Funkiest apartments in Funkytown? This Near Southside project is unique in Fort Worth

They might be the funkiest apartments ever built in Funkytown.

Clad in corrugated-style steel with rounded roofs, the newly built eight units in Fort Worth’s Near Southside look like World War II-era Quonset huts, lined up side-by-side on a side street between West Magnolia Avenue and West Rosedale Street.

Construction on the unique, mixed-use development will wrap up this fall. The apartments anchor the project, along with retail and office space also wrapped with the same cool, metallic steel.

But those are just part of the project at 1200 6th Ave.

A park with more than 80 trees will bring the PS1200 development to life. The philosophy of the project was to primarily create and fund a public space — that’s what “PS” stands for — made possible by the residential and commercial leases to support it.

Philip Kafka, president of Prince Concepts, said the developers wanted to provide an amenity to Fort Worth in the same way that a museum is a public amenity to the city.

The Detroit-based real estate development company is leading the project alongside landscape architect Julie Bargmann and architecture firm Marlon Blackwell Architects.

“What I hope this project proves is that we are under-developing a site,” Kafka said. “We aren’t producing a product that has a ton of apartments. We don’t have a ton of affordable apartments. That is not our objective.”

While many new apartment complexes feature 80 to 100 units (and few trees), PS1200 will do the opposite, Kafka said. With only 18,000 square feet of leasable space, the development leaves plenty of outdoor space for the public to enjoy.

“We basically are designing a project that has a minimal amount of usable square footage to support and pay for a significant amount of public space and tree planting,” Kafka said. “We’re trying to create an oasis. Instead of getting public funds to do that, we’re going to pay for it with leasable square footage within the project.”

Kafka estimated construction on the development will complete in late October or early November. He expects the complex will start “seeing action” shortly after construction ends.

Construction started before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than two years later, the budget on certain elements has doubled, and the lead time on materials has added months the project, Kafka said.

In addition to standard delays, the development team has faced challenges due to the unique style of architecture.

“Trying to figure out how to actually get people who aren’t used to building architecture to build architecture has been a challenge in and of itself,” Kafka said, referencing the semi-circular rooftops.

All of PS1200’s business and residential tenants so far are from Fort Worth. That was important to Kafka, who described Fort Worth as his “muse” in developing the project.

“We tried really hard to work with great talent in terms of landscape architecture and architecture and then also local talent,” Kafka said. “I don’t have any roots in Fort Worth, but Fort Worth as a place I respected. It’s a very interesting city. It has very distinct attitudes in everything that it does.”

Kafka’s father purchased the property more than 10 years ago with the goal of creating a condo project at the time. While his father served on the board of the Dallas Architecture Forum, Kafka spent time in Michigan. His development company, Prince Concepts, saw success renovating and revitalizing an abandoned Detroit neighborhood.

Fort Worth South Inc. director of planning Michael Brennan saw Kafka’s work and wanted something for the Near Southside area. So Kafka and his father decided to collaborate. He began work to bring Quonset huts to Fort Worth.

The complex will feature two vegan restaurant concepts from the creators of Spiral Diner across the street. Maiden Fine Plants and Spirits, an elevated vegan dinner experience and cocktail bar, will sit next to Dreamboat Donuts, a grab-and-go cafe featuring vegan donuts and gelato.

Store concepts to open inside PS1200 include a book and art gallery with an espresso bar; a gift wrapping and corporate gifting concierge shop; a home decor shop; and a boutique Airbnb featuring furniture and art from independent brands and artists.

360 West Magazine will move its headquarters to the 6th Avenue development alongside Fort Worth esthetician Christina Jett and The Standard Barber, a dual concept barbershop offering men’s grooming services, clothing and accessories.

Six of the eight available apartment units have been leased out at rents near market rate, Kafka said.

The project would not be possible without landscape architect Julie Bargmann and architecture firm Marlon Blackwell Architects, Kafka said. Blackwell was the 2020 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal Award winner. Bargmann won the 2021 Oberlander Award for landscape architecture.

“Marlon and Julie are two of the most celebrated active lead architects and landscape architects in the country right now,” Kafka said. “It’s architecture and landscape architecture at the level of Fort Worth’s highest aspiration of architecture.”