July 14, 200
Moreno Valley , CA – Ridge Property Trust, a private REIT specializing in industrial property development and management, today announced that it has signed ResMed to a 130,000 square foot lease at the company’s Centerpointe Business Park in Moreno Valley. 

Ridge's $130M-Plus Park Nails Dallas Council OK

June 25 , 2008
GlobeSt.com - With nary a hitch, Dallas City Council has signed off on an abatement package for Chicago-based Ridge Property Trust to develop up to 328 acres in the southern sector. The REIT is expected to build 2.2 million sf of industrial space by June 30, 2013, holding it up as a plan to add 2,000 jobs to the region at the 4.3-million-sf build-out.

Industrial park planned in southern Dallas County

June 7 , 2008
The Dallas Morning News – Think of southern Dallas County as a giant industrial magnet. Its latest attraction: A Chicago-based real estate investment trust plans to develop a $150 million industrial park on about 300 acres it owns. The Ridge Logistics Center South Dallas will include seven buildings, or nearly 5 million square feet, at the northeast corner of Dallas Avenue and Telephone Road south of Interstate 20."From a logistics perspective, it's a great location," said Kent Newsom, vice president of Ridge Property Trust.

S. Dallas lands huge logistics park

June 7 , 2008
The Dallas Business Journal – Drawn to southern Dallas County by the major interstate highways and large parcels of available land, a Chicago-based real estate investment trust plans to develop a $150 million logistics park there that will span 303 acres and total up to 4.9 million square feet.

Continued Relationships Help Developers Build Business

February 4 , 2008
Irving , TX – While companies like ProLogis and AMB Property Corp. have capitalized on relationships with major logistics companies to build facilities across the globe, inside the US real estate has generally remained tied to geography. Customers select a location, then look for a developer with properties there.

But that has begun to change as an increasing number of development companies forge alliances to build multiple projects for a single client in different parts of the country. In recent examples, Chicago-based Ridge Property Trust established a relationship with Mexican retailer FAMSA to build distribution centers in multiple markets in the US and Mexico, while Campanelli Cos. of Braintree, MA contracted to build 15 full-service refrigerated warehouses in seven states for Preferred Freezer Services of Newark, NJ. The developers say the relationships work to the advantage of both parties.

FAMSA plans distribution center in S.A.

January 2 3 , 2008
San Antonio, TX – RiGrupo FAMSA, Mexico's largest furniture, appliance and electronics retailer, is preparing to increase its presence in the U.S. market. The company, which operates in 71 Mexican cities and four U.S. states, announced Tuesday it is building a 198,000-square-foot distribution center at Interstate 35 and Fischer Road, just south of Loop 410 in Von Ormy.

Ridge Property Trust to Start Construction of State-of-the-Art Distribution Center for FAMSA

January 22 , 2008
San Antonio, TX – Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development, investment, and management, announces that FAMSA (the publicly traded Mexican retail firm) has selected Ridge to create a 198,000 square foot build-to-suit in San Antonio. Construction has started with occupancy slated for June of 2008.

Northcape International Leases 89,086 Square Feet of Space at Bedford Park Corporate Center

November 26, 2007
CHICAGO, IL, – Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development and management, today announced that it has signed NorthCape International to an 89,086 square foot lease at the company’s Bedford Park Corporate Center in Bedford Park, IL. The new agreement brings Ridge’s 272,000 square foot Corporate Center II building into a fully-occupied status, with the fast-growing REIT completing two major leasing deals for the facility within 60 days.

FedEx Home Delivery Leases 183,360 Square Feet of Space at Bedford Park Corporate Center

October 9, 2007
CHICAGO, IL, – Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development and management, today announced that it has signed FedEx Home Delivery to a 183,360 square foot lease at the company’s Bedford Park Corporate Center in Bedford Park, IL. Ridge’s Bedford Park Corporate Centers I, II, & III consist of three buildings totaling more than 1 million square feet of industrial, logistics and office space; terms for the 183,360 square foot lease by FedEx Home Delivery have not been disclosed.

Ridge Property Trust Begins Construction on 250,000 Square Foot Speculative Building in Sharyland Business Park

July 23, 2007
McAllen, TX – Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development, investment, and management, has announced the recent construction start on Ridge Commerce Center North at Sharyland, a 250,312 square foot state-of-the-art inventory building in Sharyland Business Park. The single-load, multi-tenant industrial development has a planned construction completion date of December 2007. MYCON General Contractors has been awarded the construction contract with Best/White acting as the exclusive marketing agent for the property.

