Apartment builder has two new rental projects in North Oak Cliff – The Dallas Morning News
With more than 50,000 North Texas apartments under construction, there are hundreds of new rental communities on the way in the Dallas area. But new projects by fledgling builder Mintwood Real Estate may be some of the most distinct developments in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Mintwood — founded three years ago by executives from one of the area’s biggest apartment firms — is just completing its first ground-up apartment building in North Oak Cliff and is about to start another in the same neighborhood.
While many builders are headed to the ‘burbs to find development sites, Mintwood is sticking closer to the central city with its projects.
“We love the existing infrastructure and amenities in urban places,” said Katy Slade, who is growing the apartment development firm with partner Nick Venghaus. “We think that is the type of neighborhood where people want to be — around creative restaurants and walkalble area.
Katy Slade(Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer)
“That was underscored more during COVID.”
Mintwood is finishing construction on its 55-unit 212 Melba apartments located between the Bishop Arts District and the new deck park in Oak Cliff.
Designed by Dallas architect Omniplan, the four-story boutique rental project replaced an older multifamily building.
“It was on MLS for sale and nobody wanted it because the vision was rehabbing an old apartment building,” Slade said. “When we dug into what we could do with the underlying zoning, we found a way to make the project work.”
Architects took inspiration from older residential buildings in the area with a row of peaked roofs on the new apartments.
“The gabled components speak to what is there in the neighborhood,” Slade said. “It’s a more modern approach.”
The smallest units in the 212 Melba building are just over 500 square feet and rent for less than $1,300 a month.
Mintwood partnered with Dallas investor OCI Group to build the Oak Cliff apartments.
To keep operating costs down and because of the size of the project, Mintwood deleted many of the expansive public areas you’ll find in many new apartment communities. “We have a very small amenity area — a small lounge,” Slade said. “We have some 10-by-10 rooms we fit a Peloton bike and a treadmill in.”
Mintwood has hired residential management firm Guild to operate all of its local projects. “Working with them has been a way for us when on-site management is not the necessity,” she said.
Mintwood just filed building permits for its next Oak Cliff development. Called Oakhouse, the 219-unit rental community is planned on East Colorado Boulevard at Lancaster Avenue. The apartment site was purchased from investor Cienda Partners, …….
