Partnership Members Making News

Partnership Members Making News - June 2023

Published Jul 19, 2023 by Hailea Schultz

The Greater Houston Partnership celebrates our members making important announcements and sharing news about their operations and impact in our community. Learn more about some of those announcements over the last month below.

Innovation

Prairie View A&M University added a new $70 million Engineering Classroom and Research Building to its Roy G. Perry College of Engineering complex. The building offers state-of-the-art technical spaces including six classrooms and 14 specialized labs that support multidisciplinary research in space exploration, data analytics and artificial intelligence, robotics, structural analysis, 3-D manufacturing, and more.
The Texas Heart Institute is advancing health care access in the region through a new translation technology on its websites that utilizes artificial intelligence to translate heart-health information in more than 100 languages. This project will accommodate Houston’s ethnically diverse community, ensuring all gain access to heart-health information regardless of language barriers.
The University of Houston launched an XR Lab within its architecture building that allows researchers and students to combine multiple realities to get a better understanding of life in space. In the lab, researchers can wear specialty space suits and goggles, take a virtual reality space walk and feel what it's like to float to the International Space Station with the help of XR and a crane.
UTHealth Houston School of Public Health broke ground on a cutting-edge $299 million research facility in the Texas Medical Center's new Helix Park campus. The new 10-story tower spanning 350,000 square feet will house research laboratories and collaborative spaces focusing to target underserved border communities and DNA sequence analysis.

Business Moves

Greentown Labs added 17 startups to its ever-growing community in Q2 2023. The new companies focus on innovations ranging from smart sensors for wind turbines, to energy-efficient air conditioning, to a combo of water desalination and carbon capture.
A $28 million expansion is underway at HCA Houston Healthcare – Kingwood to accommodate for the rising demand for healthcare services and recent growth in northeast Harris County. The project will expand the hospital’s operating rooms and post anesthesia care unit, renovating about 40,000 square feet and adding 20,000 square feet of new construction.
Global software consulting firm, Optimum, was named one of the “Top 50 Best Workplaces in Texas” by Great Place to Work and Fortune Magazine. Ranking No. 26, Optimum demonstrates dedication to caring for the well-being of each employee and supporting them in a meaningful way.

Energy Transition

Brookfield Properties, one of the largest commercial landlords in the U.S. plans to shift all its offices to zero-emissions electricity by 2026. In the Houston area, Brookfield has office holdings totaling to 10.3 million square feet across 10 towers, including the Allen Center, Houston Center and Heritage Plaza, which will be powered entirely by electricity generated from a solar plant.
Exxon Mobil reached a carbon capture milestone through a new agreement with North Carolina-based Nucor Steel, bringing the total carbon dioxide agreed to transport and store for third-party customers to five million metric tons per year. The agreement allows for Exxon to capture, transport and store up to 800,000 metric tons per year from Nucor Steel’s manufacturing site in Convent, Louisiana. The project is set to begin operations in 2026.
NRG Park began a new sustainability initiative that will reduce the park’s annual carbon dioxide emissions, generating over $54 million in savings. The new initiative is part of Harris County's Climate Action plan to reduce the city's carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, which will require $34 million in upgrades to the park.

Education

Houston Community College is bringing an 19,070-square-foot Challenger Learning Center to Space City this August, offering local K-12 students and members of the community the opportunity to learn about space. The center features a fully immersive experience that includes a mission control room and simulation of a launchpad.
Rice University announced that it will be joining the American Athletic Conference (AAC) after nearly two decades of participating in Conference USA. Rice is among the six schools that will be joining the 14-team league this year. The AAC will provide Rice the opportunity to receive national exposure and to compete against highly recognized universities, drawing attention to the greater Houston region.
With nearly $2.6 million in new federal funding, the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) will advance its Teaching in Critical Areas of Need program. The program is dedicated to producing local educators in key and underserved areas, such as bilingual education. With the new funding, UHD will help students cover the cost of certification exams, transportation, individual tutoring and more, so that they can become certified and ready to accept a job before they graduate.

Real Estate

Johnson Development broke ground on Jubilee, a 4,900-home community in Hockley. The community sits on 1,622 acres, which will include 30 acres dedicated to parks and amenity space along with 270 acres for green space and waterways. Home sales and the construction of an amenity center will begin in 2024.

Transportation

Through a $40.4 million grant from the Federal Transit Admission, METRO plans to buy new natural gas buses as part of its climate action plan. With the current buses running on diesel, the 40 new buses will help towards cleaner emissions, as METRO works to eventually have only electric-powered or hydrogen-fueled buses.
United Airlines announced plans to modernize and expand Terminal B at George Bush International Airport. The first phase of the development project includes a new and visually appealing processor area, redesigned roads and curbs to optimize customer flow and a spacious ticketing hallway. The next phase will focus on the development of a new security checkpoint, high-quality amenities, expanding the baggage claim area and more. One of the new concourses is set to open by mid-2026.

If you are a member and want us to help communicate news about your organization, please send a press release or information about the announcement to member.engagement@houston.org and we will share it with our content team for possible inclusion in an upcoming roundup. Learn more about Partnership membership.