HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Industrious, the coworking arm of CBRE, has been named as the new coworking operator at The Ion, the Midtown Houston innovation district growing around the redevelopment of a 1939-vintage Sears store.
The Ion’s 86,000-SF coworking space had been operated by the Common Desk firm.
Beyond the Hedges: Rice’s Innovation Hub
Rice Real Estate, a subsidiary of Rice University developed The Ion, 4201 Main Street, a 266,000- office building and innovation hub in its 16-acre Ion District.
The old Art Deco Sears building, the site one of the first retail stores to venture outside of downtown Houston, is now dedicated to startup ventures and innovators scaling upward with applied technology.
“The Ion’s coworking space is vital for our startups, small businesses and innovation partners. It’s more than just a physical location to work, the dynamic environment fosters organic idea exchange and collaboration that is flexible to scale with a company’s needs as they grow,” said Ken Jett, President of Rice Real Estate Company. “Their (Industrious’) unparalleled expertise in delivering quality, hospitality-driven workspaces complements our vision of creating a world-class ecosystem where entrepreneurs, corporations, and academia converge to drive innovation forward.”
Listen: The Ralph Bivins Project: Ionizing Midtown: Creating an Innovation Ecosystem
CBRE, the global commercial real estate firm, announced on January 14 that it was acquiring the entire Industrious organization. CBRE had already owned a 40% stake in Industrious and it acquired the remaining equity for $400 million. “The acquisition underscores CBRE’s strong conviction about Industrious’ expertise in workplace experience and operations and the long-term growth prospects for the flexible workplace market,” CBRE said in last week’s press release.
Industrious has more than 200 coworking locations in 65 cities globally, including another workplace location in downtown Houston.
The Return of the Phone Booth
At the Ion, the coworking facility will have a variety of workspaces, including private suites and offices, dedicated desks, phone booths, and conference rooms of varying sizes. Industrious will also offer new networking events, and a host of complimentary services including snack and coffee service.
“The Ion plays a valuable role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Houston. We’re thrilled to add our expertise in running engaging spaces and join forces with The Rice Real Estate Company to continue to position the Ion as an invaluable contributor to the growth of Houston’s innovation community,” said Natalie Levine, Senior Manager of Real Estate at Industrious.
In addition to the hospitality offerings managed by Industrious, the Ion boasts three chef-driven restaurants, a tap room, and recently launched “Ion District Eats To Go”, powered by DoorDash.
The Ion also has a 250-seat public forum space, a 6,500-square-foot prototyping lab, Investor Studio, and a fitness center.
A block away in the Ion District, another former retail building is occupied by Greentown Labs, a climate technology hub. The Greentown building was formerly a Fiesta Mart, a grocery retailer that specializes in serving the Latino community.
The Ion is served by METRO light rail. However, as the rail line route extends south of Wheeler Avenue and crosses from Main to Fannin, the routing represents an inefficient use of land and is confusing to street traffic.
Jan. 23, 2025 Realty News Report Copyright 2025
Photo: Courtesy Ion
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File: CBRE’s Industrious Takes Over Coworking at Ion Rice University, Greentown, CBRE’s Industrious Takes Over Coworking at Ion Sears, Main Street