1500 Louisiana Street

History

After the completion of Heritage Plaza in 1986, no new office skyscraper was built in Houston until the late 1990s. This was caused by the city's high office vacancy rate during the 1980s. As Houston's economy continued to recover in the following decade, demand for new office spaces began to return. In 1999, Enron, a major local company, started the construction of a new office tower for its main headquarters. It is located on the block owned by the company in Downtown Houston. Due to a scandal in late 2001, the company collapsed and filed for bankruptcy that same year; Enron never occupied the building.

In 2002, Intell Management and Investment Co. paid $102 million for the tower, which came equipped with technology that was, in 2003, the latest for energy firms. In 2003, Charlie Giammalva of Lincoln Property Co., the leasing company of 1500 Louisiana, said that the building was "zero percent occupied." Giammalva said that the management of the building had contacted several firms, such as ExxonMobil, about the possibility of leasing space in the building. By July 2003 none of the firms contacted the management.

ChevronTexaco bought the building in 2004 for $340 million. By 2005 the firm announced that it would move out of the former Chevron Tower in Houston Center and moved into 1500 Louisiana Street. In 2006 4,000 employees worked in 1500 Louisiana.

In October 2024, Chevron announced a $66.5 million renovation plan for the building, as well as the $2.9 million restroom renovation project on floors 31–39, which was started a month prior. Both projects were slated to complete in August 2025.

Design

The 40-floor building was designed by César Pelli as a lozenge shaped office skyscraper. The structure has 7 floors of podium and covered with glass curtain wall. It is connected to 1400 Smith Street by a circular skybridge.

References

Books

References

1. Barboza, David. (January 24, 2002). "ENRON'S COLLAPSE: THE OFFICE; Morale and Occupancy Are Low At the Headquarters in Houston". [[The New York Times]].
2. "1500 Louisiana Street". [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]].
3. "1500 Louisiana St".
4. "Houston". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
5. (February 4, 1999). "Enron set to build Houston office tower". [[The Journal Record]].
6. Pristin, Terry. (March 3, 2004). "COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE; Houston Tries to Banish Enron's Ghosts". [[The New York Times]].
7. Calvo, Dana. (September 29, 2003). "Empty Enron Tower Looms Over Houston". [[Los Angeles Times]].
8. Bivins, Ralph. "[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2003_3675101 SURVIVAL OF THE NEWEST / OCCUPANCY DOWNTOWN TUMBLING, BUT THREE TOWERS DEFY TREND]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. Sunday July 27, 2003. Business 1. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.
9. Dawson, Jennifer. "[http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/06/24/chevron-finalizes-downtown-office.html Chevron finalizes downtown Houston office tower purchase]." ''[[Houston Business Journal]]''. June 24, 2011. Retrieved on August 3, 2011.
10. Sarnoff, Nancy. "[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2005_3857165 Building becomes Fulbright Tower / Law firm takes name of former Chevron space]." ''[[Houston Chronicle]]''. Wednesday March 30, 2005. Business 3. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.
11. Dawson, Jennifer. "[http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2006/03/06/story8.html Chevron ends space odyssey with landmark lease]." ''[[Houston Business Journal]]''. Friday March 3, 2006. Retrieved on November 11, 2009.
12. Miranda, Janet. (October 21, 2024). "Chevron plans massive $66.5 million update to its Houston headquarters". [[Chron.com.