New management and leasing teams named at Houston’s luxe River Oaks District
Houston’s River Oaks District, the primary luxury shopping destination in the Houston metro, is going in a different direction with new third-party management teams.
Odyssey Retail Advisors will oversee all retail leasing strategies and execution at the center and Hines will assume property management responsibilities, overseeing day-to-day operations, tenant relations, and the overall guest experience.
River Oaks is home to more than 60 global luxury brands. Among them are Dior, Cartier, Dolce & Gabbana, Rolex, Stefano Ricci, Carolina Herrera and Lora Piana.
Owned by Houston native Tilman Fertitta — an accomplished dining, entertainment and hospitality developer — restaurants found at River Oaks include Steak 48, Le Colonial, Bari Ristorante and Toulouse.
"We are committed to keeping River Oaks District at the forefront of world-class retail and dining," said Patrick Fertitta, vice chairman of Fertitta Entertainment. "Hines brings best-in-class property management, and Odyssey Retail Advisors offers deep expertise in the global luxury retail landscape. Together, we will focus on attracting premier luxury retailers, expanding experiential offerings, and further enhancing River Oaks District's position as one of the nation's leading mixed-use luxury destinations."
Odyssey principal Rick Strauss offered some ideas of what kinds of new luxury brands River Oaks shoppers might soon be seeing in River Oaks’ tenant curation.
“River Oaks District already has an exceptional collection of luxury brands and a strong identity within the Houston market, but new brands are emerging, especially from Asia,” said Strauss. “Previously they’d look for operators to partner with them in the U.S., but they didn’t get a lot of traction under that formula. Over the past two years they’ve started coming in on their own. “
Hines, which maintains a longstanding property management presence in Houston, is quite familiar with the River Oaks’ center.
"River Oaks District is a landmark shopping center that reflects the energy, sophistication and growth of Houston," said Timothy Lowery, managing director of retail and mixed-use properties at Hines. "We intend to build upon the property's strong foundation by enhancing day-to-day operations, elevating the guest experience and creating vibrant gathering spaces that further strengthen River Oaks District's appeal.”
