Courtesy of Hookfin Enterprises, Inc.
Opal Lee
Fort Worth Housing Solutions, the city’s public housing authority, and the nationally recognized developer AMTEX have completed a deal to build a 339-unit mixed-income apartment community off Westport Parkway and what will become far North Beach Street.
The Opal will be named for Fort Worth’s Opal Lee, a 94-year-old retired educator and community leader who leads a national awareness campaign to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. The Opal will be the sixth property developed by FWHS and AMTEX, which ranks sixth in affordable housing production nationally, through a relationship that began eight years ago with development of the mixed-income Avondale Apartments in Northwest Fort Worth.
The 19-acre Opal is sister property to The Holston, a resort-style community of 265 units that opened in December and is 75 percent leased. The Holston is named for Barbara Holston, longtime CEO of the Fort Worth Housing Authority, Housing Solutions’ predecessor.
“The tremendous demand for units at The Holston encouraged partners to fast-track development of The Opal,” Housing Solutions said in a release, quoting Percy Vaz, AMTEX’s CEO. “Construction is scheduled to begin by Nov. 1 with construction to take about 24 months and leasing to begin in 2023.”
