COVER STORY, FEBRUARY 2009

ON TOPIC: Unique Office Park Amenities
By Coleman Wood

Frisco, Texas-based Hall Financial group is known for its diverse holdings, ranging from commercial real estate development to structured finance lending. What many do not know is that his company also dabbles in oil and gas, the wine industry and even art. In fact, Hall Financial Group’s headquarters at Hall Office Park in Frisco houses such an extensive collection of art, one might confuse it for a gallery. Texas Real Estate Business recently caught up with Patricia B. Meadows, the collection’s curator, to discuss this unique office park amenity.

TREB: Can you give us some background on the collection? How did Craig Hall [the company’s chairman and founder] amass the artwork, and how did the idea come about to place it within Hall Office Park?

Meadows

Meadows: Craig Hall has been collecting art since he was in high school. His mother was a sculptor, so he has always been surrounded by and loved art. Art has been a part of his personal life, and now he has moved into making it part of his public life. Artwork has been available in all of his developments, but Craig wanted to create a unique working environment that surrounded employees with good art, both inside and outside the buildings, as well as landscaping, wide sidewalks and water features.

TREB: How have tenants responded to the artwork?

Meadows: Response has been very positive. Tenants pay attention when new pieces are installed, or if we’re moving artwork in a building, they always ask what’s going to be next. One of my happiest moments was when one prospective tenant even asked if a guarantee that the artwork would stay could be put into its lease agreement.

TREB: Do you believe that an office tenant is more likely to move into space at Hall Office Park because of amenities such as the sculpture collection?

“4 Ravens Nevermore” by Joe Barrington (front), “The Temple Gate” by Damian Priour (back)

Meadows: The Hall Collection and the Texas Sculpture Garden have become symbols for Hall Development. Being the art curator, I like to think that they move here because of the art. We certainly hope it influences their decisions, but Craig Hall put a lot of effort and resources into the whole campus. We’ve got a terrific management staff. We’ve got fairly elaborate tenant services, and I think everybody likes the fact that Hall owns the park for the long-term.

TREB: How big of a role do you believe artwork plays in attracting visitors and office users to office parks such as Hall’s?

Meadows: I think it plays a big role. We have had tours from museum patrons and staff around the state. We have college art classes. We’ve had other city’s convention and marketing groups. We have these people come in on a formal basis just to tour the art.

Then we have families and visitors that stroll the campus every single day. And a lot of people tell us when we speak with them, “We’re here to see the art.”

TREB: Do you think this is a trend that may catch on with other office parks in Texas and across the country?

“Coming Out of the Circle” by Sherry Owens

Meadows: Possibly. Other office parks have certainly noticed what we offer in the way of amenities, but it takes money and a long-term commitment from your top decision makers to make a statement like Craig Hall has made.

TREB: What would it take to change the mindset of companies to include more art in their developments?

Meadows: I always like to qualify our collection with the tagline that it is the largest private collection in Texas that allows the public to come through free of charge. There are other collections, but I think the difference is Craig Hall wants to allow the public to come through, as well as tenants.

TREB:  Would the commercial real estate industry benefit more from increased interaction between the buildings and artwork?

Meadows: I think that any development benefits from interaction with artwork. Our sculpture collection has a variety of materials, styles and techniques, and you don’t have to know anything about art at all to enjoy it. But it’s still interesting to see how different artists have taken the same basic materials and produced different art forms. That’s why I think we have so many classroom tours here, because it is very much a classroom.

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