Misplaced Pages

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38-635: The 25 floor Galleria Tower I, with 490,152 square feet (45,536.6 m) of space, is at 2700 Post Oak Boulevard. The 21 floor Galleria Tower II, with 320,359 square feet (29,762.3 m) of space, is at 5051 Westheimer Road . The 12 floor Galleria Financial Center, with 251,204 square feet (23,337.6 m) of space, is at 5065 and 5075 Westheimer Road. Galleria Tower I Galleria Tower II 29°44′20″N 95°27′43″W  /  29.739°N 95.462°W  / 29.739; -95.462 Westheimer Road [REDACTED] Beltway 8 Westheimer Road ( / ˈ w ɛ s t ( h ) aɪ m ər / )

76-546: A for-profit institution , operates its Houston campus in the district. Remington College opened a campus in the district in 1997. Much of Westchase is zoned to Alief Independent School District . Most of Westchase, which is south of Westheimer Road ( Farm to Market Road 1093 ) and west of Gessner Road, is zoned to schools in Alief Independent School District , while the parts north of Westheimer and parts east of Gessner Road are zoned to

114-584: A 14-acre (5.7 ha) corporate headquarters in the district. The project was completed in 2016. That same year, due to the 2010s oil glut , Halliburton moved out of its 48-acre (19-hectare) campus near Chinatown , and Maersk Oil ended operations in the area. The following companies have regional or international headquarters in Westchase: Additionally, the following companies have operations in Westchase: Westchase

152-520: A 640-acre (260 ha) farm west of Houston's city limits at the time, where Lamar High School and St. John's School are currently located. Having built a school on his land for his 16 children, other local children were invited to join the school, as a public school system was not established in the area. The road that led to his property was known as "the road to Westheimer's place" and wound through what would later be Neartown and River Oaks . In 1895, Westheimer allowed Harris County to build

190-638: A below average number of public parks for a city neighborhood. Harris County operates Tracy Gee Community Center, named after Tracy Gee ( simplified Chinese : 朱秀娟 ; traditional Chinese : 硃秀娟 ; pinyin : Zhū Xiùjuān ), a Chinese American university student who was murdered in 1990. The center opened in 1993. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston maintains the Chinese Cultural Center in Westchase. By 2020

228-466: A division of Halliburton. The building first opened as a Brown and Root facility in 1979. In 2009 the Westchase campus had 1,700 employees; Halliburton plans to increase its workforce at Oak Park to 3,000 workers. At the Bellaire site Halliburton plans to build a 16-story tower, a two-story "life center," an additional parking garage, expanded child care facilities, auditoriums, and bridges to connect

266-605: A few of the uncountable Starbucks ." He added that the segment of Westheimer Road in Westchase does not have "the sleaze of the Highway ;6 area and the tacky exuberance of mid-Westheimer, the area between Chimney Rock and Fondren." In 2007, Colliers International ranked Westheimer Road as the seventh most expensive retail street in the US by rent per square foot; the group calculated the rent per square foot as $ 120 ($ 46/km ). In 2007, Mimi Swartz of Texas Monthly referred to

304-499: A mixture of dimly recognizable 'traditional' styles. The order of the strip is economic, rather than visual or experiential. The biggest-grossing land gets the prime footage." Lomax said that the segment of Westheimer in Westchase is "virtually all chains—a Geography of Nowhere wasteland of Boston Market , Borders , Kroger , Randalls , Taco Bell , Citgo and Sonic . Several of the six CVS outlets we passed are there, as are

342-565: A network of trails along a tributary of Brays Bayou which flows through the center of the district. The Brays Bayou Connector, which commenced construction in 2016, will connect Richmond Avenue and Bellaire Boulevard with a 1.92-mile (3.09 km) grade-separated trail, providing pedestrian and bicyclist access to the International District and Arthur Story Park. The district government had revealed its initial plans for it in 2012. Another section opened in 2016. In 2016

