The price of oil is painting Houston red, nowhere more so than the Energy Corridor, where many large energy companies have major footprints. But panelists at Bisnow’s Future Of The Energy Corridor event delved into why they are still cautiously optimistic about the area.

Energy Corridor District president/Wolff Cos EVP David Hightower has worked tirelessly to ensure the Energy Corridor remains competitive. David sees the Energy Corridor as part of the greater West Houston area, with the Energy Corridor being its central business district. The area containing Memorial City, Westway Park, Westchase and City Centre is the largest concentration of employment in the Houston metro. 38% of the Houston metro population lives with a 30-minute commute of the Energy Corridor. It’s predicted that by 2025, the population epicenter of the Houston metro will be near Barker-Cypress and I-10 as Houston continues to move west.

Our first panel, from left to right: Moderator Jessica Holoubek, senior attorney at Allen Boone Humphries Robinson; Maryanne Maldonado, COO at Houston Technology Center; Janet Sisolak, director of major capital projects with MD Anderson; and the Energy Corridor District's GM, Clark Martinson. 

A major reason for the optimism in the Energy Corridor is the continued development of the area. Clark, who's been working as a city planner around Houston since the '80s, says major infrastructure improvements are underway. With more of the Grand Parkway opening and the completion of Park Row to connect Eldridge to Katy, the area's excellent mobility continues to improve. Clark also pointed out that the Houston Metro has completely revamped its service in the Energy Corridor, now offering service seven days a week and providing access to a circulator that will connect the Energy Corridor to the Greater Houston Area.

Janet Sisolak, pictured above between Wolff Cos president David Wolf and David Hightower, says MD Anderson has been making efforts to provide regional care to its patients for 15 years. Its data shows patients would much rather travel further than into the congested and confusing city. That’s why MD Anderson purchased land in the Energy Corridor’s Central Park in 2010 and plans to invest $160M on a new 175k SF facility. Janet says the ability for long-term patients from all over Texas to be able to receive treatment in the amenity-laden Energy Corridor is a major draw for MD Anderson.

Maryanne, seen here with Airwavz Solutions' Jay Cutler and Houston Technology Center's Mike Mueller, hopes to spark more innovation and entrepreneurship in the area. She announced the Houston Technology Center, in partnership with the Society of Petroleum Engineers, will begin building a presence in the Energy Corridor to vet, mentor and incubate early-stage tech companies. The Houston Technology Center is working with a portfolio of 75 companies at its locations in The Woodlands and Johnson Space Center.

What’s true for our economy as a whole is true for the Energy Corridor: things are changing. Flexibility and adapting to change are the biggest challenges. With diversified projects outside of the energy sector, there's a silver lining to the clouds covering the area. The Energy Corridor's communications director, Joshua Bowie, pictured above with panel moderator Jessica Holoubek said it best, "Change-making happens when people fall in love with a different version of the future." (He's a poet at heart.)