The Fort Worth Stockyards is a tourism and entertainment destination, known for its daily longhorn cattle drives, that attracts more than 10 million visitors annually. It had a lot to offer, except for one thing: Housing.
So, a joint venture between San Antonio-based developer Kairoi Residential and equity partner Clarion Partners did something about that, creating a 418-unit luxury apartment development called The Union at Stockyards.
Adding housing to a popular district with 133 years of history helped land the project a 2026 CoStar Impact Award as judged by a panel of real estate professionals who know the market best.
The Union at Stockyards, completed in 2025, sits in a federally designated opportunity zone and addressed a gap in the evolving Stockyards 15-block historic district, which has added hotels, restaurants and office space in recent years. To get it done, the five-building project had to overcome a number of hurdles, including entitlement complexity, volatile construction costs and an untested residential market, officials working on the project said.
In working with the city, the joint venture was able to get a parking exemption because of the site's proximity in the Stockyards, with 497 on-site parking spaces, supplemented by 189 nearby public street parking spaces.
About the project: The Union's mix of apartments is primarily composed of studio and one-bedroom units with the intent of attracting young hospitality and creative professionals working in the immediate area. The property's amenities include a resort-style pool and spa, a tenant lounge, fitness center, a clubhouse with work-from-home suites, a private pickleball court, a dog park and outdoor gathering areas.
What the judges said: Newmark's Head of Southeast Research Ching-Ting Wang said The Union at Stockyards project helped cement the historic Fort Worth Stockyards' live-work-play dynamic by adding its first residential component to this historic district. Walter Bialas, head of research for Goodwin Advisors, said the project expands the character of the Stockyard's entertainment district into a place with "round the clock" activity.
They made it happen: The project was developed through a joint venture with Clarion Partners and Kairoi Residential, each with a team working on the project. This includes Clarion Partners' Jason Glasser, Ian McKay, Teddy Gray and Kathy Quinn, as well as Kairoi Residential's Daniel Zunker, Andrew Pollard and Grant Saxon.