January 25, 2026 - TRA Newswire -
A 16-acre, master-planned transit-oriented development (TOD) at Dallas Area Rapid Transit's SMU/Mockingbird Station will feature apartments, a hotel, office space, and underground parking for DART customers
DART and Trammell Crow Company have celebrated the groundbreaking of a new 500-space subsurface parking garage for DART riders and a 394-unit apartment community that will be integrated into the existing shopping center and DART’s SMU/Mockingbird Station.
The apartments and underground garage are the first phase of redevelopment of 16 acres of DART-owned land adjacent to the light rail station at the intersection of Twin Sixties Drive and Worcola Street. Built on the site of a former DART parking lot, the seven-story apartment building will feature a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom units, as well as a resort-style swimming pool, outdoor areas with fire pits and grilling stations, a fitness center, club room, co-working spaces, electric vehicle (EV) chargers, a dog park, and a skydeck overlooking the Downtown Dallas skyline.
“We are thrilled to break ground on this transformational project at SMU/Mockingbird,” said Nadine Lee, DART CEO and president. “Developments like these promote the economic and social activity that underpins vibrant and prosperous communities, all centered on a critical regional mobility hub.”
The expanded development around SMU/Mockingbird Station is a partnership between DART and Trammell Crow, with both parties actively working to reconfigure the site through the Covid-19 pandemic and inconsistent economic conditions to ensure a viable TOD opportunity remained near downtown Dallas.
The transformation of the existing land will afford residents and visitors convenient access to DART’s 93-mile light rail system, multiple bus routes, walkable retail, and Dallas’ extensive urban hike-and-bike trail network. Trammell Crow’s future development plans include an office tower, retail, and hotel, adding to the existing retail, dining and living experience available at the SMU/Mockingbird Station area.
The buildout of the entire site will be completed in phases, with the second phase focusing on the office tower and hotel. Construction of the SMU/Mockingbird Station TOD is supported by the City of Dallas TOD Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and funds programmed by the Regional Transportation Council.
A University of North Texas study published in 2025 showed that transit-oriented development has had an $18.1 billion direct economic impact on North Texas, including $1 billion in the last two years.
Additionally, the study showed residential properties had an average rental price of $1.85 per square foot when they were located a quarter mile or less from a DART rail station. Those same one-bedroom/one-bathroom units increased to $2.04 per square foot, over 10% more per month, when located more than a quarter mile from a DART rail station. Similarly, commercial properties with similar dimensions and amenities within a quarter mile or less from a DART rail station saw an increase of over 12%, or $0.21 per square foot per month.
For more information about DART real estate and transit-oriented development, visit www.dart.org/tod.
Photo credit: Trammel Crow