FORT WORTH, Texas (April 21, 2009) – Hillwood leased more than 1.2 million square feet at its AllianceTexas development during the first three months of 2009. It is the second most square footage ever leased in a first quarter at the development, which began in 1989. In 2005 the company leased 1.5 million square feet in the first quarter at AllianceTexas. Last year Hillwood leased 710,000 square feet in the first quarter at the 17,000-acre development.
In addition close to 600 new jobs were created at AllianceTexas in the first quarter of 2009.
Highlighting activity in the first quarter of 2009 at AllianceTexas were the lease of 292,500 square feet to Alliance Brokers for its new heavy-load container facility and the lease of 365,440 square feet to Q-Edge for its new computer assembly plant, which the company is moving from California.
“The value-added services and inherent costs savings at AllianceTexas are appealing to companies, particularly at a time when they are under pressure to trim expenses in a slow economy,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties.
Strong construction activity also took place during the first quarter of 2009 on property that Hillwood sold to companies over the past year. Health Care Service Corp., the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, is building a 250,000 square-foot data center on 53 acres it purchased at Alliance last year.
Deloitte is expected to begin construction soon on its 750,000 square-foot learning and leadership development center in the Circle T Ranch section of AllianceTexas. The company acquired 107 acres from Hillwood in 2008. Earlier this year Galderma moved into its recently completed 50,000 square-foot office building at AllianceTexas.
On the retail side, Sam Moon Trading Co. is wrapping up construction on its 168,000 square-foot retail center that will open in May at Alliance Town Center. In addition Rooms To Go will begin construction this spring on a 35,000 square-foot store at Alliance Town Center.
Residential sales have also done well in the first quarter at the two single-family communities of AllianceTexas. Twenty-eight new homes were sold at Heritage, while 16 new homes were sold at Saratoga during the first three months of 2009. Strong interest in these neighborhoods prompted Hillwood to develop of a 119-lot phase that is just being completed at Saratoga and a 75-lot phase that will begin construction soon in Heritage.
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. The development houses more than 200 companies, 29 million square feet and 28,000 employees. More than 60 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 close to 90 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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