Ridge REIT Pencils $1.6B Business Park

June 29, 2007
GlobeSt.com – WILL COUNTY, IL-A business park is being developed in unincorporated Will County, near the city of Wilmington, by a partnership between Ridge Property Trust, based in Chicago, and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co., with corporate headquarters in Fort Worth. RidgePort Logistics Center-Chicago will be located at the intersection of Interstate 55 and Lorenzo Road and will consist of between 2,000 acres and 3,000 acres, says Doug Hayes, vice president with the REIT. The value of the 15-year project is more than $1.6 billion, which “is just our part of it. It does not include the railroad’s end of it because they are still up in the air with their plans,” Hayes says.

$1.6B Chicago Area Industrial Business Park in Works

June 28, 2007
Commercial Property News – A 2,000-acre parcel in suburban Chicago is in line to become the home of a massive 20 million-square-foot master-planned business park, now that Ridge Property Trust and BNSF Railway Co. have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the project. RidgePort Logistics Center-Chicago will cost an estimated $1.6 billion to complete.

Ridge Ship Comes In

June 28, 2007
Chicago Sun Times – With an agreement in hand from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., a property investor said Thursday it will develop one of the largest Chicago area industrial parks devoted to intermodal shipping. Ridge Property Trust has assembled 2,000 acres for the site near Wilmington in Will County. Burlington's railroad subsidiary, the BNSF line, has agreed to provide direct service to the park's users.

BNSF Railway, Ridge Property Trust Announce Memorandum on Land Deal

June 28, 2007
CHICAGO, IL, – Ridge Property Trust (Ridge) and BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for development by Ridge of a 2,000-acre, master-planned business park in Will County, Illinois. The project, RidgePort Logistics Center – Chicago, will ultimately consist of more than 20 million square feet of industrial distribution space and rail-served industrial buildings in addition to commercial and retail buildings to serve the park’s tenants and local residents.

New agreement on Will County Business Park

June 28, 2007
Chicago Tribune.com - BNSF Railway Co. and Ridge Property Trust said today they have reached tentative agreement on a plan that calls for Ridge to develop a 2,000-acre, master-planned business park in Will County. When completed the development, to be known as RidgePort Logistics Center – Chicago, will consist of more than 20 million square feet of industrial distribution space and rail-served industrial buildings in addition to commercial and retail buildings to serve the park's tenants and local residents.

Metroplex Office Market Ends 2006 on High Note

January 5, 2007
Dallas Business Journal - Dallas-Fort Worth ended the year with 4.4 million square feet in net office absorption, a big jump over the 2.4 million square feet generated in 2005, according to new statistics from Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc.

Tips to Finding Commercial Space for Your Business

August 28, 2006
StartupNation.com - Finding the right location for your business takes longer than you might expect, so plan ahead, says Jim Martell, CEO of Ridge Property Trust in Chicago. “Do the proper evaluation and understand the costs, so you’re not rushing into something. Find the lease to meet the requirements of your business plan.”

Ridge Property Trust Acquires Nearly 200 Acres in Perris; Plans Nearly Four Million Square Feet of Industrial Space

August 8, 2006
Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development, investment, and management, today announced plans for Perris Ridge Commerce Center, a two-phase project on 187 acres that will offer nearly four million square feet of prime industrial space in Perris, California. The company closed this week on 98 acres of land to complete the land acquisition process for the project, located just four miles south of last month’s groundbreaking of Ridge’s three million square foot Centerpointe Business Park project. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

July 27, 2006
San Bernardino County Sun - As land for industrial development dries up in the west end of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the new hot spots emerge farther east. Moreno Valley appears next in line. A Chicago-based firm recently broke ground on a $150 million industrial complex, called Centerpointe Business Park, that will include 14 industrial buildings encompassing more than 3 million square feet of industrial space.

$150 Million Centerpointe Business Park to Break Ground on First Phase of More Than Three Million Square Feet of Prime Industrial Space in Moreno Valley

July 26, 2006
Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based REIT specializing in industrial property development and management, recently broke ground on its newest Southern California industrial complex, the Centerpointe Business Park in Moreno Valley, California.

