Greenspoint, Houston, Texas
Encyclopedia
The Greater Greenspoint District is an 12 square miles (31.1 km²) edge city
in northern Harris County
, Texas
, United States
. Portions of the district are in the City of Houston
while portions are in unincorporated area
s. The 2000 acres (8.1 km²) edge city was a project of the Friendswood Development Company
, a subsidiary of Exxon
.
Formed in 1991 by the Texas Legislature
, the district, bordered by the Hardy Toll Road
to the east, Airtex Boulevard to the north, Veterans Memorial Drive to the west, and West Road to the south, houses over 18000000 square feet (1,672,254.7 m²) of office and retail space.
, a subsidiary of Exxon
, developed Greenspoint. The commercial buildings were still under development in 1989.
In 1998 Goldman Sachs
spent over $130 million dollars to purchase what Ralph Bivins of the Houston Chronicle
as a "tough zone of low end apartments" in Greenspoint and convert it into CityView, a multi-family "village." Goldman Sachs planned for CityView to appeal to young professionals and draw higher rent as a result.
After Hurricane Katrina
struck New Orleans, Louisiana
in 2005, groups of evacuees settled into apartment complexes on West Greens Road, near Interstate 45
.
and Beltway 8. Greenspoint is located 6 miles (9.7 km) away from George Bush Intercontinental Airport
. Jennifer Duell Popovec of Globst.com (ALM) said that Greenspoint is thirty minutes away from the Port of Houston
.
As stated in a 2005 Houston Chronicle
article, the Houston-Galveston Area Council identified Greenspoint as one of several Houston area communities that are considered to be among the most hazardous to pedestrians.
The portion in Houston is within Houston City Council
District B. The Houston Police Department
's North Patrol Division serves the Houston portions of Greenspoint. The city operates the Aldine Storefront at 10966 North Freeway (Interstate 45
). In addition the city operates the Greenspoint Storefront on the grounds of Greenspoint Mall
.
The Houston Fire Department
operates Station 74 Greenspoint, located in Fire District 64, at 460 Aldine Bender. The station at Airline and Goodson was built in 1979; the location was shared with the Little York Volunteer Fire Department. The current Station 74, located at Aldine Bender at Lillja, was built in 1983.
operates the Greens North Post Office at 1530 Greensmark Drive.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Houston Field Office and the Houston office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
are in Greenspoint and in Houston.
In the early years, Lieutenant Greg Femin, the acting supervisor of the Fondren Patrol Station of the Houston Police Department
in 2002, said that he remembered "how bad" Greenspoint, which had many apartments, was when Femin patrolled the beat in the early 1980s.
Crime decreased after the Houston Police Department
installed a storefront in Greenspoint.
In 2002 Femin said that when he went back to Greenspoint and, as stated by Craig Mallislow of the Houston Press
, could "barely recognize" the area, since apartment complex owners had invested millions of dollars in cleaning up apartment complexes and hiring new, reputable managers. Malislow said that Greenspoint "had pulled a 180."
The business occupancy rate of the 9600000 square feet (891,869.2 m²) of office space around the northern part of Beltway 8, including Greenspoint's space, increased from 60.4 percent at the end of 1987 to 67.5 percent at the end of 1988. Due to efforts from the North Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, in May 2003 the Aldine Independent School District
(AISD) ratified approval of the freeport tax exemptions, which waive ad valorem property taxes on types of business inventory. 150 of the 5,000 companies operating in the Greenspoint area began to qualify for freeport tax exemptions. The chamber asked the school district to exempt the taxes because neighboring school districts had adopted the exemption and put the territory in AISD in a competitive disadvantage. As of 2003 the portions of Greenspoint covered by the City of Houston are under a freeport tax exemption from the city government, while the areas of Greenspoint in unincorporated area
s do not have that exemption.
and Canrig Drilling Technologies are headquartered at the Northborough Tower in Greenspoint and in Houston. Smith International
has its world headquarters in Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area
of Harris County. Friendswood Development Company
is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in Greenspoint. Around December 1992 there were plans to move Friendswood Development Company's offices from Three Greenspoint to the Anadarko Tower, a facility in Greenspoint built in a two-year period prior to December 1992.
