Cedar Crossing, The World's 5th Largest Industrial Park, Is Sold
Suite 203, December 9, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) today announced the sale of Cedar Crossing, a 10,897-acre industrial park near Houston. The transaction represents one of the single largest land sales in the history of the Houston area. C&W represented the seller, Cedar Crossing L.P., a partnership of area investors managed by Charles Iupe. The size of the property sold is equal to three-fourths that of New York’s Manhattan Island.
The C&W team of Kelley Parker, John Littman, Coe Parker and Tim Thomas handled the marketing and sale of the site. Mr. Parker’s 24-year experience with marketing the property began in 1990 when C&W represented the site for USX Realty Development and convinced Mr. Iupe to purchase the project.
"This transaction comes at a time when low natural gas prices are driving manufacturing expansions and relocations across the U.S."
John Morris, Cushman & Wakefield Industrial Services Lead for the Americas
Trans-Global Solutions, Inc. (TGS), a fully integrated railroad service/logistics provider for many Fortune 500 companies with offices in Beaumont and Houston, TX, is the majority owner of the buyer, TGS Cedar Port Partners L.P. TGS has been the rail service provider for Cedar Crossing since its inception.
With a total expanse of 15,000 acres, Cedar Crossing Industrial Park is considered the world’s fifth largest industrial park and the largest on the Gulf Coast. The Park is located 20 miles east of Houston in Chambers County, directly across the Houston Ship Channel from the Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals. Cedar Crossing is ideal for light or heavy industrial, manufacturing of all types, waterfront operations and warehouse/distribution facilities. Approximately 65% of the Park remains undeveloped and is available for future expansion.
“This transaction comes at a time when low natural gas prices are driving manufacturing expansions and relocations across the U.S.,” said John Morris, C&W’s Industrial Services Lead for the Americas. “We see trade between South America, Asia and the U.S. poised for dynamic growth due to the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in 2015.”
To date, Cedar Crossing has attracted many top-tier companies with significant operations: Home Depot’s 755,000-square-foot distribution hub, Walmart’s 4.2 million-square-foot import center (their largest in the U.S.), JSW Steel’s plate and pipe manufacturing facilities, and Borusan Mannesmann’s $148 million steel pipe manufacturing facility. Other occupants include Exel, S&B Engineers, National Oilwell, GE Water, TMK-IPSCO, Century Asphalt, Samson Controls, and LS Energy Fabrication.
Perfectly positioned as one of the world’s most important intermodal logistics parks, Cedar Crossing offers dual rail service with considerable rail infrastructure; specifically, 57 miles within the Park, with existing storage for over 1,700 railcars.
The Park has benefitted from the construction of the Fred Hartman Bridge, the completion of the Grand Parkway, and a $50 million investment of public funds by the Chambers County Improvement District I for infrastructure improvements including the Public Barge Dock and its recent expansion. Additional infrastructure improvements are planned by the new ownership and will be announced at a later date.
Cedar Crossing features major freeway access by way of the Grand Parkway to Interstate 10, Highway 225, and State Highway 146; an extensive gas and chemical pipeline distribution network; access to the Gulf Coast region’s center of international trade via the Port of Houston, as well as access to the Barbours Cut and Bayport container facilities.
“This significant transaction is a convincing testament to the Park’s capabilities and infrastructural importance and a ringing endorsement of the Baytown/Chambers County area as an economic powerhouse,” said Kelley Parker, C&W Executive Vice President. “It’s amazing to have witnessed firsthand the growth of the Park, in 24 years, from simple pastureland to what it is today.”
About Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
Cushman & Wakefield advises and represents clients on all aspects of property occupancy and investment. Founded in 1917, it has approximately 250 offices in 60 countries, employing more than 16,000 professionals. It offers a complete range of services to its occupier and investor clients for all property types, including leasing, sales and acquisitions, equity, debt and structured finance, corporate finance and investment banking, appraisal, consulting, corporate services, and property, facilities, project and risk management.