Trammell Crow and ElmTree Funds have formed a venture to construct a 260K SF building in Irving that the federal government will use to consolidate three Dallas-Fort Worth immigration and citizenship service centers.
The General Services Administration signed a 20-year lease for the building, which will be used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as its Texas Service Center. The USCIS is a unit of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The GSA will consolidate three USCIS offices into the new facility: 7701 and 8001 North Stemmons Freeway in Dallas and 4141 North St. Augustine in Mesquite.
The 27-acre property for the build-to-suit is part of a ground lease with the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and is at the northwest intersection of North Belt Line Road and President George Bush Turnpike.
Under the joint venture agreement, Trammell Crow is the owner and developer through completion of the project, at which time ElmTree will buy out TCC’s ownership and take full ownership.
Construction, which began Aug. 20, is scheduled to be completed in early 2020.
“By aligning our development expertise both locally and with our team in D.C., we can deliver a best-in-class facility,” said Scott Krikorian, senior managing director of TCC’s Dallas/Fort Worth business unit. “By consolidating several locations, the USCIS will be able to more efficiently deliver on their important mission.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the arm of Homeland Security that reviews immigration requests. Its role includes determining eligibility of residents who wish to become naturalized citizens, managing the H-1B visa program for foreign-born workers, and handling the E-Verify program that electronically verifies a person’s legal right to work in the U.S., among other immigration roles.
Gensler designed the building and Manhattan Construction Co. is the general contractor. JPMorgan Chase is providing construction financing. The building will be designed and built to meet government security and energy-efficiency requirements.
