FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Trademark Property co. has leased 45,000 square feet of retail space at its Waterside mixed-use development in Fort Worth to Whole Foods Market. The store, which is expected to open by the spring of 2016, will feature a large outdoor seating area. The 63-acre Waterside is located along the Trinity River and will include 185,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space; 20 to 30 acres of multifamily properties; 100,000 to 200,000 square feet of office space; and a signature hotel. Whole Foods is partnering with Trademark to make the development a “Conscious Place” project, which calls for a variety of amenities including a covered community pavilion, children’s play areas and outdoor patios for restaurants. Phase I of Waterside is slated to open in the fall of 2015.
Texas
PLANO, TEXAS — Auto manufacturer Toyota will relocate its North American headquarters to a new campus in Plano. The new facility is estimated to total 1 million to 1.5 million square feet in the Legacy business park near the interchange of the Dallas North Tollway and State Highway 121. Several Toyota facilities nationwide — including the Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. operation in Torrance, Calif., and the Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. in Erlanger, Ky. — will be consolidated at the new complex. A total of approximately 4,000 employees will be relocated, including those at Torrance-based Toyota Financial Services and certain employees at Toyota Motor North America in New York City, by the time the new campus is completed in late 2016 or early 2017. An expansion of the York Township, Mich.-based Toyota Technical Center and opening of the new Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown, Ky., are also part of the transition. Paul Whitman, Brad Selner, Meredith O’Connor and Michael Sessa of JLL represented Toyota in the McKinney transaction.
HOUSTON — First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. has broken ground on the new 350,820-square-foot First Northwest Commerce Center in Houston’s Northwest submarket. The distribution facility, to be located on a 24-acre site off Beltway 8 at 4800 W. Greens Road, will be designed for either single- or multi-tenant use. The building will feature 32-foot clear heights, 130-foot truck courts, excess trailer storage and ESFR sprinklers. Construction is slated for completion as early as the fourth quarter of this year. The development team includes development consultant Davis Commercial Development LLC, general contractor Cadence McShane and architect Munson Kennedy Partnership. Billy Gold and David Adame of CBRE will lease the property.
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS — HFF has brokered the sale of a three-building, 275,499-square-foot industrial portfolio in the Austin suburb of Round Rock. The properties include 110, 116 and 120 E. Old Settlers Blvd., all located off I-35. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Total Site Solutions and Toshiba each fully occupy one of the facilities. HFF marketed the portfolio on behalf of the seller, a Boston-based institutional investor. Stoltz Cos., an owner/operator real estate investment company, purchased the assets free and clear of existing debt.
McKINNEY, TEXAS — Hisun Motors Corp., a China-based manufacturer of utility-terrain and all-terrain vehicles, will open its North American headquarters at a 163,502-square-foot facility in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of McKinney. The property, located at 310 E. University Drive, previously served as the regional headquarters of Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies. McKinney Economic Development Corp. acquired the site in 2013 when Emerson opened its global corporate headquarters elsewhere in McKinney. Hisun, which is expected to bring 80 new jobs to McKinney, worked with the McKinney Economic Development Corp. for more than one year in finding a location.
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — Thind Hotels LLC will develop two new hospitality properties on a 10-acre site in The Woodlands for approximately $25 million. The project includes a six-story, 152-room full-service Holiday Inn and a four-story, 120-room extended-stay Staybridge Suites. The Holiday Inn will feature a restaurant, swimming pool, spa and 5,500-square-foot ballroom. The Staybridge Suites will feature an outdoor fire pit, patio with covered trellis and indoor movie lounge. The Mathis Group Inc. is serving as project manager, and Arch-Con Construction is working as the general contractor. The project will break ground in May and is slated for completion in the summer of 2015.
SPRING BRANCH, TEXAS — LMI Capital has arranged a $6.8 million loan for the refinancing of a 300-unit, Class C multifamily property in the Houston suburb of Spring Branch. The partial-recourse loan includes flexible prepayment options, no reserves and a fixed interest rate of 3 percent. Jamie Mullin of LMI Capital worked on behalf of the unnamed borrower to arrange the loan through a regional bank.
KELLER, TEXAS — UCR Investment Sales has brokered the sale of Tarrant Parkway Commons, a 56,772-square-foot retail property in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Keller. The fully occupied property, located on the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 377 and North Tarrant Parkway, is anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market and also houses Michael’s. Adam Howells, Kevin Catalani and Jessica Donnelli of UCR Investment Sales marketed the asset on behalf of the unnamed seller. The buyer, Inland Real Estate Acquisitions Inc., was represented internally by Matthew Tice.
BEDFORD, TEXAS — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of a 39,350-square-foot property in the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Bedford net-leased to 24 Hour Fitness. Located at 1805 Airport Freeway, the site features a population of 240,000 within a 10-mile radius. Jason Vitorino and Jared Aubrey of Marcus & Millichap marketed the asset on behalf of the seller, an out-of-state private investor. Vitorino and Aubrey also secured the buyer, an East Coast-based investor completing a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.
HOUSTON — CBRE has brokered the sale of Gessner Estates, a 659-unit apartment property in Houston. The community offers one- and two-bedroom apartments in flat and townhome formats, as well as amenities including three swimming pools, a clubhouse, business center and picnic area. Located at 8701 Town Park Drive, the complex is in proximity to the city’s Westchase district and the major thoroughfares of Beltway 8, State Highway 59 and the Westpark Tollway. Ryan Epstein of CBRE represented the seller, RB Associates LLC, in the transaction. Phoenix-based investment firm Jevan Capital PLLC, in association with Comunidad Realty Partners, purchased the asset.