Construction Begins on 609 Main at Texas in Houston

The new skyscraper that will change the Houston skyline broke ground this week, a development of the Hines CalPERS Green Development Fund, a partnership that focuses exclusively on developing sustainable office buildings throughout the US certifiable through the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Core & Shell program. The 47-story, 1,050,000-square-foot office tower under development at the corner of Main and Texas streets is expected to be ready for occupancy after 36 months of construction.

Hines President Jeff Hines said, "609 Main at Texas is a strategic follow-on to our success with BG Group Place. We are thrilled to start construction on our second major office tower on Main Street, especially with our partner, CalPERS. We saw the trend coming several years ago when we purchased two key blocks of land on Main Street, and now our strategy has been confirmed with the start of this iconic new landmark."

"We have already had significant leasing interest among all the sectors that fuel CBD development," said Hines Senior Managing Director John Mooz. "This project will be a true ‘next-generation' office building, utilizing best practices we've learned from our previous developments in Houston and around the world. While 609 Main at Texas is designed to house multiple firms, there is obviously a significant and prestigious opportunity for an anchor tenant, including options for large trading floors and outdoor space."

Hines has owned the full-block site since 2008, according to a Houston Chronicle report, but only began site work, including the demolition of an abandoned structure, last November. 609 Main at Texas is pre-registered LEED, and is expected to attain Gold or Platinum certification upon completion. Connecticut-based Pickard Chilton designed the tower, and Houston's D.E. Harvey Builders is the general contractor.

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.

New BHP Billiton Tower in Uptown Houston Underway

Construction began this week on a new 30-story office tower in Houston's Uptown District that will add 600,000 square feet of Class AA office space in the Galleria submarket. The new BHP Billiton Tower is being developed by financial services firm TIAA-CREF and Transwestern, and is 100% preleased to BHP Billiton, a major global diversified resources company. The design architect on the project is Pickard Chilton Associates of New Haven, Connecticut, and the architect of record is Kendall Heaton Associates of Houston. The building is expected to be completed in October 2016.

"Transwestern is honored to be a part of the team assembled to make this project a reality," said Carleton Riser, Transwestern's managing director of development. "We believe it will have a long-term positive impact on BHP Billiton, the Four Oaks complex and the Uptown Houston skyline."

"The new tower, like the other buildings in Four Oaks Place, will incorporate the latest in green building practices," said Brad Simpkins, TIAA-CREF senior director, asset management. "BHP appreciated these sustainability initiatives, the building's downtown location and a building design focused on maximizing employee productivity and their investment."

The tower is being built on 2.72 acres on Post Oak Boulevard, within the Four Oaks Place office complex on a site that is adjacent to the BHP Billiton headquarters building currently located in the complex. According to a press release, the new BHP Billiton Tower and the existing headquarters at 1360 Post Oak Boulevard will be connected by a glass skybridge and employee productivity facilities including food service and fitness.

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.

Crystal City's Tallest Building Gets Approval

The Arlington County Board voted Saturday to approve 1900 Crystal Drive, Vornado's enormous office building that will be the tallest in Crystal City, according to a Washington Business Journal article. The new building, designed by New Haven-based Pickard Chilton, is the first in Crystal City to be considered under the Crystal City Sector Plan, which was adopted in 2010.

The new building will sit on a parcel currently occupied by an empty 12 story Federal office building at 1851 S. Bell Street that will be torn down to make way for 1900 Crystal Drive. 1900 Crystal Drive will include 24 stories with 720,000 square feet of office space, a 5 story underground garage, and 32 bicycle parking spaces. The design employs a "ski jump architectural treatment" as part of its glass facade, and will be a major contributor to the upgrading of Crystal City's outdated architecture and infrastructure.

As part of the agreement with the county, the developer, Vornado, would provide curb, gutter and streetscape improvements around the perimeter of the property, according to an ARLnow.com article. The plan also involves the construction of an approximately 16,000 square foot interim park near the intersection of Crystal Drive and 18th Street South.

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.