Building projects nearing completion

Construction projects underway throughout The Woodlands are reshaping the skyline of the South Montgomery County community. Many of the projects could contribute to job growth in The Woodlands and are nearing completion.

The 11-story building at 3 Waterway Square should be finished in June, while the second building at the Kuykendahl Medical Plaza is scheduled for completion sometime in mid-2013. One Hughes Landing, the first building in the Hughes Landing development on Lake Woodlands, will be finished in September and both Anadarko's 31-story expansion and phase two of the Millennium apartments are scheduled for completion in spring of 2014, according to The Woodlands Development Company.

Alex Sutton, co-president of The Woodlands Development Company, said it always been part of The Woodlands vision to be a hometown where residents live, as well as work. Sutton said about 40 percent of The Woodlands' 52,000 jobs are held by Woodlands residents, and with the construction and expansion of businesses in the community, he believes that vision is starting to be realized.

"I think the importance of [the construction] is we're realizing our full potential and our full dream of becoming an employment center," Sutton said. "Being an employment center has benefits for everybody. We'll have higher property values and shorter commutes."

The Woodlands experienced a record increase of 1,172 jobs in 2012.