Menlo Equities and Axis Partners celebrated the groundbreaking of Vidal Cantu Industrial Center, a 215,000-square-foot logistics and distribution facility in Laredo, Texas.

The development will span 25 acres and off the most trailer parking of any speculative industrial building built in the market, designed to accommodate up to 441 trailers.

The Vidal Cantu Industrial Center is being built in the Pinnacle Industry Center, 10 minutes from Laredo’s World Trade Bridge.

The facility will include 87 dock-high doors, 354 trailer parking stalls, 130-foot truck court, 100% concrete paving, two drive-in ramps, 32-foot clear height and tri-load configuration.

Construction is underway, with building completion expected in the third quarter of 2025.

The Woodmont Company brokered the sale of a 1.09-acre parcel (47,439 square feet) at Berkshire Corner at the southwest corner of Blue Mound Road and U.S. 287 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The transaction closed on Dec. 23, 2024. The new owner plans to build a 10,000-square-foot property.

Hannah Boswell and Tim Zimmer of The Woodmont Company represented the seller in this transaction. Shawn Djavaherian with LiNC Commercial Realty represented the buyer.

Marcus & Millichap closed the sale of Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Lewisville, a 96-room hotel in Lewisville, Texas. 

Chris Gomes and Skyler Cooper, investment specialists in Marcus & Millichap’s Dallas office, had the exclusive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, Brandy Lodging LLC, and procured the buyer, Centerpoint Hospitality, with support from Allan Miller of the Miller-Gomes Hotel Group of Marcus & Millichap. This transaction marks another successful closing with both the seller and buyer, who are repeat clients. 

Homewood Suites by Hilton Dallas-Lewisville is located at 700 Hebron Parkway. The three-story extended-stay hotel sits on a 3.01-acre site and was built in 1995, with renovations completed in 2008. Amenities include two meeting spaces, an outdoor pool and a fitness center. The property is off Interstate 35E, near Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, downtown Dallas, and corporate demand generators along the Interstate 35E corridor. 

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.