A prominent Houston-based developer is moving forward with the redevelopment of Halliburton’s former campus in Westchase.
Johnson Development Services, an affiliate of Michael Smith’s Johnson Development, said the 50-acre site at 10200 Bellaire Boulevard, once home to Halliburton’s Oak Park Campus, has been cleared, leaving only a parking garage as demolition wraps up, the Houston Business Journal reported.
That means development can move forward on Park Eight Place, a large mixed-use district combining office, retail, multifamily and parks into a walkable, community-centered environment.
Park Eight Place will be “a creative hub and a walkable destination and community that embodies health, convenience and Houston’s dynamic urban character in a connected environment that fosters social gathering and innovation,” said Michael Cox, president of Johnson Development Services.
The first phase, scheduled to start in January, includes infrastructure and road construction, with apartment buildings and an office structure soon to follow.
Global architecture firm Gensler is designing the project, with TBG Partners handling landscaping and BGE Inc. managing civil engineering.
Park Eight Place will also leverage nearby natural assets, connecting to the 200-acre Arthur Storey Park and the Brays Bayou trail system. Among the highlights is a “sunken garden” that will surround the development’s detention pond.
The developer’s collaboration with an independent investment group led by Lee Wong enabled the acquisition of the Halliburton site in 2018. Since then, another 20 acres purchased from Tailored Brands, the owner of Men’s Wearhouse, has been incorporated into the plan. Tailored Brands still operates on-site but could see its headquarters redeveloped after its lease ends.
The project is anticipated to bring $1 billion in taxable value to the area, benefiting from a tax reimbursement agreement for up to $23 million of the development costs.
Johnson Development is known for master-planned communities, but Park Eight Place is its first standalone mixed-use venture.
— Andrew Terrell