Two Small Office Deals Garner OKs

HOUSTON-Zenith Properties has signed two new tenants for office buildings along Richmond Avenue in the Westchase submarket.

Henderson Engineers took a 2,323-sf spot at 11111 Richmond Ave. The 93,000-sf building is 20 years old. Ace Schlameus and Jay Kyle, both of the Houston office of Grubb & Ellis Co., represented the building owners in both leases. Rick Byer with Century 21 Executive bargained the terms for Kansas-based Henderson Engineers.

Also, Skypass Travel Inc. leased 1,422 sf at 10850 Richmond Ave. in a deal negotiated by Keller Williams Realty. The Houston-based travel agency is moving from 6100 Westheimer Rd. into a 19-year-old, 96,122-sf building. It currently is 96% occupied, leasing for $16.50 per sf annually.

The Westchase submarket is seemingly performing better these days despite several quarters of negative absorption. Grubb & Ellis reports the submarket, which has nearly 10 million sf of office space, absorbed 100,789 sf by midyear. Rent averages $21.70 per sf for class A space and $17.40 for class B space.