FORT WORTH, Texas (July 15, 2010) – Through the first six months of 2010, Hillwood leased 2.6 million square feet at its AllianceTexas development. That’s the highest lease total for the first half of a year in the development’s 21-year history, exceeding the previous high of 2.1 million square feet leased in the first six months of 2007. In the first half of last year, the company leased 1.9 million square feet at AllianceTexas.
Primarily due to the new leasing activity, close to 500 jobs have been added at AllianceTexas in the first half of the year. Another 1,300 jobs have been retained through renewals that were completed in the first six months of 2010.
Of the 2.6 million square feet leased so far in 2010, 1 million square feet are new deals and 1.6 million square feet are renewals.
“Equally as impressive as the amount of space that was leased in the first six months of 2010 is the diversity of what was leased,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. “Our bread and butter has always been our industrial portfolio, but close to 200,000 square feet of office space has been leased this year and several new retailers either completed leases or held grand openings at Alliance Town Center in the first half of 2010. Our Monterra Village apartment home community, which just opened in 2008, also is now 96% leased.”
Highlighting the leasing activity through the first six months of 2010 at AllianceTexas was LG Electronics leasing 165,402 square feet and adding 65 new jobs with the relocation of its cell phone repair unit from Alabama to AllianceTexas. Exel Logistics also expanded the North American Distribution Center that it operates for LEGO from the 402,500 Gateway 62 building to 596,000 square feet in the nearby Gateway 60 building. Texas Instruments, Lockheed, Ryder and Tarrant County College renewed leases at AllianceTexas.
At Alliance Town Center, leases were completed with AAA, Jos. A. Bank, Texas Health Resources and Zoe’s Kitchen, while Rooms To Go, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, and Tutti Frutti opened during the first half of 2010.
In addition to the record leasing activity, construction also was booming at AllianceTexas through the first six months of 2010. Health Care Service Corp., the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, recently completed its 250,000 square-foot data center. Kroger began construction on its 123,000 Marketplace Concept store at Alliance Town Center. In addition construction continued on the 750,000 square-foot Deloitte University training and leadership center at Circle T Ranch, as well as the 200,000 square-foot United Markets in the Alliance Global Logistics Hub. Texas Health Resources is scheduled to begin construction later this year on its new hospital campus on the 40 acres that it bought from Hillwood last year at Golden Triangle and Interstate 35W.
The 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development includes the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, the Monterra Village apartment home community, Alliance Town Center, the corporate campuses and golf courses of Circle T Ranch, and the Heritage and Saratoga residential communities. More than 50 companies at AllianceTexas are ranked on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private Firms.
Hillwood, (www.hillwood.com) a Perot company, is one of the top commercial and residential real estate developers and investors in the country. The company's developments currently house facilities for 65 companies listed on either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. In addition to AllianceTexas, Hillwood is best known for its development of AllianceCalifornia near Los Angeles and the $420-million American Airlines Center and Victory district near downtown Dallas.
ROANOKE, TX-LEGO Systems Inc. has expanded its North American distribution center by nearly 200,000 square feet, moving into 596,000 square feet at the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, which is part the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development.
The Denmark-based company, which provides toys and teaching materials for children, currently occupies the 402,500 square-foot Alliance Gateway 62 building at 400 Patriot Pkwy. LEGO first opened its Alliance distribution center in 2006. The center is managed by Exel Inc., a third-party logistics company that occupies about 2.5 million square feet at Alliance.
“LEGO only has one distribution facility in North America, and their business had grown exponentially so they ran out of space,” says Tony Creme, who represented Hillwood internally on the deal. The tenant was represented by Dan Cook of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas.
Creme tells GlobeSt. that LEGO is a textbook example of Hillwood’s flexibility. “We have the ability to tear up a lease mid-term and move a tenant into another space,” he points out, adding that LEGO/Excel had two years left on the original lease.
LEGO’s new distribution space is in the 756,000-square-foot Alliance Gateway 60 building located at 300 Freedom Dr. The company, which will occupy 79% of the building, has the opportunity to expand into the remaining space as it grows.
The building, which had an asking rate of $3.25 per square foot, triple net, had been vacant for a year. It was previously occupied by Ryder Logistics and Phillips Electronics and represented Hillwood’s largest vacancy in the Alliance project.
