A two-warehouse distribution center totaling 670,000 square feet is headed to 59 acres of vacant land north of Red Bluff Road in Seabrook after City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday, Aug. 4, to approve a preliminary planned unit development for the project.
The approval came despite vocal opposition from residents who packed council chambers for a second time, arguing the project would turn North Seabrook into an industrial zone. Council member Angela Cervantes cast the lone dissenting vote.
Houston-based Constellation Realty Partners, a logistics-focused developer co-founded by Jeremy Giles and Hien Le, plans to build two structures on the site known as the Lazzari Tract: Building A at roughly 464,400 square feet and Building B at approximately 205,200 square feet, both capped at 50 feet tall. The project is projected to generate $4 million in tax revenue for Seabrook over 10 years, according to Community Impact.
The 59-acre site spans multiple zoning classifications, which required the PUD rather than a standard rezoning.
Residents push back — again
At an earlier July meeting, a motion to approve the same development died after it failed to receive a second from council, and more than 20 residents spoke against it.
On Aug. 4, opponents returned. Seabrook resident Celeste Rudd told council the developer was misusing the PUD process: "Using the PUD mainly to authorize an industrial use that is not permitted in the commercial zones is not a proper use of the tool. It is a way to work around the normal rezoning process."
Resident Melanie Bentley called the developer predatory and warned council members they would fail residents if they allowed Seabrook to become a "dumping ground" for industrial development.
Why supporters say it matters
Former council member Ed Klein, who now serves on Seabrook's Planning and Zoning Commission, argued that rejecting the project could push the landowner to sell to Port of Houston instead.
"Maybe the port is interested in buying it, in which case, Seabrook would lose control over the land and its use," Klein said at the Aug. 4 meeting.
The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the preliminary PUD at its June 18 meeting.
Conditions attached
Council imposed four key conditions before voting yes:
- Groundbreaking cannot begin until the Highway 146/Red Bluff Road intersection improvement is complete.
- Increased buffers must preserve natural scenery along Red Bluff Road.
- Developers must plant mature trees (not saplings), install wing walls for sound mitigation and evaluate rooftop green space for migratory birds.
- No hazardous materials storage and no stacking of shipping containers on site.
The city's own planning framework designates the area north of Red Bluff as the "Office Warehouse District," describing it as suitable for office parks and warehousing near the port while explicitly stating that "heavy industrial uses are inappropriate" and that screening requirements will protect nearby residential zones.
What's next
The Aug. 4 vote was only a preliminary PUD approval. A final PUD vote is still required. Constellation Realty Partners can now proceed with early project phases, but once the Highway 146/Red Bluff intersection is finished, construction is expected to take approximately two and a half years. No completion date for the intersection project has been publicly announced.
