This Week's Houston Deal Sheet

Port Houston will relocate its headquarters to a new development within Midway’s East River. Port Houston purchased two tracts of land in East River’s first phase and will build a 95K SF office building and 300-space parking garage as well as a skybridge connecting the two structures.

Adjacent to Buffalo Bayou with views of Downtown Houston, both buildings will be occupied solely by Port Houston. Midway will manage the pre-development, development and construction process on behalf of the port. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024, with completion slated for summer 2025.

Port Houston employees currently work at Turning Basin Terminal near 610 Loop East, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“This strategic decision has been made to accommodate our growing needs in support of the Houston Ship Channel ... while supporting the growth of our local area,” Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther said in a statement.

The location “takes us back to our original roots where the Houston Ship Channel began,” he said, calling it an ideal place for the offices with modern workspace and a collaborative environment. 

SALES

Partners Real Estate arranged the sale of a multitenant net-leased 12K SF ambulatory surgery center at 444 FM 1959. Partners’ Ryan McCullough, Connor Watson, Cary Latham and Wyatt Huff represented the seller, Ellington Properties, in the transaction.

***

Marcus & Millichap sold Churchill Bridge Storage, a 51K SF boat and RV storage facility in Brazoria in late June. A day later, the firm sold Park Central Self-Service Storage, a 48K SF self-storage facility in Port Arthur.

Dave Knobler of Marcus & Millichap’s Houston office marketed Churchill Bridge Storage on behalf of the seller, a Brazoria County LLC. He also secured the buyer, another Brazoria County LLC.

Knobler, along with Brandon Karr and Danny Cunningham in Marcus & Millichap’s Fort Worth office, marketed Park Central Self-Service Storage on behalf of the seller, a Texas-based limited partnership. The buyer, also Texas-based, was an LLC secured by Knobler, Karr and Cunningham.

Churchill Bridge Storage is at 6447 County Road 659 in Brazoria, and Park Central Self Service Storage is at 7301 Memorial Blvd. in Port Arthur.

LEASES

NewQuest Properties announced new leases in its soon-to-open West on West, a globally inspired 90K SF shopping center at 12220 Westheimer Road that will be anchored by a 33K SF 99 Ranch Market grocery store. NewQuest’s Heather Nguyen represented WoW in leasing. 

The leases include: 

• Tsujita Artisan Noodle leased 3K SF. The restaurant serves signature tsukemen noodle options.
• Paris Baguette leased 3K SF and was represented by Joe AmecAngelo of CBRE. The neighborhood bakery café offers baked and brewed goods, and traces its origins to the 1940s in a small South Korea bakery.
• Los Angeles-based SomiSomi leased 2K SF. Following locations in Katy and Sugar Land, this is the first location in Houston proper for the brand, which specializes in Ah-Boong, a Korean dessert served in a cup, and taiyaki, a fish-shaped waffle cone filled with taro, custard, red bean or other fillings and topped with soft-serve ice cream.
• The Alley, a popular boba tea brand, leased 2K SF. NewQuest’s Rebecca Le represented the tenant.
• Lady M, which meshes French baking technique with Japanese cooking styles, leased 3K SF. Cobo Fajardo of NewQuest Properties helped represent WoW. 
• The Onodera Group will open the first U.S. location of conveyor-belt-style concept Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera at WoW in spring 2024. The lease is for 4K SF. 

***

James Beard Award-winning Chef “G” Benchawan Jabthong Painter and her husband/partner Graham Painter will relocate their restaurant Street to Kitchen to 3401 Harrisburg Blvd. in Concept Neighborhood’s The Plant, located in the Second Ward.

The 2.8K SF space will allow the restaurant to triple the number of diners it serves over its current location at 6501 Harrisburg Blvd. and expand beverage service to include cocktails while keeping the restaurant in the East End.

***

ICON Consultants has renewed and expanded its lease to 20K SF at 100 Waugh Drive. Transwestern's David Lee represented the landlord, Houston Waugh, and Moody Rambin's Jay Wall represented the tenant in lease negotiations.

CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

NewQuest Residential, an affiliate of NewQuest Properties, will start construction in late September on its first project — a $62M 294-unit multifamily development in the Grand at Aliana in Fort Bend County.

The apartment project will round out the mixed-use vision for the Katy project, a 99%-leased collection of shops, dining and medical services that includes land in reserve for future development. The residential project is slated for completion in June 2025. 

The Class-A development will be positioned on 11 acres at the intersection of West Aliana Trace Drive and Fairbairn Way on the northeastern corner of the Grand at Aliana. The development calls for 11 two- and three-story residential buildings and a clubhouse/leasing center. 

The unit mix will consist of studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. Some units offer attached garages. Amenities will include a dog park, a business center with coworking spaces, a conference room, event space, a pool and a fitness center. 

Humphreys & Partners of Dallas designed the project.