The editorial panel judging D CEO’s Commercial Real Estate Awards program had a hard time narrowing their choices for finalists in the Best Redevelopment or Renovation category. That’s why five contenders are up for the award. And they’re as diverse as they are remarkable.
They include a massive data center in Carrollton from CyrusOne, a former coffin warehouse that’s now the NYLO Dallas South Side Hotel, the transformed SPCA of Texas Animal Care facility in South Dallas, Tyler Technologies’ creative office redevelopment of a former YMCA center in Plano, and the adaptive reuse of the iconic Village on the Parkway in Addison. The winner will be revealed at the March 20 awards program at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
UPDATE: Scroll down to see the winner.
CyrusOne
They say everything’s bigger in Texas. And CyrusOne’s massive new data center in Carrollton certainly substantiates that claim. The company acquired a 700,000-square-foot industrial property at 1649 Frankford Road from Hillwood, after scouring the Dallas-Fort Worth market. Curt Holcomb and Bo Bond of Jones Lang LaSalle represented CyrusOne in its search.
The company spent millions on a complicated redevelopment. Today the Carrollton facility is the largest data center in North Texas—and one of the largest in the United States. It has enough electrical capacity to power tens of thousands of homes. The building also houses the company’s new world headquarters. To help keep employees—and data center users—happy, CyrusOne built a large recreational area within the space. Features include a large climbing wall, Wii Fit gaming center, golf putting green, and an exercise area with treadmills and elliptical machines.
The Carrollton center is a key component of CyrusOne’s growth plans, chief executive Gary Wojtaszek recently told D CEO: “We want to be the sky that contains all the clouds.”
NYLO Dallas South Side
What was once a 101-year-old coffin warehouse and manufacturing facility is now a bustling boutique hotel that boasts one of the best views of the Dallas skyline. The 76-room NYLO Dallas South Side was designed by 5G Studio Collaborative, led by Scott Lowe. It sits on a 1-acre site on Lamar Street at Belleview. The original brick façade and wood-framed windows have been fully restored, which helped earn the project the National Park Service’s Certified Rehabilitation designation for preserving an iconic historic structure.
The latest South Side area project for Matthews Southwest, the NYLO doesn’t fall short on extras. Hotel amenities include the Soda (a playful acronym for “South Dallas”) Bar, a stunning rooftop infinity pool, a glass-enclosed lounge, and the Terrace Bistro, a lobby-level restaurant.
The NYLO Dallas South Side is the third North Texas property for Irving-based NYLO Hotels, led by Michael Mueller. Other key players involved in the project include Azteca Enterprises, which served as general contractor.
SPCA of Texas, Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center
When the SPCA of Texas’ Jan Rees-Jones Animal Center opened in late January 2012, it redefined animal shelters. The new environment supports the health and welfare of the animals waiting for a new home. Its modern look and bright colors and images are also welcoming to people who are looking to adopt.
Gus Hinojosa and his team at Hinojosa Architecture & Interiors led redesign efforts in creating the full-service animal adoption center and clinic. The $10.5 million revamping includes a spacious shelter, a state-of-the-art veterinary wing, outdoor play areas, and architectural elements for branding and signage. Other areas of the building include administration offices and conference rooms. One particularly impressive feature is the lobby area, a former atrium with soaring ceilings.
Hinojosa’s goal was to take the often-depressing animal shelter experience into one that’s enjoyable and enlightening. Since the spruce-up, adoption rates have jumped 40 percent. The striking blue and orange building was built in 1994.
Tyler Technologies
One of the most creative redevelopment projects in North Texas involves Tyler Technologies’ renovation of a former YMCA facility in Plano. The company acquired the 60,000-square-foot building on a 26-acre site at Legacy business park in Plano. It tapped KDC to develop and manage design and construction of the new campus.
The end result will be an 82,000-square-foot, three-story office building, connected via a transparent ground-level walkway to the 60,000 square foot, two-story former YMCA center. That facility will be renovated to house the company’s Court and Justice software group, as well as a fitness center and a café. On the outside, the building’s appearance will remain the same and overlook a park-like setting and waterway.
About 300 employees will move to the new facility this fall. Tyler Technologies wanted to create a special and creative place for its workers, said Steve Van Amburgh, CEO of KDC. “When redeveloped, the former YMCA building will be an innovative and impressive facility,” he said. “The atmosphere will make it a really cool place.”
Village on the Parkway
The redevelopment of Village on the Parkway in Addison is one of the largest adaptive reuse of retail space the area has seen in decades. One of the first lifestyle centers built in the United States, the property was acquired by The Retail Connection, Lincoln Property Co., and Fidelity Real Estate Group in April 2011. The partners immediately developed a repositioning plan for the seven-building, 380,000-square-foot complex at the Dallas North Tollway and Belt Line Road. At the top of the list: a specialty grocer for the revamped northern end, and an entertainment zone with a movie operator on the southern end.
They found them in Whole Foods, which will open a 40,000-square-foot store in March on the site of a demolished former Bed Bath & Beyond, and AMC Theatres, which is bringing its new “luxury movie-going” platform to Village on the Parkway. The 48,000-square-foot theater will be one of just three such venues in the country. “The two anchor zones will bookend and energize the activity for the pedestrian-friendly interior shops,” said David Wilson, president of TRC Connected Development Services.
WINNER: This year’s Best Redevelopment or Rennovation goes to Village on the Parkway. Click here for a complete list of winners and finalists from this year’s Commercial Real Estate Awards.
