- KDC’s Aarica Mims told Bisnow a company seeking 250,000 SF in Collin County has roughly four Class A buildings to choose from today, and the big pipeline is years from delivery.
- AT&T and Samsung Electronics America are among the relocations lifting demand, with talent, quality of life and fast-moving local officials cited as the draws for Frisco, Plano and McKinney.
- The Fields development in Frisco and the Dallas Stars district in Plano plan up to about 13M SF of new office, so tenants must weigh existing space against build-to-suit.
Collin County office space is getting scarce for companies that need to move soon, with roughly four Class A buildings ready for a 250,000 SF user, KDC Senior Vice President Aarica Mims told Bisnow.
Bisnow reported that Dallas-Fort Worth still leads the country in corporate relocations, with AT&T and Samsung Electronics America among the high-profile arrivals driving demand.
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Supply Is Years Away
Options exist, but according to Bisnow they’re leasing quickly, and most new development won’t deliver for years. Mims said the Class A buildings now in the works will be absorbed fast given demand.
That leaves relocating tenants choosing between what’s built and a build-to-suit. Mims spoke at a Bisnow market event in McKinney on Oct. 15.
What’s in the Pipeline
Karahan Cos. and KDC plan roughly 11M SF of custom-built office space at Fields, the 2,500-acre master-planned project in Frisco. Hunt Realty Investments, Chief Partners and Cross Tie Capital are partners with Karahan.
The Dallas Stars’ $3B district at The Shops at Willow Bend in Plano could bring as much as 2M SF of top-tier office space, according to Bisnow.
AT&T’s 2.3M SF Plano campus, which Bisnow said will shorten commutes for most of its DFW staff, is moving ahead. KDC is seeking about $3.5B in financing for the campus, and that state filings point to a Dec. 1 construction start.
Why Companies Come
Talent drives the moves, Gensler principal Barry Hand. Many relocating firms are following the workers they want to hire, he said.
JPMorgan’s Graham Perry told Bisnow that Frisco, Plano and McKinney sit near the top of company lists for quality of life, a pro-business climate and a ready workforce.
Local responsiveness counts too. Allen EDC CEO Dan Bowman told Bisnow that firms coming from California find it refreshing to get quick answers from officials.
Why It Matters
Employers are willing to sign longer leases again, but Mims told Bisnow they want amenity-rich buildings that give workers a reason to come in. Hand said flight-to-quality tenants want parking, concierge services and flexible layouts, with Fields taking that trend further.
Growth carries a cost. Mims sees traffic and infrastructure as a pressure point, and commute times are one reason some firms left Dallas County.
What’s Next
Watch how fast the Class A buildings in the pipeline lease up, and whether Fields and the Stars district deliver before tenants commit elsewhere. For a sense of the suburb’s momentum, Fields West pre-leasing showed 75% of its retail and dining space already committed.
