Much of the national hype surrounding the growth in industrial development, investment and leasing activity in North Texas is centered on Dallas, a national leader in in-migration and employment growth across a variety of industries. The demographic and economic fundamentals of Dallas have made it a highly desirable market for e-commerce and third-party logistics users looking to service an ever-growing last-mile population. But beginning about four years ago, the dwindling supply of quality sites near the Dallas core began to generate rapid rent growth, causing priced-out developers and users to start looking westward. Fort Worth’s transition from a predominantly manufacturing market to a dynamic logistics and distribution hub began with Hillwood’s purchase of 15,000 acres for its AllianceTexas development in the mid 1980s. Since that time, Fort Worth has displayed a more aggressive stance on economic and industrial development. Both cities have long shared access to critical pieces of infrastructure — DFW International Airport, Interstates 20, 30 and 35 — as well as strong availability of land and a quality supply of laborers. But until recently, the growth paths always favored Dallas — the more gentrified of the two cities that was also a preferred destination for corporate relocations and …
