Fort Worth’s public hospital system, JPS Health Network, has collaborated with the NRP Group to convert a former parking lot into an affordable apartment complex. The new development, called Thrive on Crawford, consists of 67 units and is located at 1310 Crawford Street, adjacent to JPS’ Southside Fort Worth campus.
According to Max Whipple, vice president of development at NRP Group, JPS established a public facility corporation to partner in the project. While JPS retains ownership of the land, NRP Group leases it for the development. The apartments are designated for various income levels: seven units are set aside for individuals earning 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 24 units for those at 50 percent AMI, and 29 units for residents making 60 percent AMI. Seven additional apartments will be available at market rates.
The $21.8 million project was funded in part through Texas’ competitive 9 percent housing tax credit program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. This program allocates equity specifically for affordable housing developments. An additional portion of financing came from the Near Southside tax increment financing zone.
Whipple stated that “the pandemic got JPS leadership thinking about employees’ commute times and sparked interest in providing affordable housing options for employees.” He also noted that NRP Group has previously worked on similar projects in Ohio with Metro Health and Cleveland Clinic. According to Whipple, this marks the first time such a model has been used in Texas; however, NRP Group intends to expand its use of public facility corporations throughout the state.
The company is currently working with Austin Independent School District on another multifamily project valued at $142 million and comprising 674 units on school district-owned land at 4900 Gonzales Street.
Thrive on Crawford reflects a broader trend among hospital systems engaging more actively in real estate within Texas. Some health care institutions have started acquiring office properties instead of leasing them. For example, University Health purchased a 143,000-square-foot office building at 6200 Northwest Parkway in San Antonio’s Northwest Side in 2024 for $28 million—an acquisition aimed at reducing leasing costs.
