Houston’s Energy Corridor District addresses growth, has plans for mixed-use and walkability

Originally published Oct. 17, 2022, on the Houston Chronicle website at https://tinyurl.com/24dsrw5r.

By Roy Kent

Staff writer

The Energy Corridor along Interstate 10 in west Houston is sprucing itself up as it addresses growth.

Recent additions to companies claiming the Energy Corridor is part of a coordinated plan to advance the “development and redevelopment of commercial properties into mixed-use and walkable spaces.”

“The District is taking a comprehensive approach to redefining energy within the Energy Corridor,” Energy Corridor District’s Executive Director Elijah J. Williams said in a news release. “Some efforts will be short-term, while others will require sustained efforts and investments guided by partnerships.”

The Energy Corridor District stretches along I-10 from about Kirkwood Road to Baker Road, just west of Houston Methodist West Hospital. It counts among its resident companies the likes of bp, Shell, Citgo and ConocoPhillips. The district claims 56,000 jobs are generated by those businesses in its boundaries.

“The Energy Corridor is well-positioned to continue its leadership role in advancing Houston as the Energy Capital of the World,” Williams said. “Our efforts are focused on the district’s critical drivers — the energy sector, complementary industries, infrastructure and placemaking to ensure the area remains a critical business and economic hub for the region.”

As part of its efforts to grow and meet the needs of business and its employees, the district is not only developing and redeveloping its spaces. It is also focusing on “increasing accessibility, improving infrastructure, and creating events and an environment that makes us a prime Houston destination.”

It is with this in mind that it hopes it “will attract a skilled workforce, vibrant people and diverse companies, both inside and outside the energy sector.”

“We are ensuring the Energy Corridor is a great place to work, live and thrive for generations to come,” Williams said. “Already, we are seeing strong interest in the Energy Corridor, with the recent relocations of companies like Kiewit, Enbridge and Baker Hughes to the district. Plans for future mixed-use developments and other district-led placemaking opportunities will further support our business community’s ability to be innovative and attract a talented workforce.”

The Energy Corridor District was established in 2001 by the Texas Legislature as Harris County Improvement District No. 4. The district was “created to promote, develop, encourage, maintain employment, commerce, transportation, housing, recreation, arts, entertainment, economic development, safety and the public welfare within its boundaries.”

According to district figures, it comprises more than 2,000 acres of land with an estimated 20 million square feet of office space. There is an estimated 3.5 million square feet of dining and retail shopping.

For more information about the Energy Corridor District go to www.energycorridor.org.

Baker Hughes is moving its corporate headquarters offices in 2023 from north Houston to the Energy Corridor. Pictured is its office facility at 17015 Aldine Westfield Road, adjacent to its corporate headquarters at 17021 Aldine Westfield Road. The firm owns both buildings and plans to either sell or lease the spaces.
Courtesy of Baker Hughes