ExxonMobil campus construction continues

Hushka said the Energy Center will house the wellness center, training center and meeting space as well as offices and other facilities around the central commons area.

The campus—which will see between 700 and 1,000 visitors per day—will house three large parking garages, on-site dining, retail services and amenities, and plenty of informal, collaborative areas, Hushka said.

"Our goal with this campus is to create an innovative and collaborative work environment for our employees," she said. "As part of this, we've constructed office buildings which are really nestled within the landscape. We've kept the profiles of these buildings minimal."

Among the technologies featured at the campus include a laboratory to study hydrocarbon system rock and fluid properties, drilling processes, construction materials, and oil and gas treating methods, according to ExxonMobil.

Hushka said the buildings on the campus are designed to minimize water use and use natural lighting to conserve energy.

The campus will be 40 percent more efficient than the average Houston office space, she said, as it will harvest daylight and rainwater.

ExxonMobil has plans to expand the species of trees on-site from 20 to 90 species through its reforestation program, which has already begun, she said.

"We are building this campus with a focus on the environment, not only during the construction phase, but for the long-term sustainability of the facility," Hushka said.

Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, said the campus' relocation has had a substantial effect on development in the region.

"Ten thousand people is significant," Thomason said. "It has certainly proven to be a strong economic driver to other businesses. [Other businesses] recognize the fact that an organization like that will have needs."

ExxonMobil's new campus has led to support business relocating to the area but also continues to drive retail and residential development in the region, she said.

"There's a land grab going on," Thomason said.

The chamber president said she had a chance to meet with several relocating employees from Fairfax, Va., and she said she hopes they will relocate to this community.

"When it was first announced, we had no idea the scope of the project," she said. "A number of us from various chambers went to Fairfax to meet with the employees who were being encouraged to move to Houston. So it was great to have one-on-one time with them."