PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS — Amazon has announced plans to open an 820,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the northern Austin suburb of Pflugerville, a move that is expected to bring about 1,000 full-time jobs to the area. The facility is expected to open some time in 2021. Pflugerville has long been rumored to be a landing spot for the Seattle-based e-commerce giant. But only recently did the Pflugerville City Council approve an agreement authorizing the city’s economic development department to offer up to $3.8 million in incentives to Amazon. These funds will be earmarked for offsite road infrastructure improvements and for other capital investment and job creation measures.
ALLEN, TEXAS — Locally based developer JaRyCo has partnered with the Johnson family to develop its farmland at the southeast corner of the Sam Rayburn Tollway and Alma Drive in Allen, located northeast of Dallas, into a 135-acre mixed-use destination. Current plans for the development, which will be branded The Farm at Allen, call for 1.6 million square feet of office space, 142,000 square feet of retail space, a 150-room hotel, 60,000 square feet of restaurant space and 2,400 urban residential units, including townhomes. Additional features include a 2.5-acre lake with boardwalk restaurants, two miles of hiking and biking trails, a 16-acre greenbelt along Watters Creek and four additional park areas. Infrastructure work at the site is scheduled to begin in late 2020. Omniplan is the project architect, and TBG is the landscape architect. Dynamic Engineering is the civil engineer.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Developer VanTrust Real Estate has launched a 994,639-square-foot speculative industrial project in El Paso. The site spans 59 acres and is located within five miles of the Zaragoza Bridge, an international port of entry. Phase I of the project will consist of four buildings totaling 514,135 square feet and is expected to be complete in early 2021. Phase II, which will commence upon completion of Phase I, will consist of two buildings totaling 480,504 square feet. The project is one of several major speculative industrial developments to be announced in El Paso in recent weeks, along with Hunt Southwest’s 370,000-square-foot Rojas East Distribution Center and Equity Industrial and Raith Capital’s 123,966-square-foot project at 9541 Joe Rodriguez Drive.
NEW YORK CITY — Holt Construction Corp. has completed the $4 billion redevelopment of Terminal B at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. The project to redesign and build-out the arrivals and departures hall began in June 2016. The new, 850,000-square-foot facility includes a new ground transportation center on the first floor; a new arrivals hall on the second floor; airline check-in areas on the third floor; and retail and restaurant outlets on the fourth floor. The structure also offers check-in kiosks and security checkpoints, as well as a new lighted water display to welcome travelers. Holt Construction worked alongside LaGuardia Gateway Partners and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to complete the project.
UNION, N.J. — Connecticut-based developer RMS Cos. has acquired 6.4 acres for the construction of a 153-unit apartment community in the Northern New Jersey town of Union. Specific floor plans and amenities were not disclosed, but according to development team, the community will feature “generous-sized apartments, designer finishes and luxury amenities.” Jeffrey Dunne, Gene Pride, Jeremy Neuer, Eric Apfel, Zach McHale, Nat Gambuzza and Trevor Fiebel of CBRE represented Sherwood Group Associates in its sale of the land. The team also procured RMS Cos. as the buyer.
FORT GORDON, GA. — Lendlease and IHG Army Hotels have opened a 311-room Candlewood Suites hotel on the Fort Gordon Army base in Georgia. The property’s rooms offer kitchenettes, and amenities include complimentary breakfast, laundry facilities, a business center, fitness center, pool and a barbecue area. Lendlease, IHG Army Hotels and the U.S. Army have partnered to open 40 hotels across the country, which IHG manages and operates. Lendlease owns, develops and designs the hotels. Fort Gordon is located nine miles west of downtown Augusta. The base serves 109,334 people, including 17,720 active military, according to Military OneSource.
DURHAM, N.C. — Wood Partners has broken ground on Alta Davis, a 408-unit apartment complex in Durham. The community will comprise seven buildings standing four stories each. Communal amenities will include a coffee bar, game room, fitness center, saltwater pool and coworking space. The community is slated to open by the end of 2021. Alta Davis is situated at 4701 Hopson Road, 10 miles southeast of downtown Durham and three miles from the center of Research Triangle Park. WP East Builders is the general contractor.
LOS ANGELES — A joint venture between Lowe and Related Fund Management (RFM) has commenced construction of a nine-story office building located at 2130 Violet St. in Los Angeles’ Arts District. Lowe and RFM recently formed a partnership for the Violet Street development, which Lowe has been planning since 2017. The 113,000-square-foot building will feature 27,000-square-foot open floorplates, high ceilings, operable windows and energy-efficient building systems and HVAC. The building’s top four floor will be dedicated to contemporary and flexible office space, with substantial terraces allowing for increased circulation of fresh air and connected indoor/outdoor work and meeting spaces. The property will also feature a 3,000-square-foot rooftop deck with lounge seating, tables and chairs for tenants use. As part of the development, the joint venture is installing public infrastructure, including sidewalks, crosswalks, a traffic signal, tree grates, street lighting and landscaping along Violet Street. Ware Malcomb is serving as architect and Swinerton is serving as general contractor for the project, which is slated for completion in early 2022. Mike Condon Jr., Pete Collins, Scott Menkus and Brittany Winn of Cushman & Wakefield are handling leasing for the development. Todd Tydlaska and Mike Caprio of CBRE, along with Mike Condon of …
DETROIT — Two construction cranes now occupy the site that eventually will be home to the highly anticipated Hudson Tower project in downtown Detroit. The cranes signal that vertical construction can begin and Bedrock is able to bring the project into the next phase of development. Plans call for a 680-foot-tall mixed-use tower that will include 1.3 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, residential and public space. Bedrock, the real estate arm of billionaire businessman Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans, initially broke ground on the project in December 2017. It is now slated for completion in 2024. Southfield-based Barton Malow Co. is the general contractor. The project is a redevelopment of the former J.L. Hudson department store, which closed in 1984 and was imploded in 1998.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Arnold Development Group and Yarco Development are nearing completion of Second + Delaware, a 276-unit apartment community in Kansas City’s River Market district. The project will be the largest Passive House development in the world, according to the developers. Passive House means that the building uses 80 to 90 percent less energy than conventional buildings with a focus on indoor air quality. The Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany, developed Passive House best practices. Whereas most multifamily buildings have double-glazed windows, Second + Delaware features triple-glazed windows. The extra glass layer, combined with a highly insulated frame, keeps the interior of the window within two degrees of the interior air temperature. In addition, a dedicated outside air system draws fresh air from outside and circulates it into living spaces. A ventilation system ensures air quality. The first residents are set to move into the units in October. Amenities include a saltwater pool, fitness and yoga room, conference room, bike storage and rooftop garden beds. Yarco will serve as property manager. Monthly rents range from $1,300 to $3,500 with water, trash and sewer included. As the name suggests, Second + Delaware is located at the intersection of …