Soaring Energy Corridor Hires New President After 7-Month Vacancy

More than seven months after its previous leader joined Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration, the district representing one of the busiest submarkets in the country announced its new president. 

The Energy Corridor District hired Bryan Brown as its president following a national search, the Houston Business Journal reported. Brown replaces Elijah Williams, who was the district’s executive director for four years before he became Houston’s senior advisor for infrastructure and economic development. 

Brown has two decades of experience in public management and operations, leading projects in multi-modal planning, transportation and public funding strategies, the district said in a news release

“Bryan brings an in-depth understanding not only of urban planning and management, but their specific application to Houston, and our local business communities,” Energy Corridor District Board Chair David Hightower said in the release.

Brown takes the reins as the district prepares for a service agreement with commercial property owners in its boundaries. The agreement outlines services the district will provide and is funded through an assessment on commercial properties. 

The business improvement district also manages economic development, public safety and planning for the 2,000-acre area in West Houston, along the portion of Interstate 10 between Houston and Katy. The Energy Corridor is named for its significant energy company office presence.

“From major grant projects that improve our mobility, to investment in public infrastructure, to advocacy and business support, the District is a vibrant, growing community and I am very excited to lead the district into the future,” Brown said in the release. 

Along with other submarkets in West Houston, the Energy Corridor has a more active office market than the rest of the Houston area and is one of the strongest in the nation, according to JLL research. The West Houston region’s office transaction volume increased 42% from 2022 to 2023, per JLL.

Last year, Kiewit Engineering Group expanded its lease in Energy Center I by more than 100K SF, bringing its total space to 277K SF.

The district also appeals to companies looking to rightsize and follow the flight-to-quality trend, including engineering and construction company Fluor. Fluor last quarter moved out of its Sugar Land campus to 413K SF at Two Eldridge and Three Eldridge in the Energy Corridor, cutting its footprint by 70%. 

But the Energy Corridor has not been immune from office market distress. KBS Growth & Income REIT sold a 203K SF Energy Corridor office building this summer for 37% of its original purchase price.

Last year, insurer Pacific Life Insurance took back Four Westlake Park, a 588K SF, 20-story building in the Energy Corridor, for its starting bid of $30M after no one topped it at the Harris County foreclosure auction. 

The Texas Legislature created the Energy Corridor District in 2001. Its first leader, Clark Martinson, served in the position until 2017, then was replaced by Williams in 2019, HBJ reported. This makes Brown the district’s third-ever leader.