LEGO’s existing space will be returned to Hillwood’s vacant inventory, but Creme says it’s a great building to have back since it offers rail service and all the “bells and whistles” including foreign trade zone designation.
Originally, Alliance Gateway 62 did not have foreign trade zone designation, and Hillwood worked with the city and state to obtain it for LEGO. “The new building had to have a foreign trade zone, and we were able to get a modification for it like we did for the previous building,” Creme explains. “This is a great public-private partnership that made this deal work. The city has a pro-business attitude and wanted to make sure that the expansion would happen.”
As part of the new lease, Hillwood made some improvements to the Alliance Gateway 60 building. “We repainted the exterior and refurbished the office area so their new home looks very similar to their old home,” Creme says.
LEGO joins a list of companies including General Mills, Motorola, ATC Logistics, SC Johnson & Sons, LG Electronics, and Bell Helicopter that have expanded at Alliance.
LEGO EXPANDS NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION CENTER AT ALLIANCE GLOBAL LOGISTICS HUB
Deal Shows Development’s Ability To Accommodate Customer Expansions
FORT WORTH, Texas (May 24, 2010) – LEGO Systems Inc. has expanded its North American Distribution Center at the Alliance Global Logistics Hub by close to 200,000 square feet, moving into 596,000 square feet in the Alliance Gateway 60 building. The company currently occupies the 402,500 square-foot Alliance Gateway 62 building. Both facilities are in the Roanoke, Texas section of the Alliance Global Logistics Hub.
This deal shows Hillwood’s ability to accommodate customer growth at Alliance. LEGO can expand its operation to a facility down the street from its existing facility, thus avoiding many of the operational and labor issues inherent with most moves. LEGO joins a list of companies, such as General Mills, Motorola, ATC Logistics, SC Johnson & Sons, LG Electronics, and Bell Helicopter that have expanded at Alliance.
Lego’s distribution center is managed by Exel Inc., a third-party logistics company that operates in approximately 2.5 million square feet of space at Alliance.
Exel was represented by Dan Cook of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas. Hillwood was represented in-house by Tony Creme.
LEGO first opened its North American Distribution Center at Alliance in 2006. The 756,000 square-foot Alliance Gateway 60 building is located at 300 Freedom Drive.
The LEGO Group (www.lego.com) is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is engaged in the development of children’s creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 8,000 employees, and it is the world’s fifth largest manufacturer of play materials.
The Alliance Global Logistics Hub is part of the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development. In addition to the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, the development includes the Monterra Village apartment home community, Alliance Town Center, the corporate campuses and golf courses of Circle T Ranch, and the Heritage and Saratoga residential communities. More than 50 companies at AllianceTexas are ranked on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private Firms.
Hillwood, (www.hillwood.com) a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. The company's developments currently house facilities for 65 companies listed on either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. In addition to AllianceTexas, Hillwood is best known for its development of AllianceCalifornia near Los Angeles and the $420-million American Airlines Center and Victory district near downtown Dallas.
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LG Electronics plans to move as many as 65 cellphone repair jobs from Alabama to Alliance in far north Fort Worth next month, and that number could grow to a few hundred jobs during the year, a company executive said Monday.
LG, a Korean consumer electronics company with worldwide operations, is consolidating its cellphone repair business into one location, said Kevin Grey, human resources director at the company's facility in Huntsville, Ala. It has operated a manufacturing and repair facility there since 1981.
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FORT WORTH, Texas (April 27, 2010) – Hillwood has renewed leases for more than 3 million square feet at its AllianceTexas development over the past year. The renewals, many of which were with industry leading companies, also retained close to 3,900 jobs.
“While new deals tend to attract the most attention, renewals are just as important because they maintain the vitality of the development and show that existing companies are successful here,” said Bill Burton, senior vice president of Hillwood Properties, the developer and manager of AllianceTexas. “Our team at Alliance is particularly proud of the fact that we’ve retained every customer and every job we possibly could in a development that has 230 companies, 28,000 jobs and more than 31 million square feet.”
One of the largest renewals over the past year was for a total of 556,039 square feet in two buildings with ATC Logistics & Electronics, which employs 2,600 workers at Alliance. Renewals also were completed with industry leaders, such as LG Electronics (499,797 square feet), General Mills (670,000), S.C. Johnson (408,000), Exel Logistics/Texas Instruments (409,914) and Coca-Cola (127,200), over the past 12 months.
Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Industrial Project Leasing brokers
Steve Aldrich
Hillwood
HOMETOWN: Dallas
COLLEGE: Trinity University
CAREER DEBUT: 1997
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: I loved my early years in the business. I got to see the tech bubble burst early on. I had no money, anyway, so it was a great lesson. When making money is easy and things seem too good to be true, they are.
TOP 2009 DEAL: My favorite deal of 2009 was having our second little girl, Georgia.
GOOD TIMES: Driving through AllianceTexas every day for the past 12 years. When I started, Highway 114 was a two-lane blacktop and we had less than 10 million square feet on the ground. It’s easy to lose perspective when you see something every day, but I try and remind myself regularly what has happened out here over the past 12 years.
CHALLENGES: We are having to get creative, but I think that’s a good thing. Fortunately, we have an excellent project to sell. Overall, however, the market is going to have to equilibrate, which isn’t completely in our control. We like seeing deals completed and if they don’t happen at Alliance, we like to see them happen anywhere in the market.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Ki Aldrich.
Tony Creme
Hillwood Properties
HOMETOWN: Syracuse, N.Y.
COLLEGE: Southern Methodist University
CAREER DEBUT: 1998
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: I used the first few years to network and learn as much as I could so I would be prepared when the market came back.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Q-Edge, a 365,000-square-foot lease. It was a heavily negotiated deal, and the competition was extremely intense at the very end.
GOOD TIMES: Every deal we do is rewarding, especially the development deals that add new product to our project, AllianceTexas.
CHALLENGES: Filling our large blocks of vacant space. We are staying very close to our customers and getting aggressive on every deal we see.
OPPORTUNITIES: Foreclosed properties. That is where people are willing to put their money.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Peyton Manning. He always takes control of his offense and makes quick decisions on the fly to adapt to each situation.
Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Rookies
Reid Goetz
Hillwood Development Corp.
HOMETOWN: Fort Worth
COLLEGE: The University of Texas at Austin
CAREER DEBUT: 2005
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: One of the most challenging aspects of beginning a career in commercial real estate is having to build professional relationships from scratch, as well as learning every piece of the development, leasing, acquisition and capital sides of business. I learned to never miss an opportunity to network and to become a sponge whenever I was in business meetings or working on new projects.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Each individual deal we did within AllianceTexas presented its own set of challenges and unique characteristics, making each deal my favorite in its own way.
GOOD TIMES: The relationships. Forming long-term relationships with customers and brokers in the marketplace has been very rewarding and is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this business.
CHALLENGES: One of the biggest challenges is developing original ideas in an effort to create new business opportunities while responding to the changing needs of companies in the current economic conditions. At Alliance, our approach to responding to those challenges remains the same — keeping our heads down and continuing to work hard while providing the best possible operating environment and services to our customers.
OPPORTUNITIES: The greatest opportunities are going to lie in the way companies re-evaluate the way they do business. As companies look for ways to improve operating costs, increase efficiencies in logistics and supply chains, I believe that AllianceTexas is in a terrific position to provide those companies with the compelling options to meet their needs.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Without being too partial to my alma mater, I would have to say Colt McCoy’s approach to football best exemplifies my approach to business (sorry, I can’t help it). Colt looks at each day as an opportunity to work harder and become a better student of the sport, a philosophy that guided him to the most wins for a quarterback in NCAA history and to the largest stage in NCAA collegiate sports. While any hopes of a national championship stage long passed me by (pro quarterback abilities and a sub-5.0 40 were never in my future), I still go into the office each day with the attitude to work harder than the previous day and with the desire to become a better professional.
Heavy Hitters—Q&As: Retail brokers
Mark Miller
COLLEGE: Texas A&M
SURVIVING THE EARLY YEARS: The early years were not too rough. I learned to be patient. I stuck it out because it was fun and interesting.
TOP 2009 DEAL: Kroger Marketplace because it was the first one they were doing in Fort Worth and although it was a challenging deal, it will be a good deal for everyone.
GOOD TIMES: Just the day to day learning of the different facets of the business.
CHALLENGES: Financing. Trying to find ways to get a harmonious marriage between equity and debt where everyone benefits.
OPPORTUNITIES: Single tenant deals.
FOOTBALL PLAYER YOU’RE MOST LIKE: Dat Nguyen because he is an Aggie and he was tenacious and persevered.
