Retail, Hospitality Break Ground

It looks like only one guy is doing any work here. Guess whos moving into The Canyon in Oak Cliff? Residence Inn by Marriott and Dennys Restaurant will be in The Canyons first phase of retailand hospitalitydevelopment. Corinth Properties Frank Mihalopoulos says In-N-Out Burger is in the advanced stages of negotiations to build in The Canyon, as well. The announcements came during the groundbreaking yesterday for the next phase of the 200-acre mixed-use project, owned by Stratford Land, at IH-30 and Westmoreland Road.

Heres yet-to-be-developed land and the Hillside West Seniors Community, which opens next month. The first piece of the puzzle was a 160-unit affordable multifamily property, Taylors Farm Apartments, which opened in October 2011 and reached 100% occupancy last June. Both were built by Groundfloor Development. Developers of The Canyon expect to sign additional dining, entertainment, fitness, hospitality, and retail stores in the next few months, as the master-planned community continues to take shape.

Stratford Land senior investment manager for Texas Steve Sanders says the site was selected because of its proximity to downtown Dallas, its landscape, and convenient access to IH-30, IH-35, and Loop 12. A collaboration between the City, North Texas Council of Governments, the Texas Department of Transportation, andStratford Land, resulted in relocation of the IH-30 exit ramp and three-lane frontage road at Westmoreland Road. (Government collaboration is not a myth... sometimes.) Steve says the newly positioned exit ramp is essential to the projects success and will provide better access.