Celebrate Earth Day in Dallas

Earth Day Dallas is an annual festival seeking to elevate environmental awareness and change the way North Texans think, live and work. But most of all, it’s family-friendly fun!!

The event is April 21-22, 10am-6pm, at Fair Park in Dallas, where you will have access to over 600,000 square feet of indoor & outdoor events

And the best part – admission is FREE!! You can’t beat that!

Click here to view the schedule of events. Entertainment and programming includes:

• The Eco-Expo will showcase green initiatives of corporations, small businesses, non-profits, government groups, hospitals, universities and more.
• Green Talk Speaker Series with topics including water, global warming, gardening and the future sustainability of North Texas
• Artfully Green Film Series
• Family Zone featuring Radio Disney and hands-on environmental activities
• Live music at the Band Shell featuring Amos Lee
• Home & Garden Workshop corner demonstrating composting, rainwater harvesting, and green money-saving tips
• Earth Yoga
• Picnic for the Planet: Help break the world’s record for the largest, simultaneous global picnic!
• DFW Truck Farm 5K Fun Run
• Live BMX shows
• Dallas Urban Debate Alliance environmental, student debates
• Dance Performances
• Gardening, cooking, and money-saving live demonstrations
• The Children’s Corner will entertain kids with music, zoo animals, arts-and-crafts, short plays and educational demonstrations.

Additional attractions include The Dallas Aquarium, The Museum of Nature and Science, Texas Discovery Gardens, African American Museum of Life and Culture, The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future and the Texas Museum of Automotive History.

Fair Park will charge $10 for parking. We encourage you to avoid he hassles of parking altogether & take the Green Line to the Fair Park Station.

Ron Skipper Joins Billingsley Team

Billingsley is happy to announce the appointment of Ron Skipper as Senior Property Manager. In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing our portfolio of properties, managing tenant relations and attracting new tenants.

“Ron is a strong leader with outstanding communication skills, an admirable sense of organization, and an ability to build meaningful relationships and handle whatever comes his way,” says company partner Lucy Billingsley.

Skipper previously served as Senior Vice President of Asset Management for Equastone, where he directed the company’s real property operations for the southwest U.S. He was also in charge of leasing and management of 5 million square feet of properties in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and New Orleans. His role on the restructuring team and ability to manage the bottom line provided a strong foundation for the company’s successful leasing program.

Prior to his time at Equastone, Skipper served as Senior Property Manager for The Crescent, where he oversaw daily operations and management. The Crescent, a 1.2 million square foot complex, includes offices, retail space, and a parking garage. Skipper also managed capital improvement and developed and implemented a customer service program.

“Property management is a big responsibility, and I’m honored to be chosen for this major role,” said Skipper. “Billingsley is well respected within the real estate community, and I’m pleased to join the team and be part of the business’s ongoing legacy.”

Skipper gained a unique client perspective that continues to help him provide great tenant service when he managed assets for more than 5 million square feet with Electronic Data Systems. In this role, he oversaw Trammell Crow property management and a leasing division of Jones Lang LaSalle. He also managed and tracked $50 million in capital projects and leasing capital.

Before moving to Dallas, Skipper worked with Hines Interest in Houston. There he managed Williams Tower, Penzoil Place, and One and Two Shell.

Skipper graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas State University. He is currently a member of BOMA Dallas and IREM. He is also a Texas Real Estate licensed broker and has his CPM designation.

“The role of senior property manager is vital to Billingsley’s continued success and upstanding reputation.We’re pleased to have him join the Billingsley family and have absolute confidence that he will do a fantastic job.” said Billingsley.

D Magazine Interviews Lucy Billingsley and Lucy Burns

Real Points, the D Magazine blog focusing on the real estate market in Dallas, talked to our management team about many of the exciting new projects happening at Billingsley Company right now.

These projects include Cypress Waters (a 1000 acre mixed-use development on a lake in Coppell), Gramercy Center (two Class A office buildings we’re renovating off the Dallas North Tollway), Bush & Tollway (4 future buildings located on each corner of the Tollway & George Bush), Two Arts Plaza (a future high-rise building in the Dallas Arts District), the raw land at International Business Park and Austin Ranch available for build-to-suit projects, and the sixth phase of Austin Ranch Apartments which should open next year.

Read more at http://realpoints.dmagazine.com/2011/08/conversation-with-lucy-billingsley-and-lucy-burns-billingsley-co/

Billingsley Purchases 2 Buildings in High-Demand Area

Gramercy Center South

Texas real estate and master-planned developments leader Billingsley Company today announced the closing of their recent acquisition of the Landmark I and II office buildings in northwest Dallas which were acquired via a new partnership between Billingsley and Stockbridge Real Estate and renamed Gramercy Center North and South. The seller, Dallas-based Behringer Harvard, retained an economic interest.

