June 3, 2004
National Real Estate Journalists Visit The Woodlands
To Study Success of Master-Planned Community
THE WOODLANDS, TX - (Thursday, June 03, 2004) - More than 50 journalists, members of the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE), toured The Woodlands on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 and held interview sessions with executives from The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P. (TWOC), on Wednesday, May 26, as part of the 75th Annual NAREE Spring Convention, according to Susan Vreeland-Wendt, director of marketing for TWOC.
Journalists were interested in the success of this community. "The Woodlands was selected as a tour destination for its excellence in enhancing the natural and manmade environments; its diverse housing choices; the community's linear park and transportation corridor, The Woodlands Waterway; and The Woodlands Town Center,"
Vreeland-Wendt said. "The Woodlands is currently the best-selling master-planned community in Texas and has been since 1990. The journalists were very intrigued by the scope of the project and our efforts over the last 30 years to maintain a large percentage of the land as green space during the growth and development of the community."
Journalists visited The Woodlands Showcase of Homes in Seasons Trace, The Woodlands Waterway, The Town Center, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, and the gated enclave of Carlton Woods.
A special Town Center panel "Place Making Town Centers: What's Hot and What's Not" was held for NAREE members at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel. The panel consisted of experts from the Urban Land Institute and private industries, including Thomas J. D'Alesandro IV, president and CEO of TWOC.
On Wednesday, May 26 in Houston, Texas, the site of the annual NAREE convention, Vreeland-Wendt and Paul Lazzaro, consultant for TWOC and former vice president of marketing for the company, were interviewed by 13 reporters from all over the United States. The New York Post, Newsday from Long Island, New York, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, Austin-American Statesman, Robb Report, Real Estate Media (Globe Street), United Features Syndicate Big Builder Magazine, and Builder Magazine, were among the media represented at the conference.
"Journalists were interested in reporting on varied subjects about The Woodlands from the new development of The Woodlands' newest village, Creekside Park, which will include the largest park in the Houston area upon completion, to the 28% of The Woodlands that is preserved as green space," Vreeland-Wendt said. "Other 'hot' topics included the 'garden district' of Town Center known as East Shore on Lake Woodlands; urban residential living in The Woodlands Town Center; and the amenities of The Woodlands Waterway including the new water taxis and future trolleys."
The Woodlands is a 27,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. It is a project of The Woodlands Operating Company, L.P., a limited partnership of Morgan Stanley and The Rouse Company.
