Nole23 Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm a consultant working at Shell. I haven't heard anything about Shell leaving downtown but I know their Woodcreek Office in the Energy Cooridor is expanding, but for the most part Shell Trading is staying downtown where my current project is located. They have offices all over downtown in Pennzoil North Tower, 2 Houston center, and One & Two Shell Plaza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm a consultant working at Shell. I haven't heard anything about Shell leaving downtown but I know their Woodcreek Office in the Energy Cooridor is expanding, but for the most part Shell Trading is staying downtown where my current project is located. They have offices all over downtown in Pennzoil North Tower, 2 Houston center, and One & Two Shell Plaza.Ah, ok, cool. Thanks for the update. Yeah, he said over in the energy corridor they've built like 3 or 4 buildings in the past five years. Any idea how many people you have downtown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Chevron still has a major operation downtown. KPMG had a major move-in a while back. There's still plenty of firms in downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I was gonna start a new thred but I guess this one will do.I was wondering what the future of downtown will be? Last night I went to a birthday party and met a guy from Shell. He said most of Shell is moving out to west Houston and he thinks there's only a small remnant in downtown, is the remnant part true?Then Exxon is consolidating most likely to the north, will their downtown people be moving there, too?I know we've seen a couple of buildings pop up downtown the past few years, but I'm just wondering, if your powerhouse companies are moving out, who are the ones staying and moving in? Guess we'll possibly see with a couple of buildings in the pipeline.The Shell rumors have been around for about two years. Shell leases about 2,000,000 square feet of office space in Houston. There have been rumors that Shell would leave downtown but nothing but a positive move has been actually signed. Shell will vacate around 250,000 square feet of space at Two Houston Center but will take just over 300,000 square feet, including the trading floor at 1000 Main. That's a net positive for downtown.KBR was also widely rumored to be leaving downtown for the Katy area. However, KBR not only decided to stay downtown, they actually bumped up their total lease at KBR Tower and 500 Jefferson to just shy of 1,200,000 square feet. That's an increase of over 234,000 square feet.Also, Hines landed BG Goup to take over space in Main Place. The original lease was for 164,000 square feet but an extension was just signed and the U.K. based natural gas company will now occupy 354,000 square feet when it moves into the space. It will be the location for BG Group's North and South American Headquarters. BG Group is currently located in the Galleria area.Another huge get was Hess' move from One Allen Center to the Discover (Hess) Tower. Hess currently occupies 500,000 square feet but will be taking the entire 845,000 square foot tower. That's another net positive for downtown.Then there's Chevron. Chevron's commitment to downtown seems very solid since they are likely going to BUY the old Enron Headquarters from Brookfield Properties. They also own the old YMCA site.Here are some of the other large lease extensions/expansions that have been executed in downtown over the past two years;Enervest added 37,000 sq feet to take a total of 117,316 sq feet at the First City TowerThe US GSA has signed a lease for 132,539 sq ft at Wells Fargo Plaza (a 10% increase over their current lease)Fulbright + Jaworski renewed for 300,000 sq feet Plains Exploration signed a 136,000 sq foot lease agreementErnst and Young inked a 110,000 sq foot leaseKPMG signed on with Hines for 108,000 sq feet in Main Place (BG Group)Black Stone Minerals inked a deal for 55,000 sq feet at First City TowerWaste Management, already a huge downtown player, added 27,000 sq feet of office space at 1021 Main StDowntown will always be the cultural (theater, ballet, symphony, opera) hub of the city. It will also always be the legal hub (major law firms and courthouses), sporting hub (Astros, Rockets, Aeros, and soon to be Dynamo), governmental hub (City and Harris County Offices plus federal courts), and even an educational center (UH Downtown and South Texas College of Law). There will always be demand for office space downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Lots of banks in dt as well, and Cooper, as energy Companies move on, others will move in. And the best part is that the energy companies aren't leaving Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted July 3, 2011 Share Posted July 3, 2011 new coffee shop sign across from HOB (not in pavilions) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroMogul Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Re: "Issues" with the homeless....Those "dreaded" churches and charities were feeding the homeless in parking lots when the neighbors were abandoned railroad tracks and dilapidated warehouses. Now that the tracks have been paved over and the warehouses remodeled into cheap, cookie cutter lofts doesn't mean the church should pack and go and leave the homeless to suffer. If you're afraid to take little Hayden for a stroll because of "street people," Katy and the Woodlands are calling you. Not too many dark---- er I mean "thugs" out there either. Maybe this whole "urban living" thing is not for some of you, what with all the diversity and this thing called reality beating you over your little yuppie heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Re: "Issues" with the homeless....Those "dreaded" churches and charities were feeding the homeless in parking lots when the neighbors were abandoned railroad tracks and dilapidated warehouses. Now that the tracks have been paved over and the warehouses remodeled into cheap, cookie cutter lofts doesn't mean the church should pack and go and leave the homeless to suffer. If you're afraid to take little Hayden for a stroll because of "street people," Katy and the Woodlands are calling you. Not too many dark---- er I mean "thugs" out there either. Maybe this whole "urban living" thing is not for some of you, what with all the diversity and this thing called reality beating you over your little yuppie heads.The churches and charities should sell out, take the money, buy a cheaper facility elsewhere, and use the money to increase the level of service that they provide to the homeless. Like yourself, I really don't care if little Hayden gets raped. My ire is concentrated squarely upon those committing a travesty against those that they are supposed to be helping, whether on the basis of shallow-minded religious principle or because they're getting favored tax treatment because of a phony mission statement. Such people are criminals, essentially robbing the poor of an opportunity for a better existence.If you don't agree with me, then you're obviously one of "them", and you shall be subject to my ridicule because you're not one of "us". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 If you don't agree with me, then you're obviously one of "them", and you shall be subject to my ridicule because you're not one of "us". Been listening to a little to much Zappa, Niche? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 Been listening to a little to much Zappa, Niche?"The creation and destruction of harmonic and 'statistical' tensions is essential to the maintenance of compositional drama. Any composition (or improvisation) which remains consonant and 'regular' throughout is, for me, equivalent to watching a movie with only 'good guys' in it, or eating cottage cheese." - Frank ZappaIf my crazed amoral retorts make HAIF (and life in general) less like eating cottage cheese, then I should deserve a medal. Another Shiner bottle cap will have to do, it seems.I do hope that the underlying message got across. Midtown is a neighborhood undergoing a decades-long transition. Everyone that lives, works, plays, gives, takes, and governs there is at odds with the others. But nothing is accomplished by one's rejection of that which is external to them. Progress only occurs as individuals make decisions for themselves.The neighborhood is on an inexorable trajectory toward gentrification. There's no getting around it. Individuals can only make decisions based on the present and based on their values. Maybe charity is only worthwhile for some people if it takes place in a 'cool' neighborhood. Maybe the charities are a component of what makes it 'cool' to some people and not to others. So what? Not every place can be all things to all people. Live and let live. Houston is not the Vatican; there are many neighborhoods, all of them in transition, none of them sacred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Well, they closed the Burger King in the Houston Club building. If that's not a harbinger of doom, it's at least a sign that taste in cheesburgers has improved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Well, they closed the Burger King in the Houston Club building. If that's not a harbinger of doom, it's at least a sign that taste in cheesburgers has improved.Retail tenants are getting kicked out of that building altogether. The building is under contract to be sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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