SAN ANTONIO — Navistar (NYSE: NAV), an Illinois-based truck and bus manufacturer, has opened a nearly 1 million-square-foot facility in San Antonio. The site is located along Interstate 35 and links the company’s supply bases in Mexico and the United States. The plant includes a body shop, paint shop, general assembly shop and logistics center equipped to produce various vehicles, including electric models. Navistar is in the process of hiring as many as 600 people to operate the facility.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — The Preiss Co. has acquired University Trails College Station, an 828-bed student housing property located within walking distance of the Texas A&M University campus in College Station. The community offers a mix of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units that are fully furnished and feature private balconies. Shared amenities include a sand volleyball court, pool and hot tub, basketball court, two fitness centers, a business center and multiple study rooms. Preiss Co. plans to implement a value-add program.
PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS — Austin-based developer Sparrow Partners and Ohio-based REIT Welltower (NYSE: WELL) are underway on construction of Amberlin Pflugerville, a 195-unit active adult community located on the northern outskirts of Austin. The property will feature one- and two-bedroom units for renters aged 55 and above that will range in size from 615 to 1,285 square feet. Amenities will include a pool, fitness center, game room, media lounge, community kitchen and coffee bar, dog park and pickleball and bocce ball courts. Rents will run from $1,500 to $2,500 per month. FK Architecture is designing the project. Completion is slated for this fall.
HOUSTON — SPB Hospitality, a national franchisor and operator of steakhouse and brewery concepts, has signed a 42,290-square-foot office lease at The Offices at Greenhouse, a 203,284-square-foot building in Houston’s Energy Corridor. California-based KBS owns the property, which was built in 2014 and offers a four-story parking structure, outdoor amenity spaces and a conference center. Brad Fricks of Stream Realty Partners represented KBS in the lease negotiations. Jon Silberman and Pierce Beyer of NAI Partners represented SPB Hospitality.
SAN ANTONIO — NAI Partners has brokered the sale of Commons at the Dominion, a five-building, 31,112-square-foot office complex located near The Dominion master-planned community in San Antonio. According to commercialcafé.com, the property was built on 3.7 acres in 2007. Josh Murphy and Clare Flesher of NAI Partners represented the seller, Dominion Drive Partners, in the transaction. The buyer and sales price were not disclosed.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS — Homestead U has acquired Aspen Heights College Station, a 797-bed student housing property located near Texas A&M University in College Station. The community was acquired in partnership with Columbus Pacific and its affiliates for an undisclosed price. The property offers cottage-style units with bed-to-bath parity across 27 acres. Amenities include a pool, fitness center, outdoor grilling and dining areas, a dog park, game room, computer lab and a study lounge. The seller and sales price were not disclosed.
SHERMAN, TEXAS — Michigan-based brokerage firm Friedman Real Estate has arranged the sale of Midway Mall, a 530,000-square-foot regional shopping and dining destination located in the North Texas city of Sherman. Anchored by department stores Dillard’s and Burlington, Midway Mall also houses tenants such as 3-D Entertainment, Art of Threading and Candy N Lots. Steven Silverman of Friedman Real Estate represented the undisclosed buyer, which plans to redevelop the property to feature a mix of uses. Specifics of the redevelopment plan were not disclosed.
THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS — CBRE has arranged the $54.4 million refinancing of The Village at Woodlands Waterway, a seniors housing community located north of Houston. Built on 2.7 acres in 2011, the property comprises 116 independent living residences, 63 assisted living units and 28 memory care units. Aron Will, Austin Sacco and Tim Root of CBRE arranged the three-year, nonrecourse loan, which carried a floating interest rate, through an undisclosed debt fund. The borrower was a partnership between the Saudi Economic & Development Co. and Madison Marquette.
HOUSTON — Chicago-based investment firm 29th Street Capital has purchased The Highbank, a 284-unit multifamily property located near Texas Medical Center in Houston. Built in 2017, the community offers amenities such as a pool, outdoor grilling areas, a fitness center and a clubhouse with a wine lounge and library. The new ownership plans to upgrade the unit interiors. The seller and sales price were not disclosed. Haven Residential, an affiliate of 29th Street Capital, will assume management of the property.
When it comes to commercial real estate development, thoughtfully curated teams are critical to success. “It’s important that the extended team works well with each other, so they can deliver results for clients,” explains Mark Fletcher, director of Strategic Partnering at Bohler, a land development design and consulting firm. Developers don’t want to work with a variety of disjointed processes and personalities. They want to work with one team, a multi-discipline team that effectively manages time and resources, focusing on streamlined processes and speed to market. This sort of team unity promotes both cohesiveness and consistency in outcomes. Building a great design and consulting team means having the property developer’s end goals in mind from the very start of the process: dependability, speed to market and turnkey solutions. The importance of fostering cohesion extends to finding an architect to optimize the building and a contractor to strategize materials and phasing. It may be necessary to engage an attorney who can work well with the team to address land use and zoning. Finally, the right site design and consulting firm can streamline communications, maintain timelines and entitlements and keep the project moving forward. Here’s how Bohler’s approach to assembling a team …
