On a 90-acre patch of land across from the University of North Texas at Dallas, Russell Glen Company is rolling out a big swing at neighborhood-building. The project, dubbed Rivulet, is planned as a master-planned community with about 300 single-family houses, roughly 240 apartments and a 20-acre retail district. Woven through it all, the developer says, will be parks, walking trails and a public library, to finally bring everyday services, including a grocery anchor, to a long-underinvested stretch of southern Dallas. Russell Glen says construction is slated to start in 2026, with a mix of city infrastructure funding and private capital backing the early work.
The Dallas City Council has signed off on up to $23.5 million in a Chapter 380 economic development grant to help cover roads, utilities and other site work at 6400 University Hills Boulevard, according to the City Council agenda. The deal ties public dollars to deadlines and investment minimums. Republic Property Group and city documents say the developer must execute the grant agreement by the end of 2026, complete site work by the end of 2028 and hit specified private-investment thresholds by 2029, according to Republic Property Group.
What Rivulet Will Include
Housing sits at the heart of the plan. Rivulet is expected to deliver about 300 single-family homes, roughly 240 apartments and 20 acres of retail space for shops, offices, restaurants and a public library, as reported by The Dallas Morning News. Russell Glen bought the land in 2022 from the late Pettis Norman, and company leaders say preserving green space and threading in walking trails are core design moves, not afterthoughts.
Partners And Financing
To pull off the infrastructure heavy lifting, Russell Glen has tapped Republic Property Group as construction manager and brought in outside investors that include Civitas Capital Group, the developer said in its release. In that announcement, CEO Terrence Maiden cast Rivulet as “a model for thoughtful, inclusive growth,” and company leaders said the project is meant to spark additional private investment in southern Dallas, according to PR Newswire.
A Grocery Is The Litmus Test
For neighbors, the real proof will be whether a full-service supermarket finally shows up. A planned 50,000-square-foot Tom Thumb at the Shops at RedBird collapsed in late 2024 when Albertsons walked away from its incentive agreement, a reminder of how selective grocers are about site economics, as Bisnow reported. Russell Glen’s team argues that Rivulet’s location by UNT Dallas and its connection to the broader University Hills project should make the corridor more attractive to grocery operators who previously passed.
Timeline And Next Steps
Russell Glen says it is wrapping up its capital stack now and expects site work and the first residential pads to break ground in 2026. City infrastructure funding is expected to unlock those initial phases, according to PR Newswire. The developer and its construction manager plan to phase the work so that homes arrive before the full retail buildout, a sequencing they argue will help convince grocers and service tenants that there are enough rooftops to support a store.
Why It Matters
Supporters say Rivulet could channel southern Dallas’ recent industrial and institutional gains into something more tangible for nearby residents, namely more housing options and everyday neighborhood amenities. D Magazine and other outlets describe the project as potentially catalytic for the area. Still, council members and neighbors are keeping their enthusiasm in check until a grocery store deal and visible retail commitments are in hand, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
