Griffin, ACMI Unveil 1.5M SF Exploration Park Development Near Johnson Space Center
ACMI Properties announced that Griffin Partners will co-develop its 1.5M SF purpose-built commercial space innovation hub at NASA’s Exploration Park in the Clear Lake area.
ACMI Properties, an industrial developer of aerospace and national security facilities, said its 207-acre development will support U.S. efforts to return to the moon, reach Mars and expand capabilities in orbit.
Construction on the initial phase of the development will start in the second half of this year, with completion slated for the last quarter of 2026.
“As the number of people visiting, working, and living in space grows, much of the essential technology to enable that exploration and commerce will be born out of companies located at Exploration Park,” ACMI Properties Head of Development Simon Shewmaker said in a press release. “We are seeing a cascade of tenancy interest from companies.”
Griffin Partners is a Houston-based real estate investment firm with a national footprint and expertise in developing industrial and office projects. The co-developers will work with Gensler as the design firm and Walter P Moore as the civil engineer.
“Exploration Park is an exciting opportunity to build a place where ideas for the future of space exploration can take shape,” Fred Griffin, chairman and founder of Griffin Partners, said in the release. “With ACMI and our amazing partners, we’re creating an environment where groundbreaking technologies can be developed and launched.”
The project will have at least 20 build-to-suit facilities designed to support research and development, labs, clean rooms, light manufacturing and offices for sectors like aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robots, life support systems and artificial intelligence. The master plan calls for flexible scaling facilities and a walkable layout tailored for collaboration, according to the release.
JLL’s Richard Quarles, David Holland and Angela Watford are managing leasing efforts on behalf of ACMI.
Exploration Park is a 240-acre campus adjacent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. NASA called for proposals for the development of the underutilized land in 2023, which also attracted the Texas A&M University System.
The university’s 30-acre lease agreement will allow the creation of the Texas A&M Space Institute, which broke ground in November.
CORRECTION, JUNE 5, 11:53 A.M. CT: This original headline for this article has an incorrect dollar figure for the project. The headline has been updated.
