High-Rise Home Run

Uptown Dallas' next haute high-rise promises to be a mind-blower

Real estate VIPs and select members of the media recently gathered for a cocktail reception to get a sneak peek at Bleu Ciel, the Harwood District’s next luxury high-rise. Bleu Ciel is set to break ground this fall, and it promises to be Dallas’ next residential hot spot.

World-renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte designed the Bleu Ciel tower, which will be located across the street from Azure condominiums. The gardens and retail-level plaza will be nestled within curated environments designed by equally renowned landscape architect Sadafumi Uchiyama of the Portland Japanese Garden.

Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, founder and CEO of Harwood International, was beaming with pride as he showed off the 3D models and rattled off the unprecedented list of amenities future Bleu Ciel dwellers will enjoy. The ground level will feature a gourmet grocery market, restaurant, juice bar and bike shop. Additional amenities include a wine tasting room; private boardroom; onsite dog run; social room with full catering kitchen; and an event space with private catering available from Marie Gabrielle, Mercat Bistro and Saint Ann.

Bleu Ciel also will boast two junior Olympic-size pools with cascading water features, cabanas, hot tub, and poolside kitchen and grills. A residents-only spa will be designed by the award-winning Be a Dragonfly Spa Group, recognized by Condé Nast as one of the top 25 spas in the world for its facility at Primland Resort.

And we haven’t even talked about the living spaces. This 33-story tower will be a mind-blower, with floor-to-ceiling glass, airy open-plan interiors and sweeping terraces to fully enjoy the Dallas skyline. As one would expect, finishes and appliances will be top-of-the-line.

Residents can choose from two- and three-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 1,300 square feet to more than 7,000. Units are priced from the $700,000s.

“Dallas continues to attract international and domestic newcomers who expect a world-class lifestyle,” Barbier-Mueller said. “This international lifestyle also appeals to the growing number of Dallasites who wish to experience the billion-dollar cultural ‘art-chitecture’ monuments within a short stroll of Bleu Ciel.”

Although the sales center is now open, those who are ready to sign their names on the dotted line have to wait a little while to move in: The estimated date of completion is winter 2016.

Bleu Ciel, which is set to break ground this fall, will be located across from Azure condominiums.

Rendering of Bleu Ciel high-rise condo in Dallas

Photo courtesy of Bleu Ciel

Bleu Ciel, which is set to break ground this fall, will be located across from Azure condominiums.

unspecified

Anna Land Buy

Cox Family sells 116 acres in Anna for mixed-use development

Courtesy photo

Anna, Texas

A major land sale in Anna is paving the way for new mixed-use development. According to a release, Frisco-based Rockhill Capital & Investments struck a deal with the Cox Family to acquire 116 acres at County Road 371 and SH-5, approximately two miles east of US-75.

Younger Partners Executive Managing Director John St. Clair, Vice President Tyler Hemenway, and Associate Davis Willoughby represented the seller in the transaction. The sales price was not disclosed.

Rockhill will sell fully entitled tracts of land to homebuilders, multifamily, and commercial developers.

The single-family portion will be built in phases with development of 325 single-family lots, says Rockhill Chief Development Officer Brent Libby in a statement.

“Construction will likely begin early in Q2 2025,” Libby said. “We’ve already sold 82 of the 116 acres to homebuilder Taylor Morrison and they should break ground first.”

The remaining acres are already being snapped up including 9.5 acres on SH 5 that is under contract to a commercial developer, and interest from a user/developer on the remaining 24 acres, which is zoned for multifamily.

The Cox Family owned the land for decades and had received multiple offers on the property over the years, but were never ready to sell.

“Ultimately, the family wanted to capitalize on the land market before unforeseen market factors took place,” said St. Clair of Younger Partners. “This deal took place at the right time with the right buyer.”

The acquisition nvolved a lengthy zoning process to acquire the land. Rockhill created a Public Improvement District (PID) on the single-family portion of the land, which helped the deal move forward.

Rockhill already has land holdings in nearby high-growth cities of Howe, Van Alstyne, and Sherman, and it ain't stopping here.

“We’ll continue to source and acquire land in the area where we can add value through entitlements, and either develop the property or hold it for some time and exit to another developer or end user,” Libby says.

openings