Influences such as costs and labor continue to have an impact on construction in all sectors across Dallas-Fort Worth. Commercial office buildings increasingly are becoming a part of a community’s fabric, says Zach Edwards, principal at the Dallas-based global design and architecture firm Gensler. Multifamily developers work to keep up with the technological demands of the modern tenant, and industrial projects are dealing with raw materials and labor that are in short supply.
Maps for the office and industrial markets are provided by Transwestern. Data for the multifamily market is provided by Axiometrics, a RealPage company.
ON-THE-GROUND INSIGHTS
“The mobility and autonomy desired by today’s workforce is changing the dynamics of how, where, and when we work. Commercial office buildings must see themselves as part of the urban fabric, not just what is within their four walls; but connecting to and contributing to the community amenities and tenant experience.”
— Zach Edwards, Principal, Gensler
“Office construction is doing its best to keep up with the demand for tech amenities by today’s tenants. Wi-Fi capabilities throughout the common areas (indoor and outdoor), on-demand eating options that rely on technology, and fun tech toys like golf simulators are becoming much more common.”
— Jeremy McGown, Senior Vice President, JLL
“As our population expands, we’re experiencing record levels of construction and growing demand, especially for warehouse/distribution space. Building costs are increasing because raw materials and labor are in short supply. Meanwhile, there’s a shortage of available land for development.”
— Kurt Griffin, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
“Developers are constantly working to provide differentiated product, and they are having to do it with sites that are becoming more and more challenging. With many of the ‘easy’ sites gone, developers are having to be more creative with site layouts and building design to make deals work. Beyond that, incorporating the newest amenities and finishes is a must.”
— Drew Kile, Senior Managing Director, Marcus & Millichap
OFFICE
Announced Developments
1. THE EPIC
SIZE: 470,000 square feet
LOCATION: Dallas
DEVELOPER: Westdale Real Estate Investment and Management
DETAILS: Construction on the second tower of The Epic development in Deep Ellum is scheduled to begin the fourth quarter this year. Roughly 450,000 square feet of the building is being leased by tech giant Uber, which will house about 3,000 workers.
2. GRANITE PARK 6
SIZE: 415,000 square feet
LOCATION: Plano
DEVELOPER: Granite Properties
DETAILS: The new 18-story building will be the tallest structure yet in Granite Park and will be built on State Highway 121 just east of the Dallas North Tollway. Set for construction to start in early 2020, the building is designed by Dallas architects BOKA Powell and HKS.
3. CARILLON
SIZE: 96,000 square feet
LOCATION: Southlake
DEVELOPER: John Terrell and Hunter Chase Construction & Development
DETAILS: The proposed 96,000-square-foot office building would be in the Carillon Parc mixed-use development along the State Highway 114 frontage road in Southlake as part of a larger mixed-used development.
6. SILVERLAKE CROSSINGS
SIZE: 80,000 square feet
LOCATION: Grapevine
DEVELOPER: NewcrestImage
DETAILS: Construction has started on the four-floor office building within the SilverLake Crossings master-planned development. NewcrestImage’s headquarters will occupy one floor of the building. Completion on the build, about two miles north of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, is expected in summer 2020.
Under Construction
4. HQ CENTER
SIZE: 90,000 square feet
LOCATION: Plano
DEVELOPER: Thakkar Developers and Heady Investments
DETAILS: Ground has been broken on the four-story office building that will be a major element of the Mustang Square mixed-used development.
5. MAYFIELD GROVES
SIZE: 150,000 square feet
LOCATION: Grand Prairie
DEVELOPER: Cawley Partners
DETAILS: The new office building will be part of the Mayfield Groves mixed-use project from Cawley Partners on State Highway 161 at Forum Drive.
INDUSTRIAL
Announced Developments
1. KROGER
SIZE: 350,000 square feet
LOCATION: Dallas, just north of Lancaster
DETAILS: Kroger and Ocado have announced plans to build a 350,000-square-foot automated customer fulfillment center that will have digital and robotic capabilities. It’s expected to create up to 400 jobs.
2. PANATONI
SIZE: 159,405 square feet
LOCATION: Farmers Branch
DEVELOPER: Panattoni Development
DETAILS: The California company has bought the land for a speculative industrial building on an 8.4-acre site at 1701 Valley View Lane. It’s near the intersection of LBJ Freeway and Interstate 35E.
3. RAYTHEON
SIZE: 200,000 square feet
LOCATION: McKinney
DEVELOPER: KDC
DETAILS: The defense contractor is building a new advanced manufacturing facility on the campus of its Space and Airborne Systems headquarters in McKinney. The McKinney operation specializes in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Completion is expected in late 2020. Raytheon is the city’s largest employer with more than 3,000 employees. The new facility will create 500 new high-tech jobs.
MULTIFAMILY
Announced Developments
1. PRESIDIUM AT REVELSTOKE
SIZE: 408 units
LOCATION: Fort Worth
DEVELOPER: Presidium
DETAILS: Work is underway on the luxury residential community in Alliance Town Center in north Fort Worth. It will be a three-story, 466,515-square-foot development that will incorporate smart technology into its units, allowing residents to control temperature, access, and lighting in their homes from wireless devices.
Under Construction
2. THE ACADEMIC
SIZE: 365 units
DEVELOPER: Leon Capital Group
LOCATION: Dallas
DETAILS: Construction has begun on the development on the site of the former Dallas Independent School District headquarters complex on Ross Avenue east of downtown. Included in the project’s design and engineering team are Architecture Demarest, Urban Structures, Basharkhah Engineering, Spiars Engineering, and DesignSixTwo.
3. THE MARGO
SIZE: 358 units
LOCATION: Frisco
DEVELOPER: StreetLights Residential
DETAILS: Ground has been broken on the third phase of The Canals at Grand Park. It’s a four-story development. Architects with StreetLights Creative Studio and LRK worked on the project. SLR Texas Construction is general contractor and Ink + Oro designed leasing and amenity spaces.
4. DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH
SIZE: 310 units
LOCATON: Fort Worth
DEVELOPER: Transwestern Development Co. and MWG Enterprises
DETAILS: City staff in Fort Worth has presented a tax incentive package that would make the 19-story high-rise development at 1000 Weatherford St. feasible. The site is near the Trinity River and the Pier 1 headquarters building.
