The developer's initial phase calls for an 11,906-sf spec office building. Don Janssen of Sugarland Properties tells GlobeSt.com the building will ultimately house between five and six tenants and is currently 55% pre-leased. Janssen says the big picture is to develop at least four owner-occupied buildings, designed with 3,000 sf to 11,000 sf. To date, Sugarland Properties has one of those buildings under contract, a letter of intent for another and two in negotiation stages with prospective users. According to Janssen, more medical professionals are leaning toward ownership because it's generally more economical than leasing.

The flagship building will be constructed on 1.4 acres. It will deliver in May 2002. Janssen says building and land will carry price ranges of $165 per sf to $210 per sf.

Sugarland Properties also is the developer of the 9,700-acre First Colony, a master-planned residential community in the region. Ft. Bend County's town of Sugar Land has been a steady gainer in population for a decade, boosting the head count 5.7% annually. Sugar Land now has 354,452 residents. The medical campus is positioned in the First Colony section of Sugar Land. That section of town has nearly 46,000 residents, 1.5 million sf of office space and two million sf of industrial space.