Chevron Skyscraper Proposal At 1600 Louisiana St.

[hindesky]

Went by this morning and they were finishing up with a chiller changeout. Talked with a worker from MLM who said they used a helicopter from CHI.

 

 

http://chiaviation.com

 

http://www.mlncompany.com

[ArtNsf]

not to awaken this 7 year old topic necessarily, but does anyone know if this project is still even on the table for sometime in the future at Chevron ? 

I would love to see another 50 plus floor tower in this area of downtown.  At first it was to be 58 stories.  And, it only seems natural that Chevron should build this project here considering their ever increasing presence and investment in Houston and the energy sector, plus their tremendous growth I keep hearing about on occasion of late.

[H-Town Man]

22 minutes ago, ArtNsf said:

not to awaken this 7 year old topic necessarily, but does anyone know if this project is still even on the table for sometime in the future at Chevron ? 

I would love to see another 50 plus floor tower in this area of downtown.  At first it was to be 58 stories.  And, it only seems natural that Chevron should build this project here considering their ever increasing presence and investment in Houston and the energy sector, plus their tremendous growth I keep hearing about on occasion of late.

 

Where did you hear about their tremendous growth? Genuinely interested. Unless they are experiencing vastly different fortunes from the rest of the oil industry, I can't imagine they're growing much at all. The whole industry has contracted since this project was announced. I think it is deader than dead. 

 

[Triton]

58 minutes ago, ArtNsf said:

plus their tremendous growth I keep hearing about on occasion of late.

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/chevron-11-billion-writedown-could-hit-the-entire-market.html

 

Quote

The nation’s second-largest oil company on Tuesday announced the write-down as it seeks to revalue some of its assets as commodity prices continue to falter.

 

[Sunstar]

Chevron will never develop anything on that lot. Perhaps they would consider selling it or gifting it to the city instead of just keeping it as an empty field. 

[wxman]

Can this topic be locked and burned? This tower is d.e.a.d. And it ain’t ever coming back. I got all excited for nothing when I saw the topic pop up at the top. Ugh

[ArtNsf]

sorry for getting so many feathers ruffled by asking one simple question.  oh well se la vie.

On 12/13/2019 at 11:05 AM, H-Town Man said:

 

Where did you hear about their tremendous growth? Genuinely interested. Unless they are experiencing vastly different fortunes from the rest of the oil industry, I can't imagine they're growing much at all. The whole industry has contracted since this project was announced. I think it is deader than dead. 

 

I heard about this earlier this year when they acquired another large oil company.  Can't remember the name, but they did talk about a lot of growth and more presence in Houston, etc... while laying off a lot of people at the other location(s).  At least that's my recollection.  Perhaps it was late last year, but I'm just not sure.  I guess that'll teach me for not keeping up with the energy industry every second of every day.  As we say "well shut my mouth..."

 

[Triton]

On 12/13/2019 at 1:22 PM, wxman said:

Can this topic be locked and burned? This tower is d.e.a.d. And it ain’t ever coming back. I got all excited for nothing when I saw the topic pop up at the top. Ugh

I'll leave it open for now until we get any indication that it's actually dead. Who knows, maybe Chevron will downsize it and still build something here.

[Brooklyn173]

I couldn't find a thread about this block (just north of the Downtown YMCA) but feel free to move it as necessary.

A new fence just went up for the entire block (Main, Leeland, Milan, Pease). It could just be that the old fence needed to go, or more optimistically, something is brewing.

 

 

[Houston19514]

6 minutes ago, Brooklyn173 said:

I couldn't find a thread about this block (just north of the Downtown YMCA) but feel free to move it as necessary.

A new fence just went up for the entire block (Main, Leeland, Milan, Pease). It could just be that the old fence needed to go, or more optimistically, something is brewing.

Correction.  It's the Travis (not Main), Leeland, Milam, Pease block.

Just to refresh everyone's memory, Chevron bought this block in 2013.

[Avossos]

2 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

Correction.  It's the Travis (not Main), Leeland, Milam, Pease block.

Just to refresh everyone's memory, Chevron bought this block in 2013.

 

37 minutes ago, sapo2367 said:

HCAD has part of this block owned by Holiday Inn (HDT Hotels LLC)

So, before I get too riled up... is this the block that Chevron tore down the beautiful old building, and then did nothing with it... and perhaps they sold it after they tore it down???

[kbates2]

10 minutes ago, Avossos said:

 

So, before I get too riled up... is this the block that Chevron tore down the beautiful old building, and then did nothing with it... and perhaps they sold it after they tore it down???

Yep that's my understanding.

[Triton]

If someone gives me confirmation Chevron owns this, I'll move it to that thread.

[Ross]

1 hour ago, Triton said:

If someone gives me confirmation Chevron owns this, I'll move it to that thread.

Yes, Chevron owns this. 1621 Milam.  The block South of 800 Bell.

[Triton]

Topics merged.

[houstontexasjack]

This does not appear to be the block on which the tower was proposed. Just an additional block Chevron bought later on.

 

 

[Houston19514]

2 hours ago, houstontexasjack said:

This does not appear to be the block on which the tower was proposed. Just an additional block Chevron bought later on.

 

Correct 

[Ross]

13 hours ago, houstontexasjack said:

This does not appear to be the block on which the tower was proposed. Just an additional block Chevron bought later on.

 

 

That is correct. The tower was proposed for the now vacant lot two blocks West, bounded by Smith, Louisiana, Pease, and a Chevron building.

[hindesky]

4 hours ago, Ross said:

That is correct. The tower was proposed for the now vacant lot two blocks West, bounded by Smith, Louisiana, Pease, and a Chevron building.

Where the old YMCA was, I was a member at the time right before they tore it down.

[Triton]

I'll leave this in the chevron thread for now.

