HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Brookfield Properties continues its multi-million dollar reimagining of Allen Center, a major downtown office campus. The company is also investing heavily in upgrades at Houston Center and other downtown properties as it refreshes aging towers and enhances tenant amenities.
These renovations are part of a strategic effort to keep office buildings competitive in a market where employers use best-in-class workplaces to recruit and retain talent. In today’s corporate labor market, high-quality buildings are a key advantage for companies seeking top employees.
“Employees are a company’s most valuable asset. By being thoughtful in how we integrate tenant amenities into our developments, Brookfield Properties is helping our tenant partners continue to attract and retain top talent,” said Travis Overall, Executive Vice President and Head of the Texas Region for Brookfield Properties.
Downtown Houston is highly competitive among landlords, and Brookfield’s aggressive renovation program is intended to maintain leasing momentum and retain desirable tenants. Forty-year-old towers that do not receive substantial updates risk falling into Class B status, so modernizing buildings is essential.
At Allen Center—located along Smith Street—Brookfield has already invested roughly $50 million to renovate the 1 million-square-foot One Allen Center and its surrounding grounds. Improvements so far include creating a one-acre urban park, adding public art, removing a fortress-like berm and a skybridge, and integrating a refurbished hotel. Brookfield acquired an aging DoubleTree hotel adjacent to the campus, renovated and rebranded it as the C Baldwin Hotel, and incorporated it into Allen Center’s offerings.
Phase Two of the Allen Center redevelopment, which focuses on Three Allen Center, is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. That phase will deliver a substantial upgrade in tenant amenities, including conferencing facilities, enhanced fitness and wellness spaces, and accommodations for cyclists.
Background: Allen Center sits in the southwestern portion of downtown Houston and totals 3.2 million square feet of office space. One Allen Center at 500 Dallas Street is a 34-story tower completed in 1972. Two Allen Center at 1200 Smith Street is a 36-story, one-million-square-foot building completed in 1978. Three Allen Center at 333 Clay Street is a 50-story, 1.2-million-square-foot tower that opened in 1980.
Wellness and fitness: The new wellness facilities will be located in Three Allen Center and be open to all tenants. The wellness room will be equipped with Peloton bikes, rowing machines, stretch mats, towel service, and executive locker rooms with showers.
Cyclist amenities: A first-floor bike room in Three Allen Center will provide end-of-trip facilities, including a bike-friendly street-level entrance, wall-mounted storage racks for up to 35 bikes, and access to repair tools and servicing.
Lactation facilities: In partnership with Work & Mother, Allen Center will open fully equipped lactation rooms with support resources at Three Allen Center. The facility—expected to open in August 2020—will offer 10 private lactation rooms featuring hands-free, hospital-grade equipment and workstations to allow occupants to continue working while pumping. The offering meets the Fair Labor Standards Act requirements for nursing mothers by providing a private, non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk during the workday.
Conference and meeting space: One Allen Center will include a conferencing center with a boardroom and expandable meeting space capable of accommodating up to 185 people.
Other upgrades across the campus include modernized lobbies, elevator improvements, and a range of building enhancements aimed at elevating tenant experience.
Construction on the Allen Center renovations began in April 2019 with Morrison Dilworth + Walls and PDR serving as architects and Tellepsen as the contractor. The project’s estimated completion was planned for late 2020.
“As evidenced through ongoing renovations at Allen Center, Houston Center, Heritage Plaza, and Total Plaza, Brookfield Properties is committed to creating amenity-rich environments for our tenants,” Overall added.
July 4, 2020 Realty News Report Copyright 2020
