Press Release by Lindsey Rose | lindsey.rose@tileshop.com

The Tile Shop, a specialty retailer of premium manufactured tile and natural stone, setting and maintenance materials, announced that it has expanded its presence in Dallas, opening a new retail showroom to the public today at 6240 Morning Star Drive in The Colony, Texas.

The new store is The Tile Shop’s fifth location in the Dallas metro area, showcasing inspirational styled living spaces defined by a diverse collection of more than 4,000 ceramic, porcelain, glass and natural stone tile products in unlimited color palettes and textures. The approximately 15,000 square-foot store also features an on-site design and education center available to all customers.

“Our tile collection encompasses many colors, shapes, patterns and textures that allow people to express their own style, and we’re excited to introduce The Colony area homeowners and trade professionals to our product selection and shopping experience,” said Carl Randazzo, Senior Vice President of Retail for The Tile Shop.

“We’re as passionate about our customers as we are about our products, and as a project partner, we understand their home is a big part of their lives. Whether dressing up a single surface, doing a complete remodel or building a new home, we bring customers product and design inspiration, expert advice, superior service and confidence to achieve their vision.”

Learn more about The Tile Shop on their website.

Read the full press release.

Keri Samford, Director of The Colony Economic Development Corporation, was an invited guest speaker at the Texas Municipal League’s inaugural Economic Development Conference held in Bastrop, Texas October 16-17.

Keri presented the incredible economic development impact that the opening of Nebraska Furniture Mart and the Grandscape development is having on The Colony.

In addition to the increased business and sales tax generated by the retailing giant owned by Berkshire Hathaway, the project has spurred significant growth across all industry sectors including housing, restaurants, retailers, lodging, and business/corporate expansions and relocations.

Ms. Samford shared insight on how the project was landed with a full room of TML members, and offered tips for successfully securing new projects in their own communities.

Also presenting during this conference session was Jim Quin, City Administrator of Haslet, who discussed the Amazon Fulfillment Center’s expansion in Haslet, and Plano City Manager Bruce Glasscock, who discussed Toyota’s move of  its U.S. headquarters to Plano.

Grandscape Presentation TML 2015

Above from left: Keri Samford, Director of The Colony Economic Development Corporation; Bruce Glasscock, Plano City Manager; and Jim Quin, City Administrator of Haslet.

Candace Carlisle | ccarlisle@bizjournals.com | Dallas Business Journal

The development group behind Grandscape — a $1.5 billion mixed-use development anchored by the massive Nebraska Furniture Mart — has started construction on its next phase of the 400-acre project, a $45 million “boardwalk,” district.

“We haven’t officially named it, but it’s the boardwalk district,” Jeff Lind, president and CEO of Grandscape and Nebraska Furniture Mart Texas, which are affiliates of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., told the Dallas Business Journal.

The board walk at Grandscape will include a restaurant row overlooking a man-made lake fronting the Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Once filled, the 11-acre manmade lake fronting the boardwalk will bring an amenity to Grandscape, which has already landed a number of restaurants and 1,800-fan concert venue.

“This will be an amenity to serve those restaurant pad sites and give people a walking area with music and lighting,” he told me. “It will be a nice place to take a stroll.”

Recently, Grandscape landed the 1,800-seat concert venue Lava Cantina along the boardwalk and could land another five restaurants. Grandscape officials plan to keep the number of restaurants low in the immediate area to ensure there’s parking for restaurant-goers and areas for valet, he said.

The Warren Buffett-backed company has bucked the traditional development mode of using brokers to land big retail tenants, Lind said. Instead, the group is working directly with restaurant and retail owners from outside Dallas-Fort Worth to bring new concepts to the region.

“A lot of places are coming to us and those discussions are in progress,” Lind told me. “Expect more announcements before too long.”

Along with the boardwalk district, Grandscape has started construction on two multitenant buildings along Plano Parkway in between Bargain Way and Nebraska Furniture Mart Drive.

Two new restaurants — Dog Haus and Bread Zeppelin — are the first to join the buildings that would total more than 16,000 square feet in retail space. Both restaurants are slated to open in fall 2016.

Lind said he will take his time landing the right restaurants and retail shops within Grandscape.

Read the original article at The Dallas Business Journal