"Hopefully, it's the first of many commercial projects in that area. I've been dreaming about this building for 10 years," local developer Toby Haggard tells GlobeSt.com. "It's the culmination of everything I've done to date." The 200,522-sf Windhaven Place One, planned for a 5.75-acre tract fronting the Dallas North Tollway, will break ground before March and deliver in spring 2009. It is timed to come on line shortly before delivery of the first phase of the 500,000-sf West Plano Village, a 15-acre, mixed-use project being co-developed with Dallas-based Cencor Realty Services LP.

Haggard's family has had a hand in Collin County's development since the 1850s, first as farmers and ranchers and later as developers. Haggard has patiently waited for office developers to push toward his undeveloped 380-acre bank zoned for commercial and retail uses. The nearest class A is Cinemark USA Inc.'s headquarters building at 3900 Dallas Parkway and the next stop is the 363,313-sf Granite Park Three, situated 1.5 miles south along the tollway. Haggard says the West Plano Village anchor, LEED Silver certification and class AA design by O'Brien & Associates Inc. of Dallas builds in leasing leverage to set the soon-to-start trophy apart from other office buildings in the city.

"It will be a real center of quality," stresses Tom Mastrogiovanni, the development group's vice president. He and newly hired Bill Rudd, also a vice president, have been courting the project to Dallas brokers, quoting $28 per sf plus electric as a first-year rate.

As Corporate America more frequently asks to see LEED-certified space, the leasing team believes it will be a requirement by 2009, with their market advantage coming from the LEED Silver design and eventually an Energy Star ranking. "All the real estate brokers have said if we had it up now, we could have that full quickly," Rudd says.

Windhaven Place One will be positioned between Parker Road and Windhaven Parkway, with the off ramp of the Dallas North Tollway "right at our front door," Haggard says. The eight-story building, with 25,000-sf floor plates, will be complemented by a three-story parking garage with 713 spaces. The surface and structured parking ratio is 4:1,000 sf. On the drawing board is a 280,000-sf Windhaven Place Two, with 31,000-sf floor plates. The buildings' design will accommodate 2,500-sf offices.

For curb appeal, the project will have a motor plaza and fountain. The interior, with Texas design elements, will boast a great room on the first floor with wireless connectivity and mechanical skeleton with fiber optics and oversize backup generator. Double H Realty Services LLC of Plano will manage the finished product.

"I'd love to have a single tenant, but I don't think it's very likely," Haggard says. "We're hoping a 50,000-sf to 100,000-sf tenant will be first in the door."

Rudd says the sweet spot is a mid-size tenant. "We think there's going to be an ample supply of 20,000-sf to 30,000-sf deals," he says.

As for Mastrogiovanni, he's not saying what size tenant will be the most likely to land, but he knows there's a market for the space. "We feel pretty strongly, particularly with feedback from the brokers, that large tenants are going to be attracted to the building. There are a lot of large deals floating around right now and we've got some good market leads."