The Return of Construction

In North Fort Worth we are seeing signs of life in the construction business.  In the last several months, projects of all types have been evident within a small radius from the Blue Leaf Realty office on FM 1709.  After completing the MSRE program at University of Texas at Arlington, I view this work with a tuned and educated eye, knowing the months of planning and effort that has gone into these projects even before they break ground. From site selection, financing, cash flow analysis, design, bidding, material procurement, and actual construction, each project has hours and hours of people's time and effort supporting it.

RESIDENTIAL:  From single family to apartment buildings, construction  is going strong in the Heritage/Alliance area.  It has been exciting to see new subdivisions started and watch homes being built on infill lots.  The construction of multi-family is a more arduous process, but the scope of the project in the N Fort Worth region is a reminder of how many people are interested in living in this vibrant area.

BUILDING: Commercial, retail, and office construction has continued over the last couple of years.  The opening of Alliance Town Center has sparked numerous projects from a multi-screen movie theater to the construction of several large grocery stores.  As is most often the case, this has encouraged smaller businesses - both local or national- to choose to open business here.  The construction of a new hospital, Texas Health Alliance, is scheduled for completion this fall and has increased the demand for office space in the area.

ENGINEERING:  While to many it seems late in coming, with the construction going on in this area the new roads are better late than never.  It is virtually impossible to drive around north Tarrant County without encountering major road construction projects.  From the expansion of Golden Triangle in front of the BLR office to the huge overpasses connecting Loop 820 and I-35W, the ability to move from place to place in this area will soon go from a virtual nightmare to a dream.

INDUSTRIAL:  The Alliance industrial area just north of our office has continued to attract businesses, but many have moved into vacated space limiting the new construction in this area.  Further north in Denton, a Target distribution center is planned and just west of the Texas Speedway on Hwy 114, General Electric is completing a huge locomotive manufacturing plant.

While it feels like real estate and construction have spent the last few years traversing the desert, North Texas is clearly the place to be today and hopefully long into the future.  The last two years Scott and I invested in the UTA MSRE program have helped us see the world of real estate with a broader understanding and through more enlightened eyes.  That, in addition to getting to know some super nice people, has made it time well spent.