HOUSTON – (By Michelle Leigh Smith for Realty News Report) – Downtown Houston has not seen a public luxury wellness and fitness destination like this since the Texas Club opened in the early 1980s. Midway’s revitalized GreenStreet debuts Life Time at 1201 Main on June 10, a meticulously designed facility featuring creamy tile floors, cold plunge pools, saunas, steam rooms and expansive cycle studios built to accommodate large classes. The center pairs a 62,224-square-foot wellness and spa area with a 29,000-square-foot coworking environment outfitted with Herman Miller sit-to-stand desks, private offices, conference rooms and comfortable community spaces.
“We are pleased to continue our 15-year relationship with Life Time as we welcome Life Time and Life Time Work to GreenStreet,” said Brad Freels, Chairman and CEO of Midway. “It’s wonderful when we are able to partner with companies who share our vision and passion for creating places that engage people in their daily lives. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative we continue to offer our employees and visitors options that promote health, wellness and flexible workspace, and we believe Life Time is the perfect addition to GreenStreet.”
Coworking pricing begins at $462 per month for a 6×4-foot desk within lounge areas, and each co-working membership also includes a Diamond Premiere fitness membership. The Office Resident membership, starting at $525 monthly, includes a private office sized for a small team and furnished with sit-to-stand Herman Miller desks and lockable file cabinets. Corporate membership options are available for companies up to 25 people, and memberships can be arranged on flexible 30-day, 90-day or annual contracts.
High ceilings lend the workspace a sense of openness, while premium lighting and soft seating create a refined, practical setting. Acoustic treatments and subtle ambient sound help maintain privacy for phone calls and Zoom meetings, improving the work experience in a busy urban environment.
“You can have an office for two people or up to 16 people,” said James O’Reilly, President of Life Time Work. “This is our sixth wellness/workout facility in the United States and we plan to double that over the next two years, primarily in suburban communities where we can serve the underserved. If you travel for work, you can use any other Life Work facility at no extra charge.” The company’s three Canadian clubs in Mississauga, Woodbridge and Ajax, Ontario, remained closed at the time due to COVID-19 impacts.
Natalie Bushaw, Life Time’s Senior Director of Public Relations, traveled in advance to coordinate tours for founding members and media. When asked about the design process, she explained, “We do it all inside Life Time. We have a whole team of designers, architects and engineers in our property development department.” Life Time is headquartered in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
GreenStreet represents a strategic urban location for the 25-year-old Life Time brand, which operates primarily in suburban markets; most of its 158 properties are outside dense downtown cores. Midway’s four-block GreenStreet complex sits in the heart of Houston’s Central Business District and is being reimagined as an urban campus.
Previously operating as the Houston Pavilions, GreenStreet spans from Main Street to Caroline Street and offers about 420,000 square feet of office space alongside a variety of restaurants. Midway and investment partner Lionstone aim to cultivate a vibrant urban campus that integrates culture, community and commerce.
The Life Spa stocks premium brands such as Aveda, Coola and Vivier. Spa services include 30-minute massages starting at $50 and express manicures priced from $20. Guests receive amenities not typically found at community YMCAs: complimentary towels, whirlpools, lockers and luxury dressing rooms.
“Life Time GreenStreet will be an urban country club for Downtown Houston, meeting the changing needs of consumers—especially as they establish their post-pandemic live, work and play lifestyle,” said Bahram Akradi, Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO. “The Midway team has done a phenomenal job of reimagining what urban living can be with culture, creativity and innovation, and we’re ready to add the healthy way of life aspect through both our athletic club offerings and how people spend their time working.”
Life Time GreenStreet can be accessed from the tower lobby on levels two and three, connecting Polk Street to the GreenStreet Lawn—an open, programmed space for live music and community events. The new downtown Life Time is the company’s 11th club in the Houston market and offers an upscale, welcoming environment focused on health and well-being at a time when those priorities are especially important. Houston’s strong corporate presence supports that focus: the metro area houses 24 companies ranked on the 2021 Fortune 500 list, placing Houston just behind New York and Chicago in the number of Fortune 500 headquarters.
Life Time also operates three facilities in New York City, with additional New York locations planned, and maintains a significant presence in the greater Chicago area.
“Along with Midway we are extremely confident in the impact GreenStreet will have in this downtown area,” said Bushaw.
Located at 1201 Main Street, Life Time GreenStreet will be open seven days a week. Life Time Work is located at 1201 Fannin.
June 10, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
For more about Texas real estate, check out the book Houston 2020: America’s Boom Town – An Extreme Close Up by Ralph Bivins.
File: GreenStreet Opens New Wellness Facility