Succession: Houston developer MetroNational gets new CEO

A third generation will take the helm of MetroNational.

The privately held real estate investment, development, and management company, announced Jason Johnson as its new CEO. Johnson, the grandson of the company’s founder, has been with the company since 2013 and has served as its president and vice chairman since 2015.

Under Johnson’s leadership, Houston-based MetroNational has grown to own and manage over 10 million square feet of commercial real estate properties, primarily located in Greater Houston.

Johnson, who is in his mid-30s, will be taking over from his father, Roy Johnson, who will become Executive Chairman. The change in leadership comes at a time when MetroNational is seeking to continue its growth and innovation in the Houston real estate market.

Founded in 1954, MetroNational has established itself as a leading real estate developer and manager in the region. Johnson’s appointment as CEO is seen as a natural progression for the prolific company.

MetroNational’s crown jewel is Memorial City, the six-decade-old, 300-acre mixed-use development located in West Houston. Known as the “city-within-a-city” the project has since become a region of the Greater Houston area in its own right, being designated a special government district in 1999. Memorial City, home to 4,000 residents, continues to grow to this day.

In May, the company announced plans to construct Memorial Town Square, a 27-acre mixed-use development at the intersection of Gessner Road and Barryknoll Lane within the Memorial City Mall area. The first phase will focus on building 10 standalone retail buildings on the site of a former Sears department store, totaling 190,000 square feet. The retail buildings will surround a new half-acre green space, transforming it into an outdoor shopping center. Upon completion in late 2025, the development will have space for more than 40 tenants, including restaurants, boutiques, creative office spaces and health facilities.

MetroNational also has a four-acre mixed-use project in the works, anchored by 25-story luxury high-rise The McKinley at 9752 Katy Freeway. Adjacent to the high-rise is a recently completed nine-story office building that achieved 100 percent occupancy in January after Calon Petroleum leased 107,000 square feet in the new complex.