This Week's Houston Deal Sheet
Deskpass has expanded its monthly coworking subscription service to Houston.
The platform provides freelancers and remote workers with ways to find shared workspaces and conference rooms.
“We are pleased to bring Deskpass to Houston, one of America’s fastest-growing cities for remote work,” Deskpass co-founder and CEO Sam Rosen said. “In today’s market with growing demand for flexible work options, it can be challenging to find a coworking space that fits your needs and personality. Deskpass allows you to try multiple locations without having to make a pricey long-term commitment."
New subscribers can sign up for the mini-plan for free and work at up to four locations per month. After the trial, the plan is $49 a month. The part-time plan includes up to eight visits a month for $99 and full-time members have up to 20 visits a month or every day Monday through Friday for $199. Annual plans are also available.
The monthly membership includes access to the platform’s network of more than 15 coworking locations and 35 meeting spaces in Houston, such as Novel Coworking, TechSpace Houston and Ranch Office.
Deskpass membership includes access to its entire network of more than 350 coworking locations and hundreds of conference rooms, private offices, training centers and additional meeting space by the hour at a discounted rate.
"While some people are happy to work at home, many prefer a more active, inspiring and communal environment,” Rosen said. “Deskpass is the perfect transition tool for folks to get out of the house or the coffee shop and into a more professional, work-focused environment. We partner with a wide variety of providers, from local independent coworking spaces all the way up to multicity networks, making it a fantastic way to explore coworking and connect with a vibrant community of other remote workers.”
EXECS
Allen Douglas was named executive director and general counsel for The Downtown Redevelopment Authority, a local nonprofit government corporation that supports commercial development in Downtown. Douglas will lead the DRA and perform the duties of general counsel for the organization and its related entities, Central Houston and the Houston Downtown Management District. Prior to joining the DRA, Douglas practiced law for more than 20 years. He has served as vice chair of the Midtown Management District’s board of directors since June 2015, as well as chair of the district’s Urban Planning Committee.
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Shawn Harvey was added as managing director of Integrated Services at Lee & Associates Houston. The firm’s service line includes property management, construction management, accounting, administration, leasing/marketing and building engineering/facilities. Bringing more than 20 years of expertise, Harvey has led acquisition teams and large Houston portfolios. He most recently served as a senior property accountant for JLL and Equity Office.
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Adam Meech was hired as a project manager for Springwoods Village by CDC Houston Inc., a subsidiary of Coventry Development Corp. Meech will assist the Springwoods Village development team in the planning, management and logistical coordination of all construction projects in the 2,000-acre master-planned community. Most recently, he served as superintendent for Austin Commercial, where he managed multimillion-dollar construction projects, including Houston CityPlace Marriott at Springwoods Village, Hines Market Square and Noble Energy's corporate headquarters.
SALES
Fuller Westchase Place Ltd., an entity affiliated with Houston-based Fuller Realty Partners, acquired the Westchase Plaza at 11200 Richmond Ave., Houston. The six-story, 150K SF office building features a brick and glass facade and a three-level parking garage. Both were completed in 1999, and the building underwent extensive renovations in 2009 and 2013. The buyers plan renovations to expedite leasing efforts. Fuller Realty Partners LLC will manage and lease the property on behalf of the buyer. JLL’s Rudy Hubbard, Kevin McConn and Rick Goings represented the seller, CAPSTAR Real Estate Advisors.
LEASES
CRI Inc. signed a 50K SF industrial lease at 3401 Navigation Blvd., Houston. NAI Partners’ Michael Keegan and John Ferruzzo represented the tenant. Avison Young’s Bob Berry and Grant Hortenstine represented the landlord, Stonelake Capital Partners LLC. CRI Inc. is a Houston-based office furniture supplier that services the Gulf Coast region.
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Saltgrass Steak House opened a location near the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Laundry’s-branded restaurant is at 1001 Avenida de Las Americas.
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Clean Juice is opening in the River Oaks Shopping Center in Houston. The U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic juice bar franchise will serve smoothies, acai bowls, cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, toasts and Greenoa bowls. JoAnna Ness, a former Houston Rockets Power Dancer and competitive dancer, is the River Oaks owner. By year-end, Clean Juice will have expanded to 100 locations across the country, which is double the number it had to start 2019.
