Plans are underway for the development of the land around DART’s Arapaho Center Station. Last month, the City and real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield issued a request for proposals seeking a master developer for the land around the station.

The 14.47-acre site is located in the 1000 block of North Greenville Avenue north of Arapaho Road and east of US 75. It serves as a major entry point to the 1,200-acre Richardson Innovation Quarter (The IQ®), the City’s opportunity-rich innovation district. The site is owned by DART and is currently used for commuter parking and a bus transit station. An additional 24 acres of land sit adjacent to the DART property and could be part of the overall master plan, depending on adjacent property owner interest.

“The City of Richardson previously worked closely with the development community on successful transit-oriented development projects at the CityLine, Galatyn Park, Spring Valley and UT Dallas light rail stations,” said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker. “Now we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize our vision for Richardson’s last remaining light rail station, right at the entry to our innovation district. That is why we have been thoughtfully, actively preparing the site over the past five years, working closely with property owners and nearby stakeholders while removing barriers for the development community. We cannot wait to hear from master developers who can help us fully realize our ambitions.”

The City is seeking to maximize the benefits of the Arapaho Center Station site at The IQ®’s entrance by creating an Innovation Hub – a cutting-edge, mixed-use development where corporate users, students, employees and visitors are encouraged to create, exchange and take part in next-generation technologies, product streams and ideas from some of the world’s most innovative and prolific firms and institutions. Upon completion, the new development at Arapaho Center Station will include traditional and co-working office space, specialized space for emerging industries, retail shopping and dining, and modern housing.

Arapaho Center Station will serve as the primary gateway to everything the Richardson Innovation Quarter has to offer. A reimagined DART train and bus transit center will create a regional mobility hub to encourage users to utilize non-traditional modes of transportation and ride sharing. Additionally, the incorporation of improved walkable infrastructure, bike facilities and ‘bot-ready’ infrastructure will bolster the development’s ability to support a multi-modal transit model and next-generation technology.

For more information, visit www.arapahocenterstationtod.com.