HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – In one of Houston’s largest post‑Covid office moves, JPMorgan Chase has completed its relocation into the tallest tower in Texas.
More than 1,700 employees—primarily technologists forming the bank’s Houston Technology Center—now occupy approximately 250,000 square feet across 12 floors of the 75‑story JPMorgan Chase Tower at 600 Travis Street.
The building has been undergoing a major renovation that includes redesign of the exterior plaza and a new main entry, a project led by the HOK architecture firm.
Triangles, a Pyramid and the Louvre
The plaza transformation is nearing completion and will provide an urban garden with expanded green space and stronger connections between the building interior and the outdoors. As an homage to the tower’s architectural legacy, the reimagined lobby will feature a glass pyramid entry inspired by the Louvre in Paris—an intentional nod to the tower’s original architect, I.M. Pei. The new entry is designed to create a spacious, light‑filled lobby with biophilic features that bring the outdoors in.
The relocation reconnects the legacies of developer Gerald D. Hines and banking executive Ben F. Love, who led Texas Commerce Bank, the original anchor tenant when the 1,002‑foot building opened 40 years ago as the Texas Commerce Tower.
“Gerald D. Hines and Ben Love forged this partnership nearly 50 years ago, and we are proud to welcome back JPMorgan Chase into one of the most iconic buildings in Houston, one that carried their name for decades,” said John Mooz, senior managing director for Hines in Texas.
Hines, together with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, acquired 600 Travis Street and the adjacent 601 Travis Street building in 2019 for $627 million.
I.M. Pei designed Pyramide du Louvre & Texas Commerce Tower
The 1.7 million square‑foot JPMorgan Chase Tower, designed by I.M. Pei & Partners, was completed in 1982 and occupies the block bounded by Travis, Milam, Texas and Capitol streets.
JPMorgan Chase had moved out of the tower some years earlier; this 2021 relocation represents a homecoming for the Manhattan‑based institution.
JPMorgan Chase signed the lease for the space in July 2020. Michael Anderson, Diana Bridger and Margaret Elkins of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord in the transaction.
A notable outdoor feature remains on the plaza: the largest Joan Miró sculpture ever commissioned, entitled “Personage and Birds.”
The bank describes its interior space as modern and flexible, supporting a range of work modes. Employees can choose collaborative areas for team work, individual desktops for focused tasks, or conference rooms equipped with current workplace technology, according to a statement from the bank.
As part of the real estate strategy, JPMorgan Chase consolidated its Houston Technology Center from 1111 Fannin at Dallas Street into the tower. The Technology Center, established in 2002 with about 250 initial employees, now brings together more than 1,600 technologists from seven lines of business.
“Our bright, open concept office is filled with the latest collaboration and private spaces for our software engineers to leverage. This office represents the next generation of workspace design and positions us well for continued growth in our engineering community,” said Forrest Duke, head of the Houston Technology Center.
Across the street from the 75‑story tower, JPMorgan Chase also staffs a historic building at 712 Main with roughly 800 employees.
JPMorgan Chase employs nearly 5,000 people in Houston and traces its roots in the region back more than a century. The firm said it is actively recruiting for more than 250 technology positions in the city.
Meanwhile, Hines is developing the 47‑story Texas Tower office building directly across from the JPMorgan Chase Tower.
Sept. 8, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
For more about Texas real estate, see the book Houston 2020: America’s Boom Town – An Extreme Close Up by Ralph Bivins. Photo credits: Ralph Bivins, Realty News Report. Copyright 2021.
File: JP Morgan Chase in Relo to Tallest Tower in Texas
File: Cushman & Wakefield. Relo to Tallest Tower in Texas – 75‑story JPMorgan Chase Tower in Houston.