Mixed-Use Projects Dominate Metro Areas Statewide

Work, live and play projects range from high-rises in downtown Dallas to infill spots in Houston and a 400-plus-acre project north of Dallas; health care construction also leads the way.

Austin Commercial will serve as CM-at-risk for the Granite+Gables Uptown Dallas development designed by Good, Fulton & Farrell Architects.

Mixed-Use Urban Infill Project Started in Houston

Austin Commercial will serve as CM-at-risk for the Granite+Gables Uptown Dallas development designed by Good, Fulton & Farrell Architects.

Trammell Crow Co. of Houston will develop a two-story, 256,700-sq-ft retail center at an urban infill, mixed-use development site in Houston called Greenway Commons.

The project will feature a 164,000-sq-ft Costco with an LA Fitness health club occupying 45,000 sq ft on the second story above. Trammell Crow is developing the project in partnership with Houston-based Morgan Group and institutional investors advised by Prudential Real Estate Investors.

The anticipated delivery date is summer 2008.

Greenway Commons will occupy approximately 15.4 acres of the 24-acre development site that formerly housed Houston Independent School District’s headquarters.

The site is located between the Uptown Galleria area and the Greenway Plaza office market. A high-density redevelopment project, Greenway Commons is one of the largest urban infill sites in the city, encompassing almost an entire city block located inside Houston’s inner loop.

In addition, the retail project will include a four-level parking structure, a 39,000- sq-ft, two-story retail building, and two pad sites. Trammell Crow has secured retail tenants for most of the center.

CDA Architects of Houston is the architect for the retail project and Miner-Dederick Constructors, Inc. of Houston is the general contractor.

The Morgan Group of Houston will begin construction on the site’s residential component, a 526-unit, high-end mid-rise apartment community in December.

$850 Million Mixed-Use Project Breaks Ground in Denton

An $850 million development in Denton recently broke ground. Construction on Rayzor Ranch Marketplace, the first section of the development, is expected to be finished by October 2008.

The project is being developed by Dallas-based Allegiance Development. The 410-acre, $850 million mixed-use development at IH- 35 and U.S. Highway 380 (University Drive) will include retail shops, offices, housing, medical buildings, a museum, park and hotel.

Mixed-Use Dallas Project Selects Austin Commercial

Dallas-based Austin Commercial has been selected as the construction manager-at-risk for the partnership between Granite Properties and Gables Residential Trust, both of Dallas. The Granite+Gables Uptown Project combines Class AA office space with luxury apartment homes.

This mixed-use development project offers office and residential tenant options. Designed by Dallas-based Good, Fulton & Farrell Architects, the dual tower structure will be located on the corner of Akard and Cedar Springs in Dallas’ Uptown neighborhood.

The 409,000-sq-ft residential tower will encompass 296 units throughout its 21 stories. In addition to the residential structure, the project will feature a 14-story Class-AA office tower.

Retail, Office Development Gets OK From Fort Worth City Council

The Fort Worth City Council recently gave a thumbs up for construction of a 320,000-sq-ft mixed-use development, called River Plaza in Fort Worth along the Trinity River in the University District.

Construction is slated to begin later this year. Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Co. will develop the project along with current owners of the property, RP Partners. The project is slated to include 100,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, an upscale 135-room hotel and a renovated Class-A office building.

Shell’s Deer Park Administrative Building Under Way

Construction is progressing on a 176,761-sq-ft project at Shell’s Deer Park facility. The project, on a 12-acre site, is adjacent to the Shell Deer Park chemical plant and refinery. The new construction consists of a six-story, 172,461-sq-ft administrative building and a 4,300 single-story auxiliary facility.

The project was designed by Houston-based Gensler. The administrative building will serve as offices for approximately 750 Shell chemical plant and refinery personnel. The building is a steel structure with an exterior skin of precast concrete and glazing. The auxiliary facility will be a pre-engineered metal building. Both facilities are being constructed to meet hurricane resistant standards. In addition, the building is being raised 5 ft above ground level to avoid flood damage.

Shell has teamed with Jacobs Engineering of Houston as the construction manager and Houston-based JE Dunn as general contractor for the project.

PageSoutherlandPage to Design Texas Children’s Hospital Campus

A new 55-acre campus being developed in West Houston for Texas Children’s Hospital is poised to be one of the largest suburban pediatric health-care facilities in the United States. Houston-based architecture and engineering firm PageSoutherlandPage has been selected to program and design the initial phase of construction, which will include a 336,000-sq-ft, 96-bed inpatient hospital, a 100,000-sq-ft ambulatory care center and an 80,000-sq-ft medical office building.

