Economic Development Portfolio

I currently work as the Manager of Business Development with the City of Dallas - Office of Economic Development’s (OED) Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) team. My overall responsibilities include customer/client services, marketing, impact analysis, contract development/compliance and project management.

BEAR Project Management:

My responsibilities in project management is comprehensive in scope, requiring extensive multi-tasking between separate client projects in various stages of development/implementation.

Project management of BEAR deals involves the following

• Providing client services from initial contact

• Negotiation of possible incentives

• Finalizing incentive offers with OED management

• Writing/editing documentation for Council action - drafting committee briefings (PowerPoint presentations and committee memos), completing project fiscal impact analysis, creating project maps and graphics, writing council resolutions and agenda items, handling intergovernmental inquiries concerning the proposed deal

• Reviewing and finalizing project contract agreements

• Managing on-going contract compliance

The following are some of the OED BEAR projects where I served as project manager.

The Kroger Co. selected a site in the Inland Port area of Dallas for a new DFW regional fulfillment center that will expand its service area and warehousing operations associated with e-commerce home delivery. The fourth of twenty Kroger automated fulfillment centers, the facility will source, package and prepare grocery products for direct delivery to consumers throughout Dallas and neighboring communities. Kroger has developed a strategic partnership with Ocado Solutions USA Inc. for the new facility, applying Ocado’s proprietary software and robotic hardware to automate customer grocery fulfillment.

investment:

• Kroger will construct a minimum 300,000 square foot robotics fulfillment center no later than December 31, 2022, with operation of the facility commencing no later than December 31, 2023.

• Kroger and Ocado will invest a total minimum capital investment of $100,000,000, of which a minimum of $35,000,000 shall be in real estate development capital investments.

• Kroger will create a minimum of 350 permanent FTE positions and Ocado will create a minimum of 60 permanent FTE positions by December 31, 2024. All employees will be paid a minimum wage of $15.00 per hour. Kroger employee average annual wages shall be no less than $41,715.00, and Ocado’s employees average annual wages shall be no less than $60,000.00.

Deal Points:

• A 50%, 5 year business personal property tax abatement for Kroger and Ocado’s business personal property investment.

• A 90%, 10 year real property tax abatement of Kroger’s real property investment.

• A Chapter 380 infrastructure grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $2,000,000.00.

• Nomination to receive designation as Enterprise Project under the Texas Enterprise Zone Act.

Uber, based in San Francisco, is an American multinational transportation network company offering services that include peer-to-peer ridesharing, ride service hailing, food delivery, and a bicycle-sharing system. Uber will lease 450,000 square feet at The Epic office tower in the Deep Ellum neighborhood just north of Downtown Dallas by 2023 for a new shared-service technology center.

Investment:

• Uber will invest a minimum of $60,000,000 in leasehold improvements associated with two buildings at The Epic, along with $50,000,000 in business personal property by 2023.

A minimum of 2,500 FTE jobs with a minimum average annual salary of $100,000 created or relocated by Uber by December 31, 2023.

Deal Points:

• A 50 percent, 5 year business personal property tax abatement .

• A Chapter 380 real property/leasehold investment grant in an amount not to exceed $3,500,000.

• A Chapter 380 economic development job grant in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.

• A Chapter 380 economic development grant to fund an expedited permitting process and fee reimbursement.

• Nomination to receive designation as Enterprise Project under the Texas Enterprise Zone Act.

Preferred Freezer, a full-service cold chain warehouse operator for clients/vendors including ConAgra, Lamb Weston, Sysco and Ocean Spray, is serving as developer and tenant for an approximately 240,000 square foot temperature-controlled facility on 15 acres of property at 4100 Cedardale Drive (at I-20/Bonnie View Road) in the IIPOD area of Dallas. The facility is the first Preferred Freezer facility in Dallas and the DFW Metroplex. As part of this project, Preferred Freezer will be participating in local job hiring and employee training programs under the guidance of the City’s Office of Economic Development.

Investment:

• Preferred Freezer will invest a minimum $40,000,000 in real property improvements on or before December 31, 2020.

• On or before December 31, 2020, Preferred Freezer will create and retain a minimum of 50 permanent FTEs at the Facility, with a minimum of 25% (12 FTEs) of the required minimum 50 FTEs shall be residents of the city of Dallas.

Deal Points:

• A 50 percent, 7 year real property tax abatement agreement with Preferred Freezer Services Dallas Holding Co. , LLC.

Amazon and Hillwood Development are undertaking a new 855,000 square foot e-commerce fulfillment facility in the Pinnacle Park area of Dallas. The facility is the first of three warehouses proposed by Hillwood. With a focus on Dallas residents, Amazon will be participating in local job hiring and employee training programs under the guidance of the City’s Office of Economic Development.

