Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Integral Group celebrated the grand opening of EVIVA Trinity Mills Station apartments and Esplanade Park on Wednesday, December 10, marking the first phase of a 26-acre, master-planned, transit-oriented development (TOD) in Carrollton.
The EVIVA project transforms the former big-box home improvement store and DART Carrollton Transit Center into a mixed-use community featuring 436 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, a parking garage, and 10,000 square feet of retail space along a 3-acre park. The development connects to the City of Carrollton’s Furneaux Blue Creek trail and includes amenities such as a pool with cabanas, a pet spa, and a dog run.
Guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony toured the property and learned about the broader Trinity Mills Station TOD master plan, which will eventually include retail, office, hotel space, and additional public amenities. Plans for future phases include a 325,000-square-foot hotel with a 700-space garage, a six-story office tower, additional retail, a 500-space parking garage, and a 5,000-square-foot restaurant. Construction on DART-owned property is expected to continue into 2027.
Nadine Lee, DART CEO and president, highlighted the project’s regional benefits: “Developments like EVIVA go beyond housing or commercial space, representing access and opportunity. Households near transit often reduce vehicle miles traveled by about 15%, leading to less congestion, cleaner air, and a better quality of life.”
A University of North Texas study found that TOD projects around DART stations have generated $18.1 billion in direct economic impact in the Dallas-Fort Worth region over the past 25 years. Proximity to transit also contributes to higher rental rates: residential units within a half mile of a DART station command more than 10% higher rent per square foot, while commercial properties see over 12% increase per square foot.
EVIVA represents the first step in redeveloping the 26-acre site into a vibrant, connected community with housing, retail, office space, and public amenities, all anchored by DART’s transit access.
For more information on DART transit-oriented development, visit www.DART.org/capitalprojects.