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The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

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The Belmont sells

Monte Anderson, who renovated the Belmont Hotel 10 years ago, has sold the 64room hotel to Dallas-based Behringer Lodging Group. Anderson says he will be able to focus on other projects and that the company’s undisclosed price was too good to pass up. Behringer Lodging Group plans to renovate Bar Belmont and the hotel’s guest rooms, but nothing will be demolished. Partner Jeff Burns told The Dallas Morning News that the renovations will be “respectful” to the hotel’s original architect, Charles Dilbeck. The buildings housing Smoke restaurant and the Claire Vista fitness club were included in the sale, and both those businesses will retain their leases.

New homes

David Weekley Homes began preliminary construction recently on 53 new homes on Stevens Forest Drive at Mary Cliff, across the street from the Rosemont Elementary lower campus and backing up to St. Cecilia Catholic Church. The development is called High Grove and consists of 53 “high-density” single-family homes. Planned are 29 three-story homes with 15-foot backyards, 20 two-story homes with central courtyards, and four three-story homes with private front yards. The builder is removing trees from the lot but is saving two 100-year-old oak trees that will be the centerpieces of two common areas. The development also will have a private dog park. Houston-based David Weekley Homes is one of the biggest homebuilders in Texas and recently set its sights on urban areas of Dallas. It also is building 40 new homes in the Cedars and has developments underway in East Dallas, Oak Lawn and just east of Downtown on Live Oak.

Bishop Arts development

Work on the Bishop Arts Village project could start soon. A security fence went up around one city block — Bishop, Ninth, Madison and Melba — signifying the beginning of demolition. The block includes nine single-family homes, one empty lot and a 1970s apartment complex, where asbestos remediation is taking place. The $42-million project planned for this block includes 200 apartments, one- and two-story retail buildings and a two-story underground parking garage. Developer Exxir Capital will receive $5 million in future tax credits from the city of Dallas. About four years ago, the city kicked in $2 million to help the company buy properties for the project.

Bishop Arts east

The Dallas County Schools Building on Zang at Davis is selling to Charlotte, N.C.based Crescent Communities. Crescent is still making plans on how to redevelop the property and declined to discuss future plans except to say they will be seeking community input. The property is part of the Oak Cliff Gateway; it is currently zoned for up to eight stories with a mix of retail, office, townhouses or apartments.

Local juice

Local Press + Brew, an organic juice bar and coffee shop, opened on Beckley at Greenbriar. Its owners are neighborhood residents Ben Johnson and Tiffany Vance. They make organic juices and nut milks using as much local produce as possible. Specialties include the OC, which has beets, carrots, green apple, orange and turmeric. The shop offers Holy Kombuca and Noble Coyote cold brew on tap, as well as Noble Coyote pour-overs and specialty drinks. The signature coffee is the shaken espresso; it’s a shot of espresso mixed with house-made chai, a blend of cashews, hazelnuts and almonds. The shop is open every day, 7 a.m.7 p.m., and is currently hiring two or three employees.