Often referred to as the “Boating Capital of Texas”, Bay Area Houston is a top destination for businesses, families, and tourists, thanks in part to its close proximity to Galveston and Houston.  Encompassing a widely diverse region, the Bay Area stretches from Pasadena to Galveston, consisting of communities such as La Porte, Seabrook, Clear Lake Shores, Webster, Friendswood, League City, Dickinson, Texas City, and La Marque.  Boasting the nation’s third largest concentration of recreational boating centers and a variety of amateur sports, outdoor activities, beaches and parks, the Bay Area’s waterfront contributes to its high quality of life and has propelled growth in its recreation and tourism industry, while population growth in the area and the arrival of new facilities has buoyed the region’s health care sector.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey, the Bay Area has experienced consistent growth in population, income, and employment since 2016 and is home to over 560,000 residents, based on 2019 data from the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.  Business Climate  Home to the NASA Johnson Space Center, Ellington Airport, and one of the world’s only truly urban commercial spaceports, Bay Area Houston is known as the nexus for Houston’s aerospace and aviation industries.  Additionally, the Bay Area is also an important hub for transportation and logistics, health care and life sciences, and tourism. Other industries of note include specialty chemical, maritime, and recreation.  Its robust industrial presence is supported by the construction of several industrial parks and complexes, as well as new warehouse and distribution centers and facilities.   Packwell, a plastics bagging and logistics company based in La Porte, recently broke ground on a 725,000-square-foot resin packaging facility at Port Houston’s Bayport Industrial Complex while Kao Corporation recently broke ground on a $250 million tertiary amine production plant in Pasadena.  Business Developments  Houston Spaceport  The Houston Spaceport serves as a center for collaboration and innovation in the aerospace community. Earlier this year, the company announced that it will launch Phase II of its expansion project with plans to begin work within the next 12 months. Phase II will stretch over 300 acres, offering more parcels for aerospace companies, a hotel, restaurants, and retail space.  Axiom Space broke ground this spring on a 23-acre campus that will house its new headquarters and space station production facility at the Spaceport. The campus will contain spaces for astronaut training, mission control facilities, and engineering development and testing labs. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in December 2023 to officially open the first phase of the development. Axiom has also leased space in Webster for engineering and production operations.  Collins Aerospace recently opened a 120,000-square-foot facility that will allow for expanded operations, manufacturing, and testing. Its new facility will support the development and testing of several key space systems, including the next-generation spacesuit.  Intuitive Machines broke ground on 12.5 acres at the Houston Spaceport with a 125,000-square-foot facility under construction that will house office, laboratory, production, assembly, and test space.  Mixed Use  A number of communities in the Bay Area Houston region have mixed use developments planned, including Seabrook, League City, Texas City, Friendswood, and more.  Seabrook Plaza on NASA Parkway is a 15-acre, $170 million mixed-use waterfront development that will feature two Margaritaville-branded hotels. The development will also include a 10,000-square-foot event center, a seven-story apartment complex, and 20,000 square feet of waterfront dining.  Riverview at Clear Creek in League City is another waterfront mixed-use development spanning 59 acres that will include a hotel, multifamily project, townhomes, an amphitheater, boardwalk and trails, and retail space and restaurants. The project also has marina infrastructure work currently underway.  Plaza 96 is a 75,000-square-foot mixed use development in League City that will have space for retail, restaurants, medical offices, and office warehouses. It is expected to break ground this year. One Sixty One in downtown Friendswood is a 5.5-acre development anchored by a boutique hotel and banquet room. The project will also include residences and executive offices, restaurants, retail, collaborative spaces, and a green rooftop experience. New construction began this spring. Click to expand Rendering of One Sixty One boutique hotel Photo courtesy of Banfield Properties, Inc.   Recreation & Tourism  Peninsula Beach Resort is a 110-acre resort development on Bolivar Peninsula at Crystal Beach that will include over 200 beach houses and cottages, in addition to five mid-rise condominium buildings and 50 RV sites. The development will also include a clubhouse, beach bar, and an FAA-approved airport, making it the only fly-in beach resort in the U.S.  