McKinney-based developer Gillett Commercial is pressing ahead with a sizable new office-and-flex campus on U.S. 75 in Allen. The project, branded Allen Place, is being pitched as a high-end, highly flexible building that could land in the 100,000-square-foot-plus range depending on final design, with space offered both for sale and for lease. Gillett purchased roughly 6.6 acres from the city and plans to start construction this year, targeting a fall 2027 delivery. Citadel Partners is on deck to market the property, and the development team lists Meinhardt Architects and Raymond Construction as project partners.
Site, sale and partners
According to Community Impact, Gillett acquired 6.64 acres from the Allen Economic Development Corp. On Monday's news release, the project was formally dubbed Allen Place. The campus will sit along U.S. 75 between McDermott Drive and Bethany Drive. Community Impact reports that space will be available both for sale and for lease and that Gillett has teamed up with Citadel Partners to develop and market the project. The release also names Meinhardt Architects and Raymond Construction as part of the project team.
Size, layout and marketing
Bisnow reported that Allen Place is being marketed as a highly customizable speculative building, initially drawn up with an approximately 71,000-square-foot footprint and an 18,000-square-foot mezzanine, with expansion options that marketing materials say could push the total into the 100,000-square-foot-plus range. A marketing brochure posted on LoopNet lists a 71,032-square-foot footprint and an 18,000-square-foot mezzanine for a total of 89,032 rentable square feet. The same brochure notes six dock-high doors and two grade-level loading doors. Both the brochure and associated listings lean heavily on the project’s U.S. 75 frontage and visibility as key draws for corporate, technology, and life-science users.
Who it's aimed at
Citadel Partners’ Katherine Jessen Pool said on Monday's press release that the project will include “elevated architectural finishes” and is designed for office, life-sciences, technology, research and development, and high-finish manufacturing users, according to reporting by Community Impact. The Allen Place brochure echoes that positioning, describing the building as a “future-ready” headquarters option with flexible floor plates and prominent highway exposure. Citadel’s listing shows Mac Morse and Katherine Pool as the brokers fielding inquiries.
Why Allen
The site plugs directly into a broader economic push by Allen officials to lure technology and corporate tenants along the U.S. 75 / SH 121 corridor. The Allen Economic Development Corp. promotes a pipeline of mixed-use and Class A office projects in the area and brands an “Allen Tech Hub” aimed at growing innovation-focused employers. The EDC points to an educated local workforce, access to regional airports, and relatively competitive commercial rents as selling points for companies that want scale without a central business district price tag, arguing that those ingredients make Allen a logical fit for headquarters and innovation-led tenants.
Corridor context
Local coverage has framed the U.S. 75 and SH 121 stretch as a coordinated economic zone that Allen and McKinney leaders are marketing as 121 North, a shared push to make the corridor more attractive to large employers. As reported in 121 North power play, the branding effort is meant to streamline site selection and incentive packaging for projects up and down the corridor. Developers say that coordinated marketing, along with available city-owned sites, helps projects like Allen Place stand out in site searches for bigger tenants that might otherwise default to better-known suburban pockets.
Developer track record
Gillett Commercial is not exactly a newcomer in Allen. The firm has already delivered speculative flex projects such as the three-building Allen Exchange and the downtown Asher business center. REBusinessOnline has covered Gillett’s Allen Exchange development and noted Raymond Construction as a repeat collaborator, while the Texas Real Estate Research Center has tracked sales and tenant activity at those buildings. Those earlier projects are the kind of speculative flex bets Gillett is now scaling up along U.S. 75 with Allen Place.
What’s next
Trade publications and marketing materials indicate that construction is expected to begin this year, with completion targeted for fall 2027. Leasing and sale inquiries are being handled by Citadel Partners, which maintains an Allen Place listing with brochures and contact information on its website (Citadel Partners). City permitting updates and a formal groundbreaking will firm up the schedule, but planners and brokers say Allen Place gives technology and life-science employers one more Class A option as they scan North Texas’ suburban landscape for their next move.
