As Houston’s premier makerspace and manufacturing center, the East End Maker Hub caters to local artists, small-batch and industrial manufacturers, and makers of all types. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, the Hub is divided into various sections to serve specific types of makers: crafters, innovators, light manufacturers and heavy manufacturers. The $37 million, 300,000-square-foot new development is minutes from downtown Houston in the historic East End community and is scheduled to complete Phase 1 of construction in summer 2020.
Houston-based manufacturing incubator, TXRX Labs, will occupy roughly 60,000 square feet of the East End Maker Hub. As part of a collaborative community, all tenants of the Maker Hub have access to TXRX resources including state-of-the-art prototyping and manufacturing equipment, instructional classes, and on-site technical support.
“In the midst of COVID-19, commercial tenants need more than what the mundane traditional rental unit offers. The East End Maker Hub provides affordable rental agreements, built-to-suit space, access to tools and equipment, and the ability to train and hire residents from the local East End community, providing job opportunity and economic stimulation to the area,” Patrick Ezzell, President of Urban Partnerships Community Development Corp., said. “As the real estate industry works to navigate a new normal, the Maker Hub is paving the way for inventive and contemporary lease spaces.”
The Waste Management Research and Development team has also signed on as a tenant and will lease space for their team of engineers to work on cutting-edge hardware technologies for operations. In addition to entities like TXRX Labs and the Waste Management R&D team, the East End Maker Hub is the ideal home for entrepreneurs specializing in manufacturing, coding, crafting, sculpting, glassblowing, woodworking, wearables and industrial automation.
“As the City works to strengthen the local economy by creating a strong and sustainable innovation ecosystem, TXRX co-locating in the East End Maker Hub
is a game-changer for an economically challenged neighborhood,” Roland von Kurnatowski, President of TXRX Labs, said, adding, “This is the perfect bridge between economic resilience and community revitalization.”
TXRX Labs invested $1.25 million in equity into the project and UP CDC raised the additional $35.75 million capital required for the project through New Market Tax Credits (NMTCs), project funding partners, the City of Houston and the US Economic Development Administration. The Maker Hub is expected to create over 400 new jobs for the region for local manufacturers, artisans, makers and innovators. NMTCs were provided by a Research Park, the People Fund, and Mccormack, Baron, Salazar.
The East End Maker Hub is now accepting leasing applications for tenants. Individuals interested in acquiring lease space with the East End Maker Hub should visit https://eastendmakerhub.org/lease/ for more information.
