PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
KDC & Wells Fargo Remain on Track to Complete Net-Positive Campus in 2025
KDC and Wells Fargo continue to forge ahead on the latter’s flagship 850,000-square-foot, 22-acre headquarters campus in Irving, TX. The targeted LEED Platinum Certified project broke ground in spring 2023, with a topping-out event in March 2024. The campus is on schedule for Q3 2025 completion.
Located at 401 W. Las Colinas Blvd., the facility will consolidate all of Wells Fargo’s metroplex operations. Even more important, the project will be one of a handful of operational net-positive energy buildings in the United States.
More Than Net Zero The scientific community has voiced that CO2 emissions must be reduced by 2030 to reduce the hazards of climate change, along with a goal of reaching 100% net-zero by 2050. Net-positive buildings go beyond the net-zero approach by generating more energy than they consume. The remaining energy is directed back to municipal grids. This can help reduce carbon emissions, while providing municipalities with additional resources to benefit area businesses and residents.
The Wells Fargo campus’ net-positive approach involves 100% of electricity generated by rooftop photovoltaic panels, which will lead to the following outcomes: • Fewer environmental risks due to less fossil-fuel usage • Less water requirements for cooling operations • Healthier ecosystems due to a reduction in air and water pollution.
Also in the mix will be on-site electric vehicle charging stations and drought-tolerant native plants that create serenity and a sense of place while reducing water usage.
The Drive Toward Employee Wellness In addition to generating a net-positive building template, the new Wells Fargo campus was designed and is being built with employees as the priority. As a result, the interior design will allow abundant natural light, a variety of flexible working spaces and a dedication to employee comfort and well-being. Campus employees will also have access to: • Well-being rooms, gyms with remote fitness courses and a cycling studio • On-site hiking trails and four golf courses nearby • A world-class food hall with open-view cooking stations and a dining hall overlooking Lake Carolyn • Stand-up paddle-board rentals
“Together with Wells Fargo and the development team, we are creating a space that makes employees the priority,” said Steve Van Amburgh, KDC’s Executive Chairman of the Board. “The timeless, organic and sustainable design supports a healthy work environment that extends to the outside with easy access to entertainment destinations, as well as multiple restaurants and retail venues just minutes away.”
Additional development partners on the project include Corgan (architect and design), Kimley Horn (landscape and civil engineering) and Austin Commercial (general contractor).
For more information on this project, please visit our website.
CORPORATE PROFILE
Kim McCuistion, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Chancellor, The Texas A&M University System
Director, Texas A&M - Fort Worth
What are you most proud of professionally?
Serving as Director of the Texas A&M-Fort Worth Campus development project – a bold and challenging opportunity for The Texas A&M University System and the Tarrant County region. Texas A&M-Fort Worth will be a multidisciplinary campus combining academics and research with leading-edge industry partners and public agencies in the heart of Fort Worth.
What’s at the top of your bucket list?
To learn to speak Spanish. After living for over a decade in South Texas and traveling to Central and South America as a consultant with the U.S. Grains Council and the United Sorghum Check-off Program, I deeply admired my bilingual colleagues, students, and friends because it allowed them to connect with people from other cultures.
What gives you hope?
My children. They serve as my constant reminder that what I do every day will influence their futures and the future of our nation’s youth.
If you weren’t doing the job you have now, what would you want to do?
I would revert back to my discipline and be a cattle nutritionist. Or a florist.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
As a mother of three active kids, my hobbies are soccer, volleyball, baseball, field hockey, and 4H shooting sports. As a result, I am also a de facto motivational speaker, sports therapist, and scheduler. In the future, I suppose I will eventually gravitate back to my own hobbies, which include gardening, beach combing, fly fishing, bird hunting, and a ranching lifestyle.
When have you changed your mind about something big?
My husband and I met at Texas A&M and were engaged before we graduated and moved to Kansas, where I worked on my M.S. in animal science at Kansas State. I was planning for a huge hometown wedding in Rosenberg, Texas from Kansas while conducting research and writing my thesis. Needless to say, it was challenging! So…we decided to keep the same date and simply change the location…to the Bahamas (which is where my mom grew up and where my parents had their wedding).
After 21 years of marriage, I think we would both agree it was the perfect solution.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
As part of the KDC Cares program, KDC hosted its first-ever Cedar Crest Classic 4 Kids, a golf tournament benefiting inner-city Dallas youth on Friday, Oct. 4 at the Cedar Crest Golf Course with 21 foursomes taking to the course under the sunny blue skies in South Dallas. We are proud to have raised over $200,000.
Our many incredible sponsors made this event possible. All proceeds from this event support four charities dedicated to enhancing the lives of inner-city youth: I Am a Golfer Foundation, Behind Every Door, Mercy Street and Momentous Institute.
“At the heart of KDC is a commitment to support the communities we live and work in,” said Steve Van Amburgh, KDC Executive Chairman. “For the golf tournament, our wonderful sponsors and partners allow us to utilize our relationships and resources within the commercial real estate world to make a huge impact on the lives of inner-city children.”
To fully grasp the impact of KDC’s Cedar Crest Classic 4 Kids, we must introduce the community to the amazing charity beneficiaries of the funds raised.
- I Am a Golfer Foundation’s mission is to be a catalyst for community renewal and transformation in the South Dallas area through promotion of the Cedar Crest golf course and an emphasis on how sports can transform and diversify underserved communities.
- Behind Every Door runs community centers and opens doors for kids to realize their full potential by discovering their gifts and purpose. They work with people of all ages, but their biggest focus is on children and youth.
