Lee & Associates Dallas-Fort Worth completed a lease transaction for a 1,800-square-foot industrial space at 2100 N. State Highway 360 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Schaefer Amos of Lee & Associates Dallas-Fort Worth represented the tenant, National Golf Classics, Inc.

Nick Fulton of Mercer Company represented the landlord, Grand Prairie GPRV Partners 50, LLC.

A total of 70% of U.S. workers who are fully remote or in a hybrid arrangement said they are very likely or somewhat likely to seek alternative employment if they are required to return to the office full time at their current salary, according to a new FTI Consulting, Inc. survey.

The survey was conducted by Southpaw Insights for FTI Consulting’s Real Estate Solutions practice. The survey included the responses of 1,000 people who worked in a corporate office setting or home office setting and who were asked about their views of a hypothetical RTO mandate.

The survey found that a third of office workers are or would be excited about returning to the office, primarily due to increased productivity, camaraderie and opportunities for collaboration. Of those that said they would be accepting of an RTO mandate, 60% said they would appreciate the camaraderie and 53% said they are more productive working in the office.

“We have all seen the headlines about the return-to-office mandates by some of the nation’s largest employers, with some companies reporting that they expect all of their workers, with few exceptions, to return to the office full time in 2025,” said Josh Herrenkohl, a senior managing director in the Real Estate Solutions practice at FTI Consulting. “But our research shows that their ability to implement this mandate is not cut-and-dry, and employers risk losing talent if RTO mandates are enforced. How employees feel about RTO involves many factors, including their industry, the size of their company, whether they have children and the nature of their current work arrangement.”

The Current Work Arrangement Matters (or Does It?)

The current work model appears to correlate with employees’ attitude towards working remotely or in the office.

• Of those who are currently fully remote, nearly half (45%) said that being able to work remotely or have the flexibility to work in a hybrid setting is one of the most important aspects of their employment. Similarly, 41% of current hybrid workers gave the same answer, while only 15% of current in-office workers prioritized the remote or hybrid work arrangement.
• 74% of fully remote workers said they are likely to seek employment at another company if they were required to return to the office full time, while 62% of hybrid workers made the same statement. Only 12% of those that are fully remote would not be willing to come into the office at all, but 38% said they would be excited to come back into the office.
• Of those who are currently working remotely, 88% said they would be willing to work in the office for at least some portion of the week, with 33% indicating no more than two days, and 29% saying as many as three to four days a week.
• Worth noting, the top three most frequently cited important employment factors across the survey population were salary and benefits (73%), enjoying the work (56%) and health benefits (50%). The ability to work remotely or hybrid was the fifth most popular key factor (34%), right behind vacation/PTO (37%) and well ahead of career path/opportunity to advance (25%) and company culture (24%).

The Profession and Company Size Matter

Among the most important factors that seem to impact employee attitudes toward RTO mandates is the industry in which they work.

• For example, 94% of people with desk jobs working in the architecture/engineering field would be excited or accepting of an RTO, while 74% of those in banking, 68% of those in the manufacturing sector and 66% of those in healthcare agreed. In contrast, only 51% in tech and telecom, and 58% in business and professional services felt the same way.
• Of those who said they would be excited or accepting of an RTO mandate, those in financial services (70%), retail (69%) and healthcare (67%) said they appreciated the camaraderie the most. Those in architecture/engineering (76%), manufacturing (76%) and banking (67%) felt they would be more productive in an office setting.
• Employees at mid-sized companies (2,500-10,000 employees) are most likely to seek alternative employment (46%) if forced to return to the office full time. In contrast, employees of large companies (more than 10,000 employees) are the least likely (34%) to seek alternative employment if forced to return to the office full time, based on the survey’s results.

Demographics Play a Role

• Geographically, employees in the Northeast (45%) and the South (45%) are most likely to seek alternative employment compared with those in the West (29%), if required to return to the office full time.
• Among Gen Z respondents, 42% said they would be excited and 33% would be accepting of a possible RTO mandate, compared to just 33% of Gen X respondents who said they were excited and 25% who said they would be accepting.
• Baby boomers and older are least likely to seek alternative employment (31%) compared to millennials (45%) and Gen Z (45%), if required to return to the office full time.
• Workers with children under the age of 18 are more excited to return to the office than those without (41% vs. 31%).

“This data should send a message to employers and owners of office space that, even though salary and benefits remain the top criteria for people in their jobs, they need to adapt their work environment to appeal to younger employees, as well as those who welcome the opportunity to be more productive and enjoy office camaraderie,” said Ingrid Rivera Noone, a Senior Managing Director and Co-Leader of the Real Estate Solutions practice at FTI Consulting.

“That means if there is going to be a war for top talent, you need to incentivize and ‘amenitize’ your office space to compete effectively. This may require companies to pay more for real estate to attract and retain strong employees as RTO mandates are implemented.”

“Employers in older and non-updated office buildings will be at a distinct disadvantage to newer and updated office space occupiers, who will be better able to support RTO directives and provide modern workspaces that enhance productivity and offer amenities that can help attract and retain top talent that sometimes might be reluctant to return to office,” said Larissa Gotguelf, a managing director in the Real Estate Solutions practice at FTI Consulting

Hemisfair completed phase 2 of Civic Park in San Antonio, Texas, which will open to the public next month.

This section marks the final phase of Civic Park, completing the public improvements in Hemisfair’s Western Zone. The new section of Civic Park will connect Hemisfair with one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the city where Alamo Street and Market Street cross, welcoming guests to take part in all of the district’s offerings such as local restaurants, peaceful scenery and plenty of free programming.  

