PAGEWOOD and Wile Interests Announce Plans for Contiguous 10-Block Mixed-Use Redevelopment in East Downtown

A collection of warehouses will be transformed into a bustling, pedestrian-friendly hub for Houstonians and visitors with new restaurants, retail, office, brewery, parks, public art and more

HOUSTON, TX – November 13, 2023 – PAGEWOOD and Wile Interests, both Houston-based real estate owners, operators, and developers, in a joint venture together announced plans for East Blocks— a new mixed-use development planned to transform a neighborhood of mid-20th century warehouses beginning at McKinney Street and Hutchins Street into a district of walkable restaurants, shops, office and green space located at the heart of Houston’s dynamic East Downtown neighborhood, known as EaDo.

“We know EaDo deserves a dynamic destination with a unique mix of the best shopping, dining, and office available in the city,” said Paul Coonrod, Founder and Managing Principal of PAGEWOOD. “East Blocks, a project that is 50 years in the making, will be a pedestrian-friendly hub full of chef-driven restaurants, unique retail boutiques, creative office space, and parks with art for the local community and those visiting downtown and the nearby stadiums to gather.”

The contiguous 10-block mixed-use redevelopment, organized on multiple city streets adjacent to Downtown Houston and highly walkable to the city’s premier sports and entertainment venues, will be a multi-phase development built over the span of 3 years. Upon phase 1 completion, East Blocks will feature nearly 513,000 square feet of mixed-use space including 196,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 112,000 square feet of office space and 205,000 square feet of parking with roughly 650 parking spaces. Over four connected full city blocks of green space—former railways turned into activated gathering and event promenades, will connect multiple buildings and enhance the neighborhood’s community.

“By almost every measure, it would be easier to demolish and redevelop these blocks from a clean slate,” said Randolph Wile, President of Wile Interests. “Instead, we, along with our architects, engineers and land planners, chose to embrace the charm and authenticity that is EaDo, and adapt the 80-year-old warehouses to meet code requirements and the desired uses.”

Designed by architecture, design and planning firm Gensler, the East Blocks architecture pays homage to its industrial railway roots and is characterized by a mix of materials including steel, brick, concrete, glass, and stucco, celebrating the existing warehouse structure. An overbuild above the existing structure houses new state-of-the-art office spaces providing a dramatic solution and sweeping downtown views. 

East Blocks will feature an open-air alleyway concept utilizing architectural moments from the existing warehouse shells, odes to the neighborhood’s rail history, and lively new social settings to connect three of the buildings along Hutchins and McKinney Street. To enhance retail and restaurant storefronts on the ground level, oversized openings featuring new glass storefronts in the warehouse facades have been designed to flood the spaces with natural light to engage with the street scene. Outdoor seating patios have been designed to encourage an all-day café culture and to provide a physical connection to the adjacent street scene.

To rethink the pedestrian experience, the project’s world-renowned landscape architect and urban designer, SWA, has designed a robust landscape plan that creates a safe and walkable, urban environment. Over-sized walkways, shaded awnings, mature trees, street lighting, and a collection of seating areas characterize the exterior East Blocks experience. Native plants have been selected to fill the plant beds along the walkways and the existing Bastrop promenade will be transformed into a lush greenspace designed for picnics, farmer’s markets, fitness classes, children’s events, and more.

Focused on providing premier multimodal transportation, East Blocks will feature a dedicated walking and biking loop connecting the district to downtown and the Colombia Tap hike & bike trails that run from EaDo throughout the East End. Abundant parking for bikes has been thoughtfully designed for ease of access.

“Our teams are working diligently to infuse the diversity and personality found across Houston at East Blocks, while also making it a truly walkable and bikeable destination the city has yet to see. Once complete, visitors can expect a dynamic destination with unique retail, restaurants and office space paired with local art, events with sport teams and charities, and experiences that highlight Houston’s position as a global, first-class city,” continued Coonrod.

8th Wonder Brewery, an East Downtown beer brewery, and Pitch 25, one of Houston’s premier urban beer garden concepts, are the first retail tenants at East Blocks and will continue to operate within the new district.

Phase 1 construction is scheduled to begin in second quarter of 2024. Blue Ox Group is managing East Blocks’ retail and restaurant leasing, while PAGEWOOD is handling the office leasing.