Reality star Washington Ho is bringing his brand of business savvy and bold and unapologetic personality to the Lone Star State.
His White House Global Properties will soon start construction on a new shopping center in Little Saigon, reports the Houston Chronicle.
Ho is the eldest of the Ho clan featured on the House of Ho on HBO Max for two seasons beginning on December 2020.
Hoodline reports the $20 million dollar project is expected to give the neighborhood a badly needed facelift. The 50,000 square foot project will include a total of 20 restaurants and retailers. It’s scheduled to be completed by June 2025.
40% of the space has already been leased. IMD Houston reports that Ho expects to attract both local and national retailers.
The neighborhood is known unofficially as Little Saigon, but the Bellaire Market District also includes representation from other cultures as well.
“You go to these cities and what you’ll notice is Chinatown or the Little Saigon areas are always second- or third-generation parts of the town, where properties are a lot cheaper, outdated and old,” said Ho to the Houston Chronicle. “Times have changed. It’s 2024. We’re not in the ’90s anymore.”
Ho already has plans to do something similar in San Jose, Orange County, CA and possibly other areas of Houston that have large Vietnamese populations.
“Chinatown doesn’t always have to be ancient and old,” Ho said. “We want to be the innovators and we want the next generation to really enjoy these centers that we’re doing with modern amenities.”
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