HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Houston Methodist leased 75,800 SF at the new Dynamic One building at TMC Helix Park.
The long-awaited TMC Helix Park is located on 37 acres along Braeswood Boulevard on the southern edge of the 1,300-acre Texas Medical Center where 120,000 people are employed at medical institutions including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Methodist Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital and other hospitals, clinics and medical schools.
High Hopes; Soaring Ambition
City leaders hope the TMC Helix Park will elevate Houston as the Third Coast of life science – placing Houston in a league with California and New England in the life sciences universe.
The high ambitions overflow from the fledgling campus/construction site. On the construction fence on the perimeter of the project, a banner has told passersby that the development would be “Houston’s Next Gift to the World.”
The 355,000-SF Dynamic One tower, the first of four industry buildings, developed by Beacon Capital Partners in collaboration with Zoë Life Sciences, opened its doors in November 2023.
Houston Methodist is the second institution to sign at Dynamic One, joining anchor tenant Baylor College of Medicine. Houston Methodist plans to continue its rapid translational research growth trajectory by adding two full floors of biomedical research laboratories. The initial Houston Methodist research programs to occupy this space will include cardiovascular sciences, orthopedics and RNA therapeutics.
“We are always focused on translating innovative medical discoveries into viable therapies for patients. These highly entrepreneurial programs, which translate these discoveries to the bedside, are a natural fit within the emerging biotechnology ecosystem that the TMC is cultivating,” said Edward A. Jones, president and CEO, Houston Methodist Research Institute.
Real Estate Representation
Transwestern’s Eric Johnson, Lisa Bovermann, and Kaitlyn Harp represented the landlord, Beacon Capital Partners, and Scott Carter of CBRE represented the tenant, Houston Methodist, in lease negotiations
Dynamic One will deliver three Beacon Ready Labs ranging from 9,000 to 15,000 square feet in summer 2024. These move-in-ready labs and offices prioritize flexibility and speed, allowing tenants to move in quickly and grow with time.
“Our rewarding partnership with Texas Medical Center resulted in the creation of one of the most ambitious life science projects in the world,” said Fred Seigel, President and CEO of Beacon. “It is bringing together the best institutions and brightest minds in clinical care, research, and industry, which is highlighted by the addition of the Houston Methodist Research Institute to Helix Park.”
TMC Helix Park officially opened to the public in October 2023 with the launch of the TMC3 Collaborative building, a leading-edge joint research facility. The 37-acre life science campus is intentionally designed to foster collaboration among the best minds in medicine, science, academia, and commerce.
TMC Helix Park encourages institutions to engage in unprecedented collaboration to advance the pace of discover and develop life-changing therapies and cures. In addition to over 5 million SF of developed space, the campus includes more than 18 acres of public green space across six unique parks.
Gone: James Corner’s Vision and the Watson & Crick Elevation
Leaders at the Texas Medical Center have talked about the development of the life science park, which used to be called TMC3, , for years and had projected the groundbreaking would occur in 2019. But there was a significant re-design of the project and delays ensued. The Gensler architecture firm departed. A different architecture firm, Elkus Manfredi Architects, was brought in from New England.
The earlier ambitious plan by landscape architect James Corner called for construction of an undulating park, to appear as a double-helix landmark visible from aircraft over Houston. Corner’s double-helix landscape, was intended to embody the scientific work of Watson and Crick’s discovery of DNA. Corner’s soaring vision of a Helix Park rising 60 feet above ground level was deflated and watered down.
The simplified version of TMC Helix Park offers a number of nice grassy places, however.
Jan. 29, 2024 Realty News Report Copyright 2024
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