SEALY, TEXAS — The grand opening has been held for the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, located at 2370 Highway 36 South in Sealy. The hotel, which contains 70 rooms, is a new prototype hotel for the Holiday Inn brand. Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center and wireless Internet access. The hotel is owned by Al, Jay and Pat Patel. Holiday Inn is franchised by Atlanta-based InterContinental Hotels Group.
HOUSTON — White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts has held the grand opening for Element Houston Vintage Park, a 123-room hotel located in Houston. The hotel gives guests the ability to customize their rooms with multi-purpose, modular furniture, swiveling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets. Rooms also feature fully equipped kitchens. Hotel amenities include a lobby with a multi-story window wall, an outdoor fire pit and barbecue, free wireless Internet access, a fitness center, a pool, a technology center with a library and 456 square feet of meeting space. The project is seeking LEED certification. It is situated within Vintage Park, an 84-acre lifestyle center located at the intersection of Louetta Road and State Highway 249. It is also the first Element hotel to open in Texas. It is owned by Condor Hospitality and managed by Louisiana-based InterMountain Management. The general contractor for the build was Dallas-based Benchmark Development Corp.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Construction has begun for Fst Ave Lofts, a $3 million residential project located at 300 S. Florence St. in El Paso. The project comprises nine for-sale loft condominiums, as well as approximately 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space. Community amenities include a rooftop terrace, private parking, building security and resident storage space. Completion is scheduled for the end of summer or fall of this year. The project is owned and is being developed by The El Paso Project LLC. Wright & Dalbin Architects is serving as project architect, with Cumbre Builders providing general contracting services. The El Paso Project has committed to redevelop the downtown El Paso area and create a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly urban environment.
DALLAS — The first retail stores are set to up at Park Lane, Dallas-based Harvest Partners’ $750 million mixed-use project current under construction in Dallas. On March 19, Nordstrom Rack will open a 36,000-square-foot location, followed by a 72,000-square-fooy Dick’s Sporting Goods and a 7,000-square-foot Lane Bryant/Cacique on April 3. Finally, a 20,000-square-foot The Children’s Place will open its doors on April 24. Park Lane will host the Dallas flagship locations for each of the retailers. Park Lane will celebrate its grand opening in the fall. Upon completion, the 33.5-acre project will contain 2.8 million square feet of retail, restaurants, entertainment, offices, hotels and housing.
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS — Carrollton, Texas-based Cantex Senior Communities has acquired approximately 5.6 acres of land within Stonebridge Office Park in Southlake for the development of The Carlyle at Stonebridge Park, a high-end residential health service facility. Cantex Senior Communities, which was founded in 1978, currently owns and operates 18 senior communities in Texas. Stonebridge Office Park is an upscale medical, office and retail development located along Southlake Boulevard just west of the intersection of Davis Boulevard in Southlake. Colleyville, Texas-based Realty Capital Corp. sold the property.
HOUSTON — The North Harris campus of Lone Star College has acquired two office buildings located near Houston Northwest Medical Center in Houston. The buildings will be used to expand the college’s nursing program. Additions will include a nursing lab, a computer lab, a library and a student study area. A simulation lab is also being planned. The college and the medical center have a 23-year history of working together, with students rotating through the medical center. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in October, with completion anticipated in May 2010.
DALLAS — Inland Western Retail Real Estate Trust has secured a $13.97 million loan for its 179,959-square-foot Preston Trail Village shopping center, located at 17194 Preston Rd. in Dallas. The Kroger-anchored center is 90.3 percent occupied by tenants including Bank of America, Dunkin’ Donuts and Hallmark Showcase. American Bank of Texas provided financing for the 3-year, fixed-rate loan. Kevin MacKenzie and Trey Morsbach of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler’s Dallas office arranged the loan.
ALLEN, TEXAS — Dallas-based The MGHerring Group is developing the second phase of The Village at Allen. The second phase is marked with the openings of Super Target, PetSmart and Anderson’s Furniture. Additionally, the second phase will add 275,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. Other stores slated to open this spring and summer include Ross Dress For Less, Hemispheres, Cheddars Casual Café, Dodie’s Place & Sports Grill, Eye Masters, James Avery, Movie Trading Co., Ooo La La, Radio Shack, Saxby’s Coffee, Scottrade, Tacone Flavor Grill, The Kid Salon, Yogilicious and Zeus Boutique. Upon completion, the Village at Allen and The Village at Fairview is slated to have more than 3 million square feet of retail, office, residential and hotel space. The mixed-use development is located on Stacy Road off U.S. 75 in Allen and Fairview.
HOUSTON — Geodis Wilson Projects USA Inc. has leased 61,780 square feet of industrial space at Port North One, a 158,940-square-foot warehouse/distribution building in Point North Cargo Park in Houston. Geodis Wilson is Duke Realty Corp.’s first tenant in the building. The company will occupy 39 percent of the space and utilize two acres of outside land for storage and freight consolidation and deconsolidation. Patrick Rollins of CB Richard Ellis represented Geodis Wilson in the transaction; Cory Driskill provided Duke’s in-house representation.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Senior Quality Lifestyles Corp., a Dallas-based owner of non-profit retirement communities in Texas, has selected the project team for The Stayton at Museum Way, the company’s new senior housing project located in the Cultural District of Fort Worth. The project will be developed by Greystone Communities and built by Andres Construction. The project architect is CSD Architects, the landscape architect is Talley Associates and the interior designer is Studio Six 5. The Stayton at Museum Way will comprise 188 independent living units in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom residences. They will be located within three interconnected, 11-story towers. Amenities include fine and casual dining with view of downtown Fort Worth, outdoor terraces and dining spaces, local artwork within the buildings, a dog park and other resort-style amenities. The project will incorporate sustainable elements including native and drought-resistant landscaping, wood flooring made from rapidly renewable sources, and low-emitting carpets and paints. The construction timetable was not released.