'With Amazon HQ2 Behind Us,' Uptown Getting 300K SF Office Tower

Uptown Dallas, one of the metro's strongest and most appealing office markets, is getting new trophy space.

Kaizen Development Partners is building The Link at Uptown, a 300K SF trophy office tower at the intersection of Olive and Akard streets. The 22-story building will be on a 0.7-acre site Kaizen purchased in October from local restaurateur Mike Karns.

Uptown Dallas is known for its land scarcity, and Kaizen will be demolishing existing buildings next summer to make room for The Link.  

“This is among one of the most exceptional remaining urban development sites in Texas and the tenants we’re trying to attract will expect an equally exceptional building,” Kaizen partner Nick Summerville said. “With that comes both a responsibility and challenge to create a special addition to the tapestry of unique buildings dotting our skyline.”

The Link, designed by BOKA Powell, will have two restaurants, a pop-up lunch concept, an outdoor terrace, a fitness center, a conference center and golf simulators. Construction will begin immediately after the site is cleared, and delivery is expected in fall 2021.

Kaizen will relocate its office to the building, the only confirmed pre-lease, though Kaizen said it has a 900K SF tenant prospect list. There are not many large contiguous blocks of space in Uptown — nearly all projects delivered in the last five years have been absorbed, Kaizen said in its news release. The area has taken the lion's share of Dallas' office absorption this year and leads the pack for office pricing in the city.

“Uptown is Dallas’ premier market,” Thirty-Four Commercial founder Sarah Hinkley said. Hinkley represented Karns in the site sale. “With Amazon HQ2 behind us, Dallas is ripe for growth and additional relocations.”

Kaizen CEO Derrick Evers will discuss the project and more at Bisnow's Office Leasing & Development full-day conference Nov. 29 in Providence Towers.