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A wave of leasing activity is happening at Houston Premium Outlets at U.S. Highway 290 West at Fairfield Place Drive. Fanatics by Lids will open in the fall and Karl Lagerfeld Paris will follow in spring 2020. The outlet recently welcomed BCBG MAXAZRIA Factory while Tory Burch is expanding and Charlotte Russe is updating its footprint this fall.
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Weitzman is pre-leasing Lowell Street Annex, a 5,200 SF specialty retail center in the Heights. The multi-tenant center is at 726 West 18th St. near Snooze, an A.M. Eatery; Smoosh Cookies; Superica; La Lucha; and Sweat 1000. Weitzman’s Matthew Dunn is handling leasing at the project, which is slated to deliver mid-2020. The building contractor is Texana Builders and the architect is Veritas AEC. Within a 3-mile radius, Lowell Street Annex has more than 157,000 people and an average income of $115,752.
CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Allied Orion Group was selected to manage and serve as general contractor for Territory at Greenhouse Apartments, a 288-unit community at 2500 Greenhouse Road, Katy. The firm has started construction, which is slated to be completed in February. Pre-leasing will begin in the fall. Owned by Dhanani Private Equity Group, the community will include one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Units feature granite countertops and subway tile in kitchens and bathrooms, stainless steel appliances, garden tubs and private balconies. Community amenities include personal concierge services/errand runners, a resort-style pool and courtyard, a state-of-the-art fitness center, an outdoor movie amphitheater, a clubhouse, a resident lounge, a business center, a leash-free dog park and a dog wash station.
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Lake Park Plaza is under construction at Cullen Boulevard and McHard Road. The 18K SF building is at 1535 Cullen Parkway, Pearland.
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Innovative Business Plaza, a 24K SF, two-story office building, is under construction at 11611 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland. The medical-anchored project has 80 parking spots and is slated to deliver in August. The project is 54% pre-leased, according to TIG Real Estate Services Inc.
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The Pearland Office Condos is underway. Situated at 2743 Smith Ranch Road, the project is a single-story, 1,200 SF office building.
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America Modern Green is developing the Ivy District at South Spectrum Boulevard and Highway 288 in Lower Kirby. The project will include office, a continuing care retirement center, retail, condominiums, townhomes and apartments. Infrastructure work is near completion at the site with water and sewer lines and a road and storm sewer system. Later this year, the next phase will include the development of the public park, trail and amenities surrounding the lake. The Pearland Economic Development Corp. and the developer are partnering on the financing of the public park improvements. Vertical development will begin in 2020.
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The city of Houston and four regional water authority partners are undertaking a $1.8B design-build expansion of the Northeast Water Purification Plant. The project is the largest progressive design-build water treatment plant project underway in the United States. Phase 1 will be delivered in early 2023 and be fully operational in early 2025. McCarthy Building Cos. was awarded three separate contracts on the project: the early works Central Plant foundations package that broke ground in June 2018, the raw water Intake Pump Station that began in early 2019 and the balance of the Central Plant that started in August.
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Dakota Enterprises will celebrate the opening of Magnolia Park Apartment on Sept. 5. The workforce housing project features 160 units, a pool and easy access to the METRORail line in the Greater East End District. Dakota Enterprises was founded in 2006 and builds multifamily developments in Houston.
THIS AND THAT
The Downtown Redevelopment Authority has approved an economic development grant for Gener8tor, a startup accelerator platform. The company will expand its pre-accelerator program, gBETA, to Downtown Houston. Welcoming its inaugural cohort in spring 2020, gBETA Houston will support locally based companies through a seven-week program in the fall and spring over the next five years. The gBETA program requires no fees and no equity for participation. Each Houston cohort will be capped at five teams representing a range of industries and selected from a pool of applicants from the greater Houston area. GBETA Houston will also host year-round public programming. Founded in Wisconsin in 2012, Gener8tor has expanded to Minnesota with gBETA programs in California, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ontario and Wisconsin. This is an effort from local officials to continue to expand Houston’s innovation ecosystem. The amount of grant money distributed is not to exceed $1.25M to be paid over a five-year period.
CORRECTION, SEP. 16, 11:50 A.M. CT: An earlier version of this story had the incorrect number of coworking locations and meeting spaces available in Houston. The total has been corrected.
