Chevron Skyscraper Proposal At 1600 Louisiana St.

[Houston19514]

The garage I think the article is referring to is 425 Bell St.

 

??  The garage referred to is 1400 Louisiana, as it says in the article.  (Bordered by Bell, Clay, and Louisiana, in the 600 block of Bell)

[hoothrewpoo]

.

Edited March 28, 2013 by hoothrewpoo

[swtsig]

How much room do they really need? If their long term plan calls for that large of a downtown expansion that would be incredible. I can only hope that is true and that they make it public. Exxon's campus has put the spotlight on The Woodlands and has caused a lot of companies to move that way, as well as expedited the Grand Parkway extension from 290 all the way to 59. That would be exciting for downtown and maybe they could sway some people to get some rail lines built to connect them with companies in Greenway and the Galleria.  

well their san ramos HQ still house about 3k people, give or take...

[Pleak]

More completely idle, baseless speculation to add to the above.

 

If there are plans for a fourth tower several years out - it makes sense on a couple of levels.   IF  the long-term plans are to move Chevron headquarters from San Ramon to Houston.   ( I read somewhere that Houston has 7000 employees,  San Ramon 3000 - before the transfer of the 800 that are being moved here).

 

In  the O&G business,   there are two big age clumps of employees.    A huge amount are older,  nearing retirement - these are the survivors left over from the 70's-80's boom years before the bust.     Then there are the huge amount of new hires in the last 5-8 years.      The cohorts in between are very thin,  because times sucked in the O&G industry and no one went in if they could avoid it in the late 80's through early 00's. 

 

So who is at San Ramon?    All the higher ups (i.e. old-timers) who don't want to move and have the power to block the move within the company.

 

But all these workers are nearing their RV purchasing age and planning their move to Del Webb communities in AZ and FL.    All that will be left will be the younger cohort which are not long-term established anywhere (or are already hired on in Houston) and more amenable to moving.

 

So I could see when the grumpy high-ranking old-timers start leaving,   any internal opposition will be reduced.   Plus if there are any promises to the city of San Ramon by Chevron (and I think there are)   a few years down the road,  they might have expired also,  or are cheap enough to buy out of.

 

Like I said - pure idle speculation.

[ClutchCity]

California taxes are also supposedly changing the minds of Chevron's execs at San Ramon too.

[infinite_jim]

??  The garage referred to is 1400 Louisiana, as it says in the article.  (Bordered by Bell, Clay, and Louisiana, in the 600 block of Bell)

 

My bad, yeah the garage has a address plaque that shows 625 Bell.

Edited March 29, 2013 by infinite_jim

[august948]

More completely idle, baseless speculation to add to the above.

 

If there are plans for a fourth tower several years out - it makes sense on a couple of levels.   IF  the long-term plans are to move Chevron headquarters from San Ramon to Houston.   ( I read somewhere that Houston has 7000 employees,  San Ramon 3000 - before the transfer of the 800 that are being moved here).

 

In  the O&G business,   there are two big age clumps of employees.    A huge amount are older,  nearing retirement - these are the survivors left over from the 70's-80's boom years before the bust.     Then there are the huge amount of new hires in the last 5-8 years.      The cohorts in between are very thin,  because times sucked in the O&G industry and no one went in if they could avoid it in the late 80's through early 00's. 

 

So who is at San Ramon?    All the higher ups (i.e. old-timers) who don't want to move and have the power to block the move within the company.

 

But all these workers are nearing their RV purchasing age and planning their move to Del Webb communities in AZ and FL.    All that will be left will be the younger cohort which are not long-term established anywhere (or are already hired on in Houston) and more amenable to moving.

 

So I could see when the grumpy high-ranking old-timers start leaving,   any internal opposition will be reduced.   Plus if there are any promises to the city of San Ramon by Chevron (and I think there are)   a few years down the road,  they might have expired also,  or are cheap enough to buy out of.

 

Like I said - pure idle speculation.

More baseless, idle speculation, but if the above is true then there's probably going to be some lively debate within the Chevron rank and file about Houston vs the Bay Area. I work for a company based not far from San Ramon and most people there of all cohorts, but particularly the younger ones have a negative attitude towards Texas in general and don't really believe me when I tell them how diverse Houston is.

[brijonmang]

It's been a little while since we've had any updates on this.  Do any of the guys with "inside sources" have anything that could be shared here?  I think this building is the most likely to go up next despite no real press on it.

[nativehoustonion]

I have not seen any press on it.  I believe Chevron may move their headquarters here, and build a tall skyscraper where the YMCA was.  It is very hush hush but I think something will be announced soon. 

[htownproud]

Agreed on the new tower.  No way HQ moves here.  All the execs I know there love San Ramon way too much.  

[Moore713]

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.

[nativehoustonion]

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?   

[tangledwoods]

They will move forward this year on construction from what I have been hearing.

[jt16]

I heard from a CVX employee today that an internal memo showed having the same speed stick design but "significantly" taller than the other two towers. He guessed in the 60 story range

[por favor gracias]

I heard from a CVX employee today that an internal memo showed having the same speed stick design but "significantly" taller than the other two towers. He guessed in the 60 story range

 

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

Edited June 14, 2013 by por favor gracias

[ArchFan]

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 June 15, 2013 by ArchFan

[lockmat]

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

[por favor gracias]

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...

[Houston?]

What is a speed stick design?

[lockmat]

What is a speed stick design?

Haha...like a speed stick deodorant

[tangledwoods]

Where did people get the 60 floors number from?  Everything that I have heard has placed it between 40-50 floors....

[jt16]

It was a guess based on a rendering someone saw. I was told it looked significantly higher than the other two. And I have not personally seen a rendering.

[wxman]

I think the Enron Towers (Chevron) are sexy buildings. Not too outlandish but modern. I think a 3rd building of the same look would be a nice addition. 

[ArchFan]

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.

[Houston19514]

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.

[bachanon]

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?

[Fortune]

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 ?

[bachanon]

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).

[LarryDierker]

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

[jt16]

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

That has no impact on their financials. Only some poor franchisee who owns the store