Triten & NewQuest Break Ground in Fort Bend with The Landing at Aliana

The construction of an apartment complex at NewQuest's 650,000-square-foot The Grand at Aliana retail center along the Grand Parkway in Fort Bend County has finally begun after a nearly three-year break.

The 294-unit multifamily project on the corner of West Aliana Trace Drive and Fairbairn Way will no longer be developed by NewQuest Residential, as the company had previously announced in July 2023. Instead, it formed a joint venture with Houston-based Triten Real Estate Partners for the development. NewQuest contributed the land to the venture when the construction loan with Associated Bank closed in March, Triten said.

Construction on The Landing at Aliana started that same month.

The three-story, garden-style complex will include studio to three-bedroom units ranging from about 595 to 1,473 square feet, with rents expected between $1,200 to $2,800 a month.

"This groundbreaking marks an important milestone for The Grand at Aliana, bringing the final residential component into a fully realized mixed-use environment," NewQuest President and Chief Development Officer Austin Alvis said in a Triten news release. "From the outset, our vision has been to create a dynamic, walkable destination that integrates retail, dining, services and now high-quality residential living. We are grateful for our partnership with Triten and believe The Landing at Aliana will further enhance the overall experience for residents and visitors alike."

The Houston Business Journal reached out to Alvis as well as NewQuest broker Josh Friedlander and NewQuest Residential principals John Leonard and Doug Bergen for comment. Neither responded.

Carter Bechtol, head of residential for Triten, said his team was excited to partner with NewQuest when it decided to relaunch the project.

"In 2023, the local and national apartment markets were slowing, with elevated construction costs and increased supply," he said via email. "NewQuest made a strategic decision to pause the project's development until market conditions improved."

In July 2023, NewQuest announced the project as its first apartment development a little over a year after launching its multifamily residential division, NewQuest Residential. It is unclear whether the company is continuing the division.

NewQuest said at the time that it had completed site work and expected to start vertical construction that fall on a $62 million, 294-unit apartment complex on the 10.8-acre site.

Triten declined to disclose the development cost for The Landing but said the project remains unchanged overall, with only minor changes made to the façade.

The architecture firm for the project is still Dallas-based Humphreys & Partners. Houston-based OHT Partners serves as general contractor, and Bowman is the civil engineer.

The developers expect to open the complex in summer 2027 and complete it sometime in 2028. It will include a leasing clubhouse with resident lounge and coworking area, fitness center, resort-style swimming pool with outdoor seating areas, landscaped courtyards, dog park, unit-attached garages and carports.

The Landing is adjacent to The Grand at Aliana's third phase, which includes Costco as its anchor plus Portillo's, Jimmy Changas and Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, with only a few outparcels still available.

Apartment residents will be able to walk to the businesses in the retail center as well as Malala Elementary School across Fairbairn Way via numerous sidewalks and crosswalks, Bechtol said.

They also will have access to miles of trails in Houston-based Airia Development Co.'s 2,000-acre Aliana master-planned community.

NewQuest broke ground on the 107-acre The Grand at Aliana in 2019, and the second phase reached 100% leased when it signed Dick's Sporting Goods Inc. (NYSE: DKS) and Havertys Furniture Companies Inc. (NYSE: HVT) late last year.

For Triten, The Landing at Aliana is the second apartment complex it is developing in Houston after The Mill, a 341-unit apartment complex at 2315 Navigation Blvd. within a mixed-use development in the East End.

"Triten's multifamily activity in Houston reflects a broader, deliberate expansion of our residential platform rather than a one-off initiative," Bechtol said. "Our strategy is rooted in the same disciplined approach that has defined Triten's success across commercial real estate: identifying compelling locations, executing high-quality development, and delivering strong, risk-adjusted returns. We focus on creating differentiated communities that add long-term value through thoughtful design, efficient construction and hands-on asset management."

Among Triten's developments in Houston are the mixed-use redevelopment of The Swift BLDG and the adjacent M-K-T mixed-use redevelopment in the Heights, both in partnership with Houston-based Radom Capital. MetroNational, also based in Houston, acquired M-K-T earlier this year, while Triten and Radom remain active partners in that project.

Triten is also developing industrial projects in Greater Houston.