HOUSTON, TX – May 26, 2010 – (RealEstateRama) — Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today the structural completion of the 46-story, 972,000-square-foot office tower, MainPlace, located at 811 Main Street in downtown Houston. Façade installation, interior construction and mechanical work continues. Construction on the tower began in March 2008, and grand opening is scheduled for January 2011.
Hines Senior Vice President John Mooz commented, “We challenged our general contractor, D.E. Harvey Builders, with an aggressive construction schedule. After a three-year construction duration, we’re pleased that the building will be delivered a month early. Now that the building stands at its full height, views of the tower and those from within are equally amazing. We knew it was a special site with fantastic view corridors, but it surpassed our hopes.”
To commemorate the topping out milestone, more than 200 of Houston’s top brokers, city officials and VIPs from the tenant community attended an event yesterday on the tower’s 34th level. Guests were treated to exquisite cuisine, spectacular panoramic city views and tours of model offices built out for the occasion. Building architect Jon Pickard was in attendance as were the City of Houston’s new Director of Sustainability Laura Spanjian and Gerald D. Hines.
MainPlace, designed by the internationally recognized architectural firm of Pickard Chilton, will contain 960,000 square feet of office space, 12,000 square feet of retail space and an integrated, 1,150-car parking garage. MainPlace, located on the METRO Rail line, sets to redefine this area of downtown Houston with its iconic architecture, including a dramatic 39th floor sky garden recessed into the building’s form that reveals planted terraces and a five-story crystalline atrium. The project will contribute to the continued revitalization of Main Street and the heart of the CBD.
Hines Executive Vice President and CEO of the firm’s Southwest Region Mark Cover said, “We’re please to be well on the way to delivering the next generation of sustainably designed buildings to Houston’s CBD. The building’s architecture and sustainable features are definitely resonating with brokers and prospective tenants.”
MainPlace is continuing Hines’ ongoing commitment to the environment and leadership in sustainable building design and is pre-certified at the LEED® Silver level by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Hines is developing the project through its Hines CalPERS Green fund (HCG), which focuses exclusively on developing sustainable office buildings throughout the U.S. certifiable through the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Core and Shell (LEED-CS) program. Upon completion, it is expected that MainPlace will qualify for LEED Gold certification at minimum.
Director of Leasing Stewart Robinson reported that the tower’s top four floors have been pre-leased to KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, and conversations with additional tenants are ongoing.
About Pickard Chilton
Pickard Chilton is noted for its expertise in the design of corporate and professional office buildings. Recently completed projects include: 1180 Peachtree, a 50-story Hines development in Atlanta; and the CalPERS headquarters complex in Sacramento. The firm maintains a global practice and is currently designing corporate headquarters and skyscrapers in Houston, Montreal, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai. Prior to founding Pickard Chilton, Jon Pickard was Senior Associate with Cesar Pelli & Associates, and collaborated with Mr. Pelli on landmark projects including the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
About HCG
In September 2006, Hines formed Hines CalPERS Green (HCG) development fund. It is capitalized with more than $275 million of committed equity, having the ability to invest over $1 billion.
About CalPERS
CalPERS is the nation’s largest public pension fund with assets totaling $198 billion, of which nearly $15 billion is invested in real estate. The System provides retirement and health benefits to more than one million state and public employees and their families. For further information on CalPERS, visit the System’s Web site at www.calpers.ca.gov.
About Hines
In downtown Houston, Hines has developed 23 projects totaling approximately 17 million square feet. MainPlace represents the latest addition to the skyline since Hines’ 717 Texas building was completed in 2003.
Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm’s historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,111 properties representing more than 451 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. With offices in more than 100 cities in 17 countries, and controlled assets valued at approximately $22.2 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Hines is also a world leader in sustainable real estate strategies, with extensive experience in LEED®, ENERGY STAR®, BREEAM in the United Kingdom, France’s Haute Qualité Environnementale and with the German Sustainable Building Council. Visit www.hines.com for more information.
