Yearslong efforts to diversify Downtown Houston to offer more than just employment are coming to fruition, driven by a slate of pedestrian- and community-focused projects.
Those include the $2B renovation and expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center, a pedestrian-only Main Street Promenade and the conversion of the historic Scanlan Building.
Now add to the mix a major repositioning of the former One Shell Plaza, announced this week.
Courtesy of HOK
A rendering of renovations at 910 Louisiana
Hines and Partners Real Estate announced the 50-story office building at 910 Louisiana St., owned by Busycon Properties, will be renovated to replace stretches of stone with expanses of glass at ground level, adding natural light for future restaurant and retail tenants. The project will also replace travertine plazas with gardens.
The renovation announcement comes as NRG, which subleased 431K SF of Shell’s 800K SF, plans to move out when Shell’s lease expires in December. The building’s occupancy will drop from about 86% to 35% in January, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The $50M project aims to make the building an inviting, pedestrian-friendly gathering space along Smith and Louisiana streets. Completion is expected in 2027.
These projects and other initiatives create a more welcoming Downtown for residents and visitors, like those coming to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Downtown Houston+ CEO Kristopher Larson said at the State of Downtown event at 713 Music Hall on Thursday.
“We’ve been planning, we’ve been building, we’ve been adapting, getting our community ready to host the World Baseball Classic, the NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, and, of course, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in June and July,” Larson said. “We’ve got some work still to do to make sure that our Downtown is ready.”
Other initiatives include the repaving of 86 street blocks, slated for completion before the World Cup, and creating housing for Downtown’s population of homeless people, Larson said. Houston City Council on Wednesday approved plans for a $16M facility in East Downtown to provide temporary housing, mental healthcare and addiction treatment.
“We’ve been able to reduce the homeless population in Downtown already by 50%,” Larson said. “We do that by first understanding who it is we are serving and what their needs are … and connect them with the resources that are going to help to transition them into a better place.”
Downtown Houston has already made strides in drawing people to the district. There are close to 40 million non-work-related visits Downtown each year, which is nearly double the number of total work trips that happen in a year, Larson said.
“For every employee that is coming to Downtown, we have two that are coming here for fun, recreation,” he said. “They’re coming by choice because this is a place that they want to be.”
Bisnow/Maddy McCarty
Downtown Houston+ CEO Kristopher Larson speaks at the State of Downtown event at 713 Music Hall on Thursday.
More people are also living Downtown. There have been about 520 apartment units delivered annually since 2015, Larson said. There were 8,222 residential units Downtown in the second quarter, when residential vacancy also hit a six-year low. That is up from 7,230 residential units in late 2022.
Downtown Houston’s office market is recovering, too, with 2.1M SF leased over the past year and return-to-office rates nearing 80% of prepandemic levels, Larson said.
The team behind 910 Louisiana is hoping the renovation will snag it a bigger piece of that activity.
Subtenants totaling more than 107K SF have executed new direct leases to remain in the building, said Win Haggard, who leases the property along with fellow Partners Real Estate partner Chip Colvill. Law firm Baker Botts in 2022 extended its 175K SF lease in the building, where it has been for more than five decades.
“These renovations are well timed as the market for large block alternatives like the space available at 910 Louisiana remains tight throughout the city,” Colvill said in a press release. “This building now represents an excellent leasing opportunity for a large anchor tenant that may be seeking naming rights.”
Hines developed the 1.2M SF building and remains its property manager. HOK is designing the renovations, which will add a 9K SF conference center, a fitness and wellness center, and a 5K SF tenant lounge with an outdoor terrace. Gallant Commercial is the general contractor.
CORRECTION, OCT. 31, 10:12 A.M. CT: A previous version of this article and headline included an incorrect value of the 910 Louisiana renovation project. The story has been updated.