380-426: A right-of-way for a road stretching from Houston to Columbus and Sealy ; this road became Westheimer Road. Westchase, Houston, Texas Westchase is a business district and neighborhood in western Houston , Texas , bounded by Westheimer Road on the north, Gessner Road on the east, Houston Center Boulevard on the west, and Westpark Tollway on the south. The area is bisected by Beltway 8 . Westchase

418-407: A stretch of Westheimer between Claremont Lane and Kirby Drive as "the socialite 's sector" due to the stores catering to residents of River Oaks and other nearby wealthy communities; in the article, she describes several places along the stretch of Westheimer. Between Willowick Road and Sage Road, Westheimer is lined with prestigious boutiques and high-end stores that feature luxury goods . Among

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456-821: Is adjacent to Greater Sharpstown , the International District (which includes part of Chinatown ), and the Royal Oaks Country Club subdivision. The area is immediately northeast of Alief . A large portion of Westchase is covered by a special district , the Westchase Management District, which was created by the Texas Legislature in 1995. This entity, funded by a tax increment on businesses within its boundaries, provides branding, urban planning , and public safety functions for its constituents. More than 1,500 businesses reside in Westchase; several are associated with

494-809: Is an arterial east–west road in Houston , Texas , United States . It runs from Bagby Street in Downtown and terminates at the Westpark Tollway on the southern edge of George Bush Park , stretching about 19 miles (31 km) long. The street was named after Michael Louis Westheimer, a German immigrant and flour salesman. Westheimer Road's eastern terminus is at Bagby Street. At this point, traffic heading east on Westheimer either turns southwest on Bagby Street or jogs right and southeasterly, continuing on Elgin Street into Midtown and into Third Ward near

532-697: Is home to a growing number of hotels; between 2014 and 2016, the hotel market in the district grew by 9%. The two flagship full-service hotels in the district are the Marriott Westchase and the Houston Hilton Westchase. Westchase is home to one of Houston's only Japanese markets, the Nippan Daido (大道日本食料品店 Daidō Nihon Shokuryōhinden ). In 2022 the Bechtel announced it would move its Houston area offices, currently in

570-596: Is in Fort Bend County approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) northwest of Grand Parkway. At this point, traffic heading northwest on Westheimer Parkway continues on Pin Oak Road near Katy Mills , located in Katy . Westheimer Road and Westheimer Parkway are named after Mitchell (Michael) Louis Westheimer, a prosperous German Jewish immigrant and flour salesman who had settled in Houston in 1859. He purchased

608-530: Is now Woodlake, a residential subdivision at the intersection of Westheimer and Gessner. In 1973, Westchase Corporation, the predecessor to the modern management district, purchased 760 acres (3.1 km ) of Smith's land and began preparing land parcels for corporate development. Chevron and Western Geophysical were some of the first companies to establish operations in the district. Construction on Beltway 8 (the Sam Houston Tollway) through

646-474: Is straight along a cardinal east–west line. Westheimer passes north of Alief and Westchase when passing under Beltway 8 . After intersecting State Highway 6 (SH 6) and passing west of West Oaks Mall , Westheimer Road and Westheimer Parkway split, with Westheimer Parkway continuing west through George Bush Park and Westheimer Road (also known as "Old Westheimer Road") turning southwest. Westheimer Road terminates when FM 1093 becomes

684-416: Is the essence of that—Evans Music City, an army surplus store, a titty bar and a liquor store within 100 yards [91 m] of each other. Now that's one-stop shopping." In Houston Architectural Guide , Stephen Fox said the following about the stretch of Westheimer between Chimney Rock Road and South Gessner Road: Nowhere is the 'anything goes' image that adheres to Houston more blatantly displayed than along

722-673: The Houston Galleria area, to Westchase effective late 2023. In 2023 Mattress Firm announced it would move its headquarters to Westchase as the lease at its current headquarters ends. Halliburton previously operated the Houston Office (a.k.a. Oak Park Campus) on 67 acres (27 ha) of land located in Chinatown and in the Westchase district. The complex included the Latin America division of Easywell,

