HOUSTON – (By Cynthia Lescalleet for Realty News Report) – MarqE will be modernizing — and expanding – the diversionary offerings on its 36-acre campus of retail, entertainment and services.
Think of it as a mixed-muse development with a growing number of experienced-based options.
Long a dynamic destination for family-friendly shopping and dining, the center’s functionality and aesthetics are part of an extensive, multi-phased redevelopment that is expected to create a bigger, brighter and more connected environment for retail partners and visitors, said Justin Levine, Levcor’s vice president.
The property sits on 36 acres adjacent to the Katy Freeway near Loop 610 and contains approximately 350,000 SF of lease area. Current occupancy sits 90 percent.
Plans include a new two-level building of 49,000 SF to accommodate yet more retail, restaurant and entertainment space. The project team includes BRR Architects.
Construction begins in May 2021 and rolls out in phases through 2022.
Plan calls for better use of the property’s abundant outdoor spaces and includes adding shaded structures to bridge between buildings. Existing storefronts will be raised and updated to allow in more natural light.
Also adding to the overall interactivity will be oversized art and play structures, plus outdoor conversation and lounging areas equipped with wireless internet, the latter targeting the local business community
Meanwhile, the landscaping gains large canopied trees, enhanced hardscape and colorful flower beds.
Adding some hubbub in the hub is also part of the plan, company sources said in an emailed follow-up response. Outdoor programming will be part of the mix as the center reaches full realization. “More than anything, the restaurant and tenant mix will take into consideration the large quantity of families that visit MarqE from the nearby neighborhoods of Spring Branch, Memorial and Uptown Houston.
During redevelopment, all retailers, restaurants and services not affected by temporary Covid-19 closures at MarqE will remain open. (The Edwards Cinema, currently closed, is expected to reopen eventually.)
Levcor, based in Houston for 40 years, has developed, owned and managed more than 25 million SF across the U.S.
The company acquired MarqE in 2014 from a joint venture of Los Angeles-based Canyon-Johnson, led by NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and Fidelis Realty Partners, a Houston firm led by Alan Hassenflu.
Built 2003, the entertainment complex has had its footprint and visibility previously rejiggered over the years.
While redevelopment is being completed, all retailers, restaurants and services not affected by temporary Covid-19 closures at MarqE will remain open, including Bank of America, Big City Wings, Chick-Fil-A, Class 502 Rolling Ice Cream, Dave&Buster’s, Dolce&Cafe, Edwards Cinema, EightOne, Four Seasons Massage, Hugh O’Connors, Improv Houston, Jersey Mike’s Subs, LA Fitness, Little Beakers, Maine-ly Sandwiches, NW Dental, Panda Express, Paris’s Nails and Spa, Pump It Up, Red Robin, Rocket Fizz, Russo’s New York Pizzeria, Subway, T-Mobile and Warehouse 72.
Feb. 10, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
File: Rediscovering Magic: Redo of Complex
Image: Courtesy Levcor
File: Levcor. Houston. Retail. MarqE. Rediscovering Magic: Redo of Complex Once Owned by Magic Johnson. Justin Levine