Johnson Development Gets “Walkable” at Park Eight Development

A Houston-based developer is set to transform a former industrial site in Westchase into a $1 billion mixed-use development called Park Eight Place.

Johnson Development secured approval from the Houston City Council on Thursday to designate the 70-acre project as an official Walkable Place, the Houston Chronicle reported. The development site is a former Halliburton corporate campus at 10200 Bellaire Boulevard.

The approval marks a significant milestone for the city’s Walkable Places program, which launched in 2020 to encourage developments that prioritize pedestrians.

The designation allows Johnson to develop more densely in exchange for meeting specific pedestrian-friendly standards, including unobstructed sidewalks, buffers between vehicles and pedestrians and accessible building entrances. The city eased setback requirements and approved Johnson’s request to reduce parking by 16 percent.

“We envision residents of Park Eight Place to be able to ride the Metro with their bikes to work at the Medical Center and then bike home along the trail,” said Charlie Lusk of Johnson Development.

Johnson Development is the first private developer to obtain this designation, previously applied only to pilot areas such as Midtown Houston and Third Ward.

Park Eight Place will feature 2 million square feet of mixed-use development, including residential, retail and office spaces. The project also includes 2 miles of trails, 6 acres of green space and connections to the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail and Arthur Storey Park.

Johnson is slated to begin construction work on roads and utilities early next year.

The firm is considered one of the top developers in Texas with three of its master-planned communities ranking among the top 50 for the Houston market. Johnson’s top-selling communities in the Houston area include Sienna, Cross Creek Ranch and Jordan Ranch.

— Andrew Terrell