25-story tower part of proposed $800 million Preston Hollow development

Neighborhood non-profit opposes project calling for 299 foot tower in an area zoned for 54 foot height maximum

A luxury hotel, condos and restaurants are part of an $800 million project that a Dallas-based developer wants to bring to Preston Hollow.

But neighbors near the southwest corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane say the project, as proposed, is simply too tall.

Leland Burk owns the 7-acre property that consists of broken concrete slabs on the former site of two-story medical office buildings.

“This is the remnant of what was left after the tornado,” Burk said, walking the site on Monday.

While many areas along the October 2019 EF-3 tornado path have been rebuilt, Burk Interests and Greenway Investment Co. have worked on a project that Burk said would have a lasting and community impact.

“This is a very special location in our city,” Burk said. “What we want to build will be here for 150 years.”

The current version, designed by architect firm GFF Design, calls for a 25-story hotel and condo tower at 299 feet, a 21-story multi-family apartment building at 250 feet in height, along with an 11-story office property.

The project would include space for retail and restaurants, along with a half-acre of green space anchored in the middle.

“There will be an opportunity that comes to this development to create a gathering place, a real kind of green heart for Preston Hollow,” GFF design architect Evan Beattie said.

The current zoning height limit at the location is 54 feet.

Some neighbors who live just to the south of the proposed development have organized opposition to the proposed heights being requested for the project.

Black and red yard signs reading “no skyscrapers, no rezoning at Preston & Royal” dot several lawns near the rezoning request location.

Margaret Chabris with Preserve Preston Hollow, a nonprofit started after the first version of the project was filed last October, said she purchased her duplex more than 20 years ago and watched her street rebuild after the tornado.

She said Monday the idea of having a skyscraper towering just beyond her backyard fence doesn’t fit with the neighborhood.

“We are for development,” Chabris said. “We are for something beautiful in that 7-acre space, but we want it to stay within the current zoning of 54 feet.”

A meeting on Tuesday will provide Preston Hollow neighbors with their next chance to raise awareness for a zoning case that doesn’t yet have a hearing date at Dallas City Hall.

Burk said he welcomes continuing discussions with neighbors about the project he hopes he can bring to the corner of Preston and Royal in the coming years.

“I did learn you don’t make a lot of friends filing zoning cases,” Burk said. “But we really welcome the engagement, we think it’s going to be a better project because of that.”

A request for a change in zoning first goes to the City Plan Commission before a final vote at the Dallas City Council.No date has been set for either body to hear the request.