July 26, 2006
San Diego Daily Transcript - Reports by CB Richard Ellis, Grubb & Ellis|BRE Commercial and Burnham Real Estate have very different things to say about the second quarter and second half's absorption activity, but the vacancy is low by any measure.

July 26, 2006
GlobeSt - Ridge Property Trust has broken ground on the first two phases of the Chicago-based REIT's three-million-sf Centerpointe Business Park. The 14-building complex in the I-215 Corridor is being developed on 162 acres at the intersection of Cactus Avenue and Graham Street in this Riverside County community.

July 25, 2006
The Press Enterprise - One of the world's largest retailers has purchased a significant chunk of land along I-215, just south of Riverside, where it likely will build a distribution center to serve a string of convenience stores it plans to open in California. Tesco PLC, Great Britain's largest grocery chain, bought 88.4 acres in the Meridian business park, a 1,000-acre property near March Air Reserve Base, according to documents filed at the Riverside County assessor's office.

July 17, 2006
The Press Enterprise - Construction is under way on the first part of a 162-acre, 3 million-squarefoot industrial development just north of March Air Reserve Base in Moreno Valley. Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based real-estate investment firm, already has begun construction on one building and is preparing the ground for three others north of Cactus Avenue and east of Frederick Street.

Developer Plans Industrial Park on GLO Land

June 27, 2006
Dallas Business Journal - Ridge Property Trust is accelerating plans to develop a $200 million office and industrial park on state-owned property just south of Hillwood's Alliance Texas development.

Ridge Property Trust to Develop Commerce Park

June 23, 2006
NAIOP Dealmakers - Ridge Property Trust broke ground on Ridge Commerce Park in Dallas, Texas. The new park, able to support 3.1 million-SF of development, will combine state-of-the-art industrial, commercial and retail space. Phase I of development will be occupied in the first and second quarter of 2007.

REIT Gaming Out $200M-Plus, Mixed-Use Park

June 20, 2006
GlobeSt.com - With two years invested into the talks, Chicago-based Ridge Property Trust and the Texas Permanent School Fund have struck a deal for a long-term ground lease for 363 acres. Ground will break by year's end on the first building to a $200-million-plus, mixed-use plan.

Trust to draft plan for acreage

June 19, 2006
Fort Worth Star Telegram – The state's School Land Board on Tuesday agreed to enter into a contract with Ridge Property Trust to put together a business plan for the development of about 300 acres of industrial land along Interstate 35W in the Alliance Corridor in far north Fort Worth.

Ridge Property Trust leases land in Fort Worth

June 19, 2006
Dallas Morning News – Ridge Property Trust, a Chicago-based commercial real estate firm, said Monday that it has leased 363 acres in North Fort Worth from the Texas Permanent School Fund to develop a mixed-use complex. The Ridge Commerce Park near Interstate 35E and Keller Hicks Road will be planned for more than 3 million square feet of industrial, commercial and retail construction.

Ridge Property Trust to Contract with Texas Permanent School Fund on 300 Acres in North Fort Worth

June 19, 2006
Dallas, TX – Ridge Property Trust, a leading provider of commercial real estate services, announced today it has entered into master lease with the Texas Permanent School Fund to develop 363 acres of land in North Fort Worth. Contracting with the Permanent School Fund enables Ridge to provide business with competitive advantages on more than 3.1 million square feet of industrial, commercial, and retail related development. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Manufacturer relocates to Bedford Park

May 4, 2006
Chicago Industrial Properties – While many inner-ring manufacturers have been heading southwest, one recently made the opposite move. Toyota Tsusho America Inc. signed a 208,000-square-foot lease at Ridge Property Trust’s 470,160-square-foot Bedford Park Corporate Center III, the first in-fill speculative building in Bedford Park. The auto part assembler will bring 100 jobs to the area and is expanding from 50,000 square feet in Bolingbrook.

Doing the Deals

April 19, 2006
Chicago Sun Times – Ridge Property Trust said Toyota Tsusho America Inc., represented by CB Richard Ellis Inc., leased 209,000 square feet at 5445 W. 73rd St., Bedford Park, in a relocation from Bolingbrook.

