Posted on Jul 31, 2015 in
NEWSWORTHY
A rendering of Imperial Market’s upscale shopping and dining scene.
The historic structures of the former Imperial Sugar refinery will soon be restored and brought back to life as the signature features of Imperial Market, an upscale shopping, dining, entertainment and cultural destination. Construction of the 777,500 square-foot project at U.S. 90 and Highway 6 will begin in late 2015 with a grand opening slated for spring 2017. Imperial Market is being developed by partners Geoffrey Jones and James Murnane, founders of Imperial Market Development, LLC.
Situated along the banks of Oyster Creek within the 720 acre Imperial master-planned community, Imperial Market will encompass 269,600 square feet of upscale retail space and restaurants, some of which will be located in Imperial’s historic Three-Bay Warehouse. The historic, eight-story Char House, built in 1925, will be transformed into a luxury, 120 room Aloft Hotel, where varying floor heights, large windows and the iconic building’s steel and brick structure make it ideal for a boutique hotel experience unlike any other in the Houston area. An adjacent building with 10,000 square feet of conference and meeting space with a fitness center will also be built.
The project design calls for the restoration and relocation of Imperial’s iconic twin smokestacks that will serve as the focal point of the project’s central green space, a 30,000 square-foot linear park with interactive pop-up fountains
and other unique architectural features. The recently restored water tower, the tallest west of the Mississippi River when it was built in 1924, will serve as another landmark within the Imperial Market development. Imperial Market’s massive silos will also be carefully preserved and repurposed for potential retail and restaurant space. “We are deeply respectful of the site’s historical significance and are devoted to creating a shopping, working and living experience where history and commerce seamlessly intersect,” said Geoff Jones, co-developer of the project.
An aerial rendering of Imperial Market.
Imperial Market will also include 86,400 square feet of Class A office space over first-floor retail and 275 luxury-style, multi-family residences to be developed by Sueba USA, one of the nation’s premier multi-family residential developers. In addition, the site will feature the new home of the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center – part of the acclaimed Children’s Museum of Houston – and the Sugar Land Heritage Society Museum, which are expected to attract 150,000 visitors per year.
Site work on the museums is already underway.
Imperial Market will be a short walk or bike ride from the upscale Imperial residential neighborhoods now under construction, which will eventually feature nearly 2,000 new homes. As a convenience to the entire Imperial community, Imperial Market will operate a trolley service with stops in Imperial’s residential neighborhoods, Constellation Field and the adjacent headquarters of Nalco Champion with over 1,000 employees. Free parking for Imperial Market patrons will be available in a convenient, four-level parking garage servicing 1,500 cars in addition to nearly 450 surface and curbside parking spaces. Valet service will also be available on site.
Since reaching agreement to develop the property, the development team has actively worked with municipal and community leaders to ensure this important project is completed in a manner that pays respect to the inherent character of the site while creating jobs and strengthening the local economy. The project’s plans, subject to approval by the City of Sugar Land’s Planning and Zoning Department, have been warmly embraced by city leaders. “The City of Sugar Land enthusiastically supports the project,” said Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson. “It’s a real game changer for the city and Fort Bend County.”
“We took the time to identify the best team with experience in the financing and development of quality, mixed-use projects,” said Doug Goff, chief operating officer for The Johnson Development Corp., developer of the 720 acre Imperial master-planned community. “We’re very impressed with the project design. It’s just the right plan for this site.”
For more information, visit www.ImperialMkt.com.
