Originally built for Dayton Tire Co. in 1969, the 300-acreproperty was shuttered in Dec. 2006 and put on the market under thesupervision of Eric Dienstbach, a senior vice president in theDenver office of Philadelphia-based Binswanger. According toDienstbach, about a half dozen prospects showed interest in theproperty, but only three pursued it and only two made serious bids:Big Industrial and Wichita, KS-based Ablah Enterprises Inc.

The former won not only because it offer the most money but alsobecause it seemed more capable of closing. "We were interested ineliminating as many contingencies as possible during the duediligence to be sure we had a deal that would go through,"Dienstbach says. "Big Industrial was very cooperative in thatregard."

Ben Schmidt, a broker with Big Industrial who leads theproperty's leasing effort, says the buyer plans to redevelop theproperty into a multi-tenant facility for a mix of warehouse,distribution and manufacturing tenants. It will demolish some partsof the existing complex and renovate others. A 300,000-sf centersection will be torn down and replaced by a truck court, withloading docks inserted into the surrounding structures. Theresulting product will total about 2.1 million sf. Schmidt says BigIndustrial has already begun power washing the plant and will beginrehabbing it "in earnest" in January. It has been renamed WillRogers Business Park.