Sneak Peek: Cowan Place, Stop Six

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Here’s a look at final architectural renderings for Cowan Place, the mixed-income senior living community that makes up the first of six phases of affordable housing for the Stop Six neighborhood in southeast Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Housing Solutions and its development partner McCormack Baron Salazar unveiled the drawings Thursday. The 174-unit, four-story development, south of East Rosedale Street and west of Stalcup Road, will feature contemporary stucco, brick and metal facades. A lighted lantern “signals a bright, modern future for one of Fort Worth’s historic communities,” its architect, Bennett Benner Partners of Fort Worth, said.

“The idea is that if you are headed west on Rosedale, you will see immediately that something is different in this community,” Michael Bennett, principal and CEO, said in a release. “It’s a building that is modern, crisp and forward-looking.”

In April, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded Fort Worth Housing Solutions and the City of Fort Worth a $35 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative Implementation Grant to seed redevelopment. That money will be distributed across all six phases, with other sources, such as as private financing, completing the funding. More than 1,000 units of affordable housing are expected to be built across Stop Six in the six phases, called the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative.

The initiative, which will include a community hub, replaced an original plan to redevelop the aging Cavile Place publicly subsidized housing project. HUD approved Housing Solutions’ plan to build 1,000 units of multi-family housing with a community hub and awarded the grant. Cavile Place residents have moved to other homes across Fort Worth, and Cavile closed June 30. McCormack Baron is expected soon to award a contract for demolition of the old facility.

Fort Worth City Councilwoman Gyna Bivens, whose district includes Stop Six, said the renderings represent an emblem of renaissance for Stop Six.

“Not only is this apartment complex a gateway to the west, it is also a beacon welcoming senior citizens who will call it home,” Bivens said in the release. “When you think of the access to services that will be available to senior citizens and the larger community, Cowan Place will definitely be a social anchor in this community.”

FWHS President Mary-Margaret Lemons said, “we are thrilled to see this first residential development taking shape and humbled to know that older Stop Six residents soon will have a new, modern housing choice in their neighborhood. We are grateful to the many Stop Six residents, community leaders and service providers who have shared their input throughout this process and continue to help make the vision for the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood a reality.”

Lou Bernardy, McCormack Baron Salazar senior vice president and director of development for Texas, said, “we are very pleased about how the development plan for Cowan Place has evolved with the input and support from residents and stakeholders. Cowan Place will set a new standard for senior living in the Stop Six community.”

Cowan Place will have 163 one-bedroom units and 11 with two-bedroom apartments. Each will have washer and dryer connections, but the development will have a community laundry. The development will wrap around a central terraced courtyard. Ground-floor community spaces include library and theater, fitness studio, salon, billiards, crafts, and private meeting space for healthcare professionals. Common spaces open onto the courtyard. The developers said they will preserve many of the large oak trees on the vacant site.

The plan also includes an exterior art wall at the main entry facing Stalcup, a space for community exhibits.

Apartment rents will be reduced for qualified low-income households. Construction is expected to begin in Spring 2021, with substantial completion in fall 2022. “Cowan Place should provide homes for up to 48 former Cavile residents who wish to return to their neighborhood,” Housing Solutions said.