Jesse

I know folks that work downtown and near Greenway that are NOT excited about this move. I think there will be lots of poaching of younger Exxon employees.

I think a more accurate statement would be that folks who live on the Southern side of the city might not be as excited. I know plenty of folks who live up North, work down South, and are overjoyed at the thought of cutting 1+ hours off their commute.

So... we know very little, if anything, more than we did yesterday. Among the things we still do not know with certainty: the future of the downtown tower; the future of the world headquarters; or even the future of the Virginia campus.

The fate of VA will be announced in 2012. Headquarters are officially out of the scope of the study, and is not being considered for a move to Spring.

We actually know quite a bit more than we did yesterday. Size, scope, timing, who, design, look, amenities, etc.

>>So if the headquarters are not moving, what exactly is the new campus for?

Consolidation of Houston upstream facilities. There are currently lots of buildings, very spread out across town

Yikes, sorry. Not always easy typing from a phone.

The Irving, TX headquarters are not moving to the new Woodlands campus, which was formally announced this morning.

Expected move-in date is 2014, with full occupancy expected by 2015.

There will be a gym, childcare center, and multiple dining options. Floor to ceiling windows, flexible workspaces, and a large welcome center will also be included.

Only about half of the 385 acres will be developed.

Irving not moving

Start in 2014, full occupancy in 2015

Gym, childcare, multiple dining options

IT'S OFFICIAL

Good to know! Thanks! BBQ only :-)

Anybody know who to call to have an exterior natural gas spigot installed? The work would require simply peeling back some hardy plank and tapping into a line feeding our fireplace on the other side of the wall. In theory, nothing too bad. In theory :-)

Hoping to have a source of gas for a BBQ and a portable generator, should Ike2 hit

BJ's is opening near the mall? Galleria? Got any links or specifics?

I just downloaded the latest version of google earth on my mac and I zoomed into The Woodlands area to scope out my neck of the woods when I discovered a HUGE gaping hole in the middle of the forest---the Exxon Campus. I'm surprised they did not make an announcement in April like they promised they'd do. But the pics we've recently seen, including those from google earth clearly verifies that this project is going forth.

swamplot has some info

Dude, they wear Hawaiian shirts! There from California!

Seriously, Houstonians would never believe that a local store could be as good or better than a California one. Part of being hip and cool is trashing anything about Houston, while simultaneously pining for anything from Cali, Austin, or other cool places. It is the self-loathing gene that is in every Houstonian's DNA.

Are people trashing Houston in this discussion? Or are people simply excited for a retailer with a *very* strong following to come to the state (bringing well paying jobs - did you bother to read my response on the previous page?)? Take a deep breath, Red - relax. Try it for once. Nobody is bashing anybody, nobody is saying Californians are superior to Houstonians/Texans. If you don't like TJ's, don't shop there, and don't insult people who do (again, sound familiar?)

Reading about the place, I keep hearing that you cannot complete your shopping in one trip. As you say, toilet paper is not stocked.

So, what you're saying is that any store that doesn't have 100% of the items you need to maintain your household isn't worth going to? Even for you, Red, that's quite a stretch of logic.

Vacant Walgreens at Yale & 20th?

This sounds awfully similar to another retailer I've read about. The name escapes me at the moment.

Does it, Red?

"Coulombe also wanted to make sure his employees were paid fairly, instituting a policy in the 1960s that full-time employees had to make at least the median household income for their communities—an average of $7,000 a year at the time, $48,000 today. Store captains, almost all of whom are promoted from within, can make six figures annually. Trader Joe's also allows part-timers to earn health-care benefits, a feature that makes the store a haven for artists, musicians, and other creative types who wouldn't normally seek supermarket jobs."

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_09/b4073058455307.htm

Looks like they're finally breaking ground on this. Several tracktors and trucks clearning grass and leveling the dirt.

Scratch that. Wrong corner. They're clearing land on the SE corner of Rankin & Rushcreek, but the skate park will be on the SW corner.

Looks like they're finally breaking ground on this. Several tracktors and trucks clearning grass and leveling the dirt.

On my way in to work this morning, driving south on 45 and going over the Rayford/Sawdust bridge, I could clearly see a crane poking out above the trees in the Exxon campus area.

Are you double-posting on swamplot?

Which of those have anything to do with Exxon?

All of them.

You may well be right. But if that is the logic, then what is the point of all of this consolidation effort? It can equally be said that there is no need to have the refining and marketing people (from Virginia) within spitting distance of the exploration and production people. And yet, everyone here believes that is exactly what Exxon is doing.

Dilapidated buildings

Serious safety concerns/issues in Greenspoint

Skyrocketing rent costs for leased buildings

Security issues & costs with so many individual buildings in high-traffic urban areas

Transportation costs for employees to attend meetings all over town

Inefficient workspaces

Need for technologically up-to-date infrastructure

etc

It could possibly have nothing whatever to do with Rex Tillerson's house or his extra-curricular activities. It is possible that Exxon senior management has realized it makes no sense to have the entire company consolidated in one place and NOT have senior management in that same place.

ExxonMobil has offices in a few DOZEN countries. I think they're ok with not having senior management of the corporation within spitting distance of all 90,000 employees.

I found this so amusing that I called my brother to share it with him. We all got a kick out of imagining that Exxon's senior management (whoever they are) might tell Mr. Tillerson he had to move to Houston against his will. We assume that the senior management that you refer to are the ones down the hall from Mr. Tillerson's office in Irving? You think they are going to force ol' Rex...and themselves...to move, just to prove some point that has no evidence to back it up?

Think they'd give him a cost of living adjustment?

There's a nice 2/1 Bungalow down the street from me for sale... I should email him the listing. I bet he'd love it!

The sign said 'Spring 2011', right? I suppose that gives them till mid June. Sure hope they don't wait that long though.

Nah. I could easily see they consolidating all of the scientists, business folks, etc to the new campus, but keeping Senior Management separated up in Dallas. Corporate structure is set up so that there's really no need for 99.9% of the workforce to interact with the highest-ups.

Word on the street is it's all but a done deal

Don't Wallyworlds usually have a McDonalds in them?

I'd have obliged him with a rendition of Cee-Lo's recent hit, and not the radio-friendly version.

LOL. How about the Colbert Show version? "Fox News"

I see you driving 'round town

With the girl I love and I'm like,

Fox Neeeeews

Oo oo ooo!

Yeah... who the heck goes to subway anyway...

Dunno. You can usually smell it before you see it though. *vom*