Ion District to expand with new 200,000-square-foot state-of-the-art research facility

Rice Real Estate Company and Lincoln Property Company have announced plans for The Arc, a new research and office building that will expand Houston’s 16-acre Ion District in Midtown. The project will add nearly 200,000 square feet of modern, flexible research and development space and share a central plaza with The Ion, the district’s anchor innovation hub.

Ion District at a glance

Established as a joint initiative between Rice University and the city of Houston, the Ion District is designed to catalyze technology, entrepreneurship, and corporate innovation. The Ion, which broke ground in 2019, serves as the district’s centerpiece and supports companies at every stage—from startups to global enterprises.

Current tenants at The Ion include Chevron, Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Woodside Energy, and Oxy, alongside a growing ecosystem of startups, investors, and amenities. Companies such as Liongard exemplify the district’s momentum in software and data-driven ventures.

About The Arc

Construction on The Arc is slated to begin in the second quarter of 2026, with completion anticipated in the first quarter of 2028. The facility is intended to serve as a hub for research and enterprise activities, complementing The Ion and expanding the district’s capacity for cross-industry collaboration.

“The Arc at the Ion District represents a rare opportunity to help add to and grow a nationally significant innovation hub right here in Houston—one that fosters breakthrough ideas, fuels inclusive economic growth, and anchors the city’s rise as a global leader in science and technology,” said Gabe Lerner, executive vice president of Lincoln Property Company.

Rice University as lead tenant

Rice University will be a lead tenant at The Arc, occupying nearly 30,000 square feet of office and laboratory space for faculty and students. The university views the expansion as a way to deepen its commitment to world-changing innovation and strengthen ties with industry.

“Working side by side with industry experts and actual end users at the Ion District uniquely positions our faculty and students to form partnerships and collaborations that might not be possible elsewhere,” said Rice University President Reginald DesRoches. “We look forward to building on our legacy of academic excellence to inspire new ventures, advance bold research, and deliver solutions that will transform our community and the world around us.”

Rice plans to focus on priority fields including energy, artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, and computational engineering—the application of advanced computational methods and analytics to engineering challenges.

Facilities and features

The Arc is designed to deliver flexible, research-ready infrastructure for innovation-driven tenants. Key specifications and capabilities include:

• Approximately 200,000 square feet of research, lab, and office space
• Floor plates ranging from 28,000 to 31,000 square feet
• 15-foot floor-to-floor heights
• Infrastructure to accommodate advanced HVAC, high-capacity electrical and emergency power systems
• Core lab systems designed for a range of research uses
• Integration of smart building automation and energy-saving features

Timeline and leasing

Groundbreaking is targeted for Q2 2026, with project completion expected in Q1 2028. Pre-leasing is now open.