Woodlands Executive
Office Suites, Texas
Woodlands Executive
Office Suites - The Woodlands was founded by George P. Mitchell in 1974, who changed ownership of The Woodlands in the 1990's to a joint partnership between Morgan Stanley and Crescent Real Estate Equities. In January of 2004, Crescent sold their interest in The Woodlands to the Rouse Company, a development company familiar with master-planned communities. In 2004, the Rouse Company was sold to General Growth Properties Inc., another shopping mall developer.
The Woodlands was originally financed in part under a $50 million dollar development loan guaranteed by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pursuant to the Title VII of the Housing Act of 1970 (New Communities Assistance Program.) The Woodlands was one of the few financially successful developments under this program and one of the few which repaid the government guaranteed loan.
The original planning of The Woodlands utilized many of the planning concepts and design consultants employed in other well regarded new communities of that era such as Columbia Maryland and Irvine Ranch California. The original development plan for The Woodlands was distinctive in that it incorporated many of the environmental design principals espoused by Ian McHarg, a distinguished landscape architect, teacher and author of the seminal work "Design With Nature."
The Woodlands is growing up as a formidable community, as many companies are moving to The Woodlands, such as Anadarko, Hewitt Associates, Lexicon Genetics, Mærsk Sealand, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and Chicago Bridge & Iron. The Woodlands Town Center area includes shopping and eating facilities, plus a waterway reminiscent of San Antonio's River Walk. Under construction in the area are more upscale retail and restaurants, as well as several urban residential developments.
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