ExxonMobil Spring Campus

[Houston19514]

HBJ reports today that ExxonMobil plans to build a new very large campus in Spring (west of I-45 at the point where the Hardy Toll Road intersects with I-45). The plan is to consolidate pretty much everything except for the downtown operations. Also reports a rumor that at least parts of the Refining & Marketing HQ operations may move from Virginia.

[OkieEric]

HBJ reports today that ExxonMobil plans to build a new very large campus in Spring (west of I-45 at the point where the Hardy Toll Road intersects with I-45). The plan is to consolidate pretty much everything except for the downtown operations. Also reports a rumor that at least parts of the Refining & Marketing HQ operations may move from Virginia.

Wow... That will kill Greenspoint. The article says they lease 2 million sq ft there

Edit: So I looked it up and there is more office space in Greenspoint than I thought. However, I used to work for XOM and still visit their offices at times - just seems like they are biggest presence by far

Edited January 15, 2010 by OkieEric

[LTAWACS]

Rats... they should have built a building in downtown. Midtown even. Ugh.

[TheNiche]

Very interesting. This tract of land is also part of the future alignment of segment F-2 of the Grand Parkway. The record of decision was just issued on 12/31/09.

[brian0123]

I understand the need to consolidate, but why such a strange location? I-45 is already a mess. I would hate being an Exxon employee that has to get to work at this location (especially w/out a park-n-ride/hov system, etc. leading to it).

[TheNiche]

I understand the need to consolidate, but why such a strange location? I-45 is already a mess. I would hate being an Exxon employee that has to get to work at this location (especially w/out a park-n-ride/hov system, etc. leading to it).

There are plenty of good reasons that this location was chosen. It's close to the existing offices, meaning also to where existing employees live. It's along I-45 North, which is convenient to someone driving in from the Irving, TX corporate headquarters. It's at the terminus of a toll road, giving workers an easy alternative to congestion. It'll soon have east-west freeway access allowing it to more effectively tap the northwest Harris County and Kingwood labor markets. It's close to IAH. It's the largest tract of vacant land fronting I-45 that's south of the San Jacinto River. The land is cheaper today than it will be in several years when retail developers would otherwise have bid up the price of it. The land was cheaper than in a place like The Woodlands Town Center, and it's vastness allows for the construction of inexpensive low-rise office buildings instead of high rises. The land is forested, offering seclusion, privacy, and security.

And as for P&R lots, this campus is further out into the suburbs than any P&R lot. If someone is currently using P&R lots to get to work at present, they're more likely to be benefited by Exxon's move than not.

[jfre81]

There are plenty of good reasons that this location was chosen. It's close to the existing offices, meaning also to where existing employees live.

Any employees in Clear Lake, Pearland, Sugar Land etc. get hosed though.

So this means the Exxon Building downtown won't get abandoned after all?

[TheNiche]

Any employees in Clear Lake, Pearland, Sugar Land etc. get hosed though.

Employees tend to distribute themselves in the suburbs nearest their place of employment. For instance, most Energy Corridor employees live out west. Most TMC employees live south and southwest. Data actually exists to prove this, and I've seen it with my own eyes.

I'd strongly suspect that more Exxon employees will be benefited than are hurt from their move.

[hoef]

Employees tend to distribute themselves in the suburbs nearest their place of employment. For instance, most Energy Corridor employees live out west. Most TMC employees live south and southwest. Data actually exists to prove this, and I've seen it with my own eyes.

I'd strongly suspect that more Exxon employees will be benefited than are hurt from their move.

Large majority of ExxonMobil employees live in the Woodlands, Kingwood or Spring. There are a bunch in the loop but the Hardy toll road will solve the I-45 problem

[VicMan]

Employees tend to distribute themselves in the suburbs nearest their place of employment. For instance, most Energy Corridor employees live out west. Most TMC employees live south and southwest. Data actually exists to prove this, and I've seen it with my own eyes.

Are the sources available to the public? I would be interested in seeing the data and to see which suburbs are the employment bases of which districts.

There are a bunch in the loop but the Hardy toll road will solve the I-45 problem

In addition the employees who are in the loop can work in the Downtown offices, which will remain open, according to the HBJ article.

Edited January 16, 2010 by VicMan

[lockmat]

HBJ reports today that ExxonMobil plans to build a new very large campus in Spring (west of I-45 at the point where the Hardy Toll Road intersects with I-45). The plan is to consolidate pretty much everything except for the downtown operations. Also reports a rumor that at least parts of the Refining & Marketing HQ operations may move from Virginia.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/01/18/story2.html?b=1263790800^2732161

Sources who received campus details directly from Exxon or others connected to the deal paint a picture of an elaborate complex north of Houston, possibly with several million square feet of space.

I wonder if it includes that tract of land where some dude built the shell of a warehouse and the promplty tore it down, including a concrete retention (detention?) area.

Any guesses as to what the affects of the area will be, if any? Maybe more restaurants etc?

Edited January 16, 2010 by lockmat

[AtticaFlinch]

no link? weaksauce

ketchup?

[lockmat]

ketchup?

sauce

Interesting tid bit at the end of the article. My how different things would be if that had happened.

In the early 1980s Exxon planned to consolidate employees in Conroe, but shelved the project after the oil bust.

[TheNiche]

Are the sources available to the public? I would be interested in seeing the data and to see which suburbs are the employment bases of which districts.

See Page 2 of this Energy Corridor report. See page 3 of this TMC report.

The data is all sourced from the Census Bureau's LEHD program. Google it. It's not user-friendly, but you can run your own reports on the Greenspoint District if you wish.

