Deloitte Setting Up Camp at Circle T

WESTLAKE (globest.com) – With 107 acres in Hillwood’s Circle T Ranch under its belt, New York City–based Deloitte LLP plans to break ground on a $300 million corporate campus early next year.

The 750,000- to 800,000-sf facility, which the global firm will use for staff development and conferences, will include a resort-style center with 800 guest rooms, at least two private restaurants, recreational facility, business center and fitness facility.

Design work should be completed by late fall, with the center slated for completion in 2011.

Dallas-based Staubach Co. represented Deloitte in the land purchase.

Zachry, ACS Awarded Trans-Texas Corridor Contract

AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – Zachry American Infrastructure and ACS Infrastructure have been selected by the Texas Transportation Commission to plan, develop, build and operate the I-69 corridor, one of two highways being considered for the Trans-Texas Corridor.

The Trans-Texas Corridor is a proposed multi-use network of transportation routes in Texas that will incorporate existing and new highways, railways, utility rights of way and toll roads.

Get Most From Center Market Reports

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – From demographics to home price appreciation, the Real Estate Center's market reports provide a wealth of information on all 25 Texas MSAs. But if tackling the vast amount of data seems like a daunting endeavor, check out the Center's latest video, "The 2008 Market Reports." In less than ten minutes, host Edie Craig will show you how to get the most out of the reports.

Northway's New Ownership

HOUSTON (Grubb & Ellis) – Northway Center, a 215,887-sf shopping center in northwest Houston, has been purchased by an entity of Utah-based Satterfield Helm Management Inc.

The 96 percent occupied property at US 290 and 34th St. is anchored by Academy, Conn's Appliances, OfficeMax and Goodwill Industries.

Grubb & Ellis Company represented the seller, Weingarten Realty Investors.

Georgetown 12th for Classic Homes

GEORGETOWN (ThisOldHouse.com) – This Central Texas town may be just a stone’s throw from “hip and happening” Austin, but the editors at ThisOldHouse.com say it is also one of the best places in the United States to buy a classic home.

After ranking historic cities and neighborhoods nationwide based on criteria such as architectural diversity, the craftsmanship of homes and preservation momentum, the magazine named Georgetown one of the top 12 places in the country to buy an old house.

Other communities that made the cut include Centre Park Historic District in Reading, Penn.; Hampton Heights Historic District in Spartanburg, S.C.; and Old Louisville, Ky.

Six-Building Enclave Complex Planned

EL PASO (El Paso Times) – A local developer is bringing 100,000 sf of upscale office space to the city’s west side.

The Enclave Corporate Center, located on eight acres at the southern end of South Alto Mesa Dr., will consist of six buildings, three of which are existing buildings that will be renovated.

Wright Development Services is developing the project on behalf of Mike Adkins and Jim Currey, owners of technology company Currey Adkins. Completion is expected by spring.

West Texas Hotel Boom

EL PASO (El Paso Times) – Hotel construction is booming in the farthest reaches of West Texas, with seven hotels slated to bring almost 600 rooms to El Paso over the next year. Among them:

• a 74-room Comfort Suites at I-10 and Mesa, to be completed next month;
• a 93-room Hampton Inn and Suites at I-10 and Artcraft, to be completed this fall;
• a 103-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott at Remcon Circle, to be completed next spring;
• a 95-room Fairfield Inn and Suites, also at Remcon Circle and also slated for the spring;
• a 96-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites, also at I-10 and Artcraft, due next June; and
• a 121-room Value Place at Joe Battle and J.C. Poe, slated for next July.

According to Smith Travel Research, the city’s hotel occupancy rate for the first five months of this year was 69.2 percent, up slightly from 67 percent for the same period a year ago.

Palmer's Big Bite

LA PORTE (Houston Chronicle) – A local warehousing and distribution company is taking a big bite out of the new InterPort Distribution Center at 13001 Bay Area Blvd.

Palmer Logistics has leased 468,000 of the center’s 598,000 sf. The company, which moves products such as chemicals, food, lumber and general goods for third parties, has 60 to 65 percent of its business tied to the port.

With most of that space now taken, First Industrial Realty Trust will develop a second distribution center containing 732,000 sf. The architect is Powers Brown, while the general contractor is Cadence McShane.

St. George Trucking Parks at Bayport

HOUSTON (Houston Chronicle) – St. George Trucking & Warehousing of Texas has leased 129,375 sf of office and warehouse space at the Bayport North Industrial Park II at 4035 Underwood.

Vantage Cos. represented the landlord, Vantage Development No. 39. The tenant was represented by Studley.

AT&T Heading to Big D

DALLAS (globest.com) – AT&T Inc. plans to move its headquarters, which includes 700 employees, from San Antonio to downtown Dallas by the end of the year.

According to a company press release, AT&T will shift its headquarters to a corporate-owned, one million–sf office building at 208 S. Akard St.

The company’s 5,300-employee telecom operations group will stay in San Antonio.

No Snail's Pace for Caterpillar Facility

WACO (globest.com) – Already two months ahead of schedule, Illinois-based Caterpillar Inc. has unveiled plans for a 750,000-sf industrial facility in McLennan County.

The LEED-certified build-to-suit project will be on 77 acres between Bagby Rd. and Gateway Blvd. in an emerging, unnamed industrial park.

The 520-foot by 1,350-foot cross-dock will have 32-foot clear height and 15,725 sf of office space. The building is slated to be completed by the end of the year.

Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corp. is handling construction. The designer is GSR Andrade Architects of Dallas, and the design-build civil engineer is Rodman Construction Co. of Frisco.

Weingarten's Wildness Oaks Center Planned

SAN ANTONIO (Houston Business Journal) – A new shopping center is coming to US 281 and Wilderness Oaks Rd. courtesy of Weingarten Realty Investors.

The Shoppes at Wilderness Oaks will be built on 29 acres recently purchased by the Houston-based real estate investment trust.

Wayside Apartment-Storage Combo Sold

BROWNWOOD (Apartment Realty Advisors) – A Mansfield-based private investment group has purchased an 80-unit apartment complex that includes 48 self-storage units.

Wayside Apartments, located at 2001 Brady Ave., was built in phases between 1967 and 1972. It was 100 percent occupied at time of closing.

Apartment Realty Advisors represented the seller, a local investor.

No RECON Friday

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – In observance of the Fourth of July, there will be no Friday edition of RECON this week. We will resume our normal publication schedule next week.

Material herein is published according to the fair-use doctrine of U.S. copyright laws related to non-profit, educational institutions. Items attributed to sources other than the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University should not be reprinted without permission of the original source.

© 2008. Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. All rights reserved.