Key 2016 relocations spur East Arapaho Area revitalization

Among Richardson’s most significant economic development accomplishments in 2016 has been the creation and operation by the Richardson Economic Development Partnership (REDP) of the East Arapaho Task Force, a consortium of major property owners, employers and other stakeholders in the core of Richardson’s Telecom Corridor whose mission is to identify the priorities for enhancing economic vitality in the area. The approximately 1,000-acre district, located on the east side of Central Expressway and bounded on the north by Campbell Road, on the south by Apollo Road, on the west by Greenville Avenue and on the east by Plano Road, is characterized by single-story, office/showroom (or just “flex” for short) buildings. In fact, about 75% of all of Richardson’s flex space is located in the district, and when the Telecom Corridor slumped in 2001-2004, the vacancy rate in those flex buildings soared to almost 40%.

 

Today, vacancy has resided to nearer its historic 8-10% range at just over 13%, but there are still challenges in readapting and redeveloping a number of properties to meet current market demands. To jump start that goal, REDP has been successful in attracting a couple of outstanding, technology-centric companies to the East Arapaho district:

 

Most recently, Applied Concepts, Inc. purchased the 40,088-SF flex building (formerly Stratmark) at 855 E. Collins with plans to move its entire 135-employee operation there in the 3rd quarter of 2017 as their Plano lease expires.

 

Founded in Richardson in 1977 by electrical engineer Alan Mead, the company has become the premier supplier of radar guns (“Stalker” brand) for both traffic and sport applications. In the traffic control area, ACI holds the majority of the US market, serving over 5,000 law enforcement agencies. In baseball and other sports, ACI is the overwhelmingly dominant market player. ACI introduced its auto radar business in 1990 with the first TI-built DSP chip-enabled police radar gun. The company holds 29 patents in radar gun technology that enable the tracking of any projectile at speeds up to 900 mph.

 

 

Earlier in the year, REDP was successful in securing the relocation of the corporate HQ and operations of Aprima Medical Software, a 320-employee technology company from Carrollton. Founded in the early 1990s, under the name Millbrook Medical Software, Aprima has grown over the years to now support 2,000 physician practices in 47 US states, Puerto Rico and Guam. With its 2011 acquisition of DFW-based Healthcare Strategies, Aprima is now able to add a revenue cycle management (RCM) offering to its clinical software product. Aprima just recently occupied 55,000 SF in the 3-story office building at 1010 E. Arapaho, which is owned by Momentum Realty, a locally-based property owner.

 

A complete list of significant 2016 non-retail business expansions and relocations follows.

#CompanyBusinessTypeFromOcc. Address Square Feet Type Space Jobs Broker Web Address 
1 MobilousTool for faster, cheaper app developmentRelocationDehli, India Lease 1201 International Pkwy. 1,000 Flex None www.mobilous.com
2 Medical Practice SolutionsBilling and services for medical practicesRelocationDallas Sublease 2600 NCX 38,000 Office120Clint Madison
Cushman & Wakefield
www.mpsbilling.com 
Service King Billing and services for medical practices Relocation Richardson Sublease 2600 NCX 38,000Office200Stuart Smith
Cushman & Wakefield
www.serviceking.com
4e2v Development of high-reliability semiconductors Relocation Richardson Lease 1301 E. Collins6,000 Office 20 Matt Waldon
Pillar Commercial 
www.e2v.com 
5Global Optics Fiber and cable installation Expansion San Antonio Lease 800 Security Row 10,000 Flex 40 Brett Lewis
Lee & Associates 
www.globalopticsus.com 
Paragon Services, Inc. General contractor Relocation Carrollton Lease 1820 N. Greenville 13,166 Flex 40 Sarah Catherine Norris 
E Smith Realty
N/A
Pedeatrix Medical Group of Texas Medical practice Expansion Richardson Lease 3001 E. PGBT 13,000 Office 35 Tommy Nelson
CBRE 
dallas.pediatrics.com 
8Aprima Medical Software Software for physicians' offices Relocation Carrollton Lease 1010 E. Arapaho 55,000 Office 280 John Roper
CBRE 
www.aprima.com 
9Just Construction & Mgmt. Interior finish for retail stores Relocation California Buy 1000 E. Campbell et al 37,879 Flex 200 None www.jcandm.com 
10 HH Architects Design firm for church facilities RelocationDallas Lease 2221 Lakeside 16,361 Office 50 Clay Vaughn
CBRE 
www.hharchitects.com
11Reflect Systems Digital displays for retail settings RelocationDallas Lease 2221 Lakeside 15,350 Office 45Sharon Friedberg
Fischer 
www.reflectsystems.com 
12KBM GroupData-centric consumer marketing company Renewal Richardson Lease 2050 N. Greenville 54,752 Office 200 Deborah Borum
Beltway 
www.kbmg.com 
13Voss Unified communications platform provider Renewal Richardson Lease 2301 N. Greenville 5,821 Office 20 
Deborah Borum
Beltway 
www.voss-solutions.com 
14 Applied Concepts, Inc.Maker of the "Stalker" brand traffic and sports radar Relocation Plano Buy855 E. Collins 40,088 Flex 135 Paul Tikacek
JSC 
www.stalkerradar.com 
15 Genpact Business process outsourcing Expansion Richardson Lease 3101 E. PGBT 21,000 Office 100 Tommy Nelson
CBRE 
www.genpact.com 
16 SolarCity Installs solar systems for residential and business Relocation Dallas Lease 1371 N. Glenville 11,000 Flex 25 Joshua Barnes
Holt Lunsford 
www.solarcity.com 
            
 Totals     369,841 1,515  

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