Prosper Town Council members tabled the request at their Nov. 11 meeting due to several concerns about the project’s multifamily components and phasing.
The big picture
Developers are seeking to rezone the 61.7-acre property at First Street and Legacy Drive from its agricultural and planned development designations to allow a mixed-use designation.
The $313.6 million development aims to create a walkable community with residential, commercial and recreational components, according to town documents.
Zooming in
Plans for Bella Prosper include:
- Neighborhood subdistrict
- 435 multifamily units, which may include some retail space on first floors
- 88 townhome units
- 249 assisted living units
- Retail subdistrict
- Full-service hotel
- Restaurants
- Retail shops
- Office buildings
- Amphitheater
After several work sessions with Planning and Zoning commissioners and Town Council members, the developers made several changes, including:
- Reducing multifamily units from 550 to 435 and townhome units from 94 to 88
- Replacing a second hotel with more restaurants and retail
- Improving design features, including changing streets in the townhome section and reorienting buildings to enhance connectivity
Despite revisions, several council members said the project still falls short. Concerns focused on the scale and quality of the multifamily component, project phasing and whether the development would attract visitors from the Dallas North Tollway.
“Just because a piece of property is in the tollway district does not automatically grant it multifamily rights,” Mayor David Bristol said.
Council member Jeff Hodges said the changes made were not significant enough to justify approving apartments.
“I just don’t see it,” Hodges said. “I’m not in favor of this simply because of the limited number of apartments we are able to give, and I don’t think this is something we would want to lend those to.”
Mayor Pro Tem Amy Bartley said the proposal needs further refinement and pointed to unclear phasing plans, particularly since the residential sections will be built prior to the majority of the retail, which could leave the site incomplete for several years.
“For the standards we’re [setting] ..., that energy needs to be matched,” Bartley said. “It needs to be a high-end project from start to finish.”
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Chris Kern supported tabling the decision but noted that council shouldn’t provide a “false sense of security” to the applicant.
“I’m still searching for that special, unique tradeoff that we would get ... as a balance to the need to have multifamily,” Kern said.
What’s next?
The rezoning request will go before Town Council at its Feb. 24 meeting. If approved, construction could begin in 2027 and continue through 2035, according to town documents.
