Don Epperson says the construction equipment's been offloaded to begin the actual construction of a previously announced a 200,000-sf, class-A office tower on six acres in Las Colinas. "The cranes are there. They'll start up first thing in the morning," Epperson told GlobeSt.com in an interview late yesterday afternoon.

It's the first undertaking for a joint venture of Macfarlan Realty Partners and RREEF America LLC. The seven-story Las Colinas Highlands represents the newest project to kick off in the tony Dallas suburb. The Corgan Associates-designed tower is being built at the intersection of Texas 114 and Texas 161.

But, the construction start also means it's time for Epperson to focus on other projects in the Macfarlan pipeline. The new senior VP says the 2001 game plan is to plot out projects for 14 acres at MacArthur Boulevard and Texas 114 and 10 acres at Fortune Road and Texas 114, both in Las Colinas, plus a 42-acre holding at the intersection of Texas 190 and Campbell Road in the 209-acre Firewheel Technology Park, a Macfarlan joint venture with Trademark Cos.