ExxonMobil Spring Campus

[LTAWACS]

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.

Sounds like we should proceed. The sooner the better.

[lockmat]

sounds like highway robbery

[Ross]

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.

Given the trend in favor of high density cubicles over offices, with the corridors along the windows, there probably won't be too many corner offices.

I do wonder if XOM will move the Chemicals office on Eldridge to the new location, and what the impact on the Brookhollow campus will be.

[LTAWACS]

sounds like highway robbery

Please elaborate.

[GettaClue]

I do wonder if XOM will move the Chemicals office on Eldridge to the new location, and what the impact on the Brookhollow campus will be.

Brookhollow is comparatively empty now as it is. Most of the back office operations which were housed there as recently as 2-3 years ago have been quietly off-shored to places like Asia and South America.

As for Chemicals, it too no longer houses the same volume of employees as it did in its heyday. My gut feeling is that with land and quality buildings in the Energy Corridor being so highly desired these days, and with the company consolidating so many of its divisions to a new centralized location, I think that building's days as an XOM workplace are probably numbered, in favor of a move to the bright and shiny new campus up north.

Edited January 18, 2010 by GettaClue

[lockmat]

Please elaborate.

I could be completely wrong, but if Houston comes and claims the area they'll build in, will they be taking taxes away from some other entity, or no?

[PAC]

Did the article say who the architect is? My sources say its Pickard Chilton.

[TheNiche]

I could be completely wrong, but if Houston comes and claims the area they'll build in, will they be taking taxes away from some other entity, or no?

No, not unless there's a MUD present. And in that case, what traditionally happens is that the City absorbs the MUD's infrastructure and its debt, replacing the MUD tax with the City of Houston tax. Negotiated deals between a City and a MUD can be had, though.

If the City really wants to screw over Exxon--which may not be in its best interests if the corporate headquarters location is in play--it'll immediately annex the land and then refuse to provide utilities for Exxon, making Exxon set up an in-city MUD on top of the tax that they pay to the City of Houston.

[bachanon]

rumor has it that carlton woods is releasing all "held properties" in anticipation of exxon's consolidation. the new village of creekside park, which includes carlton woods creekside, stands to benefit.

[mrfootball]

Exxon is apparently going to be moving to an area in Spring (Klein ISD), South of Spring Creek, west of I-45 near the Hardy Tollroad Intersection where they own a 1,400 acre tract. They already have legislative approval to create an Improvement District there where they have plans to develop 20 Office Buildings (3 million sq. ft), wellness center, labs as well as a town center, retail and housing.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6841225.html

Another link from the Business Journal

My linkhttp://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/othercities/houston/stories/2010/01/18/story2.html?b=1263790800^2732161

[wxman]

Here's more info on the campus via the Chronicle. The complex will be comprised of 20 office buildings totaling 3 million square feet, a wellness center, and parking garages.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6841225.html

[editor]

Exxon is apparently going to be moving to an area in Spring (Klein ISD), South of Spring Creek, west of I-45 near the Hardy Tollroad Intersection where they own a 1,400 acre tract. They already have legislative approval to create an Improvement District there where they have plans to develop 20 Office Buildings (3 million sq. ft), wellness center, labs as well as a town center, retail and housing.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/6841225.html

Another link from the Business Journal

My linkhttp://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/othercities/houston/stories/2010/01/18/story2.html?b=1263790800^2732161

Merging this with the topic from January 15th.

[Ringo3Khan]

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 live in Spring, east of 1-45 and east of the Tardy Hole Road; we've been quite worried Houston will do an annexation; this will pretty much seal the deal, but we'll have sold out and be gone before it happens, or at least I hope so.

[Ringo3Khan]

I hope so.

Why would you hope so? For those of us who live in the area, it would be an absolute disaster. We already have a crime problem that's just barely manageable. If the area is annexed we'd have no police coverage whatsoever. As things stand now, it's all Precinct 4 can do to keep things in check. The area east of I-45 would become a free fire kill zone.

[AtticaFlinch]

Why would you hope so? For those of us who live in the area, it would be an absolute disaster. We already have a crime problem that's just barely manageable. If the area is annexed we'd have no police coverage whatsoever. As things stand now, it's all Precinct 4 can do to keep things in check. The area east of I-45 would become a free fire kill zone.

