HPHS Students Will Have New Neighbors
Another luxury apartment project is coming to the Park Cities, but this one is a little unique in terms of location and design.
Lang Partners is developing 52 units just east of Highland Park High School, on two lots stretching from Lovers Lane to Grassmere Street.
The three-acre complex includes multilevel apartments with surface garage parking, bisected by a pair of alleys. The two lots are on either side of Hyer Street.
It will replace the Park Lane Apartments, with the Corrigan family retaining ownership of the land and leasing it long-term to Lang after the two parties reached an agreement to redevelop the property.
“It’s been under-utilized for a long time. It’s a very old property that really needed to be updated,” said Lang Partners president Dirik Oudt. “The Park Cities is sorely lacking for quality rentals.”
The units will have more of a townhome appearance, with three stories at an average of about 2,200 square feet, thereby reducing the density by about 40 percent from the Park Lane complex.
The developer also plans to widen the existing alleys and preserve several older trees on the site.
“It’s kind of a timeless design that’s got something for everybody,” Oudt said. “The mass of the project is much more in tune with the neighborhood. It’s going to be a much more intimate living experience than what you usually see.”
Despite some concerns about parking and public rights-of-way, the University Park City Council approved the site plan in April. Construction should start this spring.
“I like the project very much,” said UP council member Taylor Armstrong. “I think it would be an asset for the neighborhood.”
Oudt said that although the complex is essentially across the street from the high school, the target market is more retirees looking to downsize than families with schoolchildren.
“I think we’re going to have a lot of empty-nesters and people who want to stay in the neighborhood but get free from their homes,” he said. “So many people want to get out from under the burden of maintaining a house.”
Tearing down Park Lane Apartments will put a lot of UP, and HP children and their families homeless. We have Veterans who risk their lives serving for our country who live here; there are retirees who reside here, and also single parent families. Many like myself are newlywed and have children in HP schools. Tearing down our apartment’s will put over three acres of families homeless who live here to better our children, and give them a superb education by living here. Please do not tear down our apartments.
Do you know the meaning of homeless? I’m pretty sure you can afford to rent another apartment. It might not be in the Park Cities but calling yourself homeless is completely absurd.
“It’s been under-utilized for a long time.”
Under-utilized doesn’t seem to be the right word choice Dirik. If you consider a building with more history than you have yourself, the many families who considered this place home for generations, the loving staff who were employed here, the stories and memories that were made here, and the animals who nest in the historic trees, I think it is obvious that you were incorrect in your wording. Parklane was utilized perfectly. To the editor, Todd Jorgenson, shame on you for such an offensive article, in which the lure of luxury blinded you to the impact your article made on Parklane’s residents. Before you dismiss us as lower-class citizens, which I inferred from your article, I want you to consider that the people you dismissed are soldiers, teachers, engineers, doctors, marketing directors, graphic designers, writers, bankers, animal rescuers, and we are the wonderful people of Parklane who formed a tight-knit community together.
“All that glitters is not gold.” Love you Parklane.