Issue 75 – March 31, 2021

A publication of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Issue 75 – March 31, 2021 www.bayareahouston.com

In this Edition... Commercial/Office/Industrial Development Retail / Hospitality Development Residential Development Infrastructure News and Everything Else!

Please feel free to pass this e-newsletter along to others who would enjoy it, and kindly credit Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

Commercial / Office / Industrial Development

Aerospace news …

California-based Venus Aerospace is relocating its office and operations to Houston and is leasing an office at Ellington Airport, home of the Houston Spaceport. Venus is designing a next generation spaceplane that will travel 12 times faster than the speed of sound, climbing to an altitude of 150,000 feet using rocket engines before gliding safely back to Earth. The company is in talks with the Houston Spaceport to build its permanent headquarters/testing facility on Houston Spaceport property. BAHEP assisted the company early in its relocation by providing the company with information to help make the transition from California. The company is in the midst of raising more venture capital to begin building the spaceplane. Just think … one day, we’ll be flying across continents for a meeting or lunch and still be home for dinner. Read more: Houston Chronicle

Medical news …

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic is expanding by 17,000 SF in Pasadena at 5001 E. Sam Houston Pkwy. When completed this fall, the facility will total more than 50,000 SF.

Oak Street Health plans to invest more than $2M in a buildout of 9,438 SF on Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena. Plans are to open on or about June 1, 2021. Oak Street Health is a network of value-based primary care centers for adults on Medicare.

Manufacturing news …

Gulf Coast Ammonia plans to start construction on its state-of-the-art facility within an industrial chemical site in Texas City. The site offers advantageous logistics with deep-water access and pipeline connectivity. The facility and associated infrastructure will generate major economic benefits in Galveston County bringing more than 40 permanent operations jobs and more than 1,000 construction jobs at peak. Oiltanking North America will own and operate the marine facilities. Read more about it: BIC Magazine

New construction ….

 New office warehouse buildings are planned in Webster at Bay Area Plaza, 127 W. Bay Area Blvd. Specs: two buildings of 7,503 SF each, metal construction, approx. 500 SF office, four grade- level doors, 18’ clear height, 3 phase, 480 volt, 200 amp power. Project is breaking ground this week; buildings are for sale or lease.

 Red Ball Oxygen is building a new facility on Beamer Road, just north of FM 2351 in Friendswood. The preliminary site plan shows a building of approximately 42,000 SF on 10 acres.

 4-Horn Management, based in Austin, TX, has new facilities under construction on Red Bluff Road in Pasadena, between Fairmont Parkway and Genoa Red Bluff Road. Underway is a 14,000 SF corporate office, a 50,000 SF fab shop, and a new rental office for National Tank & Equipment. 4- Horn Management is the parent company for a group of companies in the industrial equipment rental space including National Tank & Equipment, National Toilet Rentals, and Farr Front Chemical Services.

 Amazon Logistics is planning to open a new 180,000 SF delivery station in La Marque this year. This facility is expected to bring hundreds of new jobs to the Galveston County area including drivers, primary management positions, and team leads. The site for the station is a large tract of land at 4975 Gulf Freeway near Abundant Life Christian Center, just south of Gulfway Plaza and north of Team Mancuso Powersports. Read more in Gulf Coast E-news: Gulf Coast E-News

Office Leases …

 32,400 SF – Axiom Space Inc. leased additional office space at 1290 Hercules Ave. This brings the newly-renovated Hercules II office building – totaling 63,700 SF - to 100% occupancy. Representing the tenant: Noah Kruger and Derrell Curry / Savills; for the landlord: Matthew Seliger, Doug Little and Louann Pereira / Transwestern. Bisnow Axiom Space is also planning a large facility at the Houston Spaceport for production of a commercial module that will attach to the ISS.

 18,900 SF – Hargrove Engineers + Constructors leased at 12000 Aerospace Ave. at Ellington Airport. The 80,000 SF office building is now 100% leased. For the landlord: Matthew Asvestas / Stream Realty Partners; and for the tenant, Charlie Neuhaus / NAI Partners.

Recent industrial and flex lease transactions …

 24,200 SF – Sunbelt Rentals signed a 10-year lease for its scaffolding division on 4.7 acres at Port Commerce Business Park, 4458 Genoa Red Bluff Road in Houston. Dealmakers: Carolyn Fincher and LeDon Wissner / Smith Raines Co.

