Richardson commission hears CityLine zoning case, to reconsider in July

The particular zoning change would only have applied to a 62.5-acre planned development district east of North Plano Road, according to city documents. KDC was requesting an increase in the allowed number of multifamily units from 1,925 to 3,100, but no changes would be made to the 2,000-unit allowance in the western portion of CityLine.

“We’re trying to get to a viable, completed development scenario so that we can talk to other developers and guarantee them that there isn’t a huge open field out there with no entitlements,” said Walt Mountford, KDC executive vice president of development.

He added that there is still around 2 million square feet of office space that can be developed in CityLine. A further 40,000 square feet of retail space along State Street has never been occupied, Mountford said.

“If this place starts to go dark and shops start to close down, it’s a cascading effect, and we absolutely cannot let that happen,” Mountford said.

Some context

KDC previously sold developed portions of CityLine to 3Edgewood LLC, a development group tied to former Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver.

Mountford said declining ridership on Dallas Area Rapid Transit, namely a 50% decrease of riders at CityLine and Bush station between 2019 and 2024, has affected the development.

“That’s another reason we think heads on beds will help attract people to this area,” he said. “We’ve got the Silver Line coming, which is going to be a fantastic opportunity for our residents.”

What they’re saying

“We’ve got to find some entertainment that’s going to cause that activity level to be there,” former Mayor Paul Voelker said. “Unless there’s a reason to go to CityLine and stay there after 7 p.m., we’re always going to have a challenge opening up the lease space for retail.”

"This looks to me like an opportunity to keep this viable, and to keep the retail and commercial aspects capable and producing," Commissioner Gary Beach said. "There's still other land up there that, as market conditions change, other things can be done."

“I’m not convinced that more heads in beds means that this area thrives,” Commissioner Michael Keller said. “As the applicant stated, there’s a large portion of the retail that’s there that is unoccupied, and there are a good number of apartments already.”

What else?

Mountford said there are plans for another 400,000-square-foot office building within CityLine, although no timeline for the development was given to commissioners.

The commission is expected to reconsider the case during its July 2 meeting.