760-720: The Houston Independent School District . Two AISD public schools are located within the boundaries of the district, Alief Early College High School and Sneed Elementary School. The school zoning for the Alief ISD portion is as follows: The school zoning for the Houston ISD portion is as follows: Private schools in Westchase include Alexander-Smith Academy , River Oaks Academy , Wesley Academy, Woodlake Square Children's Center, Ascension Episcopal School, Children's World Learning Center, and

798-666: The University of Houston . From Bagby west, Westheimer jogs mostly westerly, through Neartown , forms the south boundary of the River Oaks community and then passes under Interstate 610 (I-610) west. The portion spanning from I-610 west to the Westpark Tollway is designated as a part of Farm to Market Road 1093 (FM 1093). From I-610 west, Westheimer Road traverses through Uptown and then west-southwest to Chimney Rock. From Chimney Rock west, Westheimer

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836-455: The petroleum industry , for which Houston is considered a major capital. Major employers that have offices in Westchase include ABB Group , BMC Software , Chevron , Phillips 66 , Dow Chemical , Petrochina , and Jacobs Engineering . The Westchase management district is approximately 4.32 square miles (11.2 km ) in size, with 16.3 million square feet (1,510,000 m ) of office space contained in 118 buildings. In 2006 Westchase

874-570: The Beltway 8 Group, which coordinated with TxDOT to lock in property values at rates the state could afford. In the early 1990s, BMC Software relocated its headquarters from Sugar Land to a new 20-story tower in Westchase. Legislation creating the Westchase District was passed by the 73rd Texas State Legislature and became law on August 28, 1995. In 2012, after splitting from ConocoPhillips , Phillips 66 began construction on

912-538: The Grace Presbyterian Church and School. Westchase Methodist School is a preschool and kindergarten in Westchase. The Tenney School is also in Westchase. The area is served by the Judson W. Robinson-Westchase Neighborhood Library of Houston Public Library at 3223 Wilcrest Drive. The branch is named for Judson W. Robinson Jr. (1932-1990), who in 1971 became the first African-American elected to

950-479: The Houston City Council. The library, originally opened in 1991, was closed for major renovations in the fall of 2016, and re-opened in the spring of 2018. METRO maintains a park and ride station for commuting to the central city. This station's construction had an anticipated start date of September, and there were plans for it to have spaces for 1,473 vehicles. The Westchase District maintains

988-703: The Philippines reside in Westchase. The Indonesian consulate has been in Westchase since 1993. The Philippines consulate opened on September 24, 2018. In 2015, Saudi Arabia submitted plans to construct a new 3-acre (12,000 m ) general consulate complex in Westchase. In 2019 the Mexican government agreed to give the state government of Texas the land of the Consulate-General of Mexico , in Southeast Houston , in exchange for

1026-485: The area began in 1985 and was completed in 1988. Financing for this section of the tollway was particularly challenging, as the Texas Department of Transportation 's right-of-way acquisition program coincided with the rapid development of Westchase and Sharpstown, induced by the 1970s energy crisis . In order to ensure that the highway would be built, landowners and developers in Westchase and Sharpstown formed

1064-839: The area. Westheimer is the Main Street of the Montrose neighborhood which was dubbed as one of the greatest neighborhoods of the United States. The arts culture is widespread, with graffiti present in and on buildings throughout. From its eastern terminus at Westheimer Road/FM 1093, Westheimer Parkway winds through George Bush Park and the Cinco Ranch neighborhood in Harris County and Fort Bend County . The Parkway then runs under Grand Parkway near Cinco Ranch High School . Westheimer Parkway's western terminus

1102-523: The city government bought 3.4 acres (1.4 ha) of land, on two plots adjacent to the library, to create a park there. Houston City Council voted to approve creation of a park the following year. Wilcrest Park is scheduled to begin operations in December 2022. Woodchase Park, 1.75 acres (0.71 ha) in size, had its opening scheduled for October 2021. Prior to the openings of these parks, as of 2020, Trust for Public Land described Westchase as having

