In less than a year after opening a 50,000-square-foot call center at southern Dallas's RedBird development, Atlanta-based Chime Solutions has already hired more than 1,000 employees there, CEO Mark Wilson told the Dallas Business Journal Friday.

"We're already there. We've hired more than 1,000 people in Dallas thus far. We have most people working from home though," said Wilson. 

The family-owned customer care outsourcing company originally planned to have around 500 employees working at RedBird when it first opened its call center last fall. Positions would include entry level and managerial roles with pay starting at $14 an hour. Wilson said in July of last year that the goal was to eventually hire 1,000 employees at RedBird, but no timeline was given for when this expansion would happen. To accommodate the growth, Wilson also said the company would double its footprint to 100,000 square feet at the former mall.

"We’re getting set to start the second phase of build out. I don’t know if it's all COVID-related, but our company is in hyper-growth mode right now," he said.

While Chime Solutions is still moving forward with its new space, Wilson says the company will likely go forward with a hybrid model that would include employees both working from the office and working from home. The company's business model involves going into underserved communities and providing job opportunities, a strategy that Wilson says has worked out well in southern Dallas.

"We've found good talent and our model has worked out really nicely there. I think it’s a terrific redevelopment effort and we’re excited to be a part of it. We think it’s going to set the standard for what a redevelopment can be in underserved communities," said Wilson.

The 94-acre RedBird project is being led by co-developers Peter Brodsky and Terrence Maiden. Once complete, the mixed-use development will include office space, medical services, apartments, restaurants, entertainment and green space. Several health care providers including UT Southwestern, Children’s Health and Parkland Hospital are already attached to the project. Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas is also setting up a new office there.