HOUSTON, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACMI Properties (“ACMI”), a national industrial developer of mission-critical aerospace and national security facilities, today announced several major milestones in the advancement of its 207-acre Exploration Park development on NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. ACMI selected Griffin Partners as a new co-development partner, Gensler as the design firm for the project, and Walter P Moore as the civil engineering firm for the pioneering campus.
As the United States increases efforts to return to the Moon, reach Mars, and expand capabilities in orbit, the need for commercially driven innovation has never been greater. Exploration Park is being developed as the nation’s premier hub to accelerate this next era of exploration — a place where breakthrough technologies are conceived, built, and launched to support America’s leadership in space. KBR, a global leader in science, technology and engineering solutions, will serve as one of the anchor tenants at Exploration Park, establishing a strong foundation for the campus’ commercial ecosystem.
“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,” said Simon Shewmaker, Head of Development at ACMI Properties. “We are seeing a cascade of tenancy interest from companies and are thrilled to be working alongside Griffin Partners and leading architecture and engineering firms to bring the project to life.”
Griffin Partners, a Houston-based real estate investment firm with a national footprint and deep expertise in developing successful industrial and office projects, was selected as a strategic partner for the development at Exploration Park, bringing operational scale and precision to the delivery of aerospace, manufacturing, and science facilities.
“Exploration Park is an exciting opportunity to build a place where ideas for the future of space exploration can take shape,” said Fred Griffin, Chairman and Founder of Griffin Partners. “With ACMI and our amazing partners, we’re creating an environment where groundbreaking technologies can be developed and launched.” Travis Covington, President of Development at Griffin Partners adds, “We create spaces where innovation and collaboration can thrive. Our team is committed to turning this vision into reality by delivering best-in-class facilities that empower our partners to do their best work.”
ACMI also announced the selection of key partners for the site’s development, including world-renowned architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler and leading global engineering and consulting firm Walter P Moore as the civil engineer. Gensler brings over 60 years of design leadership and a research-driven, client-focused approach. Leveraging deep local expertise and an established relationship with NASA, Gensler delivers flexible, phased solutions that adapt to evolving requirements and advance ACMI’s strategic vision. Walter P Moore brings nearly a century of expertise designing some of the world’s most innovative structures, leveraging cutting-edge technologies essential to the success off visionary projects like Exploration Park.
“Gensler is excited to partner with ACMI and Griffin on the vision for Exploration Park,” said Lucian Nesline, Principal at Gensler Houston. “This collaboration allows us to strategically tap into our advanced manufacturing, science and technology design expertise to help build a dynamic environment that fosters innovation in research and development.”
“Exploration Park represents a significant step in advancing emerging technologies connected to NASA’s Johnson Space Center,” said Charlie Penland, Managing Principal at Walter P Moore. “We are excited to contribute our engineering expertise as part of this collaborative team effort to help bring ACMI’s vision to life in the Clear Lake community.”
Exploration Park is being purpose-built to be a premier hub for commercial space innovation and a global center of excellence for human spaceflight, supporting missions to Mars, the Moon, and orbit, with at least 20 build-to-suit facilities on a campus that can accommodate at least 1.5 million square feet. Designed to support R&D, labs, clean rooms, offices, and light manufacturing, the park will serve key sectors such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, robotics, life support systems, AI and other technologies critical to human spaceflight, space commerce, and exploration. JLL’s Richard Quarles, David Holland, and Angela Watford are managing leasing efforts at Exploration Park on behalf of ACMI.
ACMI Properties also unveiled new conceptual renderings of Exploration Park’s master plan, featuring flexible scaling facilities and a walkable layout aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation. Construction on the initial phase is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025, with completion of phase one anticipated in Q4 2026. Strategically located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Exploration Park is positioned to become a cornerstone of America’s future in space innovation.
About ACMI Properties
ACMI Properties is an industrial development firm focused on the industrial development of mission-critical facilities and innovation clusters to meet the growing onshoring needs of advanced manufacturing companies. ACMI Properties caters to the unique requirements of advanced manufacturing companies in the national security and aerospace industries, with a focus on specialized technologies such as propulsion systems, critical chemicals, hypersonics, space systems, energetics, and scaled manufacturing among others. ACMI Properties is the property development affiliate of the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI). For more information, visit acmiproperties.com.
About Griffin Partners
Griffin Partners is a commercial real estate investment, development, and property management firm founded in 1980 by Fred Griffin. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Griffin Partners has cumulatively acquired or developed over 19 million square feet of space across more than 85 projects comprised of 124 individual properties, with an aggregate value that exceeds $2.6 billion. The company owns and operates properties throughout Texas, North Carolina, Colorado, and Tennessee. For more information on Griffin Partners, visit www.griffinpartners.com.
About Gensler
At Gensler, the value of our work stems from its positive impact on the human experience. We are a dynamic and collaborative design firm uniting creativity, research, and innovation to solve complex problems for our clients. Our work challenges conventional ideas about architecture and the built environment. We aren’t just designing buildings — we are reimagining cities and places that make a difference in people’s lives. Founded in 1965, Gensler has built a team of 6,000 professionals who partner with clients in over 100 countries each year. Everything we do is guided by our mission: to create a better world through the power of design.
About Walter P Moore
Walter P Moore is an international company of engineers, innovators, and creative people who solve some of the world’s most complex structural and infrastructure challenges. Providing structural, diagnostics, civil, traffic, parking, transportation, enclosure, and construction engineering services, they design solutions that are cost- and resource-efficient, forward-thinking, and help support and shape communities worldwide. Founded in 1931, Walter P Moore‘s 1,000+ professionals work across 24 U.S. offices and eight international locations.
Media Contact:
Karen Hamill
Communications Strategy Group (CSG)
khamill@wearecsg.com
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