The new section of the park is a continuation of Hemisfair’s vision for a green and active urban neighborhood for San Antonio. Civic Park Phase 2 will feature four main spaces:

Source Plaza, the Promenade, the Zócalo and the Stage.

Source Plaza will act as the entrance to Civic Park from downtown San Antonio. The plaza is a combination of hardscape and landscape with limestone seat walls, shaded terraces and beautiful native plantings that make it a welcoming and comfortable place for everyday use. This plaza will serve as a gateway to Hemisfair and the new proposed entertainment district. Phase 2 completes the Promenade, a main pedestrian artery lined with Mexican Sycamores, providing a shaded walkway that seamlessly connects Civic Park and Yanaguana Garden while linking downtown to Southtown—significantly enhancing San Antonio’s walkability and urban connectivity.

Following the Promenade from Source Plaza will lead guests to the Zócalo, an elevated hardscape terrace that connects this phase of Civic Park with the initial section of the park that opened in 2023. The Zócalo will be filled with movable tables and chairs for daily use and it is also designed to support larger gatherings, complementing the adjacent Great Lawn and Stage. This area of Civic Park features decorative tilework and a limestone water feature fountain designed to emulate the acequias in the region.

The Stage is an addition to the north end of the Great Lawn which provides a space for concerts and larger-scale civic events. Civic Park Phase 2 is thoughtfully landscaped with native plantings, including 59 large trees, that will be irrigated with recycled water from the water collection and treatment system that was built as part of Phase 1 of Civic Park. This system largely eliminates the park’s dependence on potable water sources, allowing resilience during periods of drought. 

While the first phase of Civic Park brought water, gardens and an event lawn to Hemisfair, the second phase of Civic Park will leverage the energy and activation of new retail and hospitality development with Public Private Partnerships (P3s), furthering the vision of an activated urban neighborhood.

Hemisfair is thrilled to invite the public to the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for Civic Park on March 18 at 10:00 AM. This special event will mark the grand opening of San Antonio’s newest signature green space, with city officials and community leaders in attendance to celebrate this milestone. The public is invited to join Hemisfair for a momentous occasion as the park, designed to bring people together and enhance the heart of the city, is unveiled.

Civic Park Phase 2 was completed with the help of the City of San Antonio’s Public Works Department, Skanska USA. and landscape architecture firm, GGN.

PCCP has provided a $72.4 million loan to an affiliate of WPT Capital Advisors for the acquisition of two Class-A, 100% leased warehouse buildings totaling 1.1 million square feet at Elizabeth Creek Gateway in North Fort Worth, Texas.

Built in 2021, Buildings D & E, located at 16000 and 15716 Wolff Crossing, are fully occupied by three tenants. Both buildings feature 36’ clear height, excess trailer parking, ESFR sprinklers, and multiple points of ingress/egress.

Elizabeth Creek Gateway is 20 miles north of Downtown Fort Worth in AllianceTexas, one of the country’s top multi-modal logistics hubs. AllianceTexas includes a BNSF Railway Intermodal Facility, a cargo airport, FedEx and UPS sort hubs, Amazon air hub, two Class I rail lines (BNSF and Union Pacific), and major thoroughfares connecting to the greater DFW MSA and other major Texas MSAs.

The property is three miles north of Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, 20 miles west of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and 20 miles north of Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, making it ideal for regional and national distribution.

Colliers brokered the sale of more than 12.71 acres of raw land along Highway 6 in Missouri City, Texas.

Chris Hutcheson, James Kadlick and Harrison Kane of Colliers represented the seller in the transaction.

Missouri City continues to experience significant growth, attracting businesses and residents with its strong infrastructure, expanding amenities and strategic location along major thoroughfares.

The Highway 6 corridor has become a hub for retail, office, and residential projects, driving increased demand for well-located land opportunities.

CenterPoint Properties closed on the new Class-A TruePort Distribution Center at 2830 E. Pasadena Blvd. in Deer Park, Texas.

The 254,705-square-foot cross-dock warehouse is fully leased to Ironwear, a manufacturer of personal protection safety products.

CenterPoint’s Central Region senior vice president of investments, Rives Nolen, highlighted the building’s proximity to the Port of Houston’s Barbours Cut and Bayport terminals—6.5 and 10 miles from TruePort, respectively—and easy access to Beltway 8 and state highways 225 and 146 as particularly attractive components of this acquisition. 

Nolen said his regional team had placed its Houston market focus on finding investment opportunities in the “Petrochemical Corridor” west of the port’s primary terminals in recent years, coinciding with the port’s significant growth.

Port officials say the nation’s fifth-largest port and the leader in waterborne tonnage has seen a 27 percent increase in volume since 2020. Late last year, the Port of Houston Authority announced more than $1.7 billion will be spent on landside infrastructure improvements over the next five years, which comes on the heels of more than $1.5 billion invested in land and waterside improvements in recent years. According to officials, a channel expansion project, “Project 11,” is on track for completion in 2027.

“Along with its location, this facility has features that give the tenant a significant advantage,” added Justin Gallagher, CenterPoint’s Central Region investment officer. He underscored TruePort’s 36-foot clear height and parking for 59 trailers – both above market average – as two examples. The asset also has 44 dock-high doors, four drive-in doors, a 14,660-square-foot office, and its nearly 13-acre property can accommodate parking for 153 cars.

The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales and Advisory team led by Senior Managing Director and Industrial Group Co-Lead Trent Agnew, Managing Director Charlie Strauss, and Director Lance Young facilitated the off-market transaction.

CenterPoint’s Houston portfolio is comprised of 18 properties and 2.6 million square feet of industrial warehouse space.