HOUSTON-As part of its mission to serve under-employed areas of the city through job training and placement services, HoustonWorks USA has signed a 10-year, 21,768-sf lease for a new job placement service location.
The 12710 Bissonnet property previously was a Pep Boys auto center. According to Shawn Ackerman with Henry S. Miller Commercial's Houston office, the tenant is investing about $40 per sf into renovating the space into a regional training hub. The facility will be ready to occupy in the first quarter. HoustonWorks USA, a nonprofit organization with multiple locations throughout the area, provides job placement, continuing education and vocational services for lower-income job seekers.
"Rather than being in the back of a shopping center, this location provided the tenant with more visibility, more brand identity and their own parking lot," Ackerman says. "They believe they'll help more people if they're right there, on the main drag."
Ackerman, the tenant's broker, tells GlobeSt.com that the going rate for the building was $7 per sf, triple net. "We came in a little lower than that, mainly because the tenant said they'd take it as is," he says, adding negotiations were done directly with building owner, Post Avenue Commons LLC of New York City.
"We looked at a lot of sites. We looked everywhere, but ultimately they chose this location because of the demographics here," Ackerman says. "They wanted to be in a location where they could be of most help. And, they felt they could do the most good in this market."
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