Jump to content

Chevron Tower For Downtown At 1600 Louisiana St.


tangledwoods

Recommended Posts

Lat news feed I read was dated march 2013 , and hey had decided that instead of moving 800, they would move only 400, dont know if thats big enough to justify a new tower, but like someone said if they do  build a new tower it would mean they are planning bigger things than a office for  400. just not ready to talk about.. remember when exxon was planning to build the woodlands campus they denied the rumors at first, then they would,nt comment, they they finally came clean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the state and the city are trying to have the headquarters moved here.  This would be huge, Chevron is the third largest company with 245 billion in revenues.  Number three after ExxonMobil and Wal-Mart.  They have more employees here then California.  Something will happen, why have a empty lot just sitting there?   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My working model of how HQ moves happen is that it generally depends on what the top guy wants, not the mass of execs under him.  That mental model is just based on having seen it happen that way in the past ... like the ExxonMobil and (I think) Fluor HQ relocations to Dallas.   Both of those companies had much bigger employee counts in Houston than where they put their HQ.  But, having seen that occur in a couple of cases doesn't mean that it will always happen that way. 

 

Chevron is difficult for me to predict, even though I once worked for them.  A lot of valuable technical people, not just the brass, report to work in San Ramon and would rather retire or find jobs elsewhere than move to Texas.  Ultimately, I don't think the opinion of those valuable technical people matters a whit.  I think if the HQ moves here, it will be when the top guy (and maybe his cohorts) are ready to retire.

Edited by ArchFan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That would be awesome...but a good design could make it so much better.

I would prefer something different too but the speed stick design is actually very nice in my opinion. There are differences in the details, too, so I'm confident the shape would be the same but slightly different than the other two, too. 60--ish stories doesn't hurt either.

Plus, not that everything NYC does is gold but they have some towers that look exactly the same, too.

I think if we truly want to get this built we ought to go fill up at a chevron station ASAP! ;p

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would prefer something different too but the speed stick design is actually very nice in my opinion. There are differences in the details, too, so I'm confident the shape would be the same but slightly different than the other two, too. 60--ish stories doesn't hurt either.

Plus, not that everything NYC does is gold but they have some towers that look exactly the same, too.

I think if we truly want to get this built we ought to go fill up at a chevron station ASAP! ;p

 

I do like that design, too. It could certainly look good and fit in really well at that location. I really hope it's 60+ stories and 800+ feet tall.

 

I'll hit up a Chevron or two next week...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

From following this thread, it seems that Chevron would generate a lot of local love if they built a supertall (or at least over 50 floor) building in downtown H-town.  I'm not holding my breath on it, but I admit I would love to see it.  Perhaps it would rejuvenate our mojo.  I'm glad Hines is active here again, but they don't seem to be in the supertall biz anymore, at least here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lat news feed I read was dated march 2013 , and hey had decided that instead of moving 800, they would move only 400, dont know if thats big enough to justify a new tower, but like someone said if they do  build a new tower it would mean they are planning bigger things than a office for  400. just not ready to talk about.. remember when exxon was planning to build the woodlands campus they denied the rumors at first, then they would,nt comment, they they finally came clean.

 

I think you might be reading too much into the latest news feed.  The latest news indeed was that Chevron plans to relocate 400 people beginning in August.  BUT that was based entirely on a filing with the California state labor officials.  (They are required to notify the state any time they are relocating more than 50 people within a 30 day period.) 

 

I don't believe Chevron has ever been quoted as saying they have changed their plans that were announced back in December.  The announced plans were that they plan to relocate 800 jobs/employees over a two-year period.  This latest news is in keeping with that plan and is likely just the first of 2 or more required notices to the State labor officials, as they determine the exact jobs and timing of the transfers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heard a rumor that that of the boy scouts' five offers for camp strake in conroe, just north of 1488, that two of the offers are from shell and chevron.  minor league baseball has been publicly reported as having made an offer as well.  although shell and chevron have popped up in rumors about a woodlands tower, downtown towers, and i think something was in the paper about shell expanding at a current location, they must be reviewing many options.  a second large energy company just north of the woodlands would make the woodlands town center "bookended" and the center of a growing new city center.

 

has anyone else heard the same?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heard a rumor that that of the boy scouts' five offers for camp strake in conroe, just north of 1488, that two of the offers are from shell and chevron. minor league baseball has been publicly reported as having made an offer as well. although shell and chevron have popped up in rumors about a woodlands tower, downtown towers, and i think something was in the paper about shell expanding at a current location, they must be reviewing many options. a second large energy company just north of the woodlands would make the woodlands town center "bookended" and the center of a growing new city center.

has anyone else heard the same?

What would a oil/gas company do with 2,175 acres ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oil/gas companies owned the land that became the woodlands (mitchell energy) and kingwood (exxon i think).  exxonmobil needed the infrastructure that springwoods developed in order for exxon's new campus to get off the ground.  the same could be true of 2,175 acres;  2,175 acres which is just down the street from where a planned extension of the hardy toll road will come out (south loop 336 in conroe).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oil/gas companies owned the land that became the woodlands (mitchell energy) and kingwood (exxon i think).  exxonmobil needed the infrastructure that springwoods developed in order for exxon's new campus to get off the ground.  the same could be true of 2,175 acres;  2,175 acres which is just down the street from where a planned extension of the hardy toll road will come out (south loop 336 in conroe).