 13,500 SF – VA Electrical Contractors LLC leased at 906 Witter St in Pasadena. Representing the tenant was Chase McAteer and Taylor Stoute / Oxford CRES; for the landlord: Ed Ayres / Houston Realty Advisors.

Acquisitions …

 CenterPoint Properties purchased a 601,261 SF industrial building at 3507 SH 225 in Pasadena. It sits on 31 acres and is rail served by Union Pacific, BNSF, and Kansas City Southern via the Port Terminal Railroad Association. Closing the deal: Rusty Tamlyn, Trent Agnew and Charles Strauss / JLL.

 EverWest Real Estate Investors purchased a warehouse facility, 109,000 SF, at 1301 So. 16th St. in La Porte. Representing the developer and seller: Justin Bennett; Mark Bigarel / EverWest for the buyer. Now Open Nassau Bay – Airrosti Rehab Centers at 1335 Space Park Drive Webster – U Office Executive Suites at 711 Bay Area Blvd. Houston – Gemini Executive Suites at 1115 Gemini Avenue

Did you miss an issue of this Business Development Update? Current and previous editions can be found here: Newsletter Archives

Retail / Hospitality Development

Developments in the works …

Regency Centers started construction on a new retail development – Eastfield at Baybrook - at the southeast corner of the Gulf Freeway and El Dorado Blvd. H-E-B will anchor the first phase of the project; plans are to open in the last quarter of this year. This project will also include 30,000 SF of retail space, six outparcels, and open-air seating; expected completion is early 2022. This project is a partnership with CDC Houston, a subsidiary of Coventry Development Corp. Read about it: HBJ

A new retail center is coming to Dickinson at 301 FM 517 West at Borden’s Gully. Planned is 7,500 SF of which 4,800 SF is available. Hartz Chicken will be a tenant.

Spencer Shops is a new 10,000 SF retail center proposed in Pasadena at 2520 Spencer Hwy. Sonic is scheduled to open there.

Word is that someone may be interested in buying and transforming the Gulf Greyhound Park in La Marque. It covers 110 acres at 1000 FM 2004. More details later!

Have you looked at our flip book of Hot Projects? Hot Projects on BAHEP website

Restaurant news …

Black Bear Diner will open on Vista Road near BW 8 in Pasadena.

Pelican Grill will open at Shoppes at Fairmont Crossing, Fairmont Parkway at Center St. in Pasadena.

The Cookshack will open in Webster at 160 W. Bay Area Blvd.

Gator’s Bar & Grill will open soon at the northeast corner of the Gulf Freeway and FM 517 in Dickinson.

Brick & Spoon (breakfast and brunch concept restaurant) is planned for the Texas Station shopping center, FM 518 and FM 528 in Friendswood.

Retail leases …

 10,164 SF - Carrier Enterprise leased at 309 Ibis St. at Webster’s NASA Bypass Business Park  10,000 SF - Goldfish Swim School leased at 20251 Gulf Freeway in Webster  7,185 SF - NRL Mortgage leased at 430 E. NASA Parkway in Webster  6,209 SF - Cycle Gear leased at 1201 W. Bay Area Blvd. in Webster  3,054 SF – SynergenX leased at Baybrook Passage, Gulf Freeway and Bay Area Blvd. For the landlord: Elise Weatherall / Wulfe & Co.; for the tenant: Brady Wright and John Pope / Pope Corp.  1,200 SF - Scoop Craft Creamery leased 937 W. Bay Area Blvd.in Webster. Carrie Murray / Weingarten Realty represented the landlord.  JC Educational Services leased space in Dickinson Village at 3410 Gulf Fwy. Representing the tenant: Lyle Cowand / Resolut RE; for the landlord: Kevin Sims and Nick Ramsey / NewQuest Properties.

Other real estate news …

A 30-acre land site was sold to an undisclosed buyer who plans to develop the property. Location is along the east side of the Gulf Freeway, just south of FM 646 in League City. Josh Jacobs / The Blue Ox Group represented the seller.

Tri-Star Super purchased 1.5 acres at the northeast corner of FM 518 and Brandywyne in Friendswood. Jason Kieschnick / Zann Commercial Brokerage for the buyer; Lilly Golden / Evergreen Commercial Realty for the seller.

Garza Management Corp. purchased 0.8 acres at 8940 Spencer Hwy. in La Porte. For the seller: Andrew Alvis / NewQuest Properties; for the buyer: Brian Mallett of Cadre Realty.

An acre of land sold at 1350 FM 517 West in Dickinson. Finial Group represented the seller.

