Georgia-Pacific announced today the sale of its East Texas regional office building, located at 303 S. Temple Drive in Diboll. The 107,000 square-foot historic landmark office building was sold to the Diboll Development Group, LLC under the leadership of local developer Mark Hicks.

Originally the corporate headquarters for Temple Eastex from 1979 to 2011, the 60-acre site was sold to International Paper in 2012 and later to Georgia-Pacific in 2013. For the last seven years, Georgia-Pacific used the facility as a regional office for approximately 80 employees.

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“This building is an under-utilized asset that far exceeds the capacity Georgia-Pacific needs for administrative offices,” said Yana Ogletree, public affairs manager for Georgia-Pacific. “With the majority of our employees working remotely or from one of our seven plant locations in East Texas, we believe the unused portions of the building would be put into a better and more productive use by others in our community.”

As part of the agreement with the Diboll Development Group, Georgia-Pacific will lease back space to accommodate employees who currently work at the building.  According to Ogletree, this transaction does not have an impact on jobs. “With approximately 1,800 employees across East Texas, Georgia-Pacific will continue to maintain a strong footprint within the area.”

The Diboll Development Group will immediately begin leasing space in the building. Hicks Company, which consists of billboard, newspaper, and commercial property development companies, will transition their offices in December to the newly acquired facility. Additionally, the Diboll Development Group plans to open a restaurant with casual dining and healthy food choices within the building next Spring.

“Hicks has a proven track record for reviving historic properties, including the revitalization efforts that helped reinvent Lufkin’s downtown area. We are excited to see what the future holds for this historic building in Diboll,” said Ogletree.

 

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