1140-617: The district. Westchase is located in Harris County Precinct 3, which is headed by Commissioner Steve Radack. The United States Postal Service operates the Westchase and Debora Sue Schatz post offices in the district. Houston Community College Alief Campus, opened in 2007, is located along Westheimer in Westchase. In 2017, the West Houston Institute, a STEM -focused facility, opened adjacent to HCC Alief. American InterContinental University ,

1178-519: The feeder road of the Westpark Tollway just west of FM 1464 and just inside Fort Bend County. John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press said in a 2006 article that Westheimer Road, "more than any other thoroughfare, embodies Houston's car-enamored, zoning-free ethos, a damn-near 20-mile [32 km] phantasmagoria of strip malls, storage facilities, restaurants, big-box retail, office parks, apartment complexes, strip clubs, malls, supermarkets and

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1216-514: The many buildings. In 2009 Halliburton had about 1,000 employees worked in leased office space in Westchase. During that year Halliburton stated that it planned to vacate the leased space. The plans for the Oak Park office had been delayed by one year, and Halliburton expected completion in 2013. However Halliburton closed the facility in 2015, and in 2020 a planned demolition was revealed. The consulate generals of Costa Rica , Indonesia , and

1254-531: The occasional church." In another article, he referred to Westheimer as "mainly about the fetishes, broken dreams and vanities of Anglo whites ." In a post on the Houston Press website during the same year, he called the stretch of Westheimer west of Chimney Rock Road and east of Fondren Road, which he refers to as "Mid-Westheimer", "The Testosterone Zone". Referring to a photograph of a shopping center on that segment, Lomax added that "This strip center

1292-691: The residents, 40% were non-Hispanic white, 22% were Hispanics, 23% were non-Hispanic black, 13% were non-Hispanic Asians, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. Westchase is located in Houston City Council district F. Two Houston Fire Department stations, Station 69 Westchase and Station 83 Royal Oaks, serve Westchase. Both stations are a part of Fire District 83. Station 69, located on Beltway 8 , opened in 1980, after rapid area development stressed existing emergency infrastructure. Station 83 opened in 2005. The Houston Police Department 's Westside and Uptown Divisions serve separate sections of

1330-506: The shopping centers in this section include The Galleria and River Oaks District and many others. Brands that feature boutiques include Apple , Tom Ford , Gucci , Fendi , Christian Dior SE , Dolce & Gabbana , John Hardy , Cartier , Carolina Herrera , Prada , Rolex , Versace , etc. Between Shepherd Drive and Bagby Street, the street is known as Lower Westheimer. The area is famous for its hipster culture, food scene, and nightlife. Thrift stores, tattoo shops, and bars dominate

1368-916: The state giving the Mexican government 3 acres (1.2 ha) of land in Westchase, that was previously state property. The move is rebuilding so the state government can reconstruct freeways in the Southeast Houston area. The current Mexican consulate opened in June 2021. In 2015 the Westchase Super Neighborhood, defined by the City of Houston and with boundaries different from that of the Westchase Management District, had 29,149 residents in 2015. 33% of them were non-Hispanic black, 26% were Hispanic, 25% were non-Hispanic white, 13% were non-Hispanic Asians, and 2% were non-Hispanic others. The super neighborhood had 21,017 residents in 2000. Of

1406-549: The stretch of Westheimer Road between Chimney Rock and South Gessner Road. Middle-class subdivisions of the 1950s flank this strip, but they are hidden behind broad bands of commercial development that face Westheimer. Most of these date from the 1960s and early '70s, when Houston's suburbanizing ethos was at its least constrained. Not only do shopping centers, gas stations and fast-food restaurants line up along Westheimer—each flashing signs or theme-style inducements to passersby—but mega-garden apartment complexes compete for attention in

1444-492: Was described by John Nova Lomax of the Houston Press as suburban in nature, with a high concentration of chain stores along its major arterial roads . In the 1950s, large portions of Westchase were purchased by Robert E. Smith, a Houston oilman and philanthropist well known for creating the Houston Colt .45s baseball team. In 1969, Friendswood Development Company purchased a section of Smith's land to form what

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