Investment:

• Amazon and/or Hillwood will invest a minimum $32,800,000 in real property improvements and a minimum $72,000,000 in business personal property on or before December 31, 2020.

• On or before December 31, 2021, Amazon will create and retain a minimum of 1,200 FTEs at the Facility.

Deal Points:

• A 50 percent, 5 year business personal property tax abatement agreement with Amazon.com Services, Inc.

• A 50 percent, 10 year real property tax abatement agreement with Commerce 30 Building C, Inc. in conjunction with the proposed build-to-suit development of Commerce 30 Building C, an e-commerce distribution center.

A new office and research headquarters for Nokia of America Corporation’s North American operations. Totaling approximately 350,000 square feet, the new headquarters will be comprised of two building Class A office buildings located at 3100 and 3201 Olympus Boulevard in the Cypress Waters development.

Investment:

• By July 2020: an estimated 2,300 new FTE jobs (relocation and new) to be located at the Cypress Waters headquarters.

• Nokia will invest a minimum of $7,000,000 in business personal property improvements on or before December 31, 2019.

• Nokia will have a minimum of 2,300 FTE jobs with a minimum average annual salary of $120,000 in Cypress Waters by December 31, 2020.

Deal Points:

• A 50 percent, 5 year business personal property tax abatement agreement.

• A Chapter 380 sales tax grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $1,650,000.

• A Chapter 380 economic development grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 associated with job creation.

• A Chapter 380 economic grant agreement in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 associated with local hiring.

• Nomination to receive designation as an Enterprise Project under the Texas Enterprise Zone Act.

Trammell Crow Cedardale Distribution Center is a two-phase speculative commercial/industrial/warehouse spec distribution development on approximately 106 acres of land located in the 3300 to 3900 blocks of Cedardale Road. Upon completion, the proposed two facilities will have a total footprint of approximately 1,500,000 square feet. The first phase will be consisting of approximately 50.55 acres.  The second phase will be consisting of approximately 56 acres.

Investment:

• Phase One: Cedardale LLC I will invest a minimum of $11,000,000 in hard and soft costs to construct approximately 600,000 square feet of speculative commercial/industrial/warehouse space during the first phase of the Development with a substantial completion date of December 31, 2020.

• Phase Two: Cedardale LLC II will invest a minimum of $16,500,000 on hard and soft costs to construct approximately 900,000 square feet of speculative commercial/industrial/warehouse space during the second phase of the Development with a substantial completion date of December 31, 2022.

Deal Points:

• A 90 percent, 10 year real property tax abatement with Cedardale Phase I, LLC for phase one of the Trammell Crow Cedardale Distribution Center.

• A 90 percent, 10 year real property tax abatement with Cedardale Phase II, LLC for phase two of the Trammell Crow Cedardale Distribution Center.

A new 994,000 square foot build-to-suit distribution and warehouse facility in the Mountain Creek area of Southern Dallas. Prologis, the property owner, developed and is leasing the facility to Ulta, Inc. 

Ulta Inc., through its retail shop Ulta Beauty, is the largest beauty retailer providing over 20,000 beauty products through its retail stores and e-commerce website

Investment:

• Prologis was required to invest a minimum of $18 Million in real property improvements.

• Ulta was required to provide a minimum 450 jobs by December 31, 2019.

Deal Points:

• A 90 percent, 10 year real property tax abatement agreement with Prologis, L.P.

• A Chapter 380 economic development grant agreement with Ulta Inc - not to exceed $1,000,000.

• A Chapter 380 e-commerce sales tax grant agreement with Ulta Inc, providing a 15-year e-commerce grant equal to 50 percent of the e-commerce sales taxes paid annually by Ulta Inc’s customers to the City of Dallas for the ten year period beginning July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2026 and equal to 25 percent of e-commerce sales taxes paid annually by Ulta Inc’s customers to the City of Dallas Texas for the five year period beginning July 1, 2026 through and June 30, 2031. The fifteen-year grant agreement revenue is not capped but was estimated to be approximately $7,100,000.

A new 297,000 square foot office, production and warehouse distribution facility for Serta Dormae in Southern Dallas. The facility will handle all Serta bedding production and distribution within North Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas.

Investment:

• US Real Estate had to invest $10 million on real property improvements.

• Serta had to create and maintain 100 jobs on or before December 31, 2015.

Deal Points:

• A 90 percent, 10 year real property tax abatement agreement with US Real Estate Limited Partnership

• A Chapter 380 economic development grant agreement with Seefried Industrial Properties for necessary assistance with land development and permitting costs for the purpose of assisting in the development of the new office, production and warehouse distribution facility - not to exceed $63,726.