New Broadcast Facility to Adapt to Fast-Paced Media World

The building will be specially equipped to go live from anywhere on site.

HOUSTON—Construction is underway on a 60,000-square-foot office building for KPRC Channel 2 , Houston’s NBC affiliate. Located at 8181 Southwest Freeway in Southwest Houston’s Sharpstown District , KPRC’s new headquarters will house all aspects of the broadcast business and more than 180 employees, says KDC , a commercial real estate development and investment firm. Marc Flores , KDC vice president, tells GlobeSt.com: “The broadcast industry operates on the leading edge of technology, so it is exciting to be developing this next generation broadcast facility for KPRC. It will provide a competitive edge for employees operating at a fast pace where speed and accuracy make a difference.” It is being built 15 feet away from KPRC’s existing broadcast station, allowing critical utilities to be relocated while the station remains active. Completion is slated for February 2017. The facility will have two new studios with supporting control rooms for broadcasting live news programs and the building is specially equipped to go live from anywhere on site. A 9,000-square-foot newsroom will be built as an open concept with 14-foot ceilings and exterior windows, giving employees a view into a courtyard that includes seating areas and an outdoor kitchen that will be used for live broadcasts and employee events. “We are excited to be moving to the construction phase of our new 21st century news studio and we can’t wait to move in early next year,” said Jerry Martin , KPRC vice president and general manager. KPRC’s new facility will have a two-story atrium and staircase in the center of the building to provide natural light and a central meeting location. Additional space will be allocated for the sales department, creative services department, and a new equipment room to process and store all of the network’s data. Corgan is the project architect, DPR Construction is the general contractor, Bury is the civil engineer, AG&E is the structural engineer, Telios is the MEP engineer and the office of James Burnett is the landscape architect.