Howard Hughes Breaks Ground on Houston-Area Project

Howard Hughes has commenced construction on The Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Woodlands, a 111-unit luxury condominium project in The Woodlands, Texas.

The new development will feature the first stand-alone Ritz-Carlton condos in the state, with 69 percent of its residences presold. Douglas Elliman Development Marketing is the project’s exclusive sales and marketing agent.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the 15-story tower is being built on the last available large-scale site for residential development on Lake Woodlands. The project will feature 39 unique floorplans, including garden residences and penthouses.

Sales launched in March and closed the first quarter of 2024 with more than half of the residences presold at record pries per square foot for the Houston market, according to a company statement. In April, the developer had reached $250 million in sales during the opening week, according to the company’s website.

A closer look at the first Ritz-Carlton condo project in Texas

Residences will come in one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom floorplans, featuring high ceilings, gallery walls and bay windows, oak wood flooring, as well as outdoor terraces and loggias in select residences. Kitchens will include custom RAMSA-designed Italian cabinetry, designer lighting, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, quartzite countertops, while bathrooms will feature porcelain wall tiles and flooring, as well as free-standing soaking bathtubs.

Developed on 8 acres, The Ritz-Carlton Residences project will include 15,000 square feet of indoor wellness-focused amenities such as a grand lobby, a mail room, an office space, a library, a clubhouse, a fitness center with sauna, locker rooms and treatment rooms and sports simulator rooms, among other features. Additionally, the condominium project will include 3 acres of outdoor amenities that will include dining bungalows with outdoor kitchens, a garden, a resort-style swimming pool, a bocce ball court, a pickleball court, a dog park and residential parking. The property will also include approximately 1,200 feet of lakefront shoreline for resident use.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences is being developed within The Woodlands, a 28,500-square-foot master-planned community already home to 123,000 residents and celebrating 50 years. The Woodlands is within 21 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, 31 miles from downtown Houston and 50 miles from Sugar Land, Texas.

Condo projects coming to Texas

Since the start of the year, multiple condominium projects have been announced in Texas. In February, Northwind Group provided $111 million in construction financing for The Hawthorne, a 67-unit luxury condo building in Houston’s Tanglewood neighborhood. A joint venture between Pelican Builders and Ember Group is developing the project.

Northland Living also announced plans to develop Luminary, a 35-story condo tower in Austin, Texas. The 286-unit project is designed to rise 400 feet and to become one of the tallest buildings in the city’s downtown area.