FORT WORTH-Undertaking a record-setting two-million-sf spec rollout, Hillwood has started foundation work for its next building in the cycle. Rising next will be a 472,500-sf distribution center with green features and the first spec with a 32-foot clear height.

"We have staggered it so that every two months we are breaking ground on a new building," Tony Creme, marketing manager for Hillwood Properties, tells GlobeSt.com. "It's the largest spec development rollout we've had in the history of AllianceTexas." The spec program will push AllianceTexas over the 26-million-sf mark in the 140-company park. Hillwood owns and manages 11.5 million sf, the lion's share of which is co-owned with Newark-based Prudential Real Estate Investors.

Gateway 72 is going up at 4798 Henrietta Creek Rd., the third project to get under way this year. The cross-dock warehouse will deliver at the end of August. The 142,500-sf Gateway 23 at 13301 Park Vista Blvd. has just gotten its walls--flex industrial space set to deliver June 30. The only office building in this year's pipeline, the 120,000-sf Heritage Commons II at 13601 N. Freeway, also comes on line June 30.

The next to break ground will be Gateway 18, a 399,000-sf warehouse along Park Vista Boulevard. Its delivery is planned for October. Next to go up will be the 262,000-sf Gateway 52 along Henrietta Creek Rd., with completion eyed for December.

The largest industrial building will get underway in September, the 562,500-sf Westport 20, which gets a coveted spot along Intermodal Parkway near the BNSF intermodal yard. Work will wrap up in February 2008.

With today's focus on "green," Creme says the new wave of construction has some LEED and environmentally friendly features and materials. Hillwood's green push is centered on carpeting, irrigation systems, glazing and roofing materials. Creme says Gateway 72 is being considered for solar panels too, but the final decision has yet to be made.

Creme and Hillwood marketing manager Steve Aldrich are leasing the new space, which already has attracted some prospects. The class A office is quoted at $19 per sf plus electric while the industrial mix goes from $3.25 per sf to $4.75 per sf, triple net.

Hillwood Construction Services is the general contractor for the six buildings, each situated within the Fort Worth bounds of AllianceTexas. Gromatzky Dupree Associates Inc. of Dallas and RGA Architects of Roanoke, TX designed the industrial buildings. HKS Inc.'s Dallas team mapped out Heritage Commons II.

Hillwood's MO is to have one million sf of spec space ready to fill at all times. "Before we launched this program, we only had less than 100,000 sf," Creme says. "We needed to have these buildings available for our existing customers and new ones. We've been fortunate to have a pretty high demand and we're taking a big step in rolling out two million sf."