The Energy Corridor is a district of Houston, Texas, United States located along Interstate 10 (the Katy Freeway) from Barker Cypress to Kirkwood Road and extends south along Eldridge Parkway and Enclave Parkway to The Westpark Tollway.
The area is loosely bound to the area just north of Interstate 10 (the Katy Freeway) and The Westpark Tollway Drive to the south, and extends from Kirkwood Road to the east and Barker Cypress to the west. The area is defined by many energy industry-related companies, such as BP America, Citgo, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell Oil Company.
Over 26,000 acres (40.6 square miles) of urban park area, the largest outside the National Park System, borders The Energy Corridor. Two parks adjacent to the district include George Bush Park and Bear Creek Pioneers Park.
The Energy Corridor contains over 20 million square feet of office space.
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Cityscape
Several areas in the city of Houston are within a 12 miles (19 km) radius of The Energy Corridor. The areas include Alief, Garden Oaks, the Houston Heights, Memorial, Meyerland, Sharpstown, Spring Branch, and Uptown Houston. Areas in Houston outside of the radius include Downtown Houston and the Texas Medical Center. The City of Jersey Village, the City of Katy, and the First Colony area of Sugar Land are within the twelve mile radius. Unincorporated areas within the radius include Cinco Ranch, Mission Bend, and New Territory. Unincorporated areas outside of the radius include Greatwood.
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Economy
Peyton Collins, an employee of Insignia/ESG, said in October 2000 "Although The Energy Corridor currently reports a 15 percent vacancy, historically it has been one of the strongest markets in Houston, even during the difficult late '80s and early '90s."
An economic growth study conducted around 2010 concluded that the population would grow by 29% by 2025, that office space would grow by 36%, and that retail operations would grow by 40%.
Current operations
As of 2012, The Energy Corridor District is the third largest employment center in the region with more than 78,000 employees and consisting of more than 300 international, national and local companies. Many companies use The Energy Corridor District as corporate or regional headquarters including BP America, Citgo, ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, ExxonMobil Chemical, Foster Wheeler USA Corporation, Mustang Engineering, Shell Oil Company Exploration and Production, Technip USA and WorleyParsons.
BP America, the United States division of BP, has its headquarters in One Westlake Park in the Energy Corridor. The 20 story BP Plaza tower was under construction in 1992. BP Plaza was one of a few office towers that was being built in a two-year period before December 1992. As of 2009 BP America is the largest employer in The Energy Corridor, with 5,500 employees.
ConocoPhillips has its world headquarters located at 600 N. Dairy Ashford St. in The Energy Corridor. As of 2009 ConocoPhillips, with 2,800 employees, is the fourth largest employer in the district. The ConocoPhillips facility was formerly the headquarters of Conoco Inc.
Citgo has its world headquarters in The Energy Corridor. As of 2009 it has 520 employees and is the 14th largest employer in The Energy Corridor. Citgo announced that it was moving its headquarters to The Energy Corridor district in July 2004. Sysco has its world headquarters in The Energy Corridor. With 1,800 employees it is the fifth largest employer in the district.
Other oil industry companies in The Energy Corridor include:
- Shell Oil Company's Woodcreek facility has 3,000 employees and is the third largest employer in The Energy Corridor as of 2009.
- ExxonMobil has chemical industry operations. With 775 employees the company is the 10th largest employer (2009).
- Sonangol USA
Other medium-sized companies include First Texas Energy Corporation, Cabot Oil and Gas, PCL Construction, SBM Offshore, Foster Wheeler USA Corporation; in 2007 Foster Wheeler announced it was going to move offices to a facility at the intersection of I-10 and Eldridge.
Park 10 Regional Business Center, a master-planned mixed-use development created by the principals of Wolff Companies, comprises 550 acres - more than one third - of the West Houston Energy Corridor. Park 10 is located just west of Texas State Highway 6 off of Interstate 10 with about 2.6 miles of frontage on the Katy Freeway. Tenants and owners include Houston Marriott Hotels & Resorts Energy Corridor on Interstate 10 and Park Ten Boulevard, The Reserve at Park 10, NACE International (formerly known as the National Association of Corrosion Engineers), Homewood Suites by Hilton at 14450 Park Row Blvd., Wyndham Crown Plaza at Park Row and Texas State Highway 6, Mustang Engineering headquarters, TransOcean, and the United States corporate office for Wood Group. The Park 10 Regional Business Center also includes The Offices at Park 10, a 6-story, 1500,00 sq. ft., multi-tenant, Class A office building.
