Houston

The timing for Empire West could not be better given the location, the surge in e-commerce related warehouse demand and the Houston region's continued population growth, which recently eclipsed 7 million people.

The multiple projects that VanTrust is kicking off in Texas speak to the volume of e-commerce and logistics demands across the country and each market has its unique role in the supply chain.

With the purchased asset, acquired from Starlight Investments, the REIT now owns 2,332 apartment units within the Houston area.

Hubs across the nation are looking to use real estate to boost productivity as the growth of the global prescription drug market is expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2022.

US supply chains will shift away from an over-reliance on China to include more expanding Asian and European markets, which will establish new national distribution models that will particularly benefit regions such as Houston.

USDA's Rural Housing Service Texas State Offices, the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation and Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs all helped secure the financing for this deal.

The industrial market in El Paso is posting industrial occupancy rates at 96.5% as global brands realize the benefits of having a location on the US-Mexico border, including a 1 million-square-foot spec build by VanTrust.

Owned by Principal Real Estate Investors, all three phases combined make Bay Area Business Park one of the largest single-owner industrial parks in Houston at 3.3 million square feet on 232 acres.