Exclusive: New development to bring much-needed health care to Heights
May 9, 2017
A freestanding mixed-use building that’s been in the works for years should bring several new concepts to the Heights.
Heights Central, a 15,000-square-foot building underway at 927 Studewood St., broke ground last week, said NewQuest’s Chris Dray, who serves as executive vice president of the brokerage. Dray owns and is developing the 927 Studewood property outside of his role at NewQuest.
So far, roughly 10,200 square feet of the building’s 15,000 square feet is spoken for. The third floor of the building is still available, Dray said, and he hopes to bring on health care-facing tenants. Ahttp://www.bizjournals.com/houston/search/results?q=Chris%20Drays a longtime resident of the Heights, Dray said he understands the area’s deep need for more health care.
“For all these years, we’ve been driving to West U and Memorial for (my son’s) doctors. That’s nutty,” Dray said. “(The Heights) is now at that second evolutionary stage where it’s getting services.”
Dray’s in talks with a pediatric dentist and orthodontist to take the space. Before Texas Children’s inked a deal to open at 2200 Yale, Dray was in discussions with the health care system to take space at 927 Studewood, he said.
As for the preleased space, Houston-based Boulevard Realty will move into 6,200 square feet in the building and relocate from its current office at 833 Studewood St., Dray said. A globally inspired pasta concept, Mastrantos, will occupy 2,000 square feet on the first floor. Its menu will highlight the different ways people eat pasta around the world, Dray said.
The building, which is expected to be completed in September or October, will stand at three stories with floor-plates of roughly 5,000 square feet. Transwestern’s Ashley Cassel, vice president of the brokerage’s health care advisory services group, is handling the leasing efforts alongside Dray.
“That whole area is very underserved medically,” Cassel said.
Angler Construction is the general contractor and Element Architects designed the building.
The building has been in the planning stages since at least 2015. Dray attributed the delay in development to permitting issues with the city of Houston.
Dray also owns the 7,000-square-foot property at 1001 Studewood St. that houses the Houston-based law firm Aversano and Gold, as well as The Glass Wall Restaurant. It’s located across East 10th Street from the 927 Studewood St. property.
Full story: Houston Business Journal
