One of downtown Houston’s most recognizable office towers is getting a $50 million makeover designed to pull it out of the post-pandemic doldrums and reconnect it with the street.
Global developer Hines is overseeing the renovation of 910 Louisiana Street — formerly One Shell Plaza — in a sweeping redesign that will replace the tower’s closed-off ground level with glass walls, retail and green space, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The project, slated for completion in 2027, is part of a broader wave of downtown office reinventions as landlords grapple with record vacancies and tenants demand more light, amenities and street-level energy.
Hines built the brutalist, 50-story skyscraper in 1971 as its first major office development, later selling the property but staying on as manager.
Partners Real Estate leases the tower for owner Busycon Properties. Shell occupied most of the 1.6 million-square-foot building for decades before relocating west, leaving behind an 800,000-square-foot lease it subleased to firms like NRG Energy.
But with that lease set to expire in December — and NRG preparing to vacate — occupancy will plunge from 86 percent to roughly 35 percent early next year, Partners said.
“It’s a conundrum that all landlords are dealing with,” Hines property management director Mark Janssen told the outlet. “Since COVID and working from home, ‘office’ has almost become a dirty word among investors.”
Busycon is taking the long view, however, and Janssen said he is betting that Houston’s core will rebound.
According to early construction filings, the overhaul will cost $49.6 million. Designs call for replacing heavy stone facades with floor-to-ceiling glass, creating transparent edges for food and beverage tenants, and softening the stark plaza with landscaping, curved paths and shaded seating.
A 5,000-square-foot terrace and tenant lounge will overlook Smith Street, alongside an upgraded fitness center and a new 9,000-square-foot conference facility.
“The redevelopment is focusing on the street life experience in and around the building, which is what tenants are craving,” said Partners’ Chip Colvill, who’s marketing the tower with Winfield Haggard Jr.
Busycon joins a string of landlords — including owners of Allen Center, Houston Center and the JPMorgan Chase Tower — investing heavily to keep aging office assets relevant. While renovations don’t always yield instant results, the 910 Louisiana project is a bet on downtown Houston evolving with the times.
— Eric Weilbacher
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