Edited January 16, 2010 by TheNiche

[wxman]

What kind of structure(s) are we likely looking at? Would this be class B office space--aka, some 'nice' warehouse or will it be midrises? That seems like an odd place for any highrises, but then again, once the Grand Parkway begins, I suppose it won't be so odd. Man, this is great news for the Spring/Woodlands area!

[RedScare]

Think Energy Corridor midrise, or other 'campus-like' structures. The kind of thing you see in suburban corporate settings across the country. And, yeah, I'd expect an influx of Virginia ex-pats to hit the Woodlands once they start closing down that campus.

Edited January 16, 2010 by RedScare

[TheNiche]

What kind of structure(s) are we likely looking at? Would this be class B office space--aka, some 'nice' warehouse or will it be midrises? That seems like an odd place for any highrises, but then again, once the Grand Parkway begins, I suppose it won't be so odd. Man, this is great news for the Spring/Woodlands area!

I'd imagine that it'd look a lot like the HP campus (see below) or the proposed KBR campus (for which I can't find a rendering). Probably structured parking. Probably LEED Silver or better. That is to say, it'll definitely be Class A office space, even if the view from the corner office sucks.

[VicMan]

See Page 2 of this Energy Corridor report. See page 3 of this TMC report.

The data is all sourced from the Census Bureau's LEHD program. Google it. It's not user-friendly, but you can run your own reports on the Greenspoint District if you wish.

That was interesting stuff. Thank you!

I'm not surprised that people live near where they work. I can see people in Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, and northwest Harris working at the new Exxon campus.

[wxman]

Well it should be a very nice campus. I have a feeling though it won't be visible from the freeway. They may use the trees as a buffer and as a security blanket--as was mentioned several posts above.

[LTAWACS]

I'd imagine that it'd look a lot like the HP campus (see below) or the proposed KBR campus (for which I can't find a rendering). Probably structured parking. Probably LEED Silver or better. That is to say, it'll definitely be Class A office space, even if the view from the corner office sucks.

Bingo.

[KinkaidAlum]

When I first saw the title in the HBJ, I was thinking Exxon finally decided to come home to its Humble roots. The good news is the area is about to get a few thousand more high paying jobs. The bad news is, most will probably reside outside of city limits and will contribute nothing to the city's coffers! At least the Energy Corridor suburban campuses are inside city limits.

[GettaClue]

There's been so much scuttlebutt over this lately. I guess this announcement effectively kills the 8+ years worth of rumors of XOM relocating to the remnants of the HP campus or its general area.

Lots of disappointment in the area over this one.

[TheNiche]

When I first saw the title in the HBJ, I was thinking Exxon finally decided to come home to its Humble roots. The good news is the area is about to get a few thousand more high paying jobs. The bad news is, most will probably reside outside of city limits and will contribute nothing to the city's coffers! At least the Energy Corridor suburban campuses are inside city limits.

I doubt that'll last for long. The City of Houston has a knack for pulling off limited-service annexations of commercial property in its vast ETJ. Again, the HP campus is a case in point.

[RedScare]

I doubt that'll last for long. The City of Houston has a knack for pulling off limited-service annexations of commercial property in its vast ETJ. Again, the HP campus is a case in point.

Considering that the current city limit is just a few hundred yards south of FM 2920, it shouldn't take much effort.

[LTAWACS]

When I first saw the title in the HBJ, I was thinking Exxon finally decided to come home to its Humble roots. The good news is the area is about to get a few thousand more high paying jobs. The bad news is, most will probably reside outside of city limits and will contribute nothing to the city's coffers! At least the Energy Corridor suburban campuses are inside city limits.

I dont think there is anything that would prevent Houston from annexing the entire area.

[wxman]

I dont think there is anything that would prevent Houston from annexing the entire area.

Yeah, they can go all the way to the Montgomery County line (about a mile north of the proposed location). The Woodlands and Oak Ridge have control of everything in south Mont. county I would suspect. Spring really isn't a city and Klein is way to the west. I guess Houston could take over most of it. But will they?

[TheNiche]

Yeah, they can go all the way to the Montgomery County line (about a mile north of the proposed location). The Woodlands and Oak Ridge have control of everything in south Mont. county I would suspect. Spring really isn't a city and Klein is way to the west. I guess Houston could take over most of it. But will they?

The Houston ETJ encompasses The Woodlands and a fair bit of southern Montgomery County. link

Also, Klein isn't a municipality. And the proposed location is a tract of land right along the Harris/Montgomery County border, just on the Harris side.

[wxman]

The Houston ETJ encompasses The Woodlands and a fair bit of southern Montgomery County. link

Also, Klein isn't a municipality. And the proposed location is a tract of land right along the Harris/Montgomery County border, just on the Harris side.

I meant as far as Houston City Limits go. They can't go into Montgomery County along the I-45 corridor because of Oak Ridge and The Woodlands. Maybe up to Rayford Rd. But I'm not sure. I'm ignorant on these issues.

[LTAWACS]

Yeah, they can go all the way to the Montgomery County line (about a mile north of the proposed location). The Woodlands and Oak Ridge have control of everything in south Mont. county I would suspect. Spring really isn't a city and Klein is way to the west. I guess Houston could take over most of it. But will they?

I hope so.

[TheNiche]

I meant as far as Houston City Limits go. They can't go into Montgomery County along the I-45 corridor because of Oak Ridge and The Woodlands. Maybe up to Rayford Rd. But I'm not sure. I'm ignorant on these issues.

The ETJ extends as far north as FM 1488, the furthest northern extent of The Woodlands; along I-45, the furthest northern extent of the ETJ includes the Wal-Mart at the northwest corner of I-45 and SH 242. Additionally, the ETJ includes all of Rayford Road and the subdivisions along it.