David Gelbaum marked Earth Day 24 hours in advance, welcoming scores of guests ranging from local middle schoolers to landlord Ross Perot Jr. into his solar energy skunk works at Fort Worth's Alliance industrial park.
Alliance Fixed Base Operation at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, a private passenger terminal and airplane hangar, has received the Exxon Mobil Premier Spirit Award for the 14th consecutive year as top among 200 Exxon Mobil facilities worldwide.
FORT WORTH, Texas – For an unprecedented 14th consecutive year, the Alliance Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at Fort Worth Alliance Airport has received the ExxonMobil Premier Spirit Award as one of the top FBOs among the approximately 200 ExxonMobil facilities around the world. Last year Fort Worth Alliance Airport handled close to 105,000 operations, which are the most at the facility since 2001.
The Alliance FBO is particularly recognized for the services provided during NASCAR weekends at Texas Motor Speedway. Between Wednesday and Sunday, more than 400 flights will arrive at the airport. Approximately 200 aircraft will be parked at the facility during Sunday's race. NASCAR officials have used the Alliance FBO as the example of excellence that should be achieved by other airport facilities on their racing circuit.
The ExxonMobil Premier Spirit Award is based on surveys of independent pilots who visit FBOs around the country and detailed inspections by ExxonMobil’s professional quality Assurance Team. No other FBO has won the honor more.
A Fixed Base Operation is a private terminal and hangar that provides passengers, pilots and cargo carriers with a wide array of services, including catering, maintenance, fuel, accommodations, ground transportation and plane storage. The facility is managed by Alliance Aviation services, an operating company of Hillwood, the developer of the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development.
The Alliance FBO serves passengers and pilots of private planes, as well as military aircraft. The 83,409-square-foot facility features a 23,000-square-foot aviation/office center and more than 62,000 square feet of hangar space. Among its amenities are a plush lounge, a pilots room complete with a shower and sleeping area, and a flight control room for pilots to file flight plans and monitor weather.
AllianceTexas also includes the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, the Monterra Village apartment home community, Alliance Town Center, the corporate campuses and golf courses of Circle T Ranch, and the Heritage and Saratoga residential communities.
Dallas businessman Ross Perot Jr. and real estate investor James Sowell are getting top honors from the North Texas commercial property industry.
Perot and Sowell next month will be inducted into the North Texas Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame.
The award is sponsored by the North Texas Commercial Association of Realtors and Real Estate Professionals and will be presented on May 13 in Dallas.
Perot’s Hillwood companies have developed landmark North Texas real estate projects including the Alliance complex in North Fort Worth and Dallas’ Victory Park development.
Sowell’s investment firm, Sowell and Co., has built residential communities throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and in other Texas markets.
The new hall of fame members will join a group that includes the likes of Trammell Crow, Henry S. Miller Jr. and Roger Staubach. More than 70 past and present real estate players have been honored with this industry accolade.
Along with the awards to Perot and Sowell, a lifetime achievement award will be given to Dallas brothers Jerry and John Bradley, who’ve worked as commercial real estate agents here since 1970.
According to the recently released 70th Annual Report of the Foreign-Trade Zone Board to the U.S. Congress, Alliance Foreign-Trade Zone No. 196 in north Texas admitted US$5.357 billion in foreign products in fiscal year 2008, tops in the U.S. among general-purpose FTZs, and was joined in the top five by fellow Texas zones in Houston and El Paso. The state is home to 31 of the nation’s 164 general-purpose FTZs, with half of the top 10 by foreign goods value located there.
According to AllianceTexas developer Hillwood, “in large part due to its role in handling imports, AllianceTexas has had an economic impact of $36.4 billion on the North Texas economy. In addition the development has attracted $6.8 billion in private investment, generated more than $730 million in property taxes and created 28,000 fulltime jobs.”
The FTZ board in fiscal 2008 issued 47 formal orders, including approvals for one new general-purpose zone and 20 new subzones. Authority was also granted for the expansion of 10 existing general-purpose zones. Other actions included six expansions of the scope of manufacturing activity, as well as six approvals for new manufacturing activity in zones. “The number of facilities using subzone status during the year was 254,” said the report. “The combined value of shipments into general-purpose zones and subzones totaled over $692 billion, compared with $502 billion the previous year. General-purpose sites received nearly $75 billion in merchandise. Total shipments received at subzone sites amounted to over $617 billion.”
