Bob Wheless, managing partner for Panattoni's Houston office, says the developer chose to build office space first because industrial distribution space in the area is "drastically overbuilt" right now. He points to the successes of Westway Park and other build-to-suit office buildings as examples of the popularity of Beltway office projects.

The Kirksey Architects' two-story suburban design "responds to the growing demand for cost-effective office facilities with dense parking requirements in Northwest Houston," Wheless emphasized. He says construction took about 6 1/2 months. The design of four pods each about 25,000 sf and 90-foot deep is particularly well suited to the open space needs of engineering firms, financial management businesses and insurance companies as potential tenants. Dena Wren and John Pruitt, both of the Houston office of CB Richard Ellis Inc., hold the leasing assignment.

The Beltway 8 Corporate Office Centre's first phase is located along Sam Houston Parkway between Clay and Tanner roads. Wheless says traffic congestion and highway construction plans for the Galleria and Interstate 10 for the next decade make the Beltway 8 project a good alternative for companies with employees living in the west and northwest suburbs.

Wheless says the rest of the park will be developed as the market demand dictates. The park tentatively is being plotted for 800,000 sf of office space and 500,000 sf of combined flex, tech and research and development space. Panattoni is the developer for the project while MetroNational is the land partner. Southwest Bank of Texas provided the project financing.