De La Vega Development is moving forward with the next phase of The Central, a 27-acre mixed-use project positioned between Southern Methodist University and Downtown Dallas. The company is currently in the permitting process as it prepares to add new residential, hospitality, and lifestyle components to the district.
The upcoming phase calls for a 400-unit apartment tower, expanding the project’s multifamily footprint with another high-density residential building. Alongside the apartments, plans include a health and wellness club intended to serve both residents and visitors, as well as a Marriott-branded hotel.
The hospitality component is expected to feature about 200 rooms, contributing to the area’s lodging options near both the university and the downtown core. De La Vega Development also plans to introduce three restaurants within this phase, reinforcing the project’s retail and dining mix and supporting its broader mixed-use positioning.
According to reporting cited from The Dallas Business Journal, the health and wellness club could begin construction as early as this summer. The Marriott-branded hotel is expected to follow on a longer timeline, with a potential start in the first quarter of 2027, reflecting a staged approach to build-out. De La Vega is also keeping open the possibility of adding office space adjacent to the hotel, although that component has not yet been fully defined.
The Central’s initial phase delivered a 321-unit high-rise known as The Oliver, which was developed and built by Dallas-based StreetLights Residential. That first residential tower established the project’s multifamily presence and set a precedent for high-rise living within the broader mixed-use environment.
At full build-out, The Central Dallas is planned to encompass approximately 4 million square feet of urban mixed-use development. The master plan emphasizes connectivity and combines upscale multifamily, hospitality, office, retail, and restaurant uses around shared public and green spaces. A 3.5-acre park is a key feature of the plan, intended to provide open space within the dense urban setting and serve as an amenity for residents, office users, hotel guests, and visitors.
As De La Vega works through permitting for the next phase, the project continues to evolve as a large-scale, multi-phased district linking the area between SMU and Downtown Dallas with a blend of residential, commercial, and recreational uses.
