Construction begins on downtown Fort Worth’s first luxury high-rise rental residences

Deco 969, a new 27-story luxury high-rise, has broken ground in Fort Worth at 969 Commerce Street. The project, which is being developed by Southern Land Company, will be downtown Fort Worth’s first luxury high-rise rental residences.

The project will span over 300,000-sf and feature 302 for-rent efficiency, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes and penthouses. Deco 969 will also include eight floors of above-grade parking, resort-inspired amenities, and retail and restaurant space on the first floor.

“We are proud to bring the first luxury high-rise rental residences to downtown Fort Worth, a location that boasts great character, notable destinations, and convenient access to plentiful businesses and services,” said Tim Downey, Southern Land Company Founder and CEO, in a release. “Deco 969 is poised to provide a one-of-a-kind lifestyle to residents seeking a refined living experience downtown—and to attract more transformative projects that will only add to Fort Worth’s vibrant culture and economy. We are so appreciative of the support of the City of Fort Worth and Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. for championing this project.”

Design and engineering partners on the project include:

GDA Architects
Kimley-Horn (civil engineer)
Thornton Tomasetti (structural engineer)
Faulkner Design Group (interior design)
Rone Engineering of Dallas (geotechnical engineer)
Basharkhah Engineering (BEI; mechanical and electrical engineer).

SLC’s in-house commercial construction team is serving as general contractor. Additionally, SLC is the landscape architect on the project.

Across the country, multifamily rents have skyrocketed. Year-over-year rents are up by double digits in nine of the top 30 markets, while national YoY rent growth is up 6.3%. Emerging from the pandemic, a perfect storm of migration, enhanced government stimulus and a hot housing market, among other factors, has enabled this extremely strong growth.