Generation Housing Partners plans to demolish an existing church in south Dallas to build HiLine Illinois, a 200-unit affordable apartment complex.
Construction has started on the site of the former Templo de Alabanza church at 4710 West Illinois Avenue, directly across from Dallas College Mountain View Campus, the Dallas Morning News reported. The project, developed in partnership with the City of Dallas, is scheduled to open in June 2027.
Travis Barber, development associate at Dallas-based Generation Housing, said the project aligns with the city’s goal of repurposing underutilized land. It also supports the West Oak Cliff Area Plan, which promotes diverse and mixed-income housing.
“One of the city’s goals is to repurpose underused parking lots for more housing,” Barber told the Dallas Morning News. “This is a great site for the City of Dallas to invest in. It’s 6.5 acres currently occupied by a church and a lot of surface parking.”
Local demand is already evident, with Dallas College officials noting struggles to find housing for students and staff.
The property had been under contract since 2023, with challenges that included rezoning, applying for 4 percent housing tax credits, securing bond reservations and forming a public-private partnership with the city. The rezoning approval, obtained last summer, was a particularly complex hurdle, according to Corbin Tanenbaum of Weitzman, who brokered the deal alongside colleague Scott Smith. The team also helped the church secure a new location in Carrollton, where a property is currently under contract.
The $70 million development of the church site is funded through $25 million in tax-exempt bonds, $33 million in low-income housing tax credit equity, and $7 million in city-issued gap financing.
HiLine Illinois will offer 22 units for households earning up to 30 percent of the area median income, 20 units for 31 to 50 percent of AMI, 120 units for 51 to 60 percent of AMI, and 38 units for 61 to 70 percent of AMI. Dallas’ current AMI for a family of four is $117,300.
Beyond housing, the development will feature services and extra amenities, including free tax preparation, financial literacy programs, health and wellness courses and a 2,500-square-foot co-working space.