KBR To Build Headquarters In Katy

[Boris]

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto.../07/story1.html

eight low-rise buildings with 900,000 square feet of office space at a cost of roughly $225 million

to consolidate 4,500 EE's in Katy, at I-10 and Grandparkway, SW corner.

[Trae]

Wow, that is a lot of buildings for Katy. Katy has finally started seeing some midrises to the west of Barker Cypress.

[KinkaidAlum]

These are NOT even going to be midrises. The plans call for NINE 3 story buildings.

I guess the sprawling suburban campus is alive and well. It will be interesting to see how many KBR employees "retire." Many are getting older and many live on the Eastside. Corporations all over Houston are finding it hard to replace the old guard with qualified younger employees. I am not sure moving to Katy from more Central locations is the wisest move...

[Trae]

Wow, I read it wrong. I was thinking eight, eight story buildings.

[Boris]

http://www.globest.com/news/houston/

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...ml?surround=lfn

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/mem...ws/5750844.html

Edited May 6, 2008 by Boris

[KatieDidIt]

These are NOT even going to be midrises. The plans call for NINE 3 story buildings.

I guess the sprawling suburban campus is alive and well. It will be interesting to see how many KBR employees "retire." Many are getting older and many live on the Eastside. Corporations all over Houston are finding it hard to replace the old guard with qualified younger employees. I am not sure moving to Katy from more Central locations is the wisest move...

uh, Reverse commuting from 77024,056,057, 079, (edit to expound)or coming in from points farther west and south is a heck of a lot easier than battling the way east. The top new guys, or what will become the next generation "old gaurd," live primarily in these areas for families and cost. And what better way to gain new employees than to park near cheaper housing and good schools?

Edited May 6, 2008 by KatieDidIt

[mrfootball]

uh, Reverse commuting from 77024,056,057 and 079 is a heck of a lot easier than battling the way east. The top new guys, or the NEW gaurd live primarily in these areas.

Do you work for KBR?

How are those prison camps coming along?

[Trae]

Do you work for KBR?

How are those prison camps coming along?

I wonder if you would be sayng the same thing if KBR was moving to Cypress.

[jgriff]

I guess the sprawling suburban campus is alive and well. It will be interesting to see how many KBR employees "retire." Many are getting older and many live on the Eastside. Corporations all over Houston are finding it hard to replace the old guard with qualified younger employees. I am not sure moving to Katy from more Central locations is the wisest move...

I don't work for KBR but I work for one of their competitors who is pursuing a similar strategy.

There is a lot of talk about gas prices making people move to the urban core to shorten commute times. It looks like the petrochem engineering business is pursuing a different strategy. My company is opening offices in all the suburbs instead. We're bringing the office to the people instead of the people to the office. People find it much easier to just find a job closer to home than move their home close to their job.

In our business at least, management believes that moving further from downtown is the best way to replace the old guard with younger employees.

[bcnet]

A move like this is what many companies have found to be beneficial for many companies to offer a good quality of life for many workers with families. There are a few things I like about being "in-town", but my wife and I would love for our companies to relocate near Katy, Sugar Land, or to the Woodlands. We live in Katy now but would be ready to move in a heartbeat to a nice burb to be really close to work. Moving from a central business district will upset some in the short-term, but over the long-term I think you will have a more loyal, long-term employee that is more productive as they are close to work in a nice community. I know some single folks and other city dwellers will strongly disagree and that is OK....this is just my opinion based on where I work. We have about 35 people in our office and the vast majority live in the burbs.

[mrfootball]

I wonder if you would be sayng the same thing if KBR was moving to Cypress.

I wouldn't want them here. Not a fan of the company or its practices. KBR building numerous civilian prison camps around the country for "Homeland" security is rather disconcerting.

[tcr98taws6]

We'll take them here in Katy. I fail to see how 4,500 well paid employees working in a new office campus of 9 buildings will hurt the regional economy. Sounds as if Mr. Football has an axe to grind in this matter. And like them or not, US companies are actively involved in the wartime effort and it so happens this company is.

[H-Town Man]

Wow, this is so much more exciting than that trio of office buildings they had planned for the West Loop a few years ago.

On the plus side, does this mean they'll be leaving the Clinton Dr. site? Could that free up space for bayou development?

