L LEADERSHIP
KATY SLADE
BUILDING COMMUNTIES AND GIVING BACK Katy Slade has been involved with some of the area’s most high-profile mixed-use projects, but she still finds time to help those in need
community and the way people operate there.” The tower has 222 upscale apartments and a rooftop buzzing with activities, including an infinity pool, a dog park, grills, and cabanas.
BY NICHOLAS SAKELARIS
WHAT’S NEXT
From McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas to Lake Carolyn in Las Colinas, some of the region’s most upscale mixed-use projects all have one common denominator: Katy Slade. The area vice president of investments for Gables Residential, Slade, has a background in urban planning, and it shows in the apartment communities she develops. They’re walkable, vibrant, and have access to mass transit. Most famously, she got Whole Foods to anchor the Gables McKinney Ave. project at 2500 McKinney Ave., bringing much-needed grocery space to that fast-growing area. “Whole Foods is continuing to attract a high number of pedestrian customers,” Slade said. “It’s really changed the
Slade is wrapping up construction on the Gables Water Street project on O’Connor Boulevard in Las Colinas. The first residents are moving into the 316-unit apartment complex this month and another 60,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will open in the first half of 2018. Several restaurants will have patios overlooking Lake Carolyn — something few developments in North Texas can offer. Confirmed restaurants include The Londoner Pub, Grabbagreen, Go Fish Poke, State Fare Kitchen & Bar, Cafe Herrera, Olivella’s Pizzeria, Main Street Bistro & Bakery, El Famoso, and Cork & Pig Harbor. Retail shops include Castle Nails, GQ Tailor, and Waxing the City.
“They’re very unique, and there’s such a range of them that it will be a great offering for the growing residential population in the area there,” Slade said. The center is 70 percent leased. With that project wrapping up, Slade has turned her attention to the Gables Turtle Creek project in Uptown Dallas. The 232unit complex built in the 1990s will be redeveloped into high-rise apartment towers with up to 750 units, Slade said. The existing buildings will be torn down in phases at the intersection of Cole and Lemmon avenues. Zoning is approved for the three new residential towers.
EVOLUTION OF RENTING The new wave of apartments have highend finish outs with wood floors, quartz countertops, built-in speakers, and amenities aplenty. Today’s apartment complexes have swimming pools that resemble resorts with cabanas, barbecue grills, and flat-screen televisions — perfect for entertaining. The clubhouses are loaded with common area
Leadership Dallas, the flagship program of the Dallas Regional Chamber for leadership development, is aimed at increasing the leadership pool for community activities in the Dallas area. Visit dallaschamber.org for more information. 8 0 / D A L L A S - F O R T W O R T H R E A L E S TAT E R E V I E W
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