It has been a tremendous year for the Twin Cities of Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Ark. with the education sector topping $70 million and a $180 million major medical campus projected to commence in early 2016. Educational Opportunity Texas A&M University-Texarkana has been awarded $35.5 million in state funding for the construction of a new building to house and expand its nursing program, including the expansion of a Master’s Degree program, and to promote student success initiatives. The Texas A&M University system expanded its four year-university program to Texarkana in 2010, with the first freshman class admitted that year including Phase I dorms on the 300-plus acre Bringle Lake Campus. University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH) expanded a satellite campus on Texarkana’s Arkansas side in 2012, with over $5.4 million going toward the construction of two buildings that service over 300 local students. Working hand in hand with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, UACCH has expanded their four-year university program, and will continue to grow as the new health professions building completes construction. Further education initiatives include a $29.2 million commitment from Texarkana Independent School District for the construction of a new sixth grade center and …
EULESS, TEXAS — Venture Commercial Real Estate has completed an assemblage of 43 acres of land located at the northeast quadrant of Cheek-Sparger Road and Heritage Avenue west of State Highway 121 in Euless. The buyer, Tonti Properties, is expected to break ground in spring 2016 on Trinity Union, a 457-unit multifamily community. The project has a mixture of product types including a four-story wrap-style building with structured parking and separate townhome-style buildings with direct-access garages and private yards. Trinity Union will feature an urban design, and 19 acres of the site will be devoted to retail use. John Zikos, Ken Reimer, Christopher Gibbons and Cheryl Hill of Venture worked with Tonti to acquire three separate land tracts. In the most complex of the transactions, Venture represented the seller, a family that had owned a 25-acre tract for 54 years, while Wilson Stafford of Edge Realty Capital Markets represented Tonti Properties. In the other transactions, Venture and Edge co-represented Tonti Properties.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Austin-based developer Johnson Trube & Associates is moving forward with construction of a Class A student housing development near the University of Texas at Austin campus. Located at 2508 San Gabriel St. in Austin, The Corner will offer 62 units with a mix of two to five bedrooms for a total of 207 beds. The eight-story structure is scheduled to open to students in the fall of 2016. The property is being built using a framing technology developed by Prescient, a Denver-based software design and structural system manufacturing company. The pre-manufactured metal framing system is designed to offer a faster, greener and more cost-effective alternative to conventional structures. The development team includes Johnson Trube & Associates, JE Dunn, Mark Hart Architecture, Prescient, Wuest Group, Austin City Realty and Fairway Properties. Project features and amenities include walking/biking access to campus, secure access, a cyber café, quartz countertops, wood floors and stainless steel appliances.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — HFF has arranged the sale of and secured financing for Amber Oaks Corporate Center, a 10-building, 650,000-square-foot corporate office campus in Austin. HFF marketed the campus on behalf of the seller and represented Menlo Equities as the purchaser of Amber Oaks for an undisclosed amount. Additionally, HFF assisted Menlo Equities in securing financing through a national bank. Amber Oaks Corporate Center is situated on a 70-acre site adjacent to I-45 in the northwest submarket of Austin. Amber Oaks Corporate Center is 85 percent leased to tenants including AECOM/URS Corp., Deloitte, Xerox, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Office Depot and Toshiba. The property features basketball and tennis courts, outdoor seating areas and an adjacent 120,000-square-foot Life Time Fitness facility.
MCKINNEY, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of Quality Inn McKinney, a 100-room hospitality property located in McKinney. Chris Gomes of Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office, along with Allan Miller of the firm’s San Antonio office, marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a private investor. Gomes and Miller also procured the buyer, a private investor. Quality Inn McKinney is located at 1300 N. Central Expressway in McKinney, just south of West White Avenue. Constructed in 1981 and renovated in 2013, the asset is situated on approximately 3.8 acres. The economy hotel features an outdoor swimming pool, breakfast area, meeting space, fitness room and an on-site owner apartment.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — CBRE Capital Markets’ Investment Properties has negotiated the sale of Serena Vista Apartments, a 120-unit, value-add multifamily community in Arlington. Des Moines, Iowa-based BHE Acquisitions purchased the asset from Cascades 120 LLC for an undisclosed amount. Dirk Goris and Chris Deuillet of CBRE’s Dallas office represented the seller. The 105,636-square-foot asset, located at 1519 San Francisco Court, was built in 1980. The complex consists of 15 different floor plans and offers efficiency, loft, one-, two- and three-bedroom options. It was 97 percent occupied at closing. Most of the units have received flooring and/or countertop and cabinet upgrades. Five units were recently updated with stainless steel appliances, kitchen backsplashes and fans.