[livincinco]

I wouldn't want them here. Not a fan of the company or its practices. KBR building numerous civilian prison camps around the country for "Homeland" security is rather disconcerting.

Understand your point, but I think that it's pretty unrealistic to expect a government contractor to not build facilities that the government expects them to build. This is an opportunity for a lot of people in the area to get good jobs that are close to home - not to mention the trickle down economic benefits. TCC has already announced plans for a mixed use project that will go on the same parcel.

If you're not a fan of KBR, don't go work for them.

[bman]

A move like this is what many companies have found to be beneficial for many companies to offer a good quality of life for many workers with families. There are a few things I like about being "in-town", but my wife and I would love for our companies to relocate near Katy, Sugar Land, or to the Woodlands. We live in Katy now but would be ready to move in a heartbeat to a nice burb to be really close to work. Moving from a central business district will upset some in the short-term, but over the long-term I think you will have a more loyal, long-term employee that is more productive as they are close to work in a nice community. I know some single folks and other city dwellers will strongly disagree and that is OK....this is just my opinion based on where I work. We have about 35 people in our office and the vast majority live in the burbs.

Tell 'em to give me a call then. We've got loads of office space for lease out here.

[Trae]

Understand your point, but I think that it's pretty unrealistic to expect a government contractor to not build facilities that the government expects them to build. This is an opportunity for a lot of people in the area to get good jobs that are close to home - not to mention the trickle down economic benefits. TCC has already announced plans for a mixed use project that will go on the same parcel.

If you're not a fan of KBR, don't go work for them.

Really? Do you have anymore info?

[TheNiche]

Really? Do you have anymore info?

See post #5, click on GlobeSt.com link.

[Trae]

A lot of retail with The Grand, this mixed-use, Katy Mills, and La Cantera close by.

[katyresident]

so is it a good or bad thing that they are going to build their campus here?

[FalconRanch1]

so is it a good or bad thing that they are going to build their campus here?

Why would it be a bad thing? BRING IT ON!! More tax revenue to whoever collects the taxes i guess.

[Trae]

Tax revenue for what? Katy City Limits don't stretch this far. It would if it wasn't for Houston's ETJ.

[spiderman]

Wow, this is so much more exciting than that trio of office buildings they had planned for the West Loop a few years ago.

On the plus side, does this mean they'll be leaving the Clinton Dr. site? Could that free up space for bayou development?

Per email from KBR CEO to all employees on 02 May, "As part of KBR

[N Judah]

Tax revenue for what? Katy City Limits don't stretch this far. It would if it wasn't for Houston's ETJ.

That's no good. Send 'em back!

[katyresident]

Here's a little area of the future KBR campus and the surrounding area. Looks like we're getting another hotel and some more retail nearby. (And another hospital?)

Edited July 31, 2008 by katyresident

[spiderman]

Here's a little area of the future KBR campus and the surrounding area. Looks like we're getting another hotel and some more retail nearby. (And another hospital?)

Will the current credit crunch affect the timing of this project?

[FalconRanch1]

Will the current credit crunch affect the timing of this project?

I doubt it, but yes they do "plan" ANOTHER hospital across the new KBR campus and ANOTHER one on the south side of the campus,currently being built, ST. Luke's Hospital. I think this is ..GREAT!! BRING IT ON!! I think this is all going to fall in place because a friend of mine from Williams Brothers ( The ones who are building the I-10 freeway) said that once they finish I-10 (late October-Early November) They will begin extending Grand Parkway/99 north. In fact If I'm correct I think they already started to clear those cement looking machines in front of times square...

[Texas Wahoo]

Wow, that is a lot of buildings for Katy. Katy has finally started seeing some midrises to the west of Barker Cypress.

Where exactly does Houston end and Katy start? I always thought it was up near Fry, and that the stuff between Barker Cypress and Fry was mainly Houston. I'm just curious.

[Trae]

I say Katy generally starts after Highway 6. From Highway 6 to Greenhouse Road is like the transition I guess.

[cla]

I consider everything west of Barker Cypress Katy, although technically, by zip code, Barker Cypress is a Houston address.

Edited August 1, 2008 by cla

[ekarl17]

I consider everything west of Barker Cypress Katy, although technically, by zip code, Barker Cypress is a Houston address.