A multi-tenant retail center at 1100 Pasadena Blvd. recently sold. Tyler Reiley and Aaron Morris / Oldham Goodwin Group represented the seller.

Just for fun …

Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport –  Just added to the collection is a Lockheed Howard 250 Tri-Gear, 12-passenger aircraft. It’s the only remaining flying model and features all the amenities of a 1950s luxury executive aircraft. LSFM Lockheed Howard

 Also new to the permanent collection is a Vultee BT-13. It was one of the most widely used trainers during WWII. LSFM Vultee

San Jacinto Celebration – ‘Under the Star’ event – April 17th – on the grounds surrounding the San Jacinto Memorial Monument. It will highlight the events that led up to Texas winning its independence from Mexico at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. San Jacinto Celebration (sanjacinto-museum.org)

Dickinson’s Farmer’s Market is now open – the location is 4512 State Highway 3. The market will be open the first Saturday of the month, 10am – 2pm, all year long. Enjoy food, local products, fresh vegetables and more.

Texas Entertainment Xperience just opened at Mainland City Centre in Texas City. What’s there? Trampoline park, a quarter-mile go-kart race track, 152 arcade games, 150 ft. long zip line and ropes course, skating rink, and miniature bowling alley. Hungry? … Big Phil’s Soul & Creole Café and Texas Pit Shop BBQ open this month. Grazia Italian Kitchen and Java Owl will open in May, and Brewchachos Tacos & Cantinas and Brick & Spoon will open in June.

Opening Soon Houston – Advantage BMW/MINI of Clear Lake and Mercedes-Benz of Clear Lake are under construction on the east side of the Gulf Freeway near Dixie Farm Rd. Coming in on the west side of the Gulf Freeway between FM 2351 and El Dorado are Jaguar and Land Rover dealerships. League City – Lelia Southern Settings (event venue) at 720 2nd Street; Nathan’s Famous at 1615 W. FM 646 (inside Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar) Pasadena – Kolache Factory at Fairmont Crossing, Fairmont Parkway at Center Street; Sonic on Spencer Highway near Shaver St.

Now Open Webster – Family Dollar at 915 E. NASA Pkwy.; M Spa Face and Body at 14000 FM 528; Eggcellence Café & Bakery at 20971 Gulf Fwy.; Texas Huddle Grille and Sports Bar at 803 E. NASA Pkwy. Friendswood - Ritz Barber Lounge at 624 S. Friendswood Dr. Dickinson – WaterGrove (event venue) at 3920 Gulf Freeway Seabrook – Healthy Crave (smoothie bar) at 3136 NASA Pkwy.; Mt. Zion Barbershop and Texas Flex Fitness Houston – Eggcellence Café & Bakery and Spenga (spin, yoga) at 1507 W. Bay Area Blvd.; Himalayan Taj at 1425 NASA Pkwy. League City - The Lost Cajun at 3010 Gulf Fwy. South

Residential Development

Kemah - Meritage plans 418 townhomes and patio homes in a gated community at the northwest corner of SH 146 and League City Pkwy. Prices range expected: $250s – $375s. A multifamily project is also planned there plus more development on adjacent land north of the homes. Flex commercial space is available. Easy in and out via a new north/south roadway -- Evergreen Memorial Pkwy. Additionally, big improvements are planned for the 57-acre park next to the Meritage development.

An ‘agrihood’ is proposed in Santa Fe. Mulberry Farms is a mixed-use development of 162+ homes on 66 acres on FM 1764. The plan includes 13 acres of lakes and six acres of commercial reserves.

Cove Matrix Development is planning a large master-planned residential community in Hitchcock. The plan for Gulf Breeze includes more than 700 homes to be built on 300 acres just off FM 2004 near Blimp Base Road. The company is still working on its master plan … we’ll keep you updated! Bonus Buzz: Hundreds of homes planned for Hitchcock | Biz Buzz | The Daily News (galvnews.com)

Central Park Square - Meritage Homes will build 169 homes in this new community in Texas City ranging in size from 1,831 - 2,991 SF with prices starting in the mid $200s. The 40-acre site is off Century Blvd. between the Emmett F Lowry Expressway and SH 3.

Acquisitions –

A buyer purchased a 300-unit garden-style multifamily property in Pasadena. Representing the seller: Chris Young, Joey Rippel and Kyle Whitney / JLL.

Infrastructure News and Everything Else!

