Liberty Development Partners Acquires Gulf Inland Logistics Park, CMC Railroad

Liberty Development Partners, a joint effort between Connor Investment Real Estate and Logistics and Development Resources, today announced the acquisition of CMC Railroad and Gulf Inland Logistics Park, a 1,158-acre rail served industrial park. Adjacent to Gulf Inland Logistics Park a recent 200-acre acquisition by the partnership will expand the park’s capacity to serve the increasing demand for rail served industrial sites. Gulf Inland Logistics Park features immediate access to the Grand Parkway and US Highway 90 as well as the two largest US Class I Railroads, the BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad.  

“For many years, Gulf Inland Logistics Park held great unrealized potential. This acquisition and funding will immediately transform the park into a valuable hub for the region’s transportation, industrial and manufacturing industries,” said Paul Connor, Principal of Connor Investment Real Estate, a Houston-based private equity real estate firm focused on risk-mitigated investment strategies in residential, industrial, commercial development and ready-to-develop real estate. “Gulf Inland Logistics Park has the potential to bring in in excess of $1 billion in private investment and as many as 5,000 living wage jobs to Liberty County and surrounding areas. We’re moving forward and already have major improvement projects ready to roll in the first 180 days after closing.” 

Trez Capital provided a $66.5 million loan for acquisition of CMC Railroad and the land to facilitate development of the first phase of the project to transform the logistics park into a world-class manufacturing, distribution, storage, and transportation hub for industrial companies. Cushman & Wakefield represented Liberty Development Partners in the acquisition of the property and will lead marketing efforts and provide brokerage and advisory services for Gulf Inland Logistics Park.

“We are pleased to provide financing to Liberty Development Partners for the acquisition of CMC Railroad and Gulf Inland Logistics Park,” said John Sullivan, Vice President of Trez Capital. “The industrial market is one of Houston’s strongest real estate sectors with exponential demand and growth. This property - with its proximity to the Port of Houston, direct access onto the major rail line operated by BNSF and Union Pacific and at the intersection of two major freeways - is strategically positioned to meet current and future industrial demands.”

The strategic location at the intersection of the Grand Parkway and US Highway 90 provides nearby access to Interstate 10, Interstate 59, Interstate 45 and State Highway 146. Gulf Inland Logistics Park is located within 100 miles of five Texas ports – Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur, Galveston, and Freeport. One of the few dual rail served sites available in the region, Gulf Inland Logistics Park provides an excellent site for logistics, transportation, and manufacturing businesses to locate and grow their business. 

“I have been involved with the project since 2008 and I am excited to see the vision for Gulf Inland Logistics Park become a reality. The goal is to create a world class master-planned rail-served industrial and transportation park that benefits not only the city of Dayton and Liberty County, but also the entire region, by attracting global corporations that will bring investment and jobs,” said Marcus Goering, Principal of Logistics and Development Resources. “I am excited about this partnership and the team we have assembled, and we look forward to executing the first phase of the development and bringing new businesses to the site.”

CMC Railroad has worked closely with the City of Dayton and Liberty County to establish a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone for the site. The first phase of improvements includes the creation of the Municipal Utility District No. 9, drainage improvements and regional detention, a benefit to incoming industrial tenants. The first phase of improvements will also include the expansion of Stilson Road to 41 feet wide with full concrete to accommodate heavy haul trucks and to improve Gulf Inland’s connection to Highway 90. Utilities including water, sewer, and fiber have already been connected to Gulf Inland Logistics Park through Stilson Road. 

The next phase of development will include expanding rail storage capacity by up to 2,700 storage spaces through CMC Railroad and widening and improving Rolke Road to the same standards as Stilson Road providing Gulf Inland Logistics Park a second connection to US Highway 90.

The team of John Littman, Kelley Parker, and Coe Parker of Cushman & Wakefield coordinated the acquisition with Liberty Development Partners.  

“The strategic location of Gulf Inland Logistics Park for rail users in proximity to the Houston Ship Channel and port region, access to both BNSF and Union Pacific rail service and networks, combined with the current strong industrial market and a very limited supply of rail ready sites in the region are all positive factors which will make the park a success,” said Littman of Cushman & Wakefield. “We are already working on a number of rail user transactions.” 

About Liberty Development Partners

Liberty Development Partners is a joint effort between Connor Investment Real Estate and Logistics and Development Resources dedicated to the funding and development of Gulf Inland Logistics Park and future logistics, manufacturing and rail served projects. Paul Connor, Principal of Connor Investment Real Estate, has managed $1 billion in real estate investment and development since 2001. Marcus Goering, Principal of Logistics and Development Resources, served as President of CMC Railroad from 2010 until 2019 and has more than 35 years of transportation and real estate development experience. Together they are working to transform Gulf Inland Logistics Park into a world class logistics center for companies’ to grow their business and operations. For more information on Gulf Inland Logistics Park, visit http://www.gulfinlandlogisticspark.com/. 

About Logistics and Development Resources

Logistics & Development Resources brings decades of logistics and rail industry experience to your project. The company is focused on delivering value to your company through innovation, dedication and over 30 years of experience. Logistics & Development Resources has the expertise to assist with your project, acquisition or operation to ensure success.   

About Connor Investment Real Estate 

Connor Investment Real Estate invests in real estate and development with a focus on residential developer/ builder financing and actively-managed land bank investments which consistently achieve high-teen gross returns to the investment partnerships. The company targets undeveloped or early-stage land parcels in master planned communities, single-family lot developments, and undervalued multi-use land parcels maturing for development within two to five years. Geographic targets vary with opportunities, but investment focus is on the larger metropolitan areas of Texas and the Sunbelt states.

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2021, the firm had revenue of $9.4 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.

About Trez Capital 

Founded in 1997, Trez Capital is a diversified real estate investment firm and preeminent provider of commercial real estate debt and equity financing solutions in Canada and the United States. Trez Capital offers private and institutional investors strategies to invest in a variety of opportunistic, fully secured mortgage investment funds, syndications, and joint ventures; and provides property developers with quick approvals on flexible short- to mid-term financing.  

With offices across North America, Trez Corporate Group has over $4* billion CAD in assets under management and has funded over 1,600 transactions totaling more than $15 billion CAD since inception. The Dallas office has funded more than $5.1 billion in loans. For more information, visit www.trezcapital.com. (*Trez Corporate Group AUM includes assets held by all Trez-related entities as well as $2.8 billion Manager AUM (Trez Capital Fund Management Limited Partnership)).