Nestled in the heart of Midtown Houston, a once iconic Sears department store was left vacant after an 80-year history within the community. Its original art deco design, historic corners, and decorative tilework were boarded up and forgotten about. Following the closure of Sears in January 2018, the store and three nearby acres were reacquired by Rice Management Company (RMC), who has been invested in the property for almost 100 years. At the time, the building’s fate remained unknown.
One year after closing its doors for the final time, RMC and the City of Houston announced renovations would begin to transform the once historic retail building into the Ion, the catalyst for what city and civic leaders hoped would become a thriving innovation district. Reimagined to include Class A office space, shared workspace, classrooms, a 300-seat forum, a prototyping lab, and maker space,…
