# Ion

Houston, TX · big-box · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `n-b23ed49f8c` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/big-box/tx/houston-ion/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-b23ed49f8c.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/n-b23ed49f8c.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/n-b23ed49f8c

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | built | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, reinhabit | none |
| New use | education, office, other, retail | none |
| What is there now | technology park and innovation district central hub with coworking and office spaces, business incubators and accelerators, classrooms, a prototyping lab, investor studio, and restaurants. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1939 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Closed | 2018 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2021 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| GLA (sq ft) | 266000 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Rice Management Company (RMC) | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Anchors

Sears

## Parties

- Rice Management Company (RMC) — developer (2021–)

## Timeline

- 1939: Opened
- 2018: Closed
- 2019: Renovation project began
- 2021: Building opened
- 2021: Retrofit: redevelop, reinhabit

## Deals and debt

- 2017 sale:  RMC ← Sears  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_District

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

The Ion District, Ion Innovation District, or Rice Innovation District, is a technology park and innovation district in Midtown Houston which was established as a joint initiative between Rice University and the City of Houston. It has also been called the South Main Innovation District. The district's central hub and first building is the Ion, which opened in 2021 after owner Rice Management Company (RMC) converted it from a former Sears store. The building houses coworking and office spaces, business incubators and accelerators, classrooms, a prototyping lab, investor studio, and restaurants. Current tenants include Chevron Technology Ventures, Microsoft, and Liongard.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_District

## Sources

- Ion District — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_District

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Ion, Houston, TX." Record n-b23ed49f8c, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/big-box/tx/houston-ion/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_houstonion,
  title = {Ion, Houston, TX},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/big-box/tx/houston-ion/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record n-b23ed49f8c, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.