Olsson Associates will carry out assessment and planning services
Texarkana, AR-TX, February 14, 2017– In response to the $150,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) Grant that TexAmericas Center (TAC) announced in November of 2016, the TexAmericas Center Board of Directors has approved a contract with Olsson Associates to provide property assessment and planning services outlined in the grant. This comprehensive planning strategy will position TAC to strategically redevelop selected portions of their 12,000 acres with targeted industries in mind.
Olsson Associates will begin by performing an initial assessment of TexAmericas Center’s current infrastructure and deficiencies, ultimately evaluating site preparation for the East, Central, and West Campuses. Further evaluation will then be conducted to identify and recommend optimal uses of the land for specific industries, i.e. manufacturing and distribution and wholesaling.
“When businesses are considering locating or relocating to a new area, one of the very first considerations for executives or site search consultants is whether or not the property site is development-ready,” said Scott Norton, CEO/Executive Director of TexAmericas Center, “Therefore it is imperative that we first understand what resources we have in place across our entire footprint and build a redevelopment plan that will then enhance our assets and address our deficiencies.”
There are currently 28 tenants operating on the TexAmericas Center footprint, with several of these businesses providing services to the Red River Army Depot. Expal USA was a major addition to the TAC East Campus in 2016; the project was made possible due to TAC’s current optimal resources in place for the Energetics and Ammunition industry, which includes demilitarization facilities like bunkers and vast amounts of acreage available.
“In order to continue to attract more businesses and jobs to the area, we need to market how our property aligns with targeted industries’ needs, as we have done with projects like Expal USA,” said Eric Voyles, Executive Vice President/ CEDO, “With the information collected from this property assessment and recommended master plan, we will be able to provide more thorough, prompt responses to RFPs and create dynamic and effective marketing campaigns moving forward.”
Olsson Associates will bring over 50 years of experience in comprehensive engineering, planning, and design solutions to the table. Olsson’s mission, to develop outstanding client relationships and execute successful infrastructure projects that go beyond technical expertise, makes them a great partner for TexAmericas Center to work with on this project. Engineering design and economic development professionals from Olsson Associates will be on site today for a kick-off meeting with the TexAmericas Center’s leadership team—the plan is to familiarize Olsson Associates’ staff with the property and provide a better understanding of the greater Texarkana region.
“The TexAmericas center, boasting a significant amount of land space and successful industrial companies, shows promise for additional business and industrial recruitment opportunities. Our goal for this project is to align site assets to market drivers to effectively position this property as relevant to both the end-user and site selection communities. We look forward to working with the TexAmericas Center staff, partners, and existing businesses to provide the deliverables and direction that lead to enhanced recruitment of capital investment and jobs to the TexAmericas Center.” Courtney Dunbar CEcD, EDFP, AICP/Industrial Program Leader/Olsson Associates
About TexAmericas Center
Located in the Texarkana metropolitan area, TexAmericas Center owns and operates one of the largest mixed use industrial parks in the United States. With roughly 12,000 development ready acres of land and about 3 million square feet of commercial and industrial product, TexAmericas Center services the four states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas) markets. Texas is the #1 state for business in the United States of America because of its regulatory environment, tax policies, and workforce quality along with exceptional educational resources, infrastructure, and quality of living. Founded in 1997, TexAmericas Center has the operating capabilities of a municipality but functions more like a traditional real estate development company, offering customized real estate solutions. In addition to controlling our own zoning and permitting processes and sustaining the life cycle of public infrastructure on the complex, TAC has the capability to lease, build-to-suit, or facilitate Greenfield owner-constructed projects in a timely and efficient manner. At TAC, we streamline leasing and manage government development processes all through a single point of contact. Our customers benefit from faster market entry by resolving zoning, permitting, inspection, and state and local incentive programs solely through our organization. Additionally, the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) designated a 101 acre site on TexAmericas Center’s central campus as the first S.T.A.R. Site in Texas (Sites That Are Ready for construction to begin), advancing speed to market for our customers. Tenants of TexAmericas Center tend to be private business owners and corporations seeking flexible and cost effective space solutions.
If you would like more information about this topic or TexAmericas Center, please contact Eric Voyles at 903.223.9841 or via email
About Olsson Associates
Olsson Associates, founded in 1956 and ranked No. 116 on the Engineering News-Record’s list of Top 500 Design Firms, employs more than 1,000 people in 30 offices across 7 states. The firm has grown to become a full-service civil engineering firm, providing planning and engineering services in civil, survey, structural, water/wastewater, urban design, economic development reverse site selection/site selection, environmental, water resources, geotechnical, construction observation, GIS, mapping, traffic, transportation, intelligent transportation systems, airport consulting, specialty lighting, mechanical/electrical, public involvement, structural, and rail design. Our staff consists of highly-trained professional and technical personnel with broad experience in all phases of planning, engineering design, construction, and economic development consultancy. Olsson Associates’ economic development staff are frequent writers and panelists for national publications including Area Development and Site Selection magazines and are heavily engaged nationally in site preparedness for economic development opportunities.
If you would like more information about this topic or Olsson Associates, please contact Ashley Byrd at TexAmericas Center at 903-223-9841 or by email.
