Archives > Allen American > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
AEDC honors economic contributors
By Staff Reports
The mood was festive at the Allen Economic Development Corporation’s (AEDC) Millennium Business Awards as the community celebrated the tremendous upswing in development activity in the past year. The AEDC honored three businesses and an individual for their contribution to economic development in Allen in an upbeat and energetic presentation.
Kicking off the festivities, Leona Rupert and Rick Briscoe entertained the crowd with a custom version of the Starship tune, We Built This City (on Rock and Roll), with a video presentation highlighting the recent development activities around Allen.
“Today we honor three companies, as well as an individual, who have made significant contributions to our economic development efforts and quality of life in Allen,” said AEDC Board President Kurt Kizer. “The winners are innovators, risk-takers, pioneers and dedicated public servants. It is our privilege to recognize them with this prestigious award.”
“The judge recognized the value of strategic partnerships in getting things done,” Terrell said, “and he forged those relationships between public and private entities to insure we had the necessary infrastructure to bring positive growth to this area.”
Among his many accomplishments, Harris worked with commissioners, cities and the Texas Department of Transportation to leverage $100 million of county bond money to more than $340 million in road projects in Collin County. In Allen, that impacted the development of almost every major thoroughfare including SH 5/Greenville Avenue, Alma Drive, Bethany Drive, Exchange Parkway and Stacy Road. He has received numerous awards for his leadership in cleaning up the air for Texas to meet Federal standards and prevent cut off of highway funding dollars.
Since his retirement, Harris has been working as a consultant and advocate for public policy with emphasis on Transportation/Air Quality.
Finisar-Advanced Optical Components Division was honored with the Corporate/Manufacturing Award. The company, originally a division of Honeywell in Richardson, located to Allen in 2005 when Honeywell expansion forced them to seek new quarters. One of the options under consideration was to relocate the new division to the Finisar headquarters in California. However, Allen had a facility, the FSI International building located in Millennium Technology Park, which was ideally suited to Finisar’s high-tech needs. Finisar is a fiber-optic company that is a world leading supplier of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and Detectors. These are used in high-speed communication and data storage and retrieval equipment for bank, universities, industrial campuses and hospitals.
“This was a complex deal that required cooperation between FSI International and Finisar and their brokers, as well as the AEDC Board and other taxing entities,” said Kurt Kizer, presenting the award to Finisar. “The result was a win for everyone in that it kept two expanding companies in Collin County (Finisar and Honeywell), allowed FSI International to stay in their building, and added significant dollars to the tax rolls and quality jobs for Allen.”
Mustang Technology Group LP founded in Allen in 1999, was recognized with the Local Independent Business Award. Mustang is a defense systems company with expertise in radar, RF sensors, aircraft and missile integrated systems, algorithms, simulation, software, and signal and image processing. A typical member of the Mustang technical team has an advanced degree in electrical engineering and over 20 years of experience with RF systems.
“In short, they are rocket scientists,” said Jim Waldbauer, Chairman of the Allen Chamber and Vice- President of BW2 Engineers Inc., an engineering firm. “Mustang Technology exemplifies the type of business we strive to attract to Allen, with very high-quality jobs for the skilled workforce that is available in this area. With their continued product expansion, Mustang has almost quadrupled their employment and the total space they occupy in Allen in the last few years.”
Mustang is still focused on being an agile small company with big-company experience. As an executive of Texas Instruments Group and later Raytheon, President and Founder Kent Lowder assembled a team of innovative engineers to start Mustang.
“We found a small team of the right folks who can do what others won’t even try,” said Lowder in accepting the award.
Sam Bick, Managing Editor of Inside Collin County Business, presented the Retail/Service Award to Two Rows Classic Grill.
“Owners Baine and Juli Brooks, also Allen residents, saw the growth potential of the city and chose a prime location along Central Expressway, next to the Hilton, for their third restaurant venture,” said Bick. “Since then, Baine and his staff have been champions for business in Allen and exemplify the type of quality customer service for which businesses in Allen are known.”
Two Rows opened in Allen in 2002. Brooks chairs the local restaurant association and is dedicated to all restaurants being successful. He was involved in the push for the Local Option Election which has had a positive impact on sales tax revenues for the City. In addition, Two Rows supports Allen service organizations, Allen schools, Allen Community Outreach and the Chamber donating prizes, catering services and cash contributions.
The annual AEDC Millennium Business Awards were presented at a luncheon at the Hilton Hotel in Allen and winners were chosen from nominations submitted by city business and community leaders and citizens. The Allen Chamber of Commerce and Inside Collin County Business were co-sponsors of the event.
