David Weekley Homes plans to purchase vacant land on Greenville Avenue owned by the YMCA and build 29 single family houses. The proposed shared access development will include two-story homes with price tags in the $400,00-$500,000 range.
The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas purchased 8 acres at Greenville and Stults Road from Grace Steinwinder Nolen Myers Kadane in 1993 and built the Lake Highlands Family YMCA using half the site. They granted Kadane a life estate to remain in her home until her death in 2002 at age 91. In the early 1950s, she had paid $48,000 for the property, including the then 75-year-old stately home on the south end. Kadane spent years fending off developers during Dallas’ real estate boom cycles before opting to sell to the Y.
Sale of the land, still unused after Kadane’s death, will provide a much-needed cash infusion as the Y continues its ambitious renovation and expansion project. The nonprofit broke ground in March of 2020, just before COVID hit and community centers around the country were forced to close. Plans include the addition of more than 15,000 square feet, including larger group exercise rooms, an expanded wellness center, a new dedicated cycle room and more congregation areas. The indoor pool, currently being completely refurbished, will open in October of 2021, and a new, sloped-entry outdoor pool will be added.
In the months since COVID hit, the Y has worked to recover from lost revenue and construction delays, says Executive Director Brian Haines. Their focus quickly shifted to serving neighbors impacted by the pandemic, and they rallied to provide emergency childcare, food distribution, school supplies, computers, blood drives and more.
David Weekley Homes (DWH) has several single-family home projects in Lake Highlands, including the Town Center at Skillman and Walnut Hill and Bordeaux at Skillman and Church. Ken McDonald, DWH’s area president, says the Greenville Avenue project is a great fit.
“David Weekley Homes continues to look for areas to grow our presence with great infill locations. We are excited about this opportunity with the YMCA.”
The sale is contingent upon approval by the City of Dallas, and DWH’s zoning application is currently before the city plan commission.