Eh... probably not. The thing is, you people on the outskirts of town use the same services us COH residents pay for, so you should be taxed for it too. I have no sympathy for the anti-annexation zealots.

[RedScare]

I'm at a loss to understand why the poster thinks COH would even want to annex the area east of I-45. There's hardly any retail, so the tax revenue potential versus cost of providing services isn't worth the trouble of annexing them. Exxon would be worth it. Residential subdivisions east of I-45 would not.

[TheNiche]

Eh... probably not. The thing is, you people on the outskirts of town use the same services us COH residents pay for, so you should be taxed for it too. I have no sympathy for the anti-annexation zealots.

If the poster's concerns were legitimate--and they aren't because the obligations that the City would have to provide for aren't worth the value of his/her property taxes--then it'd mean something that you're wrong on this point. They don't receive HPD service and pay for all their own infrastructure through a MUD. Also, the City is not above annexing strip centers without annexing neighborhoods, so their sales taxes already go to fund the city services that they aren't using all of.

Not getting annexed, actually, is sort of the worst of all possible worlds for the people who are against it.

[wxman]

So doing a bit of math, if there are 20 buildings on the campus comprising 3 million sq. ft., then that means each building will be approx. 150,000 sq. ft. That would mean quite a few 8-12 story buildings will be built there--assuming all buildings are equal in sq. ftage.

[TheNiche]

So doing a bit of math, if there are 20 buildings on the campus comprising 3 million sq. ft., then that means each building will be approx. 150,000 sq. ft. That would mean quite a few 8-12 story buildings will be built there--assuming all buildings are equal in sq. ftage.

Depends on the floor plate size. And for a proprietary user, that may be larger than is typical of speculative Class A office buildings.

[VicMan]

Municipal annexation doesn't lead to increases in crime. Urban development patterns, which are seeping into the unincorporated areas, do influence crime levels.

Why would you hope so? For those of us who live in the area, it would be an absolute disaster. We already have a crime problem that's just barely manageable. If the area is annexed we'd have no police coverage whatsoever. As things stand now, it's all Precinct 4 can do to keep things in check. The area east of I-45 would become a free fire kill zone.

[RedScare]

Municipal annexation doesn't lead to increases in crime. Urban development patterns, which are seeping into the unincorporated areas, do influence crime levels.

Well, that and being on the bus route.

[Ringo3Khan]

If the poster's concerns were legitimate--and they aren't because the obligations that the City would have to provide for aren't worth the value of his/her property taxes--then it'd mean something that you're wrong on this point. They don't receive HPD service and pay for all their own infrastructure through a MUD. Also, the City is not above annexing strip centers without annexing neighborhoods, so their sales taxes already go to fund the city services that they aren't using all of.

Not getting annexed, actually, is sort of the worst of all possible worlds for the people who are against it.

I'm forever amazed at the annexation/anti-annexation arguments. The amount of mis-information relative to the awesome sum of experiential evidence is somewhat stunning. I think the problem is that the pro-annexation crowd can't get over the myth that those who live "in county" somehow manage to receive "free" services from the COH that the residents of COH pay for but aren't compensated for. Whether or not the concerns alluded to are legitimate isn't something I can validate; it's a topic that arose in the thread. It's possible that the COH might see that again, the low property values wouldn't compensate them for the services they'd have to provide and do one of their "strip annexations" up the feeder of I-45 to take in the Exxon office park.

What I find somewhat amusing is this thought that we get the benefit of HPD without having to pay for it as though HPD was a benefit. HPD is the problem, not the benefit. Or to put it another way, we get the benefit of HPD being virtually non-existent in the form of roaming criminals who eventually run afoul of the law in the County jurisdiction. "Getting Annexed" means that we get what they got in Kingwood. Fire and Ambulance service that can't find the residences and Barney Fife, three half days a week in a Blue & White who sees it as his job to pass out tickets to the unsuspecting on Kingwood Blvd. It would be hilarious if it weren't for the fact that there have already been reported deaths of people waiting for bambulance service, (I have a friend who lives in Kingwood who will regail anyone in earshot of the horror stories). What actually happens is that once an area is annexed by COH, it's as though it's been roped off. Emergency calls are bipassed by Sherrif and PCT. 4 because HPD/HFD are now seen as first responders. So the only way around this is for those neighborhoods that can, continue with the same contract constabulary service they paid for before Annexation, but..............for whatever reason, and I suspect it's turf war problems, the response times go way, way up. If you really want to see the benefits of annexation.......take a trip to Willow Brook mall. It's not Westwood yet......but it's getting there fast.

