By Steve Brown, Dallas News
Developers in Lewisville have gotten the go-ahead for a huge mixed-use development that will bring new offices, apartments and hotel space.
Bright Realty’s 140-acre Crown Centre project is planned on State Highway 121 near the developer’s Castle Hills community.
Lewisville’s city council just approved final plans for the project that include up to 2,000 multifamily units, 3 million square feet of office space and as many as 500 hotel rooms.
Plans for Crown Centre ultimately include 35 buildings connected by open space with lakes and trails.
Construction is already underway on the first Crown Centre office building, a four-story, 109,000 square-foot project at State Highway 121 and Regent Way.
“Crown Centre will serve as a substantial employment center for the city as well as a walkable live, work and play destination,” Chris Bright, Bright Realty CEO, said in a statement. “It is designed with the multifamily components spread throughout the office and retail spaces to encourage pedestrian activity and use during both daytime and evening hours.
“The project is also designed with a large amount of green space and water features throughout, which provide areas to take a break during the hectic workday and places to recharge over the weekend.”
The Crown Centre project is one of two major mixed-use projects Bright Realty is doing.
The developer is also building Realm at Castle Hills, a 324-acre project that includes offices, restaurants, retail, entertainment and apartments.
The first office building in the $1.5 billion Realm opened last year and is almost fully leased.
Both of the mixed-use projects are being built on land that’s been in the Bright family since the 1950s.
Construction started on the 3,000-acre Castle Hills in 1997.
Castle Hills is 11 miles from DFW International Airport and a few miles from Plano’s $3 billion Legacy West development.
The community has almost 5,000 single-family homes, and thousands of new apartments, condos and townhomes are planned.
Crown Centre will be the largest commercial section of the Bright Realty project.
“We have a great partner in Bright Realty and we are excited about the future of Lewisville and Castle Hills,” Donna Barron, Lewisville city manager, said in a statement. “We look forward to the opportunities Crown Centre will provide for both Lewisville and Castle Hills.”