ExxonMobil
leases a large amount of office space in Greenspoint. In 1989 Exxon Company USA
considered moving its computer operations from an unspecified complex in Downtown Houston
to Greenspoint; if it followed through with the plan, it would purchase a 50 acres (202,343 m²) Greenspoint site. Ralph Bivins of the Houston Chronicle
stated that the number of employees affected would not be "a large number," but the move would indicate "a sizeable investment" in Greenspoint. On Wednesday December 16, 1992 the groundbreaking for Greenspoint Eight, an eight story, 209000 square feet (19,416.7 m²) Exxon
Exploration building in Greenspoint, occurred; it was scheduled to open on July 1, 1994. In December 1992 Exxon already had offices in the Greenspoint Three building. The plans called for a bridge connecting Greenspoint Three and Greenspoint Eight, across Benmar Street. With offices in the two building Exxon had a grand total of 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of office space in Greenspoint. Exxon chose to build a facility in Greenspoint partly because it had existing office space in Greenspoint and partly to support Exxon's investment in Greenspoint.
By 2002 Exxon agreed to occupy 400000 square foot of space in the 17001 Northchase building after Anadarko
's scheduled move out of the building. Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Business Journal said during that year that a source told her that ExxonMobil "entrenched themselves in Greenspoint" and that the company is spending millions of dollars in improvements to the business district. In January 2010 the Houston Business Journal reported that real estate officials said that ExxonMobil
planned to build a corporate campus in unincorporated
Harris County along Interstate 45
, adjacent to the Spring CDP. The article states that ExxonMobil plans to consolidate employees from several Houston locations, including offices in Greenspoint. As of January 2010 ExxonMobil leases 2000000 square foot of space in the Greenspoint area and has 6,000 working in that space. Sanford Criner, an executive vice president of CB Richard Ellis
, said that the move would negatively affect Greenspoint area. Jennifer Dawson, the author of the Houston Business Journal article, said that Jack Drake, president of the Greater Greenspoint Management District, "wryly replied that George Bush Intercontinental Airport
is not leaving Greenspoint, and neither are Beltway 8 and Interstate 45
." Drake added that Greenspoint's prime office space is virtually occupied, so if Exxon leaves, it would be replaced by expansion from existing companies and additions of new companies.
Continental Airlines
operates the North Houston Center in Greenspoint. Saudi Arabian Airlines
operates an office at 12555 Northborough Drive in Greenspoint and in Houston. Servisair
has its USA offices in Greenspoint.
In 1989 Aetna
leased 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) in Two Greenspoint Place, a building of Townsend Company. The building was renamed as Aetna Place.
ExpressJet Airlines
was headquartered in Greenspoint and in Houston.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
was headquartered in the Anadarko Tower since it was built in the 1990s. Around 2002 Anadarko moved into its new headquarters in The Woodlands
, Montgomery County
.
At one time the headquarters of Atofina (now Total Petrochemicals USA
) were in an area in Houston in proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport
and in proximity to the Greenspoint district. The lease to the former space was scheduled to expire in 2010, but the company had the right to cancel its lease in 2007. The firm, which occupied a similar amount of square footage in the previous office that it has in its current office, planned to sublease the space from 2005 to 2007.
is on the north side. The center was previously the administrative headquarters of the NHMCCD. Previously the Parkway Center in Greenspoint and in Houston was within the North Harris College.
Most students living in Greenspoint are zoned to the Aldine Independent School District
, however some are zoned to the Spring Independent School District
.
, Aldine High School
, and the Aldine 9th Grade Center are located in the Greenspoint district.
PreK schools serving sections of Greenspoint, all in unincorporated area
s and outside of Greenspoint, include deSantiago EC/PK School, Hinojosa EC/PK School in Aldine, Jones EC/PK School, Keeble EC/PK & Head Start Center, and Kujawa EC/PK School.
Two elementary schools in Greenspoint, Bussey Elementary School in Houston and Gray Elementary School in an unincorporated area, serve portions of Greenspoint. In addition, schools outside of Greenspoint serving sections of Greenspoint include Black Elementary School in Houston, Calvert Elementary School in an unincorporated area, Conley Elementary School in an unincorporated area, Dunn Elementary School in an unincorporated area, Magrill Elementary School in an unincorporated area, Odom Elementary School in unincorporated Aldine, Spence Elementary School in an unincorporated area, and Thompson Elementary School in Houston.
Two intermediate schools in Greenspoint, Marcella and Stehlik, both in Houston, serve portions of Greenspoint. Other portions of Greenspoint are served by Parker Intermediate School, in an unincorporated area and outside of Greenspoint. Stovall Middle School
, in Greenspoint and in Houston, serves a portion of Greenspoint. Middle schools that are outside of Greenspoint and serving sections of it, both of which are located in unincorporated areas, include Lewis Middle School and Plummer Middle School.
