Rice Plans $75M Arc Research Building at Ion District

Rice Real Estate Company, working with Lincoln Property Co., is preparing to begin construction on The Arc, a seven-story research and development building in Midtown Houston. The project totals 200,000 square feet and carries a $75 million budget, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation. Work is expected to start in November.

Rice University will occupy space in the building, including its planned AI Foundry, and is a lead tenant. The building will offer office and lab space at Main Street and Eagle Street, and Transwestern is handling leasing.

The Arc sits within the Ion District, a 16-acre innovation hub that Rice created on several blocks near Main Street, Wheeler Avenue and Fannin Street. The district is served by the Metro Rail line, roughly a mile south of downtown from the university. Earlier phases include a converted 1939 Sears store at 4201 Main Street and Greentown Labs, a climate technology hub.

Designed by HKS, the building will include a ground-floor lobby, retail, a gym and a yoga studio, with six levels of office and lab space above and parking below. Completion is expected in early 2028.

For developers and lenders, the project signals continued institutional demand for lab-enabled space in Houston's innovation corridors, and a clear construction timeline to track.