City Council Approves $23.5M Grant for Russell Glen Co.’s Rivulet Community in Southern Dallas » Dallas Innovates

Rivulet, a 90-acre master planned community in Southern Dallas [Rendering: Russell Glen Company]

The Dallas city council has unanimously approved a $23.5 million economic development grant for Rivulet, Russell Glen Co.’s 90-acre master-planned mixed-use community in Southern Dallas.

Located at the northwest corner of University Hills Blvd. and Camp Wisdom Rd.—directly across from the University of North Texas at Dallas—Rivulet is slated to feature roughly 300 single-family homes, 240 apartment homes, and a 20-acre retail district envisioned to include a neighborhood grocery store, retail shops, office, restaurants, and a public library/innovation center.

Dallas-based Russell Glen said the development will serve as “both a neighborhood and a statement”—proof that Southern Dallas can attract development that’s “aspirational, sustainable, and rooted in community pride.”

The project marks a new chapter for an area that has remained largely underdeveloped for nearly 50 years, Russell Glen added.

The Library is a proposed 20,000-square-foot public library and innovation center for the Oak Cliff community in Southern Dallas, located in the planned Rivulet development. [Rendering: Russell Glen Company]

Councilman Zarin D. Gracey, who represents District 3, said, “I’m incredibly excited for this development and the impact it will have on both Districts 3 and 8. This is the type of development the community not only needs, but what they want.”

Russell Glen said the $23.5 million grant will fund essential infrastructure improvements that will help unlock the site’s full potential.

‘Vision to uplift the character and identity of Southern Dallas’

Russell Glen Co. acquired the property in 2022 from the late civic leader, business executive, and former Dallas Cowboys tight end Pettis Norman, whose vision for the growth of Southern Dallas continues to inspire progress today. 

The company said construction is expected to commence next year.

“We were very methodical in our approach to designing Rivulet,” Russell Glen CEO Terrence Maiden said in a statement. “We wanted every element of this project to resonate with Pettis Norman’s initial vision to uplift the character and identity of Southern Dallas. With the city’s infrastructure investment, we’re able to deliver high-quality residences, offering a new level of housing choice that balances beauty, livability, and accessibility. We are confident that Rivulet will be catalytic for this Education Corridor of Dallas and a model for thoughtful, inclusive growth.”

Rivulet is near other major developments currently underway, including significant campus development currently in progress at UNT at Dallas, which soon will be home to a new $79 million STEM building as well as a state-of-the-art law enforcement training center.

Also nearby, the $1 billion University Hills development recently started construction. It’s a 270-acre master-planned community being developed by Hoque Global, which forms part of a larger regional effort to attract quality housing, commerce, and investment to the area.

“The Rivulet development reflects the shared vision of UNT Dallas and Russell Glen Company to build vibrant, attainable communities that uplift Southern Dallas,” UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach said in a statement. “This project will not only bring high-quality amenities, shops and residences to the area, but equally significantly, enhance the connection between our campus and the neighborhoods we serve.”

Overlooked no longer

To support project execution, Russell Glen has engaged Republic Property Group (RPG) to manage infrastructure construction.

“We’re thrilled to be assisting Russell Glen with execution of their vision for Rivulet,” Tony Ruggeri, co-CEO of Republic Property Group, said in a statement. “This project represents the kind of intentional, community-centered development that strengthens Dallas for generations to come.”

Dan Healy, CEO of Civitas Capital Group and a Rivulet investor, backed Russell Glen’s vision for Rivulet from the beginning.

“Those who know him know that Terrence Maiden is something special. Rivulet shows what’s possible when smart, creative people like Terrence lead the way,” Healy said. “Southern Dallas has been overlooked for too long—no longer.”

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