Over $40 billion worth of exports were shipped from facilities operating under FTZ procedures during fiscal 2008, and total FTZ employment came to approximately 330,000 persons at some 2,500 firms.
Exports from FTZs have grown steadily over the past decade, more than doubling in value since 2002. Vehicles led the way in value of foreign status goods admitted in FTZs, at more than $10.4 billion, followed by petroleum products and consumer electronics.
In a struggling global economy, Texas is making made great strides to stand apart from the crowd. If Texas were a nation, its economy would rank as the 12th largest in the world by GDP, according to the Texas Comptroller’s 2008 estimates. A leader in the global marketplace, the Lone Star state was ranked as the number one state by export revenues for the eighth year in a row, totaling $163.4 billion in 2009. It is also home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state in the nation.
Texas continues to garner national attention, including top economic rankings by the Milken Institute, CNNMoney, and Forbes, which ranked the Lone Star State number 1 for Economic Climate in its “Best States for Business” report.
One of the most successful industries in Texas is its innovative energy and technology development sector. Pushing Texas into the high tech frontier is the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF). In January, Gov. Rick Perry reauthorized $203.5 million for this initiative, which is helping to attract new investments in the state’s emerging technology centers.
UT-Pan American is receiving $3.4 million through the TETF for the creation of its Rapid Response Manufacturing Center, geared to reduce the lead time in a product’s life cycle between inception and delivery to the customer. The center will provide greater commercialization opportunities in South Texas by centralizing all product development, design, testing and distribution in one location, in Edinburg, TX, driving new products into the market faster.
Photon8 Inc., a startup company leading the development of algae bio-fuel technology in partnership with The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, received a $1 million grant from TETF. The company will use the award to genetically enhance the performance of the algae and advance its extraction technology.
“Texas is a leader in the energy sector and a leader in research and use in alternative energy,” Gov. Perry said, announcing the grant. “Through the help of Photon8 we hope to spur innovation in biofuels that does not interfere with our food supply.”
The partnership between Photon8 and UTB/TSC is leading research in algae-based biodiesel fuel. Photon 8 is housed at the ITEC Center.
“Photon8 and UTB/TSC are charting new pathways and together making unanticipated breakthroughs,” said Brad Bartilson, president and CEO of Photon8. “We are committed to making Texas the leader in sustainable energy.”
Since August, Photon8 Inc. moved its headquarters from New Jersey to the UTB/TSC campus and has begun working with professors and students in the chemistry, environmental science, molecular biology, MEMS and electro-magnetics departments.
ScanTech Sciences Inc. is receiving $2 million from TETF for the development and commercialization of food sterilization technology that uses electronic pasteurization to ensure the safety and freshness of food. The technology will allow for safer food imports by removing more insects, bacteria and toxins without using chemicals.
In addition to these TETF projects, National Instruments has announced a new NI Texas Emerging Technology Grant Program, which provides software and training services to companies that receive TETF investments. NI’s LabView software helps young companies make the transition from the lab to the market.
To date, TETF has allocated more than $126 million in funds to 98 early-stage companies, and $153 million in grant matching and research superiority funds to Texas universities. For more information on the TETF, visit http://www.emergingtechfund.com.
ALLIANCETEXAS: THE NATION'S TOP FOREIGN TRADE ZONE
AllianceTexas, developed by Hillwood (a Perot Company), is a 17,000-acre, master-planned, mixed-use community located in north Fort Worth. AllianceTexas offers a variety of commercial real estate options, including new industrial, office and retail. Anchored by the inland port known as the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, AllianceTexas is home to 230 companies, 28,000 employees and 7,100 single-family homes.
In February, the Alliance Global Logistics Hub was named the nation’s top foreign trade zone by the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) Board for the third consecutive year. About $5.4 billion worth of foreign-made products passed through the local, general-purpose zone last year, according to the board’s annual report to Congress. That surpasses the $4 billion admitted through the second-place Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“With Alliance, you have an airport, two rail lines and a highway [Interstate 35W], which is huge in distribution circles,” said David Pelletier, a spokesman with Hillwood, the developer behind the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas development.
The foreign trade zone helps lure companies to AllianceTexas, Pelletier said. The designation allows companies to import products before U.S. customs inspections are made and pay no duty until the products leave the foreign-trade zone. “It’s just one more cost-savings measure that helps attract companies into the development,” Pelletier noted.