Aldine 9th Grade School
is located in Greenspoint and Houston and serves a portion of the district. Nimitz Ninth Grade School
, located outside of Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area, serves a portion of Greenspoint. Aldine High School
is located in Greenspoint and Houston and serves a portion of the district. Nimitz High School
, located outside of Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area, serves a portion of Greenspoint.
, both in unincorporated areas.
Aldine Branch, located at 11331 Airline Drive in Greenspoint and in Houston, serves the community. The 13268 square feet (1,232.6 m²) branch opened in 1976. The renovated Aldine Branch reopened on September 6, 2001.
In 2009, a densely wooded area on West Greens Road was cleared for Redemption Park. The park provides a safe play area for the children in the neighboring Royal Coach Mobile Home community as well as the Columbia Green apartments. The amenities include a basketball court, playground and small amphitheater.
In 2010 the management district announced that a 10 acres (4 ha) skate park would be established by 2010 in an area at Kuykendahl Road at Rankin Road, near Interstate 45
.
29°56′49"N 95°24′23"W
Edge city
"Edge city" is an American term for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a residential suburb or semi-rural community...
in northern Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Portions of the district are in the City of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
while portions are in unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s. The 2000 acres (8.1 km²) edge city was a project of the Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
, a subsidiary of Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
.
Formed in 1991 by the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
, the district, bordered by the Hardy Toll Road
Hardy Toll Road
The Hardy Toll Road runs from Interstate 610, near central Houston, to Interstate 45, north of Houston just below the Harris County line. The road generally parallels Interstate 45. The portion from I-610 to Crosstimbers Road is known as Spur 548, although this is unsigned.Construction on the...
to the east, Airtex Boulevard to the north, Veterans Memorial Drive to the west, and West Road to the south, houses over 18000000 square feet (1,672,254.7 m²) of office and retail space.
History
The Friendswood Development CompanyFriendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
, a subsidiary of Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
, developed Greenspoint. The commercial buildings were still under development in 1989.
In 1998 Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
spent over $130 million dollars to purchase what Ralph Bivins of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
as a "tough zone of low end apartments" in Greenspoint and convert it into CityView, a multi-family "village." Goldman Sachs planned for CityView to appeal to young professionals and draw higher rent as a result.
After Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in 2005, groups of evacuees settled into apartment complexes on West Greens Road, near Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
.
Geography
Greenspoint has direct access to Interstate 45Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
and Beltway 8. Greenspoint is located 6 miles (9.7 km) away from George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
. Jennifer Duell Popovec of Globst.com (ALM) said that Greenspoint is thirty minutes away from the Port of Houston
Port of Houston
The Port of Houston is a port in Houston—the fourth-largest city in the United States. The Port is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico...
.
As stated in a 2005 Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
article, the Houston-Galveston Area Council identified Greenspoint as one of several Houston area communities that are considered to be among the most hazardous to pedestrians.
Local government
The Greenspoint district is headquartered in Suite 1900 at 16945 Northchase Drive. The district includes the Greater Greenspoint Redevelopment Authority, which oversees the Greenspoint Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), City of Houston Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #11.The portion in Houston is within Houston City Council
Houston City Council
The Houston City Council is a city council for the city of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas.Currently, there are fourteen members, nine elected from council districts and five at-large. The members of the Council are elected every two years, in odd-numbered years...
District B. The Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
's North Patrol Division serves the Houston portions of Greenspoint. The city operates the Aldine Storefront at 10966 North Freeway (Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
). In addition the city operates the Greenspoint Storefront on the grounds of Greenspoint Mall
Greenspoint Mall
Greenspoint Mall is a shopping mall located in Greenspoint and in Houston, Texas, at the northeast corner of Interstate 45 and Beltway 8. It is anchored by retailers Dillard's and Macy's...
.
The Houston Fire Department
Houston Fire Department
City of Houston Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the fourth largest city in the United States...
operates Station 74 Greenspoint, located in Fire District 64, at 460 Aldine Bender. The station at Airline and Goodson was built in 1979; the location was shared with the Little York Volunteer Fire Department. The current Station 74, located at Aldine Bender at Lillja, was built in 1983.
Federal and state representation
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the Greens North Post Office at 1530 Greensmark Drive.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Houston Field Office and the Houston office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
are in Greenspoint and in Houston.
