New 17-acre River Oaks development set to define luxury with new amenities

Transwestern, a commercial real estate company, is bringing a new 17-acre mixed-use development called The RO to the intersection of West Alabama Street and Buffalo Speedway that is expected to be completed by early 2028.

About the project

The first phase of the $400 million project, which included a 145,000-square-foot Class AA office building, broke ground in mid-2024 and started tenant move-in in June. The entire building was 100% leased to energy trader Vitol Inc.

Phase 2 of the development broke ground in November 2025. This phase involves creating a retail village consisting of local chef-driven restaurants and boutiques, as well as a luxury multifamily tower called The Clayton. The Retail Village will include:

• 80,000 square feet of restaurants and retail
• Shade provided by preserved heritage oak trees
• A walkable design with underground parking

Transwestern Regional Partner Sean Suffel said that while The RO does not necessarily fill a critical need in the area, a city the size and stature of Houston can benefit from more “thoughtfully designed, well-located, mixed-use developments.”“We don’t want to change River Oaks—we want to be an extension of it,” he said. “The goal is to create a place that feels familiar to River Oaks residents through architecture and greenscape while being compelling to everyone.”