Battleground Business Park will take about two years to buildout. It will come out of the ground at the intersection of Texas225 and Battleground Road in Deer Park. Robert H. Clay, presidentof the development company, tells GlobeSt.com that a revitalizationis getting under way in the southeast corridor. Some veteranresidents are upgrading to new product and others are newcomers,but demand definitely is running high. Existing companies, many inthe petrochemical or shipping industries, are seeking newuser-owned industrial space, he says.

The Battleground Business Park plan includes a speculative200,000-sf distribution facility. For now, the balance of theacreage is dedicated to build-to-suits ranging from 15,000 sf to100,000 sf. Clay's not saying who is coming, but did confide that acouple build-to-suit projects already are in the works for the newpark. Meanwhile, he says interest in the large spec building hasbeen so great that it may not deliver as a speculative buildingafter all.

This year, sale-leasebacks have been outpacing direct sales,according to Clay. To date, four or five such deals were completedin comparison to just one or two out of 14 completed in 2000. "Thatmarket has come back," says Clay.