la Frontera In the News
The Round Rock Leader
December 11, 2000
Developers hoping to attract Internet business to La Frontera
by Marcial Guajardo, Leader Staff
Local broker Dan Listrom wanted to give the multi-million dollar La Frontera commerce center a business-like face while providing the Internet solid footing at a physical address.
Listrom believes he has the groundwork in place for both with “net.plex,” La Frontera’s e-commerce business center jam packed with amenities for the technology age. The next step will be to build it in the fields of the former Kouri farm and watch them come, as Kennedy-Wilson Inc. developers plan to begin doing next week.
Kennedy-Wilson officials announced Wednesday that they will break ground on their three-story office building, 301 Sundance Parkway, at the net.plex on Dec. 18. In doing so, it helps introduce La Frontera’s final section, the office park, to the public.
“We are where you need to be if you’re going to be doing business on the ‘net,” said Listrom, president of Austin-based First Regional Properties, about net.plex. “We wanted to tell them we have everything they want to use today.”
Where net.plex will be is in the northwest corner of La Frontera, encompassing 100 of the 328 acres the commercial/retail/residential development is situated on. Net.plex will be just north of the proposed State Highway 45.
The e-commerce market, including Internet hotels and server farms, was closely analyzed in the planning of net.plex, Listrom said.
In response, they put in place a combination of fiber optic telecommunications lines and standard electrical power, available through dual electrical substations that allow for a power back-up in case a substation goes off-line. TXU Electric will provide the electricity.
The developers also opened net.plex up to major players in the technology game by leaving a wide expanse available for use. The office park has the capability for several million square feet of office space, including campuses that could resemble the one owned by Dell Computer Corp., less than a mile away.
Kennedy-Wilson hopes to attract technology businesses, such as Cisco Systems or Sun Microsystems, to 301 Sundance Parkway, said the real estate company’s senior managing director, Phil Capron.
Net.plex’s amenities, as well as its location in Round Rock, made it an attractive place to set up 301 Sundance Parkway, Capron added.
“It was the next logical progression for us to move north,” he said, noting the Los Angeles-based Kennedy-Wilson has handled several suburban projects in Austin. “It’s a pro-business atmosphere at the (Round Rock ) city leadership level. Plus, you can get the boss, middle management and employees all living in the same area here.”
301 Sundance Parkway will include more than 190,000 square feet of office space, a 708-space parking garage and an additional 188 parking spaces. With a 10-11 month building period expected, the development could be completed by next September or October.
301 Sundance Parkway will join another office complex already under construction at net.plex. Developers broke ground on The Summit at La Frontera earlier this year.
La Frontera officials hosted a grand opening ceremony for its retail sector, La Frontera Village, in October. That was followed by the announcement last week that the first tenants into its residential development, the Enclave Apartments, are expected to move in this month.
Meanwhile, Marriott officials tallied more than $500,000 in advance reservations since its sales office opened last month.
