Regions Southwest
BNSF Railway Takes 198 Acres at Dallas Logistic Hub, May Buy 164 More
May 14, 2008
By: Amanda Marsh, Associate Editor

The Allen Group has announced the sale of 198 acres of land in the Dallas Logistics Hub to BNSF Railway Co., with the additional option agreement giving BNSF the right to purchase an additional 164 acres.

The property is located in the cities of Lancaster and Dallas, and provides more than 9,000 feet of rail frontage, representing a portion of the 2.5 miles of BNSF track frontage within the project. No further details of the transaction were available.

“There is definitely a lot of momentum with this deal, and it will be one of many we hope to announce over the next two months,” an Allen Group spokesperson told CPN. One of these forthcoming deals will be The Hub’s first build-to-suit, which is expected to be announced in the beginning of June.

Although details about what BNSF plans to do with the land have not been discussed, analysts have ventured that it might be a possible intermodal terminal. If that is indeed true, it will be the first logistics park in the world to have two intermodal terminals, the other being a 360-acre Union Pacific terminal, the spokesperson said, noting, “It will be the first of its kind and unique in the supply chain and shipping world.”

The Hub is already positioned to receive 95 percent of its trade from the Port of Los Angeles, but well-positioned to receive trade from the Ports of Houston and Mexico as well. This is important as manufacturers and retailers are looking to limit their transportation costs as fuel prices continue to rise, the spokesperson said.

The Hub, which spans across the communities of Dallas, Lancaster, Wilmer and Hutchins, is one of the newest logistic parks in North America, with 6,000 acres master-planned for approximately 60 million square feet of distribution, manufacturing, office and retail development. The project, a foreign trade zone, is located near four major highway connecters, including I-20, I-45, I-35 and Loop 9/Trans-Texas Corridor and a future air cargo facility at Lancaster airport. Overall, the project is expect to create 32,000 direct jobs and 33,000 indirect jobs in the southern sector of Dallas.

In October, the Allen Group started construction on the first two industrial buildings in The Hub, which total 827,000 square feet of space. The first, DLH Building 1, is a 635,000-square-foot cross-dock distribution facility, and the second, DLH Building 2, is a 192,800-square-goot warehouse facility. Both are scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. The development team includes GSO Architects, Kimley-Horn & Associates, MYCON and 3i Construction.

The Dallas-Fort Worth industrial market experienced activity slowdown in the first quarter, with 2.1 million square feet of positive net absorption, down from last quarter’s 3.8 million square feet, according to CB Richard Ellis Inc. Despite a decrease in tenants moving into new space, total and direct vacancy rates are still down at their respective 9.2 and 8.4 percent. The firm expects stable rental rates and healthy leasing activity for the remainder of the year.

 


 
Recent Southwest Headlines
Colonial Properties Trust Sells 5 Apartment Communities for $82M
Colonial Properties Trust, a multi-family-focused REIT, is continuing its plan to dispose of older assets by selling five apartment communities in two transactions for a total of $81.8 million. The buyer or buyers were not identified.
vegas World's Tallest Timeshare Tops Off in Vegas
The $1.2 billion PH Towers by Westgate in Las Vegas has reached a pivotal point in development with the attainment of the highest point of vertical construction. Located at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, the upscale 52-story PH Towers (pictured) will be the tallest timeshare building in the world.
vegas LA Developer Partners with Vegas Officials for Museum, Hotel Redevelopment
Less than a year after entering the Las Vegas market with the acquisition of the Lady Luck Hotel and Casino, Los Angeles-based CIM Group won a deal with the city to develop land adjacent to the planned Mob Museum in the city’s historic Post Office Block.
CBRE Investors Snaps Up 1MSF Suburban Dallas Office
Acting on behalf of its Strategic Partners U.S. 5 fund, CB Richard Ellis Investors has just acquired The Colonnade, a 1 million-square-foot office property in Addison, Texas.
Holliday Fenoglio Arranges $23M Construction Loan for Houston Office Development
The Houston office of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler L.P. arranged a $23.5 million construction loan for a speculative class A, 180,000-square-foot office development in The Woodlands, Tex.