DALLAS—Barely two years after breaking ground in the heart of Uptown Dallas, McKinney & Olive is now open for business. It is the first commercial building in Dallas to be designed by an internationally acclaimed architect since the 1980s, according to Crescent Real Estate Equities LLC.

Architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli designed the 536,000-square-foot structure located at 2021 McKinney Ave. The 20-story structure offers office and retail space, and visibility in the pedestrian-oriented Uptown Dallas neighborhood.

“We took the best site within the best submarket within a wonderful city, added world-class architecture and a little development expertise, and the result speaks for itself. Most importantly, our customers are confirming that McKinney & Olive is very much a 'sexy' address and terrific home for their business,” said John Goff, chairman and CEO of Crescent. “Crescent has heavily invested in the Uptown area with a vision to pay tribute to Dallas and make it a better place to live, work and play.”

Located on a 3.1-acre site across the street from The Ritz-Carlton, McKinney & Olive is a class-A mixed-use complex with approximately 486,000 rentable square feet of office space and two levels (50,000 square feet) of retail space. The office floors feature 10-foot ceilings and flexible floor plates. The corners of the building have been specially designed without supporting columns so the floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer unobstructed city views up and down McKinney Avenue, throughout Uptown, to downtown Dallas' Arts District and Klyde Warren Park, and as far as Victory Park.

“This development was built on one of the largest vacant properties north of downtown Dallas, along South McKinney Avenue, and is the most elaborate development in the area,” Joseph Pitchford, managing director, Crescent Real Estate Equities LLC, tells GlobeSt.com. “This open and accessible building will attract many new businesses, including commercial, retail and restaurants, and draw more consumers to the area. The pedestrian-friendly, ground-level retail and restaurant space will be among the largest in the neighborhood to serve local residents, workers and visitors to Uptown.”

The customer-only concierge floor features a sunlit conference center and a fitness studio designed and equipped by Canyon Ranch, which overlooks the rooftop terrace. Nearly 25% of the development's land will be non-revenue generating, most of which is the 1-acre piazza that will be open to the community and enhance the walkability of the neighborhood, GlobeSt.com learns. The piazza, created by landscape architect, The Office of James Burnett (who also designed Klyde Warren Park), includes green spaces, numerous mature trees, water features, a fire pit, a wide variety of seating, and two valet parking options for office and retail visitors. This project dovetails with the city's initiative to create more parks in the community.

The retail component includes flagship restaurant Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, a Starbucks opening in 2017 and the 2017 debut of Doc B's Fresh Kitchen, a Chicago-based fast-casual concept. Also recently confirmed is Roti Modern Mediterranean, a fast-casual concept found in New York City and along the East Coast, expected to open in spring 2017.

Local businesses have fully embraced the vision for McKinney & Olive, which is nearly 93% leased and there is a great deal of interest in the remaining space. Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP was the first major firm to sign a lease at McKinney & Olive and is the anchor tenant. Other tenants that have signed leases to date include law firm, Sidley Austin LLP, along with real estate giants Cushman & Wakefield and Prologis Industrial REIT. Saatchi & Saatchi and Team One, the ad agencies for Toyota Motor Company and Lexus, also chose McKinney & Olive.

The general contractor for the project was The Beck Group. The development is expected to attain LEED Gold certification. GlobeSt.com learns the development stands 95 feet taller than surrounding buildings in Uptown proper.

Instant Insights /

McKinney & Olive is 95 Feet Taller Than Others in Uptown

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