Core by Houston Food Bank

The Houston Food Bank is constructing a 533,661 sq ft facility at 2121 W Mt Houston Rd, Houston, TX 77038. This new construction project, filed under the name Core by Houston Food Bank, is estimated to cost $110,000,000. The building will feature a four-story pre-cast concrete parking structure alongside a cast-in-place tilt-wall and steel structure. The scope includes a welcome center, commercial kitchen, food hall, second-story offices, and a conference center.

TDLR completed plan review in May 2026 and construction is scheduled to finish in December 2027, with work starting August 2026. The registered accessibility specialist for this project is Holly Respondek. The site is located in Harris County and falls within a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (zone AE). This project involves public funds, public land, or is a Federally funded roadway project.

Project Scale and Context

At $110,000,000, this project is above the county median for its type, which stands at $750,000. The estimated $206 per square foot is also above the Harris County median of $88. The scheduled build window of 515 days is longer than the county median of 219 days. Houston Food Bank has two other TDLR-registered projects in Houston totaling $18,000,000, both of which are closed.

Kiriksey Architects is the design firm of record. The project is situated in ZIP code 77038, where the U.S. Census ACS 2023 five-year estimates report a population of about 31,271 and a median household income of $50,655. The area has 9,134 housing units with a median owner-occupied home value of $173,500. Harris County unemployment was 5.2 percent in July 2026, higher than a year earlier.

Third-party sources describe the project as a comprehensive approach to addressing food insecurity. A post by thehoustonfoodbank on Facebook stated that CORE by Houston Food Bank is a launchpad for opportunity connecting food assistance. The organization's website described the facility as a landmark project in Southeast Texas.