The new health-care campus will be designed to produce a recognizable image from nearby IH-10. The low-rise campus will include outdoor spaces and feature LEED certification.

Construction of the ambulatory facility and medical office building is scheduled for completion in 2009; the inpatient hospital is anticipated to open in 2010. 

Scott & White Univ. Medical Campus Hospital Opens in Round Rock

Scott & White of Temple recently opened a 72-bed University Medical Campus Hospital in Round Rock, making it the system’s first hospital outside its home base of Bell County.

Vaughn Construction Co. of Houston broke ground on the on the 68-acre campus nearly two years ago. The Scott & White Clinic at University Medical Campus houses more than 30 physicians representing more than 24 specialties.

The new hospital and campus has 196,000 sq ft on a 68-acre campus. It features four operating rooms, six ICU beds, six labor/delivery and recovery/post-partum rooms and electronic medical records.

Retail Construction Started in Brownsville

Dallas-based P. O’B. Montgomery & Co. began construction recently on a build-to-suit location in Brownsville. Located at 315 E. 12th Street in Brownsville, the store will encompass 32,800 sq. ft. in a renovated building in downtown Brownsville. The Ross Dress for Less store will take the first floor of the two-story structure. 

The store will be located at one of historic downtown Brownsville’s key locations, adjacent to both motorist and pedestrian interchange bridges with Mexico - approximately 500 ft from the U.S./Mexico border.

Southlake Church Adds More Than 32,800 Square Feet

Cadence McShane Corp. recently completed the new two-story 32,811-sq-ft expansion of White’s Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake. Cadence McShane and project architect, Jacobs & Associates, both of Dallas, constructed two expanded areas known as Buildings A and B that provide new classrooms for adult, child and youth education. In total, 20 new classrooms were completed to support the growing educational instruction offerings provided by the congregation.

The church is located on a 23-acre site that serves approximately 8,000 members. Cadence McShane constructed the new buildings with a stucco exterior to complement the existing church structures.

In addition to the new educational Buildings A and B, Cadence McShane also completed comprehensive site work including landscaping and additional parking areas that were designed and constructed to support the new expansion.

DeSoto ISD Middle School Completed for New School Year

Cadence McShane Corp. of Dallas recently completed the Curtistene S. McCowan Middle School. The two-story, 171,000-sq-ft facility on behalf in the DeSoto Independent School District is situated on a 25-acre parcel in Glenn Heights.

The new school will accommodate more than 1,000 students in grades six through eight in the rapidly expanding school district. PBK Architects Inc. of Dallas provided the architectural services for the project.

Cadence McShane also completed renovations and addition work to the DeSoto High School. Classroom space was expanded and student flow made more efficient by updating existing corridors and stairways, classrooms, storage space and administrative space. A new front entry and plaza were constructed with a covered walkway and the exterior façade of the original school facility was also updated to complement the exterior. PBK Architects Inc. served as project architect.

Ascension Group Architects Completes OKC Hospital Project

Arlington-based Ascension Group Architects recently completed the majority of work on the $8.6 million expansion of Deaconess Hospital’s emergency department. The expansion is the first phase of a $24.7 million expansion and renovation project that began last year at the Oklahoma City hospital.

Ascension, which specializes in health-care projects nationwide, designed Deaconess’ emergency department to include 5,600 sq ft of renovated space and 17,000 sq ft of new space including 27 exam room with a seven-bed fast-track area; two trauma suites; triage areas; and rooms dedicated for cardiac, orthopedic and mental health.

Ascension is also overseeing work on Deaconess’ women’s imaging center, expanding and improving the hospital’s admitting area, kitchen and cafeteria.

Prototype Apartment Community in Uptown Dallas Breaks Ground

Dallas-based Criterion Property Co. broke ground recently on its prototype Resort Living Series in the Dallas market. The Monterey - Uptown Resort Living includes 371 apartment homes located on 3.5 acres north of West Village on McKinney Avenue, within walking distance of shopping, dining and employment venues as well as the DART Cityplace light rail station.

The Monterey is a five- and six-story midrise building over two levels of concrete parking.

Key Bank Real Estate Capital of Houston provided debt financing for the development.

Criterion plans to identify multifamily development opportunities in key areas such as Austin and Denver where mixed-use areas of residential, retail and office space are already served by infrastructure components such as mass transit systems.

Austin Industrial Park Starts

Verde Corporate Realty Services of El Paso began development recently of the $50 million, 63-acre Verde Springbrook Corporate Center. At completion, the park will have one million sq ft of industrial space. The initial 244,800-sq-ft phase consists of two spec buildings, one 144,000 sq ft and the other 100,800 sq ft. The property is located at the intersection of a the new toll road Texas 45 in North Austin.