East Dallas drawing home buyers, builders

LOUIS DeLUCA/DMN

This former fabric plant at Carroll and Bryan streets is earmarked for conversion to loft apartments.

Homebuilder David Heth still has projects in Dallas' hot Oak Lawn neighborhood.

But his new frontier is on Fitzhugh Avenue in East Dallas. He's finished six of his Franklin on Fitzhugh townhomes and has broken ground for even more.

"There's another 32 going in across the street," said Mr. Heth, who plans to sell the units for less than $250,000. "We're the new Knox-Henderson."

With land prices out of sight in Uptown and Oak Lawn, builders and homebuyers are pouring into the old residential areas just east of North Central Expressway.

Blocks of old homes and aging apartment buildings are being knocked down for construction of luxury apartments, condominiums and townhomes.