Allen Development Update
In the year since Robert Winningham took over the reigns as Executive Director of the Allen Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), the city has seen a continued boom in commercial and retail construction activity. “With the support of the AEDC Board, City Council and staff, we continued to move forward on the many projects that were underway when I came on the team,” said Winningham at the AEDC Millennium Business Awards. “However, the most recent and most exciting development for me has been the public/private partnership that will bring a multi-purpose event center to Allen that will be a regional draw and prime economic driver for the community.”
The Allen Event Center, located on the MG Herring mixed-use development on the southeast corner of Stacy Road and US 75 will begin construction in fall 2007 and be completed in fall 2009. With 7,500 fixed seats and 26 luxury suites, it will offer a venue for concerts, top touring shows, family entertainment and professional sports. The center is the result of a public/private partnership between the City of Allen, including the AEDC and the Allen Community Development Corporation, Herring and Global Entertainment.
The Event Center is part of the Herring project, a 400 acre mixed-use development that includes The Village at Allen and The Village at Fairview, on the northeast and southeast corners of Stacy Road and US 75. The project, opening in Allen in fall 2008 will include retail, restaurants and a full-service, 10-story, 225-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel.
Herring and other new mixed-use projects have launched in Allen that will provide a broader choice of shopping, dining and entertainment options in town-center settings that establish a unique character for the city.
Construction has gone “vertical” in the much anticipated Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm development located on the southwest corner of Bethany and US 75. This unique, conservation-oriented development will have a “downtown feel” with an upscale tenant mix, providing a distinct environment unlike any other project on the US 75 corridor north of I-635. The 1.15 million square foot project, developed by Trademark Property Company, includes 170,000 square feet of boutique office space and 288 multi-family residences. P.F. Chang’s recently opened their third restaurant in the DFW Metroplex and more than 45 tenants have signed leases. Anchor tenants opening in spring 2008 include Market Street Grocery and Borders Books, and upscale restaurants Cru Wine Bar, Brio Tuscan Grille, Devon Seafood, NAAN and MiCocina. First-in-class retailers include Sephora, Chico’s, Jos A. Banks, Ann Taylor Loft and others.
Office development is in full swing with several major projects. Duke Realty has completed Allen’s first “Class A” office building in Allen Central Park. Located at the northwest corner of US 75 and Bethany Drive, the new corporate park is planned to have five, 4-8 story buildings ranging from 150,000 to 200,000 square feet each.
Emerson Partners has begun construction on Allen’s first LEED certified office project, Angel Field Center at Montgomery Farm. Located on the southwest quadrant of US 75 and Bethany Drive, the 160,000 square foot office park is nestled in Montgomery Farm, adjacent to the Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm development.
Cornerstone Development has completed construction on a two-story, 60,000 square foot office building at the southeast corner of Ridgemont Drive and US 75. The building complements the adjacent 50,000 square foot BSM Financial Center.
To add to Allen’s office mix, Jordan Realty Advisors is building approximately 60,000 square feet of office condos overlooking Twin Creeks Golf Course and McDermott Business Park is beginning construction on 5,000 square feet in the third of five office buildings in Allen’s Central Business District.
“Many of these projects are ‘spec’, driven by the high demand for office space north of the George Bush Tollway,” said Winningham. “Eighteen months ago, we were faced with very low vacancy and now we have new product to meet the relocation and expansion needs of almost any type office-user.”
Medical office construction is also keeping pace with the growing office demand in Allen. With the recent 35,000 square foot expansion of Presbyterian Hospital of Allen in Twin Creeks Business Park, the area has become a magnet for medical office development. Twin Creeks Rehabilitation Hospital has completed a two-story, 42,000 square foot rehabilitation center and construction is underway on several medical office buildings and specialty care clinics.
Not to be outdone, office/tech construction is also on an upswing with Bradford Companies Twin Creeks Business Center, three buildings totaling 180,000 square feet (Phase I) in Twin Creeks Business Park for mid-size tenants.
JaRyCo completed construction on Phase I of the Corporate Center at Twin Creeks (22,000 square feet) and is also doing well with the building being over 90% leased. The total project will contain approximately 175,000 square feet of office and office/tech space for smaller users.
“This past year was active with business recruitment, retention and expansion in Allen,” said Winningham. “It is a testament to the quality of this city that businesses want to stay and expand here.”
The AEDC worked closely with Sanmina-SCI and Xtera Communications to maintain their operations in Allen. New faces on the Allen business landscape included Graphic Converting, Inc., ACH Direct, Robert Spooner Gallery and Gary Riggs Interiors. Expansions in Allen included AirGATE Technologies, Atlas Copco, Mustang Technology and WiQuest.
3
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
