HOUSTON – A distinctive downtown skyscraper has a new name: TC Energy Center. The 56-story tower, completed in 1983, has now received its fifth official name since opening.
Located at 700 Louisiana, the 1.2 million-square-foot building was developed by Hines and designed by Philip Johnson in partnership with John Burgee.
Previously known as the Bank of America Center, the building became available for rebranding after the bank relocated downtown this summer. That move allowed TC Energy to place its name on one of Houston’s most recognizable skyline landmarks.
TC Energy, a major North American energy infrastructure company with operations in natural gas and oil pipelines, power generation and gas storage, first established a presence in the tower in mid-2013. Following a recent expansion, TC Energy now leases just over 300,000 square feet in the building.
The property owner, Houston-based M-M Properties, is undertaking an extensive redevelopment of the landmark. Phase I of a reported $20 million renovation is already underway and will add an 8,000-square-foot white-tablecloth restaurant on the northwest corner of the lobby, plus 10,000 square feet of creative office space with views overlooking Jones Plaza. Phase II will introduce a tenant lounge and conference center, a lobby coffee bar, and new mezzanine-level collaborative workspaces beneath the building’s dramatic cathedral ceilings.
At a renaming ceremony in the lobby, M-M Properties CEO Ken Moczulski noted that the building’s expansive first-floor banking hall—originally designed to accommodate up to 35 teller stations—is no longer suitable for modern banking uses, reflecting the industry’s shift toward digital services.
Since opening 36 years ago, the tower has undergone several name changes tied to its major institutional tenants. It debuted as RepublicBank Center, then became NCNB Center, later NationsBank Center, and subsequently Bank of America Center. After Bank of America’s recent move to a new downtown Skanska building in June, the property was identified simply by its address, 700 Louisiana, until the TC Energy rebranding.
TC Energy’s signage is scheduled to be installed over the coming weekend, according to Stan Chapman, Executive Vice President and President of U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines for TC Energy. The Calgary-headquartered company, formerly known as TransCanada, maintains substantial pipeline and other energy assets in the United States. Chapman added that additional TC Energy staff will be relocating to the downtown tower in the months ahead.
“When we first developed the relocation plan for TC Energy, we were able to outline a path for growth that satisfied the goals of both the tenant and the owner. It is very gratifying to see that plan fully realized,” said John Spafford, an office leasing executive with Madison Marquette.
Spafford, together with Madeline Gregory of Madison Marquette, manage leasing for the property. The red-granite-clad tower, with its distinctive gabled roofline, remains one of the most recognisable buildings in the nation.
M-M Properties’ redevelopment includes reopening and repurposing the old Western Union space and its communications infrastructure, which has been hidden behind granite walls since the tower was built. That work will create new restaurant opportunities adjacent to the downtown theater district and performance venues.
Several public improvement projects are also progressing near the tower, said Bob Eury, president of Central Houston Inc., the nonprofit overseeing downtown redevelopment planning and implementation.
Immediately across from the TC Energy Center, Jones Plaza is undergoing a major overhaul to add green space, gardens and dining. Philanthropist Lynn Wyatt has pledged $10 million to the project, which will be renamed Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts. The $29 million renovation aims to replace an earlier, poorly received 1990s redo with a more inviting public realm.
Eury also noted other upcoming public additions, including a new monument and statue honoring President Lyndon B. Johnson to be installed near the Federal Courthouse, along with substantial improvements planned for Bagby Street on the western edge of downtown.
The building sits on a block bounded by Louisiana, Capitol, Smith and Rusk streets, adjacent to an east-west Metro Rail line that runs beside the tower.
Oct. 16, 2019 Realty News Report Copyright 2019
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