NORTHEAST HOUSTON — Business leaders and residents of the area bordering the Eastex Freeway were pleased by the announcement this week that a major developer had acquired 38 acres of land at the corner of East Little York and US59, with plans to build a large new shopping center.
Clay Trozzo, a spokesman for Property Commerce Company, said they had acquired four separate tracts at this corner, totalling 38 acres. One major piece was owned by Solid Rock Baptist Church, who planned to build there. That site was originally a Ford dealership.
The new development has been named Northeast Marketplace, according to Trozzo. It will total 275,000 square feet of retail space. The first tenant that has been identified is Home Depot, who purchased 11 acres of the project, for a new 135,000 square foot store.
Demolition is already underway, as evidenced in the photos above, and an opening of Spring 2005 has been set for the first store. Property management also plans to lease space to two more mid-size stores, approximately 30,000 sq. ft. each, but these have not yet been identified.
According to the plans, this would leave about 75,000 sq. ft. for smaller, neighborhood type stores. Architect Charles Thompson is reported to be working on the plans for the new center.
Property Commerce is a Houston developer, who is also working on a new project at US290 and Spring Cypress Rd.
Trozzo pointed out that the Eastex corridor is now underserved, a point that the Aldine Improvement District has been working on for over two years. They anticipate that sales taxes from this project will be used to fund other area improvements.
Trozzo said that within 5 miles of the site, over 250,000 people live, work and shop, and the potential for commerce is very strong. In addition, many more people pass the site on US59 every day on the commute to downtown Houston.