Builders in the first phase of Emory Glen, a new community on FM 1488 in Magnolia, are Chesmar Homes, Highland Homes and Empire Communities.A law firm in Houston’s tallest office tower is doubling its footprint and improving its view in the process.
“We continue to grow aggressively and strategically in Houston and this space accommodates that,” said Rob Ford, Houston office managing partner. Attorneys primarily work out of the office rather than remotely, an important part of the firm’s culture of mentoring, Ford said. The lease comes as office availability for the top class of office buildings in the Houston area reached an all-time high of 33.8 percent at the end of 2022, according to Savills. While leasing activity was up 30 percent to 11.2 million square feet in 2022, many of the largest deals represented firms renewing their current offices or shrinking their overall space. The leasing activity is below the pre-pandemic level of 13.3 million square feet in 2019.
AZA will lease about 58,000 square feet of office space at LyondellBasell Tower, and MRC Global will lease about 50,000 square feet of office space at 3 Houston Center, at 1301 McKinney. “AZA has a storied history and pedigree of excellence for our clients,” John Zavitsanos, co-founder of AZA, said in an announcement. “We tried 27 cases in court between 2021 and 2022, which required extensive collaboration and expertise in a variety of areas. Our team highly benefited from the ecosystem created at Houston Center and are thrilled to continue calling the campus home.”Emory Glen, a community planned for more than 800 in Magnolia, has started home sales in the first phase.