 

I think the King Ranch owned the Kingwood land. I think the Woodlands wasn't part of Mitchell Energy, just another George Mitchell project.

 

Much of the Camp Strake land is in the flood plain, and not very useful. The City of Conroe will probably end up with 300+ acres to expand the sewer plant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

God I hope they don't build in the woodlands instead of DT. I'll never buy their gas again.

 

You don't know whose gas you are buying at any given store. All gas is pretty much the same, other than the additives put in at the terminal, or distribution point. Since the nearest Chevron refinery is in Mississippi, the Chevron gasoline sold here is likely refined by a competitor, with Chevron additives added at the last minute before delivery.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

oil/gas companies owned the land that became the woodlands (mitchell energy) and kingwood (exxon i think). exxonmobil needed the infrastructure that springwoods developed in order for exxon's new campus to get off the ground. the same could be true of 2,175 acres; 2,175 acres which is just down the street from where a planned extension of the hardy toll road will come out (south loop 336 in conroe).

Oh ok so it would be more of a investment, like them developing it into a master planned community. Not necessarily just a campus head quarters.

If this is true, that they are trying to purchase the site, I wish they would have purchased the KBR site or the Hardy yards site.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the King Ranch owned the Kingwood land. I think the Woodlands wasn't part of Mitchell Energy, just another George Mitchell project.

 

Much of the Camp Strake land is in the flood plain, and not very useful. The City of Conroe will probably end up with 300+ acres to expand the sewer plant.

 

"The Foster Lumber Company originally owned a portion of the tract of land that was later developed into the community of Kingwood. The Foster Family had owned the land since around 1892.[5] On December 28, 1967, the land was sold to the joint venture between King Ranch and the Friendswood Development Company, an Exxon subsidiary.[6] Exxon's Friendswood Development Company hired John Bruton Jr. to serve as the Operations Manager in which he was responsible for the planning, development, engineering, and construction of Kingwood"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingwood,_Houston#cite_note-Kingwood.2C_Texas_Summary-6

 

the woodlands development didn't split from mitchell energy until late in the game.  mitchell energy was mitchell energy & development.  the development part of mitchel energy

became the woodlands development company.  http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/dom05

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the King Ranch owned the Kingwood land. I think the Woodlands wasn't part of Mitchell Energy, just another George Mitchell project.

 

Much of the Camp Strake land is in the flood plain, and not very useful. The City of Conroe will probably end up with 300+ acres to expand the sewer plant.

 

They got a variance to build it up (or at least part of it):

 

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/boy-scouts-to-begin-evaluating-possible-camp-strake-buyers/article_83b68a37-ce55-566c-9ab0-5a4b7a4ef55d.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

heard a rumor that that of the boy scouts' five offers for camp strake in conroe, just north of 1488, that two of the offers are from shell and chevron.  minor league baseball has been publicly reported as having made an offer as well.  although shell and chevron have popped up in rumors about a woodlands tower, downtown towers, and i think something was in the paper about shell expanding at a current location, they must be reviewing many options.  a second large energy company just north of the woodlands would make the woodlands town center "bookended" and the center of a growing new city center.

 

has anyone else heard the same?

 

Those Shell and Chevron rumors seem pretty unlikely. 

 

Chevron has made a huge commitment to its downtown campus. Very unlikely to be moving anywhere.

 

Shell has recently extended its downtown leases and is expanding its footprint in the energy corridor.  Also very unlikely to be going anywhere.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

could someone please specify what block this is going on? i know its the "old YMCA block", but not sure which one that is.

i just looked at the map. i see where the new YMCA is but im not sure if thats the same block. i was hoping the new tower would be able to be connected into the ring skywalk, but it doesnt appear as though thats possible unless they were to build it on top of the parking garage. i had been thinking how neat it would be to have the three towers clustered together with two more ring skybridges, one halfway up the buildings, and another at the top of the buildings, to better interconnect the buildings so workers didnt have to take the elevator all the way down to ground level and then back up to get around "campus".

Edited by cloud713
Link to comment
Share on other sites

could someone please specify what block this is going on? i know its the "old YMCA block", but not sure which one that is.

i just looked at the map. i see where the new YMCA is but im not sure if thats the same block. i was hoping the new tower would be able to be connected into the ring skywalk, but it doesnt appear as though thats possible unless they were to build it on top of the parking garage. i had been thinking how neat it would be to have the three towers clustered together with two more ring skybridges, one halfway up the buildings, and another at the top of the buildings, to better interconnect the buildings so workers didnt have to take the elevator all the way down to ground level and then back up to get around "campus".

 

Here's a Google Street view of the block.

 

http://goo.gl/maps/6SYq2

 

Of course, that has the old YMCA building still up on it.  Obviously, it has since been cleared.

Edited by The Pragmatist
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...