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Howard Hughes Co. Announces Retirement of Robert Heineman

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THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Howard Hughes Corporation® (NYSE: HHC) has announced the retirement of Robert Heineman, Vice President of Planning & Design. A member of the original planning team for The Woodlands®, Heineman has been integral to the development of The Woodlands for 48 years, almost a half century devoted to our community.

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In the spring of 1971, while pursuing a Master of Architecture degree in Urban Design at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Heineman was hired as a summer intern by Mitchell Energy & Development Company, founded by legendary oilman and visionary of The Woodlands, George P. Mitchell. That summer, he worked with the office of Ian McHarg and other planners in preparing the master plan of The Woodlands, for Mitchell, to be presented to HUD under the New Communities Program. Following graduation from Harvard in the spring of 1972, he began a 48-year career of planning The Woodlands. He has served as Vice President of Planning & Design for the last 36 years.

Heineman was the author of the 1972 diagram depicting a mixed-use downtown with a transit corridor down the heart of the current The Woodlands Town Center®. Today, that vision is now The Woodlands Waterway®, an award-winning landscaped, 1.8-mile linear park and transportation corridor, linking urban residential living to shopping, business, dining and entertainment venues. The completion of The Woodlands Waterway in 2018 is a shining example of a commitment to a long range vision that began as a simple diagram 46 years earlier.

 

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“Robert has been vital to the creation of The Woodlands since its inception. He has been involved in all aspects of planning for our community, including the master plan, the village and neighborhood designs, the environmental plan, the open space system, drainage, the mobility system, parks and pathways and the plan for the Town Center including The Woodlands Waterway,” said Jim Carman, President, Houston Region, The Howard Hughes Corporation. “We are thankful for his vision and helping shape our hometown into one of the most successful master planned communities in the nation.”

Heineman will remain actively engaged in the community as a consultant for The Howard Hughes Corporation. He will continue to be involved in various committees in The Woodlands including the Development Standards Committee, Development Review Committee and the Community Standards Committee.

 

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Reflecting on his life-long involvement with The Woodlands, Heineman says, “It is truly a unique experience as a designer to have the opportunity to plan the community in which one lives and works. Little did I know that responding to a newspaper article sent to me by my parents in the spring of 1971 about an unknown project called ‘The Woodlands’ would result in both a lifetime career and the career of a lifetime.”

During Heineman’s tenure, The Woodlands has grown into a self-sustained, master planned community of 118,000 residents and nearly 2,200 businesses with over 68,000 jobs. It has achieved worldwide recognition for its innovative planning concepts and environmentally responsible development.

In 2010, Heineman was the recipient of the prestigious George Mitchell Award in The Woodlands for “helping guide the vision for The Woodlands and laying the groundwork for the Town Center and development of The Woodlands Waterway.” The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce recognized Heineman as “Volunteer of the Year” in 1993 and “Citizen of the Year” in 2014. In 2018, he was honored as a community Hometown Hero by Interfaith of The Woodlands. He has served as Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Development Standards Committee in The Woodlands for 38 years.

 

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Other activities include:

  • Past Director and Vice President of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Past Chairman of Mobility Committee for The Woodlands Area Chamber for 31 years
  • Chairman – Development Review Committee, Community Standards Committee, East Shore Design Committee, Carlton Woods Design Committee
  • Past Founding Trustee for the Galveston Bay Foundation
  • Past Chairman of the Transportation Committee of the North Houston Association
  • Past Board Member of the Rice Design Alliance
  • Past Member of Harvard Graduate School of Design Alumni Council
  • Past Board Member of The Woodlands Community Association
  • Board Member of the Town Center Owners Association of The Woodlands
  • The Woodlands Arts Council- Art Bench Committee
  • Past Board Member of the Lake Woodlands Owners Association
  • Past Board Member of the Gulf Coast Institute
  • Past Member of the Technical Advisory Committee of HGAC

 

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Heineman received Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees, magna cum laude, from Rice University in 1969 and a Master of Architecture degree in Urban Design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1972. He is a registered Professional Architect, Texas, and was advanced to Fellowship by the American Institute of Architects in 2009.

Robert and his wife, Pamela, are longtime residents of The Woodlands.

The Woodlands is a 28,800-acre master planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. Throughout its 47-year history, The Woodlands has led the way among master planned communities that practice environmental preservation. It is home to 118,000 people, and over 68,000 people work in the community. The Woodlands is one of the most successful master planned communities in Texas and the nation. The Woodlands was named “Trailblazer of the Year” in 2018 by the Greater Houston Builders Association. The community was also named “Humanitarian of the Year” in 2019, 2017, 2016 and 2007 and “Master Planned Community of the Year” in 2015, 2010 and 2007 by the Greater Houston Builders Association. For more information, visit www.thewoodlands.com. For additional details, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

 

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The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages and develops commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. Its award-winning assets include the country’s preeminent portfolio of master planned communities, as well as operating properties and development opportunities including: the Seaport District in New York; Columbia, Maryland; The Woodlands®, The Woodlands Hills, and Bridgeland® in the Greater Houston, Texas area; Summerlin®, Las Vegas; and Ward Village® in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. The Howard Hughes Corporation’s portfolio is strategically positioned to meet and accelerate development based on market demand, resulting in one of the strongest real estate platforms in the country. Dedicated to innovative placemaking, the company is recognized for its ongoing commitment to design excellence and to the cultural life of its communities. The Howard Hughes Corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as HHC. For additional information visit www.howardhughes.com.

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