Total Plaza in downtown Houston is slated for a makeover affecting the tunnel, street and second floor lobby levels.
Courtesy of Brookfield Properties
With a third renovation project just announced for another of its downtown Houston properties, Brookfield Properties appears to be gunning for a win-place-show standing in 2020 with a series of updated energy-era towers. And more changes are likely ahead for other properties in its Houston portfolio.
Total Plaza’s revamp starts this summer and has an estimated completion early next year. The 35-story Class A tower has 821,723 square feet of office space and 11,735 square feet of retail space. Anchor tenant Total, a Paris-based oil and gas company, re-upped and expanded its lease earlier this year.
Renovations to the 1971-built property will focus on the street level and second floor lobby — as well as the tower’s tie into the extensive tunnel system connecting much of downtown’s built environment. Previous upgrades earlier this year include a state-of-the-art fitness center and adjacent bike room.
The updates, announced this week, call for new floor and wall finishes, new lighting and ceilings, modern finishes in the elevator cabs and lobbies, upgraded furniture and security console, and lastly, new signage on the interior and exterior of the property.
Brookfield’s Travis Overall, executive vice president and head of the Texas region, declined to disclose the project costs.
The project team includes Ziegler Cooper Architects and general contractor Tellepsen.
Upping the updates
Overall said the company is upgrading many of its assets in downtown Houston. Mega-scale examples include the re-imaging of two office campuses, Allen Center and Houston Center, both slated for completion in late 2020.
“The Houston market offers a fantastic environment to live, work and play,” he said. “We are pleased to be participating in making downtown Houston even better.”
Other projects are pending, Overall said. “We are evaluating our entire Houston portfolio and are planning to announce some exciting changes to Heritage Plaza soon.” That 53-story post-modern office tower anchors the west side of Houston’s skyline and is most recognizable for the Aztec pyramid that tops the 1987 building.
The renovated properties, with their upgrades to finishes, amenities and other tenant services, are competing with a plethora of new construction downtown.