoning plan so that no more apartments could be built.

Princeton leaders responded by noting that their lawyers had concluded that this would not have been possible without a fierce legal battle with the landowners.