HOUSTON — Francesca’s, the Houston-based apparel and accessories chain for women, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close an additional 97 stores across the country, according to documents filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Francesca’s had previously announced in mid-November that it would be closing 140 stores, or roughly 20 percent of its total count, and possibly pursuing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration. According to CNBC, Francesca’s has received a buyout offer from Los Angeles-based TerraMar Capital and hopes to close a sale by late January.
Texas
PLANO, TEXAS — Next Wave Investors LLC, a Southern California-based private equity firm, has purchased Shiloh Park Townhomes, a 73-unit multifamily complex in Plano. Built in 2000, the for-rent property features residences that average 1,700 square feet per unit. The townhomes are equipped with washer/dryer connections and private garages in select units. The property was approximately 95 percent occupied at the time of sale. Next Wave plans to implement a value-add program to both unit interiors and building exteriors. The seller was not disclosed.
SAN ANGELO, TEXAS — Burlington will open a new store at the site of a former Hastings Entertainment location in San Angelo, located in the western-central part of the state. Dallas-based N3 Real Estate is developing and leasing the property on which the new store will be situated. Construction is underway, and the opening is scheduled for spring 2021. The square footage was not disclosed. Hastings Entertainment was a retail chain that sold books, movies, music and video games and also functioned as a video rental shop. The company ceased operations in 2016.
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS — Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) will open a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Missouri City, a southwestern suburb of Houston, in a move that is expected to create about 500 new full-time jobs. The location of the facility, which is expected to open some time in 2021, was not disclosed. Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 43,000 jobs in Texas and invested more than $16.9 billion across the state, including infrastructure and compensation to its employees.
DALLAS AND HOUSTON — Global investment firm KKR (NYSE: KKR) has acquired a 1.8 million-square-foot industrial portfolio in Dallas and Houston for $171 million. The portfolio consists of two fulfillment and distribution centers, one in each market, that were both fully leased to two different investment-grade tenants on a long-term basis at the time of sale. Houston-based Hines developed and sold the assets, which have an average construction vintage of 2019. KKR now owns more than 20 million square feet of industrial real estate throughout the United States.
WACO, TEXAS — Envases Group, a Mexico-based provider of aluminum cans, will open a 450,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Waco. Operations at the facility are expected to create about 120 full-time jobs, with another 500 or so jobs to be created through construction and indirect uses such as building maintenance and product distribution. The Waco operation will focus on aluminum beverage containers commonly used for soft drinks, beers, energy drinks, teas and non-carbonated beverages. Completion is slated for late 2021. Founded in 1993, Envases Group owns and operates 56 plants, three sales offices and seven distribution centers in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
FARMERS BRANCH, TEXAS — Weitzman has brokered the sale of a 95,488-square-foot building formerly occupied by Atlanta-based furniture retailer Haverty’s in the northern Dallas metro of Farmers Branch. The building offers a second-generation showroom/warehouse with highway frontage and visibility, as well as a mezzanine level for showroom and office space. David Zoller of Weitzman represented the seller, a Dallas-based limited partnership, in the transaction. Joe Doye of Westin Co. represented the buyer.
SAN ANTONIO — NorthMarq has arranged an $8 million loan for the refinancing of Crownridge Centre, a 41,590-square-foot office building located on the north side of San Antonio. Bryan Leonard of NorthMarq placed the debt through an undisclosed life insurance company on behalf of the locally based sponsor. The financing was structured with a fixed interest rate and a fully amortizing 20-year term. The building is leased to tenants in the financial, medical and energy sectors.
NEW CANEY, TEXAS — Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) will open a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center on the northern outskirts of Houston, creating about 200 jobs in the process, according to reports from multiple news outlets including Community Impact Newspaper and the Houston Business Journal. According to the former publication, the home improvement retailer’s new center will be located along Gene Campbell Road in New Caney at the East Montgomery County Improvement District’s industrial park. Local ABC affiliate abc13.com also reports that the facility is expected to open in July and represents approximately $65 million in public and private capital investment. The stock price of Lowe’s opened at $151.99 per share on Friday, Dec. 3, up from $115 per share a year ago.
PASADENA, TEXAS — Third-party logistics firm Dunavant Distribution Group has signed a 784,000-square-foot industrial lease at Bay Area Business Park in the eastern Houston metro of Pasadena. John Nicholson of Colliers represented the tenant in the lease negotiations. Justin Robinson and Jeff Pate of Stream Realty Partners represented the landlord, PEPF Red Bluff. The three-building property is located near Port Houston and recently underwent an expansion to become the largest single-owner industrial business park in Houston, according to the brokerage team.