Eli Lilly Invests $378 Million In Houston For New Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Campus

• Eli Lilly topped Texas construction filings this week with $378 million in permits for the first phase of Project Houston, a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Houston.
• Other major new construction projects include NRP Group's Franklin Branch Apartments in McKinney and a new Prologis distribution center in Cypress.
• Significant renovation permits were also filed for Foxconn's AI manufacturing campus in Houston, Rosewood Hall in Austin, and Logistics Property Company's warehouse project in Justin.

What Eli Lilly Is Building in Houston

Eli Lilly filed the largest construction permits in Texas during the week ending July 20, advancing the first phase of Project Houston, a pharmaceutical manufacturing campus planned at 12550 Timber Forest Drive in Houston. The Indianapolis-based drugmaker plans to invest approximately $378 million in the project's initial phase, which includes five manufacturing buildings totaling nearly 700,000 square feet. The campus will produce ingredients for Eli Lilly's next-generation GLP-1 weight-loss pill, supporting the company's growing investment in obesity and diabetes treatments. Construction on the first group of buildings is expected to be completed between summer and winter 2027, while the full manufacturing campus is scheduled for completion by 2030. The project represents one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing investments currently underway in Texas.

What Other Major Construction Projects Were Filed

The NRP Group secured permits for Franklin Branch Apartments, a 344,000-square-foot multifamily development at 3565 FM 1461 in McKinney. The project will include nine three-story residential buildings and a clubhouse, with construction expected to begin in March 2027 and finish in November 2028. The development carries an estimated construction cost of more than $27 million. Industrial development also remained active as Prologis filed permits for a 517,000-square-foot warehouse at 18440 Mound Road in Cypress. The approximately $21 million logistics facility is expected to break ground in early August and reach completion by August 2027, further expanding industrial capacity in the Houston metropolitan area.

What Major Renovation Projects Are Moving Forward

Among renovation permits, Foxconn filed nearly $72 million in interior improvements for its facility at 8718 Fairbanks North Houston Road in Houston. The work will renovate approximately 74,000 square feet of office space as part of the company's broader $450 million redevelopment of the four-building campus into an artificial intelligence server manufacturing facility. In Austin, Topo Development Group is leading the transformation of the historic Rosewood Elementary School at 2406 Rosewood Ave. into Rosewood Hall, a mixed-use development. The approximately $9.5 million renovation will preserve the historic structure while adding 1,300 square feet to the existing 35,000-square-foot building. North of Fort Worth, Logistics Property Company filed permits for an $8 million tenant improvement project at 114 Logistics Park, located at 13410 Highway 114 in Justin. The renovation will prepare the approximately 1 million-square-foot warehouse for Novolex, a manufacturer of food packaging products, with work expected to conclude in November 2026.

What the Latest Permits Say About Texas Development

This week's filings highlight the continued diversity of Texas' development pipeline, with major investments spanning pharmaceutical manufacturing, multifamily housing, industrial logistics, advanced manufacturing, and adaptive reuse. While healthcare and advanced manufacturing projects continue to grow alongside demand for domestic production, developers are also investing in new apartments, warehouse facilities, and historic redevelopment projects that support the state's expanding population and economy.