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A new Hotel ZaZa is rising in Houston: Luxury outpost will be Whole Foods' neighbor in snazzy, new complex

With its Gateway Memorial City development officially open, development firm MetroNational is teaming up with two notable Texas brands on another nearby project.

A new Hotel ZaZa and a new Whole Foods will anchor a new mixed-use center on a currently vacant parcel owned by the developer at the southwest corner of I-10 and Bunker Hill Road, a source close to the project tells CultureMap.

Renderings posted on the Houston Architecture Information Forum reveal a 12-story apartment tower surrounded by a seven-level building housing a Whole Foods and additional retail areas. On top of the grocery store portion appears to be space for a hotel, including a large pool deck with views facing west. This will be the site of the new Hotel ZaZa, the second one in Houston and third in Texas.

Plans to create a so-called "Lifestyle Tract" along the block date to 2011.

Dallas-based architects Humphreys & Partners prepared the drawings, according to the forum post.

More than two years ago, Swamplot unearthed MetroNational's plans to create a so-called "Lifestyle Tract" across much of the I-10 block from Bunker Hill to Memorial City Way. At the time, a preliminary site map carved out a large "future development" corner lot now reserved for the upcoming mixed-use project.

The development firm has demolished buildings on the far Bunker Hill portion of the block — including an aging strip center, a Spec's and a Shipley Donuts — as it built a LEED-certified office mid-rise for Nexen Petroleum at the southeast corner in 2012. The developer also owns the Fountains at Memorial City apartments west of Nexen as well as office towers on the block's two western corners.

MetroNational's other area holdings include the Memorial City Mall as well as towers on Gessner Road for Memorial Hermann Hospital and the Westin hotel.

An employee of a nearby MetroNational affiliated business tells CultureMap that staff had been informed about the forthcoming grocery store complex, but not specifically the hospitality component.

Meanwhile, Hotel Zaza president Benji Homsey neither confirms nor denies involvement in the mixed-use project, saying only that there is "nothing to report." Both MetroNational and Whole Foods did not return requests for comment.

A mixed-use project comes to Bunker Hill and I-10 with major Texas brands allegedly on board. Developer MetroNational already owns much of the block.

MetroNational Lifestyle Block Whole Food Bunker Hill Hotel Zaza

Image by Tyler Rudick

A mixed-use project comes to Bunker Hill and I-10 with major Texas brands allegedly on board. Developer MetroNational already owns much of the block.

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wasting away

3,500-home community for 'active adults' approved for Galveston Bay tract

Residents of a Latitude Margaritaville community riding golf carts.

Photo courtesy of Minto Communities

The parrothead ethos lives on.

Jimmy Buffett may be gone, but the Parrothead ethos of chilling on the water lives on. Minto Communities announced this week that they would be opening Latitude Margaritaville Galveston Bay, a 3,500-home active adult community aimed at residents 55 years and older. Opening of the sales center and model park is targeted for first quarter 2028. This will be the first Latitude Margaritaville community in Texas.

“This is an exciting milestone for Minto as we expand into Texas and introduce Latitude Margaritaville to the Greater Houston market,” said Minto Communities executive Dutch Neuweiler. “We appreciate the thoughtful engagement and support of Texas City officials throughout this process and share their vision for creating a community that will have a positive impact well beyond its boundaries. With its location on Galveston Bay and access to everything the surrounding area has to offer, we believe this is an exceptional setting those interested in the iconic lifestyle our communities provide.”

The Latitude Margaritaville brand of communities launched in 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida as part of the late singer's massive brand corporation dedicated to easy living, music, beaches, and food. Aimed at retired adults, they offer access to polls, lounges, theaters, spas, and work centers on top of prioritizing ocean views from the homes.

There should be no shortage of ways to see the water in the Galveston Bay community. The 1,318-acre property is located between State Highways 3 and 146, north of the Emmett F. Lowry Expressway and extending toward Moses Bayou. Texas City Commission has approved the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Development Agreement (DA).

“Margaritaville has a strong commitment to Texas, and Galveston Bay is a perfect place to bring the Latitude Margaritaville lifestyle to life,” said Jim Wiseman, president of development at Margaritaville. “There’s something special about life along the Gulf — the water, the energy, the music, and that unmistakable sense that you’re never too far from a good time. Together with Minto and Texas City, we’re creating more than a community. We’re creating a place where neighbors become friends, every day feels a little more like vacation, and the Margaritaville state of mind comes naturally. We very much appreciate the positive vote and look forward to the road ahead.”

Minto Communities says the development will create 1,742 permanent jobs and generate $68.8 million in annual labor income in Galveston County. No pricing information has been provided yet, but prospective residents can find more information at LatitudeMargaritaville.com.