With Chicago-based United Airlines Inc. leaving its space at 600 Jefferson in downtown Houston and moving to 609 Main at the end of 2018, the owners are planning a revamp of the building.
Stream Realty Partners LP and New York-based DRA Advisors LLC launched a tower renovation and rebrand that should wrap up a year before United leaves. Click through the slideshow to get a first look at the renovations.
Construction started in March and are planned to be finished in January 2017, a spokesperson for Dallas-based Stream told the Houston Business Journal. All in all, the building’s two lobbies will get updated marble and granite ceilings, light fixtures and new furniture and art. A new conference center, tenant lounge and cafe will also be built.
The building will be rebranded as 1801 Smith Street. Exterior renovations include encasing the first two floors of the building in floor-to-ceiling glass and adding an entrance on Smith Street. Houston-based Page Architects designed the upgrades, and Hoar Construction is the general contractor. The cost wasn’t disclosed, but building permits filed with the city of Houston value the project at $4.6 million.
“The new amenities and infrastructure will allow the building to cater to tenants with needs ranging from multiple floors to boutique-sized suites,” said Craig McKenna, vice president of Stream, in a statement.
United Airlines occupies 220,000 square feet in 600 Jefferson, a Class B 450,000-square-foot building that was originally built in 1972. United is moving into 225,000 square feet inside 609 Main, a 48-story, 1,050,000-square-foot office tower that’s poised to deliver in 2017. Aside from United, 609 Main has also nabbed Chicago-based Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a tenant. The international law firm inked 62,000 square feet for two and a half floors of the building.
Stream and DRA Advisors purchased 600 Jefferson from Brookfield Office Properties in 2014 for $69 million.
Similarly, Houston-based Midway Cos. and Houston-based Lionstone Investments are renovating and rebranding 708 Main and 712 Main, which is formerly known as the Gulf Oil Building. The buildings will be rebranded as The Jones on Main and joined by a new lobby.
By: Cara Smith
SOURCE: Houston Business Journal