Battle of the Giants: Hines, Chevron Supersize Upcoming Skyscrapers

By Georgiana Mihaila, Associate Editor

Initial rendering, 609 Main at Texas

Houston’s commercial market is in the spotlight again, with two major developers looking to deliver the city’s next great skyscraper.

Local developer Hines—which already holds the record for building Texas’ tallest office tower—was planning a major 41-story tower project at 609 Main St.; but according to recent news, Hines will be supersizing the plan to accommodate the growing number of energy firms that are looking to expand in the downtown area.

While initial plans called for 815,000 square feet of office space, Hines told CultureMap that the project, dubbed “609 Main at Texas,” will be much bigger (and taller) than previously thought, but no official numbers have been released. Working with architectural firm Pickard Chilton for the design of the building, Hines said it will reveal the final height and size of the building in fourth quarter 2013.

So far, we know that the Class A, next-generation office tower will be clad in a high-performance enclosure with low-E floor-to-ceiling glass. Initial plans called for efficient and flexible 27,500-square-feet floor plates that have been designed in order to accommodate a wide variety of uses.

609 Main at Texas, rendering via Pickard Chilton

The sustainable building will include under-floor HVAC, “smart” elevators and a sophisticated safety system. The podium will conceal parking for 1,200 cars and will feature an expansive urban roof garden. Plans for the lobby include a modern café and a digital working bar, while the amenity list includes a fine-dining restaurant and a fitness center with associated facilities.

Yet Hines’ next-generation office tower will have to face some competition: Chevron is looking to add a 1.7 million-square-foot tower right next to its two existing buildings in the Central Business District. Located at 1600 Louisiana St., the state-of-the-art, 50-story skyscraper will help Chevron make room for an additional 1,752 workers. The new Chevron tower will be bigger than the existing 1.3 million- and 1.2 million-square-foot buildings at 1500 Louisiana and 1400 Smith owned by the energy giant.

Images via Pickard Chilton