- Mercy Street combines the fundamentals of sport and faith to cultivate meaningful relationships in the community by pairing children with an adult mentor to mold kids to grow up to be community leaders.
- Momentous Institute exists to strengthen the mental health of people in the Dallas community through innovative mental health services, education and training with the goal of cultivating a world where emotionally thriving people reach their full potential.
These are worthwhile organizations that work to address a lack of resources for inner-city youths while providing services to improve their overall well-being and prospects.
“The proceeds from this golf tournament will provide the means for education, mentorship and recreational activities that these kids might not have access to otherwise,” said Eric Hage, KDC President. “Additionally, opportunities arise to help empower them to reach their full potential while creating positive changes in their communities. It’s all about giving them opportunities to thrive.”
Recently, the Cedar Crest Community Center received a much-needed restoration with the help of donors such as KDC and others in the commercial real estate community. The revitalized center now includes a basketball gym with a full court that allows for two games to be played simultaneously, a board room, a golf simulator and locker room facilities, among many other revisions. The center serves as a major sports hub and enrichment center for South Dallas and is a wonderful place to gather within the broader Dallas community.
Through the KDC Cares program, we have volunteered thousands of hours and developed more than 380,000 square feet of facilities for various organizations over the past eight years. In addition to the Cedar Crest Community Center, these facilities have also benefited from KDC Cares: 24 Hour Club, The Magdalen House, Children’s Advocacy Center, McKinney Family Health Center, Our Calling, Youth Believing in Change (YBC), Jubilee Park Community Clinic, Envision Dallas and Hugs Training Facility.
“Through these efforts, the best in the CRE industry come together to provide the various components needed for the new facilities at little or no cost to the non-profits,” said Van Amburgh. “Our efforts free up funds that allow these wonderful organizations to better serve their clients in safe and up-to-date facilities. Over the years, we’ve partnered with industry friends and local leadership to build more than hundreds of thousands of square feet of nonprofit facilities in North Texas. KDC is proud to give back and do what we can so these great nonprofit organizations can do all they can.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Steve Van Amburgh on The Fort Podcast
In case you missed it, Steve Van Amburgh was a guest on Chris Powers' The Fort Podcast. They discussed the process for developing corporate campuses for the likes of State Farm; the state of the office and construction market; working with cities and municipalities as a developer; and more.
New Promotions at KDC
We are excited to announce Eric Hage’s promotion to President of KDC. Hage succeeds Toby Grove, who will continue to serve in an advisory role as vice chairman of KDC’s board of directors.
Hage joined KDC three years ago as the company’s executive vice president of development. In that role, he has been responsible for new business strategies involving the company’s core businesses, including office, industrial and data center development. During his two-decade career in the commercial real estate industry, Hage has been involved with multiple high-profile developments throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and nationwide.
Going forward, Hage, along with CIO Scott Ozymy and CFO Mike Kaufman, will form a new KDC Management Operating Committee to oversee all day-to-day operations, as well as all development, financial and transactional activities.
In addition to Hage’s promotion, Bret Creel and David Fisk, current senior vice presidents, are now executive vice presidents, joining the design and construction leadership team.
Lastly, IT manager Richard Bryant has been promoted to vice president of information technology. In this leadership role, Bryant will focus on using new technologies to enhance project scheduling, procurement and overall communications.
“We’ve spent the past 35 years building KDC into a reliable and respected commercial real estate developer, owner and buyer,” said Steve Van Amburgh, KDC executive chairman. “These promotions are the direct result of excellent leadership and diligent work on behalf of our clients, ensuring KDC continues to deliver great service. Together with our board, the leadership team has mapped out strong plans for future success. Toby and I look forward to transitioning these new leaders into their very important roles.”
“These leadership promotions will serve to strengthen KDC’s operations and prepare the company for the future. KDC is in a great position to take advantage of opportunities in today’s environment,” Grove said. “We believe that Eric and the team offer in-depth experience and on-the-ground know-how to continue providing KDC clients exemplary services, setting the course for decades to come.”
“Steve and Toby have built a phenomenal company with a client-first mentality resulting in some of the nation’s highest-profile corporate campuses, headquarters and projects,” Hage said. “Together with the KDC team, we will build on this success by expanding our resources and services, while continuing to be a premier office, industrial and data center developer.”
THE KDC KITCHEN
The weather is changing and giving us a reason to whip up warm, hearty dinners. KDC President and office foodie Eric Hage is sharing one of his family's favorites - Beef Burgundy. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
3-4 Tbsp cooking oil
3-4 pounds of beef stew meat (pre-cut into cubes)
2 cans of Campbell French Onion soup
1 soup can of red wine – Pinot Noir or Burgundy
2 tablespoons of corn starch whisked into ¼ cup of water
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2-3 green peppers (diced in cubes)
1 package of white pearl onions (18-20)
1 package of cherry tomatoes
6 individual garlic cloves
2 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pat beef dry with a paper towel and season on all sides with garlic salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch Oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sear the meat until it is browned on all sides. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to do this in batches so the meat can brown without overcrowding.
Turn the heat to Medium and add in the French Onion soup and red wine.
Thicken by adding the corn starch mixture and mix in until combined, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add mushrooms, green peppers, pearl onions, cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves to the pot.
Add in Italian herbs seasoning. Stir to combine.
Cover the pot with the lid and place in the 350 degree oven for 2 hours.
Serve the finished beef burgundy on whipped potatoes or over cooked rice.