Having said all that I don't have a dog in this hunt; I only live in Spring because the house is paid for and with only a few work years left there's little reason to move. Upon retirement, we'll sell the place and move permanently to the Hill country. My hope and prayer for those of you who live in COH is that one day, maybe, (but I won't hold my breath), you'll get a Mayor that will see services as a priority and not a problem.

[KinkaidAlum]

I live Inside the Loop and other than the damn potholes, I don't have any issues with regards to services in Houston. About on par with my experiences in Boston.

Back on topic, I heard from a very good source today the Exxon might officially be coming home to it's Humble roots! Apparently this corporate spread will do more than just consolidate employees...it will bring the headquarters to the place it should have moved several years ago.

[RedScare]

My hope and prayer for those of you who live in COH is that one day, maybe, (but I won't hold my breath), you'll get a Mayor that will see services as a priority and not a problem.

Honestly, we don't need your hopes and prayers. You trot along to the Hill Country. We'll be just fine. I have to admit though, that anyone complaining about HPD ticketing policies while living in Precinct 4's jurisdiction loses ALL credibility.

[TheNiche]

I'm forever amazed at the annexation/anti-annexation arguments. The amount of mis-information relative to the awesome sum of experiential evidence is somewhat stunning. I think the problem is that the pro-annexation crowd can't get over the myth that those who live "in county" somehow manage to receive "free" services from the COH that the residents of COH pay for but aren't compensated for. Whether or not the concerns alluded to are legitimate isn't something I can validate; it's a topic that arose in the thread. It's possible that the COH might see that again, the low property values wouldn't compensate them for the services they'd have to provide and do one of their "strip annexations" up the feeder of I-45 to take in the Exxon office park.

What I find somewhat amusing is this thought that we get the benefit of HPD without having to pay for it as though HPD was a benefit. HPD is the problem, not the benefit. Or to put it another way, we get the benefit of HPD being virtually non-existent in the form of roaming criminals who eventually run afoul of the law in the County jurisdiction. "Getting Annexed" means that we get what they got in Kingwood. Fire and Ambulance service that can't find the residences and Barney Fife, three half days a week in a Blue & White who sees it as his job to pass out tickets to the unsuspecting on Kingwood Blvd. It would be hilarious if it weren't for the fact that there have already been reported deaths of people waiting for bambulance service, (I have a friend who lives in Kingwood who will regail anyone in earshot of the horror stories). What actually happens is that once an area is annexed by COH, it's as though it's been roped off. Emergency calls are bipassed by Sherrif and PCT. 4 because HPD/HFD are now seen as first responders. So the only way around this is for those neighborhoods that can, continue with the same contract constabulary service they paid for before Annexation, but..............for whatever reason, and I suspect it's turf war problems, the response times go way, way up. If you really want to see the benefits of annexation.......take a trip to Willow Brook mall. It's not Westwood yet......but it's getting there fast.

Having said all that I don't have a dog in this hunt; I only live in Spring because the house is paid for and with only a few work years left there's little reason to move. Upon retirement, we'll sell the place and move permanently to the Hill country. My hope and prayer for those of you who live in COH is that one day, maybe, (but I won't hold my breath), you'll get a Mayor that will see services as a priority and not a problem.

Let me be perfectly clear. Regardless of your issues with the quality of City of Houston services, Houston doesn't want to annex you. Your already-declining demographics, deteriorating infrastructure, and low taxable value are issues that disqualify you from consideration. The fact is that an attempt by the City of Houston at annexing a neighborhood in Spring would be a freakish abberation, and your constant worrying that you are a target is akin to a morbidly-obese woman worrying about getting stalked and raped. You should be far more concerned with internal matters such as a neighborhood watch or the enforcement of deed restrictions than you are with getting annexed.