HOUSTON — McCarthy Building Cos. has been awarded the contract for the $38.7 million upgrade of Wharf 2 at the Port of Houston Authority’s Barbours Cut Terminal located in Morgan’s Point. Barbours Cut is considered to be one of the premier container handling facilities in the country. The project will upgrade the existing Wharf 2 to support larger wharf cranes that can accommodate post-panamax vessels. McCarthy will upgrade 1,000 linear feet of wharf, installing new foundations and crane rails, and construct a new stevedore support building, mast poles and the electrical infrastructure required for three new 100-foot gauge electric dock cranes. Wharf 2 is adjacent to McCarthy’s recently completed Wharf 1 project, which included the rehabilitation of a 1,333 linear foot structure used for the receipt and shipment of containerized freight intended for both foreign and domestic trade. The project was completed in fall 2014. The upgrade of Wharf 2 is scheduled to begin in January 2016. Completion is scheduled for early 2017.
GARLAND, TEXAS — Through its U.S. Industrial Fund II, Hillwood Investment Properties has acquired 3838 W. Miller Road, a Class A distribution building totaling 200,000 square feet located in Garland. The property is located on Miller Road, a named exit off of I-635, and provides access to U.S. 75 and I-35E. The cross-dock facility is available for lease and offers 31-foot clear heights, T-5 lighting, a sprinkler system and 140-foot truck courts. The building provides up to 30,000 square feet of office and showroom areas along with parking for 260 cars.
TULSA, OKLA. — CBRE Capital Markets’ Investment Properties has arranged the sale of a complex including 180,000 square feet of warehouse space and 220,000 square feet of office space at the Hilti North America Operations Center in Tulsa. Educational Development Corp. (EDC), an educational children’s book publishing company based in Tulsa, purchased the warehouse and office space from Hilti for an undisclosed price. Hilti will lease back 180,000 square feet of the office space to house its North America Operations Center, which includes customer service, accounting, training and other functions. Hilti will continue to be located in Tulsa after the company’s headquarters relocated to Plano, Texas in June. Located at 5404 S. 122 E. Ave., the remaining 221,000 square feet will house EDC’s new headquarters, including a 180,000-square-foot warehouse operation. Adam Rumsey, Bob Pielsticker, Angela West and Matt Reese of CBRE represented the seller. EDC sells children’s books, including Usborne Books and the Kane Miller line of international children’s titles, through a sales organization of independent consultants, through 5,000 retail stores and online. Hilti is a manufacturer and supplier of tools and fastening systems.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Berkadia has negotiated the sale of Villas del Sol Apartments, a multifamily property located in Austin. Forrest Bass and George Deuillet of Berkadia’s Austin office completed the sale. Austin-based ACA Villa del Sol LLC was the buyer, and San Diego-based LLJ Quez Rutland Place LLC was the seller. Built in two phases during 1978 and 1982, Villas del Sol Apartments is located at 1647 and 1711 Rutland Drive. The 294-unit property consists of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans and is 96 percent occupied. Unit amenities include fully equipped kitchens, walk-in pantries, faux-wood vinyl flooring, built-in desks and bookshelves, ceiling fans, walk-in closets, linen closets and patios or balconies. Select units also include fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. Community amenities include a swimming pool, clubhouse, fitness center, business center, playground, picnic areas with barbeque grills, two laundry facilities and a dog park. Accessible from U.S. Highway 183 and I-35, Villas del Sol Apartments is less than three miles from The Arboretum shopping center and less than two miles from The Domain shopping center.