Southwest Freeway in Three Adjectives
Getting Around the Southwest Freeway Area in Houston
The Southwest Freeway region as we define it runs from its intersection with Loop 610, past Bellaire, through Sharpstown, and into Sugar Land. It is intersected by Sam Houston Parkway and U.S. Route 90 Alternate, giving you quick access into and out of the area. You’re also near Westpark Tollway, the first fully electronic toll road in the United States.
As the most popular stretch of freeway in Houston, US-59 has its share of traffic during rush hours, but that can translate into foot traffic and customers for those who rent near the Southwest Freeway.
The Scoop on the Neighbors
For a relatively small segment of land, Southwest Freeway business space has a lot going on. Sharpstown’s Arena Place, off US-59 and Bellaire Boulevard, features twin 21-story towers flanking a 2,850-seat performance theater. The complex is breathing new life into the Southwest Houston market with more than $16 million in capital improvements since 2007.
The area is also home to two malls offering very different shopping experiences. Sharpstown Mall morphed into PlazAmericas, a Latin American-themed shopping center serving the Hispanic and Latino markets. The shopping center has a unique blend of retail, dining, entertainment, kiosks, and the 80,000-square-foot El Mercado, which features a variety of vendors selling food, clothing, novelties, and professional services. The other major mall in the Southwest Freeway area, First Colony Mall, has more than 140 stores, including anchors JCPenney, Dillard’s and Macy’s.
Bellaire office space is home to Frost Bank’s Houston-area offices as well as AT&T Inc.’s Houston headquarters, Chevron, CenterPoint Energy and the Foundation Surgical Hospital. In Sugar Land, you’ll find – surprise! – the headquarters of Imperial Sugar, in addition to Fortune 500 company CVR Energy, Inc. Petroleum exploration and refining also have a presence in the Houston suburb, which is one of the fastest-growing and most affluent cities in the state.
Southwest Freeway by the Numbers
- Approximately 390,000 square feet of office space in each of the two Arena Place tower
- 330,000 vehicles daily on US-59 just outside Loop 610 (2006 estimate)
- 15 million shoppers annually at First Colony Mall
- 1.12 million square feet of retail space in First Colony Mall
- 100+ stores at PlazAmericas
- Approximately $113,000 median family income in Sugar Land
- 80,000 residents in Sugar Land
- 16,000 residents in Bellaire