Great Wolf Lodge broke ground on a new hotel, indoor waterpark, and conference center in Webster in 2022, with the resort planned to open in 2024. Representing a $200 million investment, the 27-acre site will also boast a 58,000-square-foot family entertainment center called Great Wolf Adventure Park.  Education  Bay Area Houston is home to several higher education institutions, including the University of Houston-Clear Lake, which touts one of the most complete biotechnology graduate programs in the state, as well as San Jacinto College, College of the Mainland, Lee College, and Houston Community College.  College of the Mainland, a community college in Texas City with locations in League City and La Marque, opened its Industrial Careers Building in fall 2022 and has several new buildings planned, including a 134,000-square-foot library and classroom building, a 20,000-square-foot corporate and continuing education center, a 50,000-square-foot public services center, and a three-story classroom building.  Lee College recently opened its new 11,000-square-foot Corporate Training Center that will offer hands-on technical training, including onboarding and upskilling, and leadership development for employees of all levels. The center will give students and employees the opportunity to work with equipment that is being used in the field, as well as a number of training labs.  San Jacinto College is planning to launch a new degree program in spring 2024 that seeks to fill the workforce gap in early childhood education. The new Bachelor of Applied Science in education will target paraprofessionals and individuals who work for other early-learning programs.  Learn more about Houston’s surrounding regions. 

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center broke ground this week on a new $668 million research facility at the Texas Medical Center’s Helix Park. Encompassing 600,000 square feet, the South Campus Research Building 5 (SCRB5) will anchor the institution’s expansive south campus research park and connect to TMC’s 37-acre Helix Park. The facility will serve as a hub for collaboration, offering space for researchers and scientists to gather to advance research and discoveries that will bolster efforts to end cancer.  “With input from hundreds of MD Anderson teammates, we have carefully designed this building and our research campus to foster collaboration, to stimulate creativity and to fuel breakthroughs that will improve the lives of patients here and around the globe,” said Dr. Peter Pisters, President of MD Anderson. Designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects, the seven-story building will house several of MD Anderson’s strategic research programs, including the James P. Allison Institute, and feature state-of-the-art facilities, flexible research areas, and public spaces, including a restaurant, a conference center, and several lecture environments for scheduled discussions and gatherings. SCRB5 is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026.  The innovative new building will also “maximize sustainability and efficiency while optimizing the experience of those working within,” according to a  press release. “The surrounding green spaces, connecting pathways, gathering spots and places for reflection and inspiration will set a new standard for other research institutions across the country.” MD Anderson joins three other institutions that announced earlier this year they would also be joining the world-class life science campus.  In January, Baylor College of Medicine was announced as the anchor tenant of the 355,000-square-foot Dynamic One building, the first of four industry buildings at TMC’s Helix Park. Baylor will lease 114,000 square feet in the building’s North Tower. Dynamic One is expected to open in Q4 of this year.  Over the summer, the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health broke ground on a cutting-edge $299 million research facility. The 10-story tower will span 350,000 square feet and will house research laboratories and collaborative spaces focusing on targeting underserved border communities and DNA sequence analysis. The new facility is expected to open in the fall semester of 2026. Chicago-based venture capital firm Portal Innovations also announced that it will occupy 30,000 square feet of lab and office space within Helix Park’s TMC3 Collaborative Building, which is expected to open later this year. The firm will move into Helix Park’s TMC3 in 2024 and will work to nurture early-stage biotech and medtech startups.  The first phase of Helix Park is expected to open this fall, and TMC will host a grand opening celebration in collaboration with the Greater Houston Partnership at the organization’s annual State of the Texas Medical Center event on October 26. Attendees will get an exclusive opportunity to experience the complex with an immersive tour. TMC’s Helix Park and the addition of the new developments aims to further boost the region’s life sciences ecosystem by attracting top talent, driving economic growth, and increasing our regional competitiveness, ultimately strengthening Houston’s position as a leading hub for innovation, health care, research, and education.  Learn more about Houston’s thriving life sciences sector.