Developers behind a proposed $800 million mixed-use project in Preston Hollow have revised their plans after months of neighborhood pushback over building height, traffic and quality-of-life concerns.

Burk Interests and Greenway Investment Co. are seeking a zoning change to redevelop roughly 7 acres at the southwest corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane in Dallas. The updated proposal, released Friday, reduces the height of the project’s tallest buildings and changes the site layout in an effort to create a smoother transition to nearby residential areas.

Tower Heights Reduced in New Proposal

Under the revised plan, the proposed condo and hotel tower would be capped at 25 stories, or 299 feet. Earlier plans called for a 28-story tower reaching 325 feet.

The luxury apartment high-rise has also been reduced. Its maximum height would now be 21 stories, or 250 feet, down from the previous 24-story, 275-foot version.

The current zoning for the property allows buildings up to 54 feet, making the proposed height increase a central issue for nearby residents.

Site Layout Shifted Toward Royal Lane

The development team has also adjusted the project’s layout. The tallest buildings would now sit closer to Royal Lane on the northern side of the site.

On the southern side, near existing residential properties, the first 50 feet of construction would remain limited to 54 feet before gradually stepping up in height. The project sits about 175 feet from the nearest duplex on that side.

Developers said the changes are intended to provide more distance and scale transition for nearby homes. Under the new proposal, less than 30% of the site would include buildings taller than 54 feet.

Apartments, Hotel Rooms, Offices and Retail Planned

Leland Burk, president of Burk Interests and a former Dallas City Council candidate, said the 21-story apartment tower would include fewer than 200 units.

The 25-story tower would include 150 hotel rooms and fewer than 100 condominiums. The office portion has also been reduced from two buildings to one 11-story office property. The project still includes restaurants, retail space, pedestrian-focused design elements and public open space. A half-acre green area is planned as the centre of the development, and the team said it intends to plant at least 200 trees on the site, which was damaged by the 2019 tornado.

Most of the parking would be placed below ground.

Developers Argue Project Would Improve the Corner

Burk has described the proposal as an important redevelopment opportunity for a corner currently dominated by retail uses and surface parking.

The development team also says the project would produce less traffic than a more retail-heavy development allowed under existing zoning. A Kimley-Horn traffic study prepared for the developers estimated the proposed project would generate just over 5,000 vehicle trips per day, compared with an estimated 9,435 daily trips if the site were built out in a retail-focused format similar to nearby corners.

The developers also said the plan aligns with community mixed-use development criteria in the Forward Dallas 2.0 land use plan.

Neighborhood Opposition Remains Strong

Residents have opposed the project since the plans were first introduced in October. Concerns have centred mainly on height, density, traffic and the possibility that rezoning could encourage similar proposals at nearby sites. Opponents have formed a nonprofit group, Preserve Preston Hollow, to campaign against the project. The group has gathered about 2,300 signatures from Dallas residents who support development at the current 54-foot height limit.

Its campaign slogan is: “No skyscrapers, no rezoning at Preston and Royal.”

Doug Hazelbaker, a former Plano city planning commissioner who lives near the site, said opponents are not against development but want a lower-scale project. He said apartments of four or five stories within the current height limit would be more acceptable to many residents. Hazelbaker also raised concern that approval of the zoning request could encourage future developers to seek similar height increases on other corners of the intersection.

Public Meetings Expected

Preserve Preston Hollow plans to host a neighborhood meeting Tuesday to discuss the revised proposal.

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis, whose district includes the development site, is also expected to hold a neighborhood meeting in May.

Burk and his team have not announced when the zoning case may go before the Dallas City Plan Commission.