Becks Prime, a chain of restaurants, has its headquarters in The Energy Corridor.
Gulf States Toyota, a Toyota distributor, has its headquarters in the Energy Corridor.
Former operations
Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI) had its headquarters in the Eldridge Place 1 and 2 buildings in The Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas. By 2000 the company that had acquired BFI, Allied Waste, sold the former headquarters.
Employment base
According to a 2009 report by The Energy Corridor District, the U.S. Census Bureau's data indicated that 66% of the employees at The Energy Corridor live within a group of zip codes referred to the district as the "Commute Zone." The "Commute Zone" includes areas in northern Fort Bend County, western Harris County, and southern Waller County.
Transportation
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) provides public transportation to the area. Line 75, originally known as The Energy Corridor Connector, operates during weekdays. The line, which began service on January 25, 2010, transports people who work and/or live in the corridor to area businesses and restaurants. People coming from Downtown Houston and Midtown Houston can connect to the 75 connector via 228 Addicks and 229 Kingsland/Addicks through the Addicks Park and Ride. The 75 connector also connects with routes along Westheimer Road and Memorial Drive. In January 2011, the name of the route was changed to 75 Eldridge Crosstown, and the southern terminus of the line was extended to Mission Bend Park and Ride, enabling more convenient connections with the Westchase district and the International Corridor/New Chinatown area.
Two general aviation airports serve the energy corridor. West Houston Airport located in Addicks, Texas, and Houston Executive Airport in unincorporated Waller County, west of The Energy Corridor. The latter was built with the intention for the airport to be patronized by employees of firms in The Energy Corridor.
Education
The Energy Corridor is served by three different school districts.
Houston Independent School District
Residents of the AMLI on Eldridge Parkway, San Paloma, and Village on the Parkway are within the Houston Independent School District. The community is within Trustee District VI, represented by Greg Meyers as of 2008. The Houston ISD residents are zoned to Ray K. Daily Elementary School, West Briar Middle School (with Revere Middle School, a STEM Magnet, as an option), and Westside High School.
Katy Independent School District
The IH-10 / Park Ten east area is zoned to the Katy Independent School District:
The zoned schools are [12]:
For Empirian at Park Row, Heritage at Park Row, Legends at Park Ten, and Park Place Apartments :
- Schmalz Elementary School
For Stone Oak Apartments:
- Wolfe Elementary School
For all IH-10 / Park Ten east sections of The Energy Corridor:
- Mayde Creek Junior High School
- Mayde Creek High School
In addition, the Promenade at Memorial in the Memorial Drive West area is zoned to:
- Wolfe Elementary School
- Memorial Parkway Junior High School
- James E. Taylor High School
Spring Branch Independent School District
The Village on Memorial Townhomes of the Memorial Drive West area is zoned to the Spring Branch Independent School District.
The zoned schools are:
- Nottingham Elementary School
- Spring Forest Middle School
- Stratford High School
Private schools
The current campus of the British International School of Houston (BISH) opened in Greater Katy in September 2016. The school selected the Katy area partly because many BISH students have parents with ties to the Energy Corridor.
Public libraries
The Houston Public Library operates the Kendall Neighborhood Library on Eldridge Parkway, about 1/8 mile south of Memorial Drive. This new facility opened in 2009, replacing a smaller building on Memorial Drive.
Parks and recreation
The City of Houston operates The Energy Corridor Trailhead.
Lake Thicket, which houses armadillos, migratory birds, and opossums, is in The Energy Corridor.
Terry Hershey Park is located in the Energy Corridor, consisting of hiking and running trails alongside the Buffalo Bayou. The park extends from the Sam Houston Beltway (also known as Beltway 8) to State Highway 6.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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