AUSTIN, TEXAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a proclamation allowing the state’s water parks, driver education programs and food-court dining areas within shopping malls to resume operations at limited capacities. Beginning Friday, May 29, under Phase II of the state’s reopening plan, these establishments may reopen at 25 percent of their normal operating limits. All businesses must adhere to designated sanitation and social-distancing protocols as well. In addition, starting Sunday, May 31, recreational sports programs for adults can resume, but games and similar competitions may not begin until June 15. This announcement follows the governor’s plan to allow bars to reopen in advance of Memorial Day weekend.
CARROLLTON, TEXAS — JLL has negotiated the sale of Valwood Crossroads, a two-building, 618,052-square-foot industrial park located in the northern Dallas suburb of Carrollton. Built in 2019, the property features a cross-dock building and a rear-load building with clear heights ranging from 32 to 36 feet. Both buildings also feature deep truck courts and ESFR sprinkler systems, and are leased to Smith System Manufacturing Co., a provider of furniture for schools. Stephen Bailey and Dustin Volz of JLL represented the seller and developer, Atlanta-based Core5 Industrial Partners, in the transaction. Denver-based investment firm Black Creek Group purchased the asset for an undisclosed price.
IRVING, TEXAS — The American Athletic Conference has signed an 18,000-square-foot office lease at The Summit at Las Colinas in Irving for its new headquarters. The company will relocate its 30 employees later this summer from Providence, R.I., where it has been based since 1979. Conor McCarthy and Jeremy McGown of JLL represented the conference in the lease negotiations. James Esquivel and Ahnie Sheehy, also with JLL, represented the landlord, Gemini Rosemont Commercial Real Estate. The 19-story, 376,000-square-foot Summit at Las Colinas currently houses tenants such as the College Football Playoff, Nexstar Media, JPMorgan Chase and General Motors. Renovations to the building’s common areas will begin later this year. The American Athletic Conference, formerly known as the Big East, comprises 11 members and includes two Texas educational institutions: the University of Houston and Southern Methodist University.
DALLAS — Tuesday Morning Corp. (NASDAQ: TUES) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Dallas-based retailer says the actions are in response to “the immense strain the COVID-19 pandemic and related store closures have put on the business.” Tuesday Morning is a discount home furnishings chain. The company opened its first store in 1974 and currently operates 687 stores in 39 states. The retailer expects to permanently close approximately 230 stores to focus on high-performing locations. The phased store closures will take place this summer. After closing all stores and furloughing most of its 9,000 employees on March 25 as a result of COVID-19, Tuesday Morning has reopened more than 80 percent of its existing store footprint and expects to continue store reopenings and bringing associates back to work over the coming weeks. With no e-commerce platform, the closure of all physical stores was particularly devastating for Tuesday Morning compared with some other retailers, according to Business Insider. Tuesday Morning says that comparable store sales for the reopened stores have been approximately 10 percent higher than sales during the same period in 2019. The retailer began reopening stores April 24. “Prior to the pandemic, we were gaining momentum in …
EL PASO, TEXAS — A partnership between locally based developer Hunt Cos. and regional bank WestStar has topped off WestStar Tower, a 264,000-square-foot office tower in downtown El Paso. The latest plans for the building, which represents the largest office project in El Paso in at least 20 years, feature 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 850 parking spaces. Construction began about two years ago and is expected to be complete in early 2021. At 313 feet, WestStar Tower will be the city’s tallest building and will house the headquarters of both Hunt Cos. and its namesake lending tenant. Other project partners include architects Gensler and Duda|Paine, general contractor Moss and leasing agent Sonny Brown & Associates.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — CIM Group is nearing completion of Fifth + Tillery, a 182,700-square-foot office project in East Austin. The Los Angeles-based developer acquired the property in October 2019 shortly after construction began and expects to open the building in July. Spaces at Fifth + Tillery will be marketed to creative office users and will feature outdoor balconies with heightened levels of natural light. The building will also offer a landscaped courtyard with various outdoor amenities.
HOUSTON — New York-based Arbor Realty Trust Inc. has provided a $28 million Fannie Mae loan for the refinancing of Casa Verde, a 384-unit apartment community in Houston. Built in 1973 and renovated in 2010, the property features one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom floor plans. Amenities include a pool, clubhouse and onsite laundry facilities. Brian Scharf of Arbor originated the loan on behalf of the undisclosed borrower.
WACO, TEXAS — Developer Heritage Hospitality Group is underway on construction of a 104-room Residence Inn by Marriott hotel in Waco. The four-story property, which is expected to open in mid-July, will feature a sport court, outdoor pool, fitness center and meeting rooms. Atlanta-based Hospitality Ventures Management Group will manage the hotel.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Third Avenue Management LLC, an investment advisory firm based in New York City, has entered the Texas market with the opening of a new office in Austin. The firm has maintained a satellite office suite in downtown Austin since 2017 and is expanding it into a regional office as it adds staff to support its expansion efforts in the state capital. Ryan Dobratz, who oversees the management of the firm’s real estate fund, will lead the new office, which has also undertaken a specific initiative to invest in select real estate and businesses that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Rastegar Property Co., a private real estate owner and developer, has purchased two parcels in South Austin for the development of a new mixed-use project. The sites are located at 505 and 507 W. Live Oak St. and are the final leg of a 2.5-acre land assemblage that began with Rastegar’s purchase of a site last September. In January, the company bought two sites at 508 and 511 W. Live Oak St. that totaled a little more than a half-acre for an undisclosed price. The new development will sit at the corner of South 1st Avenue and West Live Oak Street near Barton Springs Road. The site is a few blocks from South Congress Avenue, as well as Austin’s central business district. Michael McKinley of St. Croix Capital represented Rastegar in the latest land transaction. “Once we secured the hard corner, things began to fall into place,” says McKinley. “All parties worked diligently to overcome obstacles related to COVID-19 in order to complete this 2.5-acre assemblage, due to the high demand for development sites in Austin’s urban core.” While still in the planning stages, Rastegar has disclosed that the property will include residences, entertainment uses and a …