City Officials Represent The Colony at Global Retail Real Estate Conference

Recon 2015

In an effort to promote additional economic development, enhance the local tax base, and create new jobs, representatives from the City of The Colony and Economic Development Corporation were among more than 1,000 public officials and 35,000 retail real estate professionals who traveled to Las Vegas this month to attend RECon, the global convention sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

The three-day event featured educational sessions on retail and economic development issues, more than 1 million square-feet of exhibit space showcasing leading retailers, developers, leasing agents, brokers, public sector professionals, and industry product and service providers.

“RECon is a must-attend event if you are trying to create any type of retail real estate development in your community,” said Keri Samford, Director of The Colony’s Economic Development Corporation.  “In just three days, we were able to meet with numerous shopping center developers, owners, and retailers to ensure that they are aware of the incredible opportunities in our community.”

According to ICSC, approximately 50 percent of all retail real estate industry deals are conceived of or consummated at RECon.

“Participating in RECon through the years has proven to be a very viable component of our comprehensive retail recruitment strategy,” added Samford. “Many of the retail projects now complete or underway in The Colony were sparked through our networking and one-on-one meetings at past RECon conferences, and interest in our community this year was extremely high.”

Shopping centers generate more than $2.5 trillion in retail sales annually in the U.S. and raise nearly $145 billion in sales tax revenue for state and local governments.  In 2014, there were 12.7 million shopping center-related jobs in the U.S.

In Texas, shopping centers generate more than $ $236.5 billion in retail sales annually and raise nearly $14.8 billion in sales tax revenue for state and local governments.  In 2014, there were 1 million shopping center-related jobs in Texas.

Expert: SH 121 growth ‘a matter of time’

121 Growth A Matter of Time

impact news | extract

Activity along SH 121 has exploded in recent years in The Colony and Plano. The Grandscape development in The Colony, for instance, opened its anchor store, Nebraska Furniture Mart, in May and is expected to help in the city’s economic growth. On the Frisco side of SH 121, Crest Auto Group is building three new car dealerships and a Wal-Mart is going in the Custer Bridges development.

“The [land] pricing today is as low as it will be for the foreseeable future. Prices are only going to continue to increase as demand increases.”

– Bill Cox, principal for commercial real estate firm Carey Cox Co.

Read full article at www.impactnews.com.

The Colony Ranked 7th in Best Suburbs in the DFW Metro Area

Niche 2015 Award

niche.com | 2015 Niche Rankings

The Colony was ranked 7th in the 2015 Best Suburbs in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area recently announced by niche.com. The ranking methodology takes into account key factors of a location, including school ratings, crime rates, housing, employment, community, and things to do, in an attempt to measure the overall quality of an area. Niche provides rankings and statistics for every neighborhood and city in the U.S.

See all 2015 DFW Suburb rankings at www.niche.com.

Mike McCabe, GM at Old American Golf Club in Texas, honored in Titleist ‘Difference Makers’ campaign

Old American Golf

worldgolf.com | Release

Old American Golf Club announces General Manager Mike McCabe has been honored as a Titleist PGA Professional “Difference Maker,” and will appear in several marketing campaigns this month.

The Difference Maker campaign honors Titleist PGA Professionals making significant impacts at their clubs with members and guests. A 90-second video about McCabe and his noteworthy contributions is featured at Titleist.com. He also will appear in advertisements in various publications throughout the month.

Under McCabe’s leadership, the Tripp Davis-Justin Leonard design has received numerous accolades. Inspired by the “Golden Age” of golf course architecture – a period of excellence between 1911 and 1937 – Old American rose to No. 5 in Golfweek’s 2015 “State-by-State” rankings, making it the highest-rated course in the Metroplex for the fifth consecutive year.

McCabe also has overseen the development of amenities at Old American that create lasting impressions. The club boasts TOUR-caliber practice facilities and wide range of game improvement programming. Authentic rustic elements are prevalent throughout – such as a railroad bridge between the second and third holes and a former dairy barn that serves as cart storage. Behind the barn sits an organic garden, which has inspired a leading edge culinary program and farm-to-table menu.

A native of Emporia, Kan., McCabe graduated from The Golf Academy of America and was the director of golf at Tour 18 Golf Course in suburban Dallas. Prior to coming to Old American in 2011, McCabe was the director of golf at Bridlewood Golf Club in the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound. In 2010, the Northern Texas PGA named him “Merchandiser of the Year.”

“The Titleist campaign spotlights PGA Professionals driven to make a difference at their club, and we’re honored that Mike received this recognition,” says Jack Matthews, President of Matthews Southwest. “His passion for the game and his expertise in providing an enjoyable and memorable golf experience are admirable qualities that have shaped him into becoming a model PGA Professional and general manager.”

For more information: 972.370.4653, www.oldamericangolfclub.com.

See original article at www.worldgolf.com.

Nebraska Furniture Mart Holds Public Grand Opening

NFM Grand Opening

Carla Wade, WFAA ABC Channel 8

With 560,000 square feet of showroom space divided between two floors, Nebraska Furniture Mart Texas may partially bear the name of another state — but it’s a Texas-sized shopping experience.

“It’s exceptional,” said shopper Glenn Allen.

The store held its Grand Opening Thursday morning. City and county leaders joined the company’s President and COO Ron Blumkin outside the store for a giant ribbon cutting.

The Colony Mayor Joe McCourry said seeing the finished store was the culmination of years of planning to bring more economic development to the area.

“Years ago the council said that this corridor was going to be an entertainment destination and a lot of people laughed at us,” said McCourry. “But now though, we stuck to our guns, we followed our intuition and we went after those things that would make it happen.”

The new store offers furniture, appliances, electronics and flooring. It could take you three to four hours to walk the entire store. Some experts estimate the retailer will make at least $1 billion in sales the first year.

“What really excited us about coming to Texas was how great the economy is here and how great the culture of people is here,” said Store Director Ed Lipsett.

The store had a “soft opening” back on March 4. It’s taken two months to get workers, more than 2,000 of them, trained for Thursday’s Grand Opening.

“Including and on down to the people who install products for us, to our sales people, to even our delivery services that work for us,” said Lipsett.

Workers armed with tablets can ring up customers anywhere. And prices in the morning could differ by the afternoon. Nebraska Furniture Mart Texas uses digital tagging — scanning prices from other stores and instantly changing prices multiple times a day.

The distribution center is more than a million square feet and it’s filled with merchandise ready for pick up or delivery.

“I like it, “Allen said with a huge grin. “This is where you can come and find everything you need in one place.”

Lindsey Lessner drove in from McKinney to see the store.

“My mom lives in Fort Worth and she’s talked about coming to visit,” she said. “And I just think it has a lot to offer that was missing in the DFW market for furniture.”

View original story and video at WFAA.com