One Of The Largest Projects In Shrinking Industrial Pipeline Breaks Ground In Fort Bend County
A 1.4M SF industrial park underway in Fort Bend County is among the largest in the pipeline as the area continues its reign as a hotbed of industrial activity.
Trammell Crow Co. and joint venture partner Daiwa Texas have broken ground on the multibuilding Blue Ridge Commerce Center on a 92-acre parcel in Houston’s tight southwestern submarket. Vacancy in the submarket is below 5%, according to TCC, indicating hot demand for the five-building master-planned development set to deliver in summer 2025.
“With a significant tapering of new supply, we expect the market for Class A industrial space to remain healthy heading into 2025 and beyond,” George Farish, a principal in TCC’s Houston office, said in a press release. “Blue Ridge will feature modern best-in-class logistics and manufacturing spaces that are highly sought after.”
The development will include five Class-A buildings ranging from 154K SF to 431K SF for sale or lease at the northwest corner of Fort Bend Parkway and McHard Road, 2 miles south of Beltway 8.
TCC is seeking LEED certification for all five buildings. Building 2, a 158K SF front-load facility with 32-foot clear heights, will feature roof-mounted solar panels that will boost resilience and lower operating costs. The development will be served by new public roads, a traffic signal on McHard Road and new underground utilities, a stormwater detention pond and public sidewalks.
Seeberger Architecture is handling design. BGE is the project’s civil engineer, E.E. Reed Construction is the general contractor and Linco Construction Co. will lead infrastructure improvements. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. is providing project financing.
New industrial construction is winding down nationally, according to CommercialSearch’s Mid-Year Industrial Report. The first half of 2024 saw more completions than starts, and the construction pipeline in Houston fell from 12.5M SF in early 2024 to 7M at the end of Q2.
The largest new project scheduled to complete this year is Port 99 Logistics’ 1.3M SF, two-building property in Baytown.