Crime
From 1991 to 2007, serious crime in Greenspoint decreased by 42 percent, while the area's population increased by 45 percent. The area had about 13 homicides in 2008.In the early years, Lieutenant Greg Femin, the acting supervisor of the Fondren Patrol Station of the Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
in 2002, said that he remembered "how bad" Greenspoint, which had many apartments, was when Femin patrolled the beat in the early 1980s.
Crime decreased after the Houston Police Department
Houston Police Department
The Houston Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Houston, Texas, United States and some surrounding areas. Its headquarters are in 1200 Travis in Downtown Houston....
installed a storefront in Greenspoint.
In 2002 Femin said that when he went back to Greenspoint and, as stated by Craig Mallislow of the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
, could "barely recognize" the area, since apartment complex owners had invested millions of dollars in cleaning up apartment complexes and hiring new, reputable managers. Malislow said that Greenspoint "had pulled a 180."
Economy
Greenspoint has over 18000000 square foot of industrial, office, and retail operations. As of 2010, 70,000 employees work in Greenspoint. By that year Expansion Solutions Magazine described Greenspoint as among the top five locations in the United States for operations of logistics companies.The business occupancy rate of the 9600000 square feet (891,869.2 m²) of office space around the northern part of Beltway 8, including Greenspoint's space, increased from 60.4 percent at the end of 1987 to 67.5 percent at the end of 1988. Due to efforts from the North Houston Greenspoint Chamber of Commerce, in May 2003 the Aldine Independent School District
Aldine Independent School District
Aldine Independent School District is a school district based in an unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. It serves portions of Houston and unincorporated Harris County. AISD is part of the taxation base for the Lone Star College System. Dr...
(AISD) ratified approval of the freeport tax exemptions, which waive ad valorem property taxes on types of business inventory. 150 of the 5,000 companies operating in the Greenspoint area began to qualify for freeport tax exemptions. The chamber asked the school district to exempt the taxes because neighboring school districts had adopted the exemption and put the territory in AISD in a competitive disadvantage. As of 2003 the portions of Greenspoint covered by the City of Houston are under a freeport tax exemption from the city government, while the areas of Greenspoint in unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s do not have that exemption.
Corporate headquarters
Noble EnergyNoble Energy
Noble Energy, Inc. of Houston, Texas, United States is the modern name of Noble Affiliates Inc., by which it was known through the 1990s, and it is now an oil and natural gas exploration and production company with almost US$3 billion in revenue at #660 on the 2007 Fortune 1000 list of the largest...
and Canrig Drilling Technologies are headquartered at the Northborough Tower in Greenspoint and in Houston. Smith International
Smith International
Smith International was a Fortune 500 company headquartered in the Greenspoint district and in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. Smith International ceased to exist as an independent company following the merger with Schlumberger. This company supplies products to gas and oil production and...
has its world headquarters in Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Harris County. Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company
Friendswood Development Company is a major real estate developer in Greater Houston. It is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in the Greenspoint area of Houston....
is headquartered at 550 Greens Parkway, a building in Greenspoint. Around December 1992 there were plans to move Friendswood Development Company's offices from Three Greenspoint to the Anadarko Tower, a facility in Greenspoint built in a two-year period prior to December 1992.
Corporate operations
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
leases a large amount of office space in Greenspoint. In 1989 Exxon Company USA
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
considered moving its computer operations from an unspecified complex in Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
to Greenspoint; if it followed through with the plan, it would purchase a 50 acres (202,343 m²) Greenspoint site. Ralph Bivins of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
stated that the number of employees affected would not be "a large number," but the move would indicate "a sizeable investment" in Greenspoint. On Wednesday December 16, 1992 the groundbreaking for Greenspoint Eight, an eight story, 209000 square feet (19,416.7 m²) Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
Exploration building in Greenspoint, occurred; it was scheduled to open on July 1, 1994. In December 1992 Exxon already had offices in the Greenspoint Three building. The plans called for a bridge connecting Greenspoint Three and Greenspoint Eight, across Benmar Street. With offices in the two building Exxon had a grand total of 450000 square feet (41,806.4 m²) of office space in Greenspoint. Exxon chose to build a facility in Greenspoint partly because it had existing office space in Greenspoint and partly to support Exxon's investment in Greenspoint.
By 2002 Exxon agreed to occupy 400000 square foot of space in the 17001 Northchase building after Anadarko
Anadarko
Anadarko may refer to:* Anadarko, Oklahoma* Anadarko Basin, a geologic depositional and structural basin centered in the western part of the state of Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, and extending into western Kansas and southeast Colorado...
