THE HISTORY OF WESTCHASE

Houston’s premier business address has grown out of land once owned by one of Houston’s prominent citizens.

Bob Smith, well-known rancher and Houston philanthropist, is perhaps best known for bringing the Houston Colt .45s – later the Astros – to Houston. Back then, the Smith family ranching empire stretched west of downtown. Westheimer was a two-lane road and Gessner didn’t go south of Richmond. But early developers looked beyond the cattle grazing on the property and envisioned what the area could become.

In 1969, Friendswood Development (a division of Exxon) purchased the land at Westheimer and Gessner to create what is today known as Woodlake. And in 1973, the Westchase Corporation followed suit and purchased 760 acres of land from the Smith family.

Then, as now, solid infrastructure and long-range planning were key to the area’s success. Both Woodlake and Westchase enacted protective covenants on landscaping, architecture and setbacks. They established funded community associations to enforce the covenants and maintain quality of life.

Apartment communities, retail developments and major corporations began relocating to the area. Western Geophysical and Chevron were among the first big names to move in to here.

When the Sam Houston Parkway opened in 1988, access to this fast-growing urban area was greatly improved.

With the creation of the Westchase District in 1995, the area’s ability to shape its destiny was assured. The District has assumed many of the roles of the original developers, including marketing, planning and infrastructure development.

The Westchase area is steeped in Houston’s history.  Click here to read more.