The Howard Hughes Corporation (NYSE: HHC) is a major real estate development and management company based in Dallas, Texas. It began as part of the oil drilling tool business founded by Howard R. Hughes, Sr., in 1913, which under his son Howard Hughes, Jr., diversified into real estate development. The real estate operations became a separate company, which was acquired by The Rouse Company, which in turn was acquired by General Growth Properties (GGP). In 2010, GGP formed The Howard Hughes Corporation as a separate company.
Video Howard Hughes Corporation
History
Early origins
The company dates to 1909 when Howard Hughes, Sr. received two patents for his revolutionary oil well drilling bits. In 1913, Hughes and Walter Sharp incorporated the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company. In 1915, Hughes became the sole owner and renamed the company Hughes Tool Company. Hughes Sr. died in 1924, and was succeeded by his son Howard Jr. The younger Hughes became involved in many businesses, including aviation, motion pictures, radio and television broadcasting, and real estate. In the 1950s, Hughes acquired some vacant land in and around Las Vegas; in the 1960s, he moved to Las Vegas, where he lived in (and bought) the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino, acquired other casinos and hotels, and bought up more vacant land, which was left undeveloped during his lifetime.
Formation as Summa Corporation
In 1972, Hughes Tool Company was separated from other Hughes interests and became a publicly owned company. The rest of Hughes' businesses were regrouped as Summa Corporation. The name "Summa" (Latin for "highest") was adopted by corporate managers against the wishes of Hughes himself, who wanted to use his name. (He suggested "HRH Properties", for "Hughes Resorts and Hotels" - also his own initials, but was ignored.)
Company refocused on real estate
After Hughes died in 1976 at age 70, successors at Summa refocused the company on real estate development and casino operations, selling all non-core business holdings over the next few year.
Holdings sold off were:
- Hughes Nevada Mining, sold off in 1977.
- KLAS Inc., holding company for the Las Vegas affiliate of CBS, sold to Landmark Communications (now Landmark Media Enterprises) in 1978.
- Hughes Air Corporation, holding company for Hughes Air West; sold to Republic Airlines in 1979.
- Hughes Helicopters Inc., sold to McDonnell-Douglas in 1984 and renamed McDonnell-Douglas Helicopters.
- Hughes Sports Network, a production company specializing in the broadcast of sporting events, sold in the mid-1980s.
Summa also owned hotels and casinos, primarily in Las Vegas, which constituted the bulk of Summa's business in the 1970s.
Hotels and casinos formerly owned by Summa
- Desert Inn Hotel and Casino (demolished in 2001, replaced by Wynn Las Vegas)
- Sands Hotel and Casino (demolished in 1996, replaced by The Venetian)
- The Landmark Hotel and Casino (demolished in 1993 to expand parking lot of Las Vegas Convention Center)
- Castaways hotel and casino (demolished in 1987, replaced by The Mirage and Treasure Island)
- Silver Slipper (demolished in 1986 to expand parking lot of Frontier Hotel and Casino)
- Frontier Hotel and Casino (demolished in November, 2007)
- Xanadu Beach Resort & Marina, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas
- Britannia Beach Hotel Paradise Island, Bahamas - now the Coral Towers Hotel at Atlantis Paradise Island
- Harold's Club, Reno, Nevada
Company renamed and sold off
In 1994, Hughes' heirs renamed Summa "The Howard Hughes Corporation". Hughes' heirs sold the company to The Rouse Company in 1996, and the company survived as a Rouse subsidiary. Rouse was acquired by General Growth Properties (GGP) in 2004.
GGP filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009. The company proposed a reorganization plan that included spinning off a new company named General Growth Opportunities, which would include those properties that had long-term development potential but little or no income. The name of the proposed spin-off was later changed to The Howard Hughes Corporation (THHC). The spin-off of THHC to GGP's shareholders was completed on November 9, 2010, when GGP exited bankruptcy. The new company held a portfolio that included GGP's master planned communities, mixed-use developments, and undeveloped land. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was appointed chairman of the new company.
Maps Howard Hughes Corporation
Current properties
The company divides its properties into three segments: master planned communities, operating assets, and strategic developments.
Master planned communities
The company has five master planned communities, with a total of approximately 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land remaining to be developed or sold.
- Bridgeland, Texas
- Columbia, Maryland
- Summerlin, Nevada
- The Woodlands, Texas
- The Woodlands Hills, Texas
Operating assets
This category comprises 57 revenue-generating assets, including retail, office, multi-family residential, and hotel properties. Notable properties include:
- Downtown Summerlin - Summerlin, Nevada
- Kewalo Basin Harbor - Honolulu, Hawaii
- Las Vegas 51s baseball team
- Outlet Collection at Riverwalk - New Orleans, Louisiana
- The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center - The Woodlands, Texas
Strategic developments
The company lists 28 strategic projects, in various stages of development. Notable projects include:
- The Bridges at Mint Hill - Mint Hill, North Carolina
- Cottonwood Mall - Holladay, Utah
- Air rights over Fashion Show Mall - Las Vegas, Nevada (80 percent interest)
- Landmark Mall - Alexandria, Virginia
- Las Vegas Ballpark - Summerlin, Nevada
- South Street Seaport - Manhattan, New York
- Ward Village - Honolulu, Hawaii
References
External links
- Howard Hughes Corporation website
- Light-duty/civilian part of Hughes Helicopters, sold off by McDonnell-Douglas in 1995
Source of article : Wikipedia
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