SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — NAI Partners has arranged the sale of a 25,000-square-foot industrial building located at 120 Industrial Blvd. in Sugar Land, a southwestern suburb of Houston. Gulf Coast Athletic Supply Inc. sold the property to DetectaChem, a manufacturer of handheld detection systems, for an undisclosed price. Chris Caudill of NAI Partners handled the transaction.
Between 2014 and 2016, the Houston multifamily market struggled with an issue of oversupply as a result of accelerated apartment construction. When Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, Houston residents displaced by the storm produced a surge in apartment demand that helped fill thousands of empty units over the ensuing 12 months. Fast forward to 2019, and two key factors are keeping a strong apartment pipeline flowing and forcing developers to play catch-up: new residents and more jobs. Over the past two years, demand has outpaced deliveries, a welcome sign for investors following the 2014-2016 era. More than 20,000 units came on line in 2016 alone and caused absorption to lag. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, steady increases in population have Houston competing with Chicago for the title of third-most populous city in the country. This demographic trend, coupled with the city’s strong labor market, has created a setting wherein capital keeps trying to find its way into the Bayou City. Underpinning the need for more housing product was the 94,000-plus new residents added during the last year, which ranked Houston’s net migration in the top three of U.S. metros. Given the rise in demand stemming from jobs and in-migration, …
FRISCO, TEXAS — Hillwood has broken ground on The Cadence at Frisco Station, a 322-unit apartment community located within the 242-acre Frisco Station mixed-use development on the northern outskirts of Dallas. Designed by JHP Architecture, the property will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom units as well as townhomes. Units will feature granite countertops, custom cabinetry and walk-in closets, as well as smart locks and thermostats. Amenities will include a pool with cabanas, coworking space, a fitness center, coffee and wine bars, resident lounge, sauna and a pet washing facility. Preleasing is scheduled to begin in summer 2020 with the first units slated to come on line in early 2021.
DALLAS — Buckner Senior Living has opened Ventana by Buckner, a 301-unit seniors housing community in North Dallas. Development costs were estimated at $140 million. The project, designed by D2 Architecture, features two 12-story towers that house 189 independent living residences, 38 assisted living residences, 48 nursing apartments and 26 memory care residences. Buckner is collaborating with Baylor Scott & White Health for medical and spiritual care services, Stephan Pyles for culinary services, Cooper Aerobics for health and wellness and Southern Methodist University for continuing education. Apartments range from 950 to 2,000 square feet.
LAREDO, TEXAS — Buckland Global Trade Services Inc., a Canadian freight and distribution company for the automotive and consumer goods industries, has signed a 250,000-square-foot industrial lease at Khaledi Industrial Park in the South Texas city of Laredo. The build-to-suit property fronts Interstate 35 and also offers proximity to the World Trade International Bridge, which connects to the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo. Mike Rodriguez of Forum Commercial Real Estate arranged the lease on behalf of the tenant.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — JLL has arranged the sale of The Palace, a 280-unit apartment community in Arlington. The garden-style property was built in 1971 and was recently renovated to upgrade signage, building exteriors and common areas. The community was 96.4 percent occupied at the time of sale. Art Barnes, David Godvin and Jorg Mast of JLL represented the seller, MBP Capital Inc., in the transaction and procured the buyer, Raven Multifamily. Deverick Jordan, Andrew Speer, Clint Hoelscher and Donovan Collins of JLL placed an undisclosed amount of Fannie Mae acquisition financing for the deal.
FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS — Chicago-based Mag Mile Capital has provided a $5.5 million CMBS loan for the 78-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel in Fredericksburg, about 80 miles west of Austin. The property offers a pool and a fitness center. The loan carried a sub-5 percent interest rate and a 30-year amortization schedule. The borrower was not disclosed.
Elevated consumer spending tied to a strong job market in the greater Houston area is driving retail investment and tenant demand in suburban and urban submarkets alike. As a result, it’s one of the nation’s top MSAs for retail development, with more than 3 million-plus square feet under construction market-wide. From an investment perspective, single-tenant and ground-leased assets remain favorable with investors. E-commerce-resistant tenants like fitness, restaurants, automotive service centers, car washes/detailing and dialysis facilities command the most attention with cap rates between the mid-5 to mid-6 percent range. Cap rates tend to be 25 to 50 basis points lower for ground leases because there is no landlord responsibility. Credit, guarantee, location, lease term and landlord responsibility are the biggest factors affecting value. Following Grand Parkway In greater Houston, the majority of retail development recently has been in high-growth submarkets along the 180-mile Grand Parkway/TX 99, which loops through seven counties. National brands like Target, Ross Dress for Less, T.J. Maxx, Burlington, Ulta Beauty and Five Below are continually scouting sites in high-density suburban markets along the Grand Parkway. The exponential growth in the entertainment, fitness, dining and medical/healthcare sectors is an equally strong catalyst for retail and mixed-use development …
DALLAS — Locally based developer Bright Realty has completed Offices at The Realm, a 235,000-square-foot office project with 16,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space in Lewisville, located north of downtown Dallas. The project represents Phase I of Bright Realty’s 324-acre Realm at Castle Hills mixed-use development. Amenities at Offices at The Realm include a fitness center, conference center and a rooftop terrace. Coworking firm Venture X has also signed a lease to occupy 30,371 square feet at the nine-story building. BOKA Powell designed the project, and Hill & Wilkinson served as the general contractor. Phase II of The Realm at Castle Hills will deliver a 260-unit apartment community with ground-floor retail and restaurant space in fall 2020.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Texas-based multifamily investment and development firm Presidium has sold Ascent at Lake Worth, a 265-unit apartment community in Fort Worth. The property features studio, one, two- and three-bedroom units averaging 935 square feet. Communal amenities include two pools, a fitness center, dog park, clubhouse, outdoor kitchen and fire pit, media room, playground, coffee bar and a business center. Taylor Snoddy, Philip Wiegand and James Roberts of NorthMarq represented Presidium in the transaction. Stephen Whitehead, Lauren Bresky and Will Hancock of NorthMarq arranged a permanent, fixed-rate Fannie Mae loan for the transaction. Both the buyer and the amount of the loan were undisclosed.