History New
A Strategic Vision. Six Decades in the Making.
In 1959, MetroNational’s founder, Joseph Johnson, purchased approximately 200 acres off of Gessner Road, a raw acreage over 10-miles from Houston central business district. Joe felt there was potential for the area, and that instinct proved prophetic. In 1962, MetroNational started developing a ‘city-within-a city’ known as Memorial City. After the Memorial City Shopping Center opened in 1966, Joe focused on other amenities that the community would need including multi-family, offices, additional retail, and medical facilities – which resulted in the opening of the Memorial City General Hospital in 1971.
What began as a vision over 60 years ago is now a premier mixed-use development consisting of almost 10-million square feet of developed real estate extending across 300 contiguous acres. Memorial City is a blend of LEED-certified Class A office space; retail, including the 1.7-million square foot Memorial City Mall; garden and high-rise residential living; upscale hotel accommodations including The Westin Memorial City and Hotel ZaZa Memorial City; and the Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center.
Timeline
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1954
MetroNational Corporation founded by Joseph J. Johnson
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1959
Memorial City established - 200 acres of land purchased in West Houston
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1966
Grand opening of the Memorial City Shopping Center, which included Sears, Weingartens, and Montgomery Ward
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1971
Memorial City Apartments completed with 418 units
Memorial City General Hospital completed with 300 beds, as well as surgical, recovery, intensive care, X-ray, pathology, obstetrical, nursery, emergency, outpatient, and pharmacy units
Professional Building I completed, totaling 70,000 square feet of professional office space
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1973
Katy Freeway Retail Shopping Center I completed, adding 54,208 square feet of retail space
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1980
Shops II at Memorial City completed, adding 39,422 square feet of retail space
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1981
Professional Building II completed, adding 206,329 square feet of professional office space
One Memorial City Plaza completed, adding 235,904 square feet of office
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1983
Memorial City Hospital North Tower phase I completed, adding 71,205 square feet of hospital space
Two Memorial City Plaza completed with 369,932 square feet of office space
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1986
9801 Katy Freeway acquired
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1988
Memorial City Place acquired, adding 153,130 square feet of office space
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1992
The Terrace at Memorial City senior living community completed with 576 units
Memorial City Hospital North Tower phase II completed, adding 82,523 square feet of hospital space
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1994
Master lease signed with Memorial Hospital System for Memorial City Hospital and the North Tower
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1998
9525 Katy Freeway acquired with 98,861 square feet of office space
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1999
Three Memorial City Plaza completed, adding 329,203 square feet of office space
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2001
9801 Katy Freeway completed
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2002
Dillard’s purchases its property and enters Memorial City Mall
Katy Freeway Retail Shopping Center II acquired, adding 84,000 square feet of retail space
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2003
Memorial Medical Center East Tower completed with 334,137 square feet of space for hospital facilities, including an emergency room, Heart and Vascular care, and critical care units
Professional Building III completed, adding 226,171 square feet of professional office space
Memorial City Mall renovation completed, including a competition ice skating rink, expanded food court, Italian hand-made carousel, and a 13-screen theater
Benignus Plaza acquired with 61,320 of retail space
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2004
Memorial Village Townhomes completed and sold with 28 units
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2005
Remainder of Bunker Hill area acquired for MetroNational's next redevelopment opportunity in West Houston
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2006
Professional Building IV completed, adding 148,500 square feet of professional medical office space
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2009
Landmark Memorial Hermann Tower completed, adding 900,000 square feet of office and medical office space to Memorial City, with the signature crown atop the building
920 Memorial City Way completed, adding 320,000 square feet of office space
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2010
The Fountains at Memorial City luxury apartments completed with 114 units
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2011
The Westin Memorial City hotel completed with 262 rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting and conference space
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2012
945 Bunker Hill completed, allowing for the relocation of Nexen Corporation from Plano to Houston and adding 320,000 square feet of office space
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2013
9805 Katy Freeway - known as the Murphy Building - completed, adding 320,000 square feet of office space to Memorial City
Chase Call Center acquired with 235,200 square feet of office space
Memorial City Village completed with 10,956 square feet of retail space
Gateway Memorial City completed, adding 90,000 square feet of retail space
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2014
The Treehouse Memorial City completed, housing MetroNational's development office and first floor restaurant space, Liberty Kitchen (2016)
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2016
9807 and 9811 Katy Freeway completed – known as the Air Liquide Center – adding 597,000 square feet of office and retail space
The Square at Memorial City completed, providing a state-of-the art greenspace at Memorial City Mall for events, concerts and festivals
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2017
10100 Katy Freeway completed – MetroNational’s first new Memorial City development north of I-10 - adding 240,000 square feet of office space
2017
Hotel ZaZa Memorial City completed – A luxury boutique hotel with 159 well-appointed rooms and suites, ZaSpa, and 11,250 square feet of meeting space
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2018
The McCarthy completed – 133-unit luxury high-rise apartment complex atop the Hotel ZaZa Memorial City
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2019
The McAdams at Memorial City opens. The 8-story luxury midrise apartment complex is comprised of 333 units
2019
MetroNational announces expansion north of I-10 with Kirby Ice House, Torchy's Tacos and Mia's Table
2019
MetroNational breaks ground on The McKinley Memorial City, a 25-story luxury residential highrise
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2020
MetroNational breaks ground on 9753 Katy Freeway, a 9-story Class A office building