This new $65 million project is planned for Hemphill amid concerns about development

As residents debate a zoning change that could bring a townhouse project to Hemphill Street, the development of a $65 million apartment project could also be coming to the neighborhood.

The project would be at 3320 Hemphill St., just south of Berry Street — south of downtown Fort Worth and west of Interstate 35W.

In January, Fort Worth-based Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. filed a drainage report with the city on behalf of land owner LIV Developments, an Alabama-based developer that’s one of the largest developers in the U.S. and has multiple projects in North Texas.

In March, a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation registration was made on behalf of owner “Hemphill Residences LLC,” for which the contact person was a senior development director for LIV Developments.

In the registration, the project is described as Livano Victory Forest, a $65 million, 488,678-square-foot multifamily project with 357 units.

The Star-Telegram reached out to the developer in February with questions about construction details such as the timeline, the number of and estimated costs for the apartments, and whether the developer was aware of concerns about multifamily projects in the Hemphill area.

A spokesperson for LIV Development said the proposed Hemphill project is in the pre-development phase and is not yet finalized, and that they would “be happy to reconnect once plans are complete.”

According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation registration, construction on the project would start in August, and would be completed in 2025.

Concern about apartments

The project is consistent with the City of Fort Worth’s revitalization plans for the Hemphill/Berry village area, but some residents have been skeptical about whether new apartment projects will benefit the predominantly low-income Hispanic and elderly population in the area or could lead to them being priced out of their homes.

Hemphill Street stretches south from West Vickery Boulevard to Interstate 20, connecting South Fort Worth neighborhoods to downtown with a mix of residential and commercial buildings and some of the oldest Hispanic neighborhoods in the city.

The city has targeted Hemphill as an area for revitalization through mixed-use zoning and economic incentives to create dense, multiple-use development that’s pedestrian friendly, according to previous Star-Telegram reporting.

But development along the corridor has been contentious. Some residents have challenged the construction of townhouses, an affordable apartment complex and other development over fears of gentrification that they say has happened in the Near Southside and Magnolia neighborhoods.

Zoning change debated

A zoning change to accommodate the construction of 24 two-story townhouses on the corner of Hemphill Street and West Morningside Drive was delayed by the Fort Worth City Council last month after residents raised concerns about its impact, and the Hemphill Corridor Development Collaborative asked the council to deny the request.

The Livano Victory Forest project doesn’t require a zoning change.

Council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents the Hemphill corridor as a part of District 9, said she didn’t receive notification about the project because it doesn’t require council intervention, but she also hasn’t heard directly from the developer and has reached out to get questions answered about the project.

In 2021, the historic Our Lady of Victory Catholic School was closed, and the property was being sold by the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur. The Livano Victory Forest project would be on vacant land that was part of the school property.

Beck said in her conversation with the sisters, they made it clear that they were sensitive about what would replace their school, not wanting liquor stores or bars. But Beck said they were also sensitive to the needs of the neighborhood and didn’t want a project that would gentrify or hurt the neighborhood. They wanted to see housing that was mostly affordable to the residents, Beck said.

“The impression I got was that it wasn’t about the highest bidder,” she said.

A representative of the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur said the sale of the land is still pending and she couldn’t comment on the particulars until after the sale closes. She did not have an estimate for when that would be.

Beck said as far as she knows, there isn’t anything the city has in place to control prices of the project.

She said although the project doesn’t require a zoning change, it’s good practice for the developer to reach out the community for feedback, especially for such a large project.

“Right now there’s not a lot of details on the project,” she said. “But as those become available, we’ll make sure that those are shared with the community so that they’re aware and can ask questions and, to the extent they can, be part of that process.”

Harrison Mantas contributed to this report.