Shipping containers for sale Dallas

Zad Roumaya has an idea for another project in the Cedars, but at this point he is stressing that it’s still not ready for prime time.

The Cedars neighborhood pioneer agreed to talk about his possible venture as long as I presented it as a super speculative idea.

It’s super alright.

Roumaya wants to build an apartment complex out of metal shipping containers and he’s calling it ModPod. Shipping containers — the kind that hold just about everything we buy that’s imported and must be transported across the ocean – apparently make good building blocks.

These metal boxes that measure 40-feet long, 8-feet wide and 9-feet tall already house students on college campuses in the Netherlands and workers in remote oil fields, according to photos and an article in Popular Mechanics.

Roumaya has been floating the idea on Craigslist and others have been sharing his ad on social media.

He has been meeting with Dallas city officials and putting a big pencil to the building costs. Obviously, there’s a lot of retrofitting to add windows and make them livable, but millions of these containers are out there. Costs vary. I checked around and one can be had for a $2, 000 to $4, 000. Dallas-based residential design firm M Gooden Design features one of its shipping container homes on its website. The house is in Old Lake Highlands just off Buckner on Peavy Road.

“We’re making progress each week, but it still will be another 30-60 days before we are sure, ” he said. “Consumer response very supportive.”

Roumaya has been taking down names and interviewing people who call in from the ad to say they are interested.

“Market demand is there, ” he said. He’s heard from people who already live in small places and people who want do downsize and travel.

Roumaya decided almost two decades ago that the Cedars neighborhood south of downtown Dallas was a place for the creative class and that’s the way he’s pitching this potential project. Here’s what he wrote in the ad to gauge interest:

“Creative Class? Urbanite? Alternative? Progressive? Kind? Cool? Smart? Artmaker? Art Contributor? Art Buyer?!? – welcome to the Cedars District. Live or Work in these 40′ long x 8′ wide, high cube (9′ high) converted shipping containers. One floor plan, one price. $880 / 1br – 320ft2 – Modpod Shipping Container Live Work (Cedars District, Dallas)”

“Yours are the bragging rights to be among the first members in this shipping container community and development in Dallas, and the Southwest.”