Construction is starting this month on the new $100 million Pier 10 cruise terminal at Port of Galveston. The terminal will be 170,000 SF, two stories on a 10-acre property. At completion in 2022, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas will set sail from the port. The Oasis-class ship is capable of carrying 6,780 passengers. Read more here -- https://rebusinessonline.com/royal-caribbean-port-of-galveston-move-forward- with-100m-cruise-ship-terminal-in-texas/ and here -- https://www.galvnews.com/news/free/article_7b1cc702-66af-5528-8bfb-a3f685183e54.html/?&logged_out=1

Port Houston was awarded $19.5M in federal funds to begin construction of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion --Channel Improvement Project. The project will widen and deepen the channel for safer and more efficient navigation of vessels that call on the port’s eight public terminals and more than 200 private facilities that operate along the channel. This will provide continued job growth and economic development opportunities and will improve air quality by reducing the channel’s traffic congestion. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210119006200/en/Port-of-Houston-Awarded-New-Start-for-Ship-Channel

Did you know Port Houston is #1 in the country for waterborne tonnage?

City news …

League City – A new dog park is coming to Hometown Heroes Park, 1001 E. League City Pkwy. The project’s expected completion is early 2022.

A new opportunity! The City is accepting sealed proposals from parties interested in repairing the Big League Dreams Sports Park as well as operating, managing, and maintaining it moving forward. City staff estimates it will cost nearly two million dollars to make the necessary repairs so that the facility can reopen. The deadline for proposals is 2pm, Wednesday, April 14th. Get the RFP packet here: http://leaguecitytx.gov/bids.aspx and for inquiries: [email protected] Read more about it: https://communityimpact.com/houston/bay-area/business/2021/03/19/league-city-seeking-proposals-to-reopen-big-league-dreams/

Seabrook – City is seeking input from the community regarding the potential re-development of Old Seabrook through a grant received from H-GAC. Old Seabrook District – Livable Center Study Take a look!

Attention developers and commercial brokers -- The city’s GIS department has drone video / photos available for site review – sites you will want to build on. Community GIS Portal (arcgis.com) Email : Paul Chavez [email protected] for more information or details.

Education news …

College of the Mainland will lease 35,000 SF at Mainland City Centre in Texas City for cosmetology (hairdressing and barbering) and lifelong learning programs (such as gardening and jewelry design). Plans are to open in August. The developer, Jerome Karam/JMK5, is paying for the buildout of the space (a former Palais Royal store); the college is providing the furniture and equipment.

University of Houston-Clear Lake has two new courses designed to give registered nurses updated knowledge in theory and clinical practice to meet the Texas Board of Nursing requirements for reactivation. Course one, which is delivered in a hybrid format, begins with refresher information in content areas including adult medical-surgical care, pharmacology, medication administration, standards of practice and ethics. The second course begins with simulation and culminates in 80 hours of clinical care delivery at a partnering area hospital. https://www.uhcl.edu/human-sciences-humanities/departments/clinical-health- applied-sciences/nursing/rn-nursing-refresher

Space Center Houston and NASA have announced that UHCL is among the 22 international robotics teams qualifying for Phase 2 of the NASA Space Robotics Challenge. The team will advance to the final competition which has a prize purse of $1 million! https://blog.uhcl.edu/news/uhcls-robotics-team-eyes-1-million-prize-in- nasa-competition

At San Jacinto College’s central campus in Pasadena, you might have noticed a new building currently under construction that looks a little different … that’s because it’s a mass timber build. This building will be used for classrooms.

San Jacinto College unveiled a new training space to augment its basic and advanced firefighting curriculum. Located at the Maritime Training and Technology Center in La Porte, the field will allow trainees to get on-site training near the college’s central campus.

BAHEP is part of the Facebook and Twitter network providing its members and followers yet another way to keep up with its activities. Like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BayAreaHoustonEcon Check out our tweets at https://twitter.com/BAHEP.

Economic development doesn’t happen by itself! If you would like to know more about how you can support our economic development initiatives and have the opportunity to work with the region’s business leaders, please contact Membership Director Harriet Pilgrim at 832.536.3255 or [email protected].

Clear Lake Shores • Dickinson • El Lago • Friendswood • Houston • Kemah • La Porte League City • Morgan’s Point • Nassau Bay • Pasadena • Seabrook • Taylor Lake Village • Webster

Questions or Comments? [email protected]

If you would like to be added or removed from the mailing list for the Business Development Update, please email [email protected].