[por favor gracias]

23 hours ago, hindesky said:

Where the old YMCA was, I was a member at the time right before they tore it down.

I used to hit up that Smoothie King pretty often down there.

[Big E]

Question: Who owns the parking garage between the two properties?

[Houston19514]

32 minutes ago, Big E said:

Question: Who owns the parking garage between the two properties?

The former Exxon garage is owned by Shorenstein.

[CREguy13]

Nothing new to report, but figured it was appropriate to bump this thread on the heels of Chevron's announcement to acquire Hess.  To me this all but assures the combined "Mega Major" will be headquartered in Houston given the longgggg list of reasons for such an obvious, strategic move.  Which begs the question: Do we see a new design of 1600 Louisiana or a new tower on one of Chevron's other downtown sites?  I'm pretty sure the lease in Hess Tower expires in 2026... they'll certainly consolidate all employees to one campus.

 

So unless their recent Bridgeland land grab in Cypress changes to a corporate campus, I think we can safely assume the combined workforce will be downtown and new construction is likely 😎

[strickn]

I was thinking the same thing today when I heard it: except more along the lines of, “Well, sounds like ChevronTexacoHess has its new office block, without ever building 1600 Louisiana, after all.”  
Others had noted in the Hess Tower thread that Hess leased, and did not own, that office space and its associated parking.  
One forumer is now speculating that headcount reductions and offshoring are coming, in which case a new tower’s floor space is not necessary.

OK, but even if they are correct, and even if you are correct that a HQ relo is finally inevitable, Bridgeland demonstrates that Chevron bureaucracy obviously still think that R&D and laboratory experimentation benefits from a separate environment.

Therefore these same senior execs could still think this way about their own HQ culture as well (à la the former Exxon God Pod up by DFW), opting for a physical plant in which management, engineering, and back office are all kept separate from the “high-ups.”

• One scenario is that they move the HQ to Austin to hang out with their Californian c-suite golf buddies from Oracle, Tesla, et cetera — maybe even bail Google out of its empty riverfront “sail” office tower, finished but not moved into yet.
• One scenario is a pod close to the airport — either IAH or AUS or another Texas airport one with better connections than AUS (meaning most likely DFW again).
• However, a third scenario would be to use newer leased space by Discovery Green for that purpose, staying close to their big campus downtown but still not on campus.  That would be a good middle ground, no matter whether they use Hess Tower itself or the new Skanska spec spaces nearby.

Edited October 24, 2023 by strickn

[strickn]

Of course, the sassiest move would be to renovate 800 Bell 🤤

but I don’t think it’s in the cards 

[strickn]

even if owning 800 Bell would pwn ChevronTexaco’s main domestic E&P rival,

and demonstrate their commitment to quote carbon footprint sensitivity unquote vs killing the planet building new construction, 

and accentuate both the 1400 Smith and 1500 Louisiana towers Chevron owns outright, whose sleek blue and white bands both pay discreet homage to their architectural forebear 800 Bell

Edited October 24, 2023 by strickn
So maybe we won’t all certainly assume they will be consolidating everything to one campus downtown with brand new tower(s)

[Skyboxdweller]

13 hours ago, strickn said:

even if owning 800 Bell would pwn ChevronTexaco’s main domestic E&P rival,

and demonstrate their commitment to quote carbon footprint sensitivity unquote vs killing the planet building new construction, 

and accentuate both the 1400 Smith and 1500 Louisiana towers Chevron owns outright, whose sleek blue and white bands both pay discreet homage to their architectural forebear 800 Bell

 

[Skyboxdweller]

Given the size disparities and the price paid, by the time the Hess lease is up there will be limited need for a new building or additional space, especially given the work from home situation.  Hess' value relies in their share of the Guyana oil field in which they are a minority partner with Exxon controlling the show and their operations in North Dakota.  Staff functions will be consolidated - finance, hr, legal , shareholder relations, etc. and I assume the Hess folks have their resumes on the street.  M and A and land acquisition as well, except for the locals in the frozen north.  Still a plus for Houston, but not in terms of office space demand. 

[Houston19514]

The good news on the Hess acquisition is that their (Hess's) HQ was still in NYC.  I don't know how many people work at HQ, but those central office jobs are pretty likely the most duplicative. Reduces the likely job losses for Houston.

16 hours ago, strickn said:

I was thinking the same thing today when I heard it: except more along the lines of, “Well, sounds like ChevronTexacoHess has its new office block, without ever building 1600 Louisiana, after all.”  
Others had noted in the Hess Tower thread that Hess leased, and did not own, that office space and its associated parking.  
One forumer is now speculating that headcount reductions and offshoring are coming, in which case a new tower’s floor space is not necessary.

OK, but even if they are correct, and even if you are correct that a HQ relo is finally inevitable, Bridgeland demonstrates that Chevron bureaucracy obviously still think that R&D and laboratory experimentation benefits from a separate environment.

Therefore these same senior execs could still think this way about their own HQ culture as well (à la the former Exxon God Pod up by DFW), opting for a physical plant in which management, engineering, and back office are all kept separate from the “high-ups.”

• One scenario is that they move the HQ to Austin to hang out with their Californian c-suite golf buddies from Oracle, Tesla, et cetera — maybe even bail Google out of its empty riverfront “sail” office tower, finished but not moved into yet.
• One scenario is a pod close to the airport — either IAH or AUS or another Texas airport one with better connections than AUS (meaning most likely DFW again).
• However, a third scenario would be to use newer leased space by Discovery Green for that purpose, staying close to their big campus downtown but still not on campus.  That would be a good middle ground, no matter whether they use Hess Tower itself or the new Skanska spec spaces nearby.

I don't think Chevron has ever given any indication that keeping the execs away from the worker bees is part of their strategy.