Southlake Town Square to add new homes

New upscale housing approved for Southlake Town Square includes homes similar to the Brownstones and Garden District residences already there, along with condominiums that could be leased if they are not all sold.

City Council members said they were deluged with emails opposing the condos, called The Residences, in the days leading to the Nov. 19 approval. Residents also started a Facebook page opposing that portion of the proposal. The concern was that the units, which will be for sale and also could lease for $3,000-$5,000 a month, would be like high-density apartments.

In the end, the council required the developers to sell half the 38 units before applying for a building permit.

Developers Frank Bliss and Larry Corson of Cooper & Stebbins initially had offered to sell 25 percent of The Residences before applying for a permit.

The overall proposal approved also includes the Garden District Residences, as many as 60 condominiums for sale in three four-story buildings. New development also will include a dog park.

Owners of the Brownstones already built at Town Square's residential section spoke in favor of The Residences.

"We got a cross-section of the voting public to show up and have a conversation," Bliss said. "That is what democracy is all about."

He said construction should be underway by March of next year.