TEXAMERICAS CENTER: RED TEAM CUTS RED TAPE
Along the Interstate 30 corridor, just 15 miles west of Texarkana, lies TexAmericas Center (TAC), a unique hybrid of an economic development organization and real estate development and management company. A massive mixed-use industrial park boasting more than 12,000 acres and 3 million square feet of commercial and industrial product, TAC services the Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas markets. Formed in 1998 by Texas as part of an initiative to redevelop former military property, TAC offers custom industrial real estate solutions, including purchase, lease, build-to-suit (purchase, lease and reverse) and retrofit or build-out-to-suit options.
TAC and its Regional Economic Development (RED) Team are considered one of the highest-performing and most successful Local Redevelopment Authorities in the U.S. As a state-sanctioned Local Redevelopment Authority, TAC operates as both a private business and a local unit of government. Having a professional engineer on staff and the ability to control its own zoning, contracts and permitting processes allow TAC to provide businesses a much shorter timeline to become operational.
TexAmericas Center is divided into three distinct campuses, each boasting its own unique attributes. The 756-acre Central Campus includes 750,000 square feet and offers over 200 acres of shovel-ready sites, including the Texas Economic Development Council-designated 101-acre S.T.A.R. (Sites That Are Ready) Site, multiple hardstand sites and vehicle performance testing. In addition, the Central Campus features a golf course, walking trails, an exercise track, a U.S. Army PX and the emergency services of the Red River Army Depot. It’s also home to TC@TAC, a state-of-the-art technical and vocational education facility developed in partnership with Texarkana College and the U.S. Army to support the training and education mission of the Red River Army Depot and the surrounding business community.
The Eastern Campus boasts 8,900 acres and over 2.1 million square feet of former munitions production and warehouse and storage space, along with office, flex and manufacturing space. Comprised of the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, the campus features 36 miles of rail, including a 350-car classification yard and transload services. The East Campus offers multiple individual business parks, including parks focused on energetics, food processing, heavy manufacturing, heavy utility users, rail-intensive users, wholesale, fulfillment, warehouse and distribution, transloading, enviroTECH and light manufacturing.
The Western Campus (also known as the Expansion Parcel) consists of 2,900 acres and over 250,000 square feet of former munitions storage bunkers. TAC envisions this property will be home to multiple individual business parks, including those focused on green energy production, AgTECH and data storage.
TAC consistently invests in site improvements. In 2019, TAC rehabilitated over 277,000 square feet of former warehouse space of which more than 250,000 square feet was leased immediately, leaving over 22,000 square feet still available. TAC added two new industries—supplemental production and solar energy—and nine new tenants, including businesses from Michigan and Arizona.
TAC recently completed $2.25 million in infrastructure improvements and signed contracts to perform $1.6 million of improvements to occupied buildings, including installing an 18-inch sanitary sewer line; one sanitary sewer lift station; a 10-inch water line; and five fire hydrants. TAC also made road, accessibility and utility service improvements. They’ve added multiple incentives, including Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreements and Foreign Trade Zone Texas Enterprise Zone.
If you would like more information about this topic or TexAmericas Center, please contact Eric Voyles at 903.223.9841 or via email.