's scheduled move out of the building. Nancy Sarnoff of the Houston Business Journal said during that year that a source told her that ExxonMobil "entrenched themselves in Greenspoint" and that the company is spending millions of dollars in improvements to the business district. In January 2010 the Houston Business Journal reported that real estate officials said that ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
planned to build a corporate campus in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Harris County along Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
, adjacent to the Spring CDP. The article states that ExxonMobil plans to consolidate employees from several Houston locations, including offices in Greenspoint. As of January 2010 ExxonMobil leases 2000000 square foot of space in the Greenspoint area and has 6,000 working in that space. Sanford Criner, an executive vice president of CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis
CBRE Group, Inc. , a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services firm . The Company has approximately 31,000 employees , and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices worldwide...
, said that the move would negatively affect Greenspoint area. Jennifer Dawson, the author of the Houston Business Journal article, said that Jack Drake, president of the Greater Greenspoint Management District, "wryly replied that George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
is not leaving Greenspoint, and neither are Beltway 8 and Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
." Drake added that Greenspoint's prime office space is virtually occupied, so if Exxon leaves, it would be replaced by expansion from existing companies and additions of new companies.
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
operates the North Houston Center in Greenspoint. Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. It operates domestic and international scheduled flights to over 90 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America...
operates an office at 12555 Northborough Drive in Greenspoint and in Houston. Servisair
Servisair
Servisair is an aircraft ground handling company, operating at 175 airports worldwide.It is a subsidiary of Derichebourg. Its head office is in the Servisair House in Runcorn, Cheshire...
has its USA offices in Greenspoint.
In 1989 Aetna
Aetna
Aetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, providing a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management...
leased 75000 square feet (6,967.7 m²) in Two Greenspoint Place, a building of Townsend Company. The building was renamed as Aetna Place.
Former operations
ExpressJet Airlines
ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. is an American regional airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Southeast Airlines which is in turn a subsidiary of the airline holding company SkyWest, Inc., parent company of the air carrier SkyWest...
was headquartered in Greenspoint and in Houston.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies, with approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent of proved reserves and production of 206 million BOE as of December 31, 2008. Anadarko employs a worldwide...
was headquartered in the Anadarko Tower since it was built in the 1990s. Around 2002 Anadarko moved into its new headquarters in The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands is a master-planned community and a Census-designated place in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The population of the CDP was 55,649 at the 2000 census—a 90 percent increase over its 1990 population. According to the 2010 census, The Woodlands' population rose...
, Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Texas
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14, 1837. The county was named for the town of Montgomery, Texas. In 2000, its...
.
At one time the headquarters of Atofina (now Total Petrochemicals USA
Total Petrochemicals USA
Total Petrochemicals USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of Total S.A. It engages in the production and marketing of petrochemical products. Its headquarters is the Total Plaza in Downtown Houston, Texas.-History:...
) were in an area in Houston in proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, is a Class B international airport in Houston, Texas, serving the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Located north of Downtown Houston between Interstate 45 and U.S. Highway 59...
and in proximity to the Greenspoint district. The lease to the former space was scheduled to expire in 2010, but the company had the right to cancel its lease in 2007. The firm, which occupied a similar amount of square footage in the previous office that it has in its current office, planned to sublease the space from 2005 to 2007.
Community colleges
A satellite campus of the Lone Star College–North Harris of the Lone Star College System (previously the North Harris Montgomery Community College District (NHMCCD)), LSC-Greenspoint Center, is located along Beltway 8; it is on the south side of Beltway 8 while Greenspoint MallGreenspoint Mall
Greenspoint Mall is a shopping mall located in Greenspoint and in Houston, Texas, at the northeast corner of Interstate 45 and Beltway 8. It is anchored by retailers Dillard's and Macy's...
is on the north side. The center was previously the administrative headquarters of the NHMCCD. Previously the Parkway Center in Greenspoint and in Houston was within the North Harris College.
Primary and secondary schools
Aldine Independent School District
Aldine Independent School District is a school district based in an unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. It serves portions of Houston and unincorporated Harris County. AISD is part of the taxation base for the Lone Star College System. Dr...
, however some are zoned to the Spring Independent School District
Spring Independent School District
Spring Independent School District is a school district based in the Gordon M. Anderson Leadership Center in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States....
.
Aldine Independent School District
Stovall Middle SchoolStovall Middle School
Thomas J. Stovall Middle School is a public middle school located in the Greenspoint district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Aldine Independent School District....
