We recently wrote about how one Dallas inner-ring suburb is seeing big changes, Farmers Branch Renaissance Turning Once Sleepy Suburb Into Vibrant City.
The city has another reason to celebrate: Billingsley Company is bringing New York City architectural charm to to Farmer’s Branch, with The Brickyard. This is their new apartment community in Mercer Crossing, at the crossroads of Interstate 35E, Interstate 635, and President George Bush Turnpike.
They have everything you think of when you imagine NYC: romantic industrial architecture, brick detail, metal-framed windows, metal awnings, large arched windows, and walk-up style housing. Everything, that is, except the price.
In Manhattan, the cost of living is more than double the national average: The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Lower East Side is $3,558, according to the First Quarter 2016 Citi Habitats market report. This is roughly equal to the entire monthly income of the typical U.S. worker.
Current pricing for The Brickyard ranges from $995 to $1910 per month.
Sumner Billingsley, a managing partner on The Brickyard project, took her experience living in the West Village in New York and translated this project.
“As a former resident of New York, I wanted to bring the rich neighborhood feel of the West Village and the Bowery to Dallas but at a price that was right for us,” Billingsley said. “I have been told that ‘quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.’ So our sole focus is to deliver a fantastic product, and I’m damned if I am not going to deliver it at a great price.”
Located at 2061 Wittington Pl. in Farmers Branch, The Brickyard offers 19 different floor plans and variations with 314 one bedrooms and 87 two bedrooms, ranging from 584 to 1,324 square feet per unit.
They started accepting tenants on May 13, and are in phase one of construction.
“This is the first phase of apartments and townhomes we have planned at Mercer Crossing, with future phases up to 1,200 units currently approved,” said Tiffany Harlow, Marketing Director of Multifamily at Billingsley Company. “Construction is progressing nicely, with three buildings completed, including a two-story apartment building, a three-story townhome building and the Firehouse leasing center and clubhouse building.”
Harlow said they chose Farmers Branch as the location of this project because the city prides itself on having a small-town feel with big-city convenience.
“The city felt strongly that this should be a high-density neighborhood, with a pronounced focus on pedestrian activity,” she said. “At Billingsley, we strongly believe in ‘place making’ – intentionally designing and strategically placing buildings to define the streets, with terraces, stoops and doors facing the streets to create a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.”
Specific to The Brickyard, they’ve designed the entry to be similar to a European roadway with trees and planters, but no curb. The site has also been laid out to maximize the relationship with the existing waterway and preserve the trees and natural landscape in the area adjacent to the waterway.
“All of these elements and the overall site plan reinforce the vision that Farmers Branch has for the area,” Harlow said. “Farmers Branch code also required at least 70-percent brick, so you’ll notice the abundant use of brick throughout, creating this romantic industrial community.”
Some of the amenities featured in The Brickyard:
- The Firehouse Clubroom with pocket billiards
- The 24-hour Grind fitness center overlooking the pool
- Tree-lined streets, open courtyards, canal views
- Complimentary WiFi in all indoor and outdoor public spaces
- Ozone-filtered pool with reclaimed industrial cabana, sunning islands, and loungers, coming in August
- Two parks named after New York City parks: Gramercy Garden and Mulberry Park
- Grilling stations and hammocks in the parks and courtyards
- Electric car charging outlets in the parking garage and select townhome garages
- Choice of three designer-appointed color schemes – charcoal gray, Aspen gray, and Manhattan white
- Granite countertops in kitchens and bathrooms
- Energy efficient stainless steel GE appliances
- Full size stackable washer and dryer included and oversized soaking tubs with tile surrounds in select units
Founded in 1978 by Lucy and Henry Billingsley, Billingsley Company specializes in master-planned developments and principles of new urbanism.
