FRISCO, TEXAS — The Woodmont Co., a national real estate firm specializing in the development, management, leasing and sale of retail properties, has begun construction on a 10,000-square-foot retail project for Kiddie Academy in Frisco, a northern suburb of Dallas. Scheduled to open this summer, the school will offer full-time care, before- and after-school care and summer camp programs for children between 6 weeks and 12 years old.
HOUSTON — Colliers International has negotiated the sale of an 8,364-square-foot office building located at 15055 Woodham Drive, just off Interstate 45 in north Houston. Daniel Tapia and Tom Condon Jr. of Colliers International represented the seller, Nacobre USA LLC, in the transaction. Bob Conwell and John Nguyen of NewQuest Properties represented the buyer, Destiny Real Estate Houston LLC, an affiliate of California-based The Marwaha Group.
Industrial space throughout the Houston continues to be absorbed at an astonishing clip, pushing vacancy levels to some of their lowest points this cycle. According to Stream’s data, the overall industrial vacancy rate in Houston closed the third quarter at 4.9 percent. Vacancy rates in the six major Houston submarkets are all below 7 percent for the first time since Stream entered the Houston market in 2006. The low vacancy rate across the market has triggered waves of new development. Stream estimates that across Houston, there is approximately 14 million square feet of institutional-quality space under construction, with another 25 million square feet already having delivered since 2014. To put that in perspective, Stream tracked the overall market at 260 million square feet in 2014 compared to 285 million square feet today – a 9% market growth over that four-year period. If you layer in the product under construction today, that takes that growth to over 13 percent. Despite a hefty volume of development hitting the Houston market, leasing velocity continues to outpace new deliveries, keeping market fundamentals in check. This strength is attributable to many macro-economic factors but strong population growth, e-commerce, Hurricane Harvey recovery and the boom in …
HOUSTON — Houston-based retail firm Baker Katz has purchased PlazAmericas Mall, an 850,000-square-foot shopping destination in Houston. Formerly known as Sharpstown Mall, the property was built in 1961 and has undergone several renovations over the years. PlazAmericas Mall is situated on 37 acres and is the oldest enclosed mall in Houston. Matt Berry and Robbie Kilcrease of CBRE brokered the deal on behalf of the seller, Philadelphia-based RAIT Financial Trust. The tenant roster at the mall, which was approximately 70 percent occupied at the time of sale, includes Champs Sports, TX America Cinemas and Banana Bay Restaurant & Bar. The Harris County Appraisal District values the property at $12.2 million, according to The Houston Chronicle.
MESQUITE, TEXAS — Dallas-based SevenSeas Holdings VI LLC has acquired Oates Creek Apartments, a 280-unit multifamily community in Mesquite, an eastern suburb of Dallas. The property features one- and two-bedroom units and amenities such as a pool, business center, outdoor grilling area and a resident clubhouse. Minneapolis-based Dougherty Mortgage LLC arranged an undisclosed amount of Fannie Mae financing for the acquisition on behalf of SevenSeas Holdings. The loan carried a 12-year term and a 30-year amortization schedule.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Institutional Property Advisors (IPA), a division of Marcus & Millichap, has negotiated the sale of Sandshell at Fossil Creek, a 252-unit multifamily property in Fort Worth. Units at the property, which was built in 1986, range in size from 575 square feet for a one-bedroom apartment to 1,235 square feet for a two-bedroom residence. Amenities include a pool, fitness center and onsite laundry facilities. The buyer was Houston-based Ilan Investments. The seller was not disclosed.
BLUM, TEXAS — MYCON General Contractors has completed a 57,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Blum, about 50 miles south of Fort Worth, for DynaEnergetics, which services the oil and gas industry. The facility includes a second story with office and administrative space, as well as employee and customer training areas, a commercial kitchen and dining spaces and employee locker rooms. Arch11 served as design architect, and BWG Architecture is the architect of record for the project.
EL PASO, TEXAS — Hunt Capital Partners has provided $13.4 million in equity financing for the development of Medano Heights, a 141-unit affordable housing project in El Paso. Construction of the property is expected to be complete by December 2019. Hunt Capital Partners provided the equity in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso and Versa Development LLC, which is leading the development effort.
As e-commerce continues to challenge the growth, evolution and resilience of retail, brokers in Houston have reason to be optimistic about leasing velocity and absorption in the coming months, even as new construction floods the market. There’s no denying that in the past several years, the retail industry has experienced a shakeup. The move to online shopping has spared very few retailers, and Houston is no exception. The Houston MSA has seen its fair share of big box store closures, but tenants and developers alike appear ready to face the challenges head-on. The collective mood among retail professionals in Houston is one of acceptance of a new, tech-heavy retail landscape. The retail community has evolved into embracing the likes of pop-up shops, online platforms, curbside pickup options and a service-based shopping experience. Ultimately, however, it’s the consumers who decide the fate of certain retailers. The professionals who develop and lease retail properties are integrating more psychological analysis into their daily work than ever before. In today’s environment, even the slightest of nuances in consumer behavior can mold critical aspects of real estate strategies. The evolution of retail follows the evolution of human behavior. Market Fundamentals Houston is one of the …
FORT WORTH, TEXAS — Crow Holdings Capital-Real Estate, in partnership with Rob Riner Cos., will develop a four-building, 1.1 million-square-foot industrial park in south Fort Worth. The project represents Phase II of a larger development and will deliver a 394,000-square-foot cross-dock facility, 294,000-square-foot cross-dock facility and two 187,000-square-foot front-load facilities. Construction of all four buildings is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2019. Holt Lunsford Commercial will market the properties for lease.