, Aldine High School
Aldine High School
Aldine Senior High School is a public high school made up of two campuses located in the Greenspoint district of northern Houston, Texas, United States. The main campus serves grades 10 through 12, while Aldine Ninth Grade School serves grade 9....
, and the Aldine 9th Grade Center are located in the Greenspoint district.
PreK schools serving sections of Greenspoint, all in unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
s and outside of Greenspoint, include deSantiago EC/PK School, Hinojosa EC/PK School in Aldine, Jones EC/PK School, Keeble EC/PK & Head Start Center, and Kujawa EC/PK School.
Two intermediate schools in Greenspoint, Marcella and Stehlik, both in Houston, serve portions of Greenspoint. Other portions of Greenspoint are served by Parker Intermediate School, in an unincorporated area and outside of Greenspoint. Stovall Middle School
Stovall Middle School
Thomas J. Stovall Middle School is a public middle school located in the Greenspoint district in Houston, Texas, United States. It is a part of the Aldine Independent School District....
, in Greenspoint and in Houston, serves a portion of Greenspoint. Middle schools that are outside of Greenspoint and serving sections of it, both of which are located in unincorporated areas, include Lewis Middle School and Plummer Middle School.
Aldine 9th Grade School
Aldine High School
Aldine Senior High School is a public high school made up of two campuses located in the Greenspoint district of northern Houston, Texas, United States. The main campus serves grades 10 through 12, while Aldine Ninth Grade School serves grade 9....
is located in Greenspoint and Houston and serves a portion of the district. Nimitz Ninth Grade School
Nimitz High School (Harris County, Texas)
Chester W. Nimitz Senior High School is a public secondary school made up of two campuses located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. The campuses have Houston addresses...
, located outside of Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area, serves a portion of Greenspoint. Aldine High School
Aldine High School
Aldine Senior High School is a public high school made up of two campuses located in the Greenspoint district of northern Houston, Texas, United States. The main campus serves grades 10 through 12, while Aldine Ninth Grade School serves grade 9....
is located in Greenspoint and Houston and serves a portion of the district. Nimitz High School
Nimitz High School (Harris County, Texas)
Chester W. Nimitz Senior High School is a public secondary school made up of two campuses located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. The campuses have Houston addresses...
, located outside of Greenspoint and in an unincorporated area, serves a portion of Greenspoint.
Spring Independent School District
None of the Spring ISD schools serving Greenspoint are in Greenspoint. Clark Primary and Clark Intermediate School, in an unincorporated area, serve one portion of Greenspoint for elementary school. Heritage Elementary School, in an unincorporated area, serves another. The SISD portion is also zoned to Wells Middle School and Dekaney High SchoolDekaney High School
Andy Dekaney High School is a public secondary school located at 22351 Imperial Valley Drive at Bammel Road in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States, with a ZIP code of 77073....
, both in unincorporated areas.
Public libraries
The Harris County Public LibraryHarris County Public Library
Harris County Public Library is a public library system serving Harris County, Texas, United States. The county library system is headquartered at 8080 El Rio in Houston....
Aldine Branch, located at 11331 Airline Drive in Greenspoint and in Houston, serves the community. The 13268 square feet (1,232.6 m²) branch opened in 1976. The renovated Aldine Branch reopened on September 6, 2001.
Parks and recreation
The management district destroyed two abandoned apartment complexes and replaced them with parks operated by the management district. The 2.5 acres (1 ha) CityView Park includes benches, a garden, a 30 feet (9.1 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m) pavilion, a trellis, a seat wall used for resting and providing shade, and tables. The 11 acres (4.5 ha) Thomas R. Wussow Park has baseball/soccer (football) fields, hike and bicycle trails, a playground, a public pavilion, a spray ground, and sand volleyball courts. The park was named after Thomas R. Wussow, the founder of the district and a member of the district's board.In 2009, a densely wooded area on West Greens Road was cleared for Redemption Park. The park provides a safe play area for the children in the neighboring Royal Coach Mobile Home community as well as the Columbia Green apartments. The amenities include a basketball court, playground and small amphitheater.
In 2010 the management district announced that a 10 acres (4 ha) skate park would be established by 2010 in an area at Kuykendahl Road at Rankin Road, near Interstate 45
Interstate 45
Interstate 45 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It connects the cities of Dallas and Houston, continuing southeast from Houston to Galveston over the Galveston Causeway to the Gulf of Mexico...
.
External links
29°56′49"N 95°24′23"W