Toyota parts dealer lands in Bedford Park

April 11, 2006
Daily Southtown - Parts that end up in Toyota cars and trucks are now being sorted and shipped from a facility in Bedford Park. Late last month, Toyota Tsusho America Inc. relocated a parts facility to Bedford Park from Bolingbrook. Toyota is the first tenant in the Bedford Park Corporate Center, near 73rd Street and Leamington Avenue.

Toyota Inks Sizable Lease in Resurgent Bedford Park

April 10, 2006
Commercial Prooperty News - Toyota Tsusho America Inc. has signed a 208,000-square-foot lease to relocate from the I-55 industrial corridor to Bedford Park, an inner Chicago suburb southwest of the city. Until recently, part of Bedford Park was home to a stock of ’50s- and ’60s-vintage industrial properties, but now redevelopers are active in the area, and tenants such as Toyota are interested.

Toyota Signs 208,000-SF Lease With Ridge Partners

April 10, 2006
GlobeSt.com -Toyota Tsusho America Inc. has signed a 208,000-sf lease with Ridge Property Trust, becoming the first tenant at Bedford Park Corporate Center III. Toyota Tsusho America will relocate from Bolingbrook to the recently constructed 470,160-sf manufacturing and distribution building at 5445 W. 73rd St., part of a one-million-sf industrial project built by the private REIT that includes Prudential Real Estate Investors.

Bedford Park Corporate Center gets first tenant

April 7, 2006
Inman News - Ridge Property Trust has signed Toyota Tsusho America to a 208,800-square-foot lease at the newly constructed Bedford Park Corporate Center III in Bedford Park, Ill., Ridge Property said Thursday. Terms for the 208,800-square-foot lease weren't disclosed. Toyota Tsusho America will be the first tenant in the new corporate center.

Ridge Property Trust Signs Toyota Tsusho America as First Tenant in New Bedford Park Corporate Center

April 6, 2006
Chicago, IL - Ridge Property Trust today announced it has signed Toyota Tsusho America, Inc. to a lease at the newly constructed Bedford Park Corporate Center III in Bedford Park, IL. Terms for the 208,800-square-foot lease have not been disclosed.

Midwest REIT Planning 1M-SF-Plus Maquiladora Development

March 21th, 2006
GlobeSt.com - A Chicago REIT has made its way south of the border, closing on 71 acres to build a 1.4-million-sf park of maquiladora space. The all-development cost is expected to hit $65 million to $75 million.

Ridge Property Trust to Develop 1.4M SF in Mexico

March 20th, 2006
Commercial Property News - Ridge Property Trust, a REIT formed in 2003 by Ridge Investors L.L.C. and investors advised by Prudential Real Estate Investors, has closed on a deal to develop 1.4 million square feet of industrial space in Reynosa, Mexico. It marks Ridge's first major development in Mexico, and represents the first step in a broad cross-border expansion strategy that will extend the company's southwestern operations into Northern Mexico.

Ridge Property Trust Expands Into Mexican Maquila Market

March 20th, 2006
Chicago, IL - Ridge Property Trust, a fast-growing REIT formed in 2003 between Ridge Investors, LLC and investors advised by Prudential Real Estate Investors, announced today it has closed on a deal to develop 1.4 million square feet of industrial space in Reynosa, Mexico that marks the company's first major development in the country. The deal is the first step in a broad cross-border expansion strategy that will extend the company's southwestern operations into Northern Mexico.

Keys Backyard leases space; Ridge finds edge in D-FW

December 18th, 2005
GARLAND, TX - Keys Backyard, formed earlier this year when Keys Fitness Products acquired a division of Mesquite-based ICON Health & Fitness, has leased 137,000 square feet at 2901 W. Kingsley Road in Garland. The company will use the site for manufacturing, distribution and management operations. It is relocating from Mesquite and will take occupancy of the Garland space in early December. Gary Lindsey with Grubb & Ellis Inc. represented the property owner, Ridge Property Trust. The Chicago-based REIT was formed two years ago as a joint venture between Prudential Financial and Ridge Investors L.L.C.

April 28th, 2005
GARLAND, TX - The Barrington, IL-based Ridge Property Trust, with a pair of equity heavy-hitters at its side, has picked off its first industrial deed in Texas after 18 months of laying the groundwork for a "buy and build" plan to get several million sf into its hands.