Hillwood officials expect the value of products passing through the zone to grow as ATC Logistics & Electronics continues to operate after setting up shop in 2009. The company provides repair and assembly services for GPS and cell phone manufacturers and providers. Other companies with operations in the FTZ include Motorola, Lego and Hyundai.
Since opening Fort Worth Alliance Airport—considered the centerpiece of AllianceTexas—Hillwood has watched companies flock to the development. Proximity to the world’s first industrial airport, which opened in 1989, and major freeways and rail lines, has made AllianceTexas a major player not only for attracting corporate tenants, but for enriching the local economy.
AllianceTexas now houses more than 230 companies, including 65 from either the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes list of Top Private Firms. These companies have built more than 3,129 million square feet and created more than 29,000 jobs. For more information, visit http://www.alliancetexas.com/.
Deloitte's Westlake campus will not be available for public education - at least not in its early days.
"It's something we will consider," said Stephen Silverstein, director of real estate and workplace strategies with the New York-based accounting and consulting firm.
Speaking at the March 2 Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Silverstein described the $300-million training facility and corporate campus under construction on 107 acres bounded by Dove, Ottinger and Precinct Line roads and State Highway 114.
When complete in mid-2011, the resource dubbed "Deloitte University" will educate, entertain and likely inspire the thousands of visitors expected to walk through the mammoth facility.
"We really landed a great piece of property," said Silverstein. Deloitte employs 45,000 and operates 102 U.S. offices in 92 cities with nearly $11 billion in total U.S. annual revenues. After considering multiple sites as its next significant location, Silverstein said several factors made Westlake the obvious choice: airport access, an attractive physical location, surrounding amenities and climate. "We'll scratch this year," said Silverstein, drawing laughter from the capacity crowd.
Thousands of visitors are expected to train on the sprawling campus, broadening their skills while enlivening the local economy. Area restaurants, sports arenas and other recreational locations are expected to benefit from their business.
Deloitte employees are expected to give back, as well, donating one day a year to community volunteerism.
"We buy the paint, we buy the paintbrushes, we teach in schools," said Silverstein, touching on only a few ways in which he said Deloitte employees provide volunteer time in their respective communities.
"When you see the faces of those you impact, that's what makes it worthwhile."
Pressed to specify an opening date for the Westlake campus, the executive said "mid-2011. That's all you'll get out of me."
An unusually snowy winter has pushed back the construction schedule by a few weeks, said Silverstein, vowing that workers will catch up.
Though sizable, the campus conforms to Westlake's rural flavor and hilly terrain. Silverstein assured folks that the community's next major corporate tenant will not disrupt its way of life.
"We've built the project into the property," said Silverstein, estimating that construction has cost only about six trees. Primary access to the property will be via a private road extending from Westlake Parkway, minimizing the traffic impact on Dove and Ottinger roads. As for the facility itself, Silverstein touted its aesthetic qualities in a PowerPoint presentation.
"It's very Texas, low country, very ranch," Silverstein said of facilities that incorporate natural light and open space. In addition to several cyber cafes, a restaurant and a 30,000-square-foot ballroom will be an 800-room company hotel.
FORT WORTH -- Texas Christian University has received $2.5 million to endow scholarships in honor of former Fort Worth Mayor Bob Bolen.
As it reached its 20th anniversary on Dec. 14, AllianceTexas has had a $36.4 billion economic impact on North Texas. The 229 companies that now call the development home have built 31.2 million sq ft and created 28,000 jobs. Since the development began, the companies and residents of the AllianceTexas also have paid more than $730 million in property taxes, including more than $105 million in 2008.
Fort Worth Alliance Airport opened on Dec. 14, 1989 as the world’s first industrial airport and the centerpiece of an Alliance development that initially was designed to attract air cargo and aerospace manufacturing facilities. The subsequent addition of the BNSF Intermodal Facility on the west side, along with the existing Union Pacific mainline to rail serve buildings on the east side of the development, as well as the FedEx Sorting Hub, created an inland port intermodal logistics hub that is now the prototype for similar projects across the country.
As the project continued to grow and become more diversified with the addition of office, residential, entertainment and retail, Hillwood rebranded the development as AllianceTexas, which now includes several developments, residential communities and a town center.