[crunchtastic]

Let me be perfectly clear. Regardless of your issues with the quality of City of Houston services, Houston doesn't want to annex you. Your already-declining demographics, deteriorating infrastructure, and low taxable value are issues that disqualify you from consideration. The fact is that an attempt by the City of Houston at annexing a neighborhood in Spring would be a freakish abberation, and your constant worrying that you are a target is akin to a morbidly-obese woman worrying about getting stalked and raped. You should be far more concerned with internal matters such as a neighborhood watch or the enforcement of deed restrictions than you are with getting annexed.

I was thinking a toothless meth casualty working at the quick lube and fantasizing about Megan Fox, but that might be more east Montgomery County.

In all seriousness, I was not aware the COH had annexation sights anywhere at the moment. Do they?

[Coaster]

The fact is that an attempt by the City of Houston at annexing a neighborhood in Spring would be a freakish abberation, and your constant worrying that you are a target is akin to a morbidly-obese woman worrying about getting stalked and raped.

Houston doesn't want to rape Spring because it's a big fat ugly girl. It wanted to rape the Woodlands, but the Woodlands keeps mace in its purse. It's all about power not sex.

[Ross]

I was thinking a toothless meth casualty working at the quick lube and fantasizing about Megan Fox, but that might be more east Montgomery County.

In all seriousness, I was not aware the COH had annexation sights anywhere at the moment. Do they?

Absolutely. Just do the paperwork, etc. and there's another chunk o' Houston. Not quite that simple, but if the CoH wants to annex, there's not much that can be done. I think the best thing Houston can do in general is maintain the right to veto incorporations within Harris County to preserve teh ability to annex in the future. Houston has to avoid ending up like Dallas, where the city can't grow because of the inforporated communities that surround it.

[TheNiche]

Absolutely. Just do the paperwork, etc. and there's another chunk o' Houston. Not quite that simple, but if the CoH wants to annex, there's not much that can be done. I think the best thing Houston can do in general is maintain the right to veto incorporations within Harris County to preserve teh ability to annex in the future. Houston has to avoid ending up like Dallas, where the city can't grow because of the inforporated communities that surround it.

Aside from The Woodlands, I don't think that there's too much concern about new municipalities being formed in the ETJ. They'd have to amalgamate many different MUDs under one umbrella, but the burden of MUD bonds would be absorbed unevenly by a new municipality. And that'd create a lot of tension.

What is more likely is that even now we are witnessing the rise of the Management District as a replacement for municipal annexations of residential areas. Management Districts have the authority to tax and can be tasked with essentially any of the services typically provided for by a municipality. They can be responsible for utilities, services, or both. They can even overlap with MUDs or municipalities.

[Trae]

I live Inside the Loop and other than the damn potholes, I don't have any issues with regards to services in Houston. About on par with my experiences in Boston.

Back on topic, I heard from a very good source today the Exxon might officially be coming home to it's Humble roots! Apparently this corporate spread will do more than just consolidate employees...it will bring the headquarters to the place it should have moved several years ago.

Irving seems pretty confident that they won't leave:

"We would certainly hate to lose them, and we're going to do everything we can to communicate that we do want them here in the North Texas region and in Irving," Wallace said.

He said the chamber has already told Exxon that officials want a chance to offer a retention package if leaving becomes a consideration.

Irving officials are quick to brag about the stable of high-profile and Fortune 500 companies that call the city and its Las Colinas Urban Center home.

They've long seen Exxon's headquarters as a source of pride and a marketing tool in luring other business behemoths.

The company also donates money to many North Texas charities.

Exxon's Jeffers said the company undertakes such real estate studies periodically, and might choose the status quo.

"As the business changes and evolves you continually look at what your requirements are and make sure they're appropriate," he said.

Jeffers said the study doesn't include XTO Energy, the Fort Worth natural gas producer that Exxon recently agreed to buy. The deal hasn't yet closed.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears said he's not worried about Exxon leaving.

He said big companies like to keep their corporate headquarters and operational hubs separate.

He said Irving's business-friendly reputation, North Texas setting and proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport make it hard for other cities to compete.

"We think however many ways you study it and look at it, you're going to come to that conclusion," he said.

Gears echoed Wallace's willingness to aggressively woo Exxon if need be. But both men also played down the study.

"You're talking about the largest public company in the world," Gears said. "These types of periodic reviews are conducted so they are always understanding and updating their business models for efficiency and effectiveness."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-exxon_30bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3cc2381.html

I think that they will most likely move. It's about time anyway.