“We negotiated a discounted pay-off arrangement with our lender, an essential process which enabled us to offer this asset for sale at an attractive price,” said Sam Gillespie, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Behringer Harvard’s opportunity platform. “We then identified Billingsley and Stockbridge as high-caliber, well-respected companies to sell the asset to.”

The closing marks Billingsley’s most recent new office building acquisition. Purchasing efforts were led by Billingsley’s Senior Vice President of investment Marijke Lantz. “This investment represents well located, quality assets in one of the strongest submarkets in Dallas. It was an opportunity to purchase high grade property at a significant discount to replacement costs.”

Prime Location off Dallas North Tollway

The purchase adds another 250,000 square feet of rentable office space to Billingsley’s holdings, which now total 1.3 million square feet within the submarket. Billingsley is actively pursuing other acquisition opportunities as well.

The two buildings of class A office space sit at the intersection of Haverwood Lane and Frankford Road on the west side of the Dallas North Tollway. They were built with ample parking, lab and data center space, prime security, and a design that conserves energy. Each building is two stories; Gramercy Center North sits on 8.6 acres of land and Gramercy Center South is surrounded by 11.3 acres of land.

“Texas is leading the country in job growth,” said Scott Arnoldy of Stockbridge, “The opportunity provided Stockbridge the ability to buy an asset off market at an attractive basis with a well-regarded local operating partner.”

The location of Gramercy Center North and South is close to Highway 190 in the path of surging Dallas growth. “There is so much growth momentum and demand in this exclusive area, and the acquisition represents a great fit with Stockbridge as well as the market Billingsley knows so well,” said Lucy Burns, Partner at Billingsley.

Fellow partner Lucy Billingsley concurs. “We are delighted to work with Stockbridge,” said Billingsley. “They have an outstanding reputation and we are confident this partnership will be successful.”

The Landmark acquisition includes plans for new lobby designs and other revitalizing renovations. Ample tenant space combined with the key location and upcoming improvements make the new Gramercy Center North and South extremely attractive buildings for professional office tenants.

Billingsley has consistently proven its ability to manage office properties successfully over the last 20 years. The company’s development and management of northwest Dallas’s International Business Park, a 300-acre master-planned office park, has resulted in lease occupancy of 96 percent.

City Council Approves Major Billingsley Project in North Dallas

It’s official!  Last week the Dallas City Council approved Billingsley Company to develop The Four Corners of 190 (George Bush) & the Dallas North Tollway.  These four corners will become the iconic gateway to future development northward.

• 32 acre, four corner master-planned development
• Each building is designed for 10 levels of office space above six levels of parking, totaling 16 stories
• Average floor plate is 33,000 SF*
• Average building totals 373,490 RSF*
• Master plan includes four independent buildings designed to create an architectural gateway into North Dallas and Plano
• Build to suit
• Will develope to LEED status
• Unobstructed, breathtaking views

For more information, contact Lucy Burns at 214-270-0998 or lburns@billingsleyco.com.  Or visit our website at http://www.billingsleyco.com/properties/display.asp?section=office&location=bush-tollway

*subject to change per tenant’s plans

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Billingsley Welcomes a New Face

I bet you didn’t know Billingsley has cows & donkeys on their team? We own several large areas of raw land and let these majestic animals graze openly in the sunshine.

Over the weekend, one of our donkey’s gave birth to an adorable baby that we named Badd. He is located in the fields near International Business Park if you want to stop by and see him!

The Commissary Opens at One Arts Plaza

Drum roll please….the newest addition to One Arts Plaza’s dining destination is now open! Five Star Chef John Tesar (also known for his previous work at the Mansion on Turtle Creek) has created his chef-driven concept, The Commissary.

It officially opens today for dinner with lunch following next week.

These chef-inspired burgers (made with organic, grass-fed beef) are priced at $5 – $8+. There’s another unique twist to it as well: the bar is offering wine on tap! It’s the only restaurant in the area offering this new trendy experience.

Guests can dine in the revamped Dali space, enjoy the expansive patio and outdoor lounge, or take food to-go in eco-friendly packaging. Tesar also plans to offer delivery services to One Arts Plaza residents and area businesses.

But wait, there’s more…a cheese cart offering 30+ gourmet cheeses and salumi AND a Chef’s Table.

For more info click here.