DALLAS — Venture Commercial Real Estate has arranged four leases on behalf of DestinationXL, a big and tall men’s clothing store. The 9,059-square-foot Dallas store is located at the southeast corner of North Central Expressway and Park Lane in the Shops at Park Lane, and will represent the first urban Dallas location for the retailer. The Arlington location spans 5,970 square feet and is located at 4245 S. Cooper St. The 6,800-square-foot Midland location is located at 2810 W. Loop 250 North in The Commons at Northpark II shopping center. The Tulsa, Okla. store, also 6,800 square feet, is located at 7020 S. Memorial Drive. Venture’s John Zikos and Jonathan Cooper represented the tenant in the four transactions. Ashley O’Malley and Jack Beard of United Commercial Realty, Mihir Mody of Mody Capital LLC, Gary Andrews of GRACO Real Estate Development and Matt Mardis of Paine & Associates represented the landlords in the transactions. The Tulsa store opened in October. The Arlington location is scheduled for a February opening, Midland is scheduled to open in March and the Dallas store is slated to open in May.
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — Liberty Pipeline Services has expanded and relocated its offices from Spring to The Reserve at Sierra Pines in The Woodlands. Liberty increased the size of its space from 3,300 square feet to 9,313 square feet in the new Class A building, which is located at 1585 Sawdust Road. Ryan Dierker and Rob Banzhaf with Newcor Commercial Real Estate represented Liberty Pipeline Services in locating and negotiating the office space lease. Jarrod McQuain of Cushman and Wakefield represented the sub landlord.
Austin continues to be one of the hottest multifamily markets in the country due to its exceptional economic and population growth. According to Angelou Economics, Austin gained 39,100 jobs in 2014, a growth rate of 4.5 percent. In the 12 months ending in November 2014, Austin experienced an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, well below the national average of 5.6 percent, according to numbers published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fueled largely by the city’s increased hiring in the tech sector, Austin had an in-migration of 66,000 people in 2014, a growth rate of 3.5 percent. The city attracts residents from all over the country due to the low cost of living, the University of Texas college atmosphere, the beautiful hill country setting, and internationally renowned events such as Austin City Limits, Formula 1 Grand Prix and ESPN’s Summer X-Games to name a few. Supported by technology, creative industry jobs and the seat of state government, the Austin MSA was recently ranked No. 2 on Forbes magazine’s list of “America’s Fastest Growing Metros,” down from the No. 1 position the city held for the previous four years. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Austin will exceed 2 million residents …
DALLAS — Buchanan Street Partners has acquired Granite Tower, a 10-story, 240,000-square-foot office building located at 4055 Valley View Lane in Dallas. Buchanan Street acquired the property on behalf of an unnamed pension plan from a partnership between CREA Investments and Macfarlan Capital Partners. Granite Tower is currently 97 percent leased. The firm acquired Granite Tower with five-year, fixed-rate financing provided by a Midwestern-based life insurance company through HFF, who acted as the mortgage broker in the transaction. Dallas-based DTZ will continue to manage and lease the property.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Wood Partners LLC has opened a new office in Austin. The new office is in addition to new offices in Chicago and New Jersey. Wood Partners now operates 18 offices nationwide. The company is pursuing more than $1.5 billion of new development and acquisition opportunities in 2015, including in the Austin/San Antonio market.
HOUSTON — 29th Street Capital (29SC) has acquired Ashley Park Apartments, a 284-unit, Class B asset located in the Medical Center/University submarket of Houston. The property is located inside of the 610 Loop and is less than two miles from the Texas Medical Center. The property will be re-branded as The Edge at City Centre. 29SC plans to invest $2.17 million, or $7,640 per unit, to improve the quality of the units and common areas while enhancing curb appeal. Amenities will include a new fitness center and upgraded leasing center. New plank siding, landscape improvements and signage will be added to the exteriors. Renovations in the apartment units will include the addition of new appliances, resurfaced countertops and cabinets, upgraded kitchen and bathroom fixtures, modern lighting and new flooring in the living areas.
SUGAR LAND, HUMBLE, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has arranged the sale of two retail properties in metro Houston. The first is a 14,641-square-foot CVS drug store located in Sugar Land. James Bell of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office represented the buyer, a private investor, who utilized a 1031 exchange. The CVS was built in 2014 and is located at 4523 L.J. Parkway. The second transaction was the sale of Plazas at Lake Houston Parkway, a 14,511-square-foot retail property located in Humble. Bell marketed the property on behalf of the seller, a Houston developer. The Plazas at Lake Houston Parkway retail property is located at 20121 W. Lake Houston Pkwy.
AUSTIN — CBRE has negotiated the sale of Southwest Medical Village, a Class A medical outpatient facility in Austin. Denver-based EverWest Real Estate Partners LLC worked with the buyer to purchase the asset for an undisclosed price. Gary Carr, Eric Mackey, John Alvarado and Robert Hill of CBRE’s Dallas office represented the seller, Harrod Healthcare Development. The fully leased asset has approximately 70,000 square feet of medical office space and offers above-code parking. The property is located at 5625 Eiger Road. Premier Family Physicians, a family medicine practice, anchors the property, which includes 18 other specialty practices.
DALLAS — Trademark Property Co., the operating partner for The Shops at Highland Village, will complete a multi-million dollar renovation of the 352,000-square-foot shopping center located in Dallas. The project will include common area improvements, upgraded landscaping, the addition of new amenities for adults and children, updated facades and new signage throughout the property. Trademark conducted a design meeting last summer at The Shops at Highland Village with numerous architects, the onsite management team and city officials to collaborate and formulate a strategic plan and direction for the property.
PLANO, TEXAS — Venture Commercial Real Estate has arranged a long-term lease for Northern Tool + Equipment in Plano. The new lease will add 5,040 square feet to its 15,000-square-foot store at 99 Ranch Marketplace located at 111 W. Spring Creek Pkwy. Venture’s Clay Mote represented the tenant in lease negotiations. Oliver Robinson of Centennial Real Estate Services LLC represented the landlord, Spring Creek Retail LLC.