by Beata Lorincz

Joint venture partners Hines and Ivanhoé Cambridge have topped out Texas Tower, a 47-story, 1.1 million-square-foot Class AA office tower in downtown Houston. Currently the city’s largest office project under construction, the structure reached the milestone several weeks ahead of schedule. The tower is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. Construction of the Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed skyscraper commenced in 2018. The following year, the project earned LEED Platinum Pre-certification under the v4 for Core & Shell Rating System. The energy-efficient development also aligns with WiredScore and WELL Building Standards. Once completed, the building will house Hines’ headquarters, slated to take up some 180,000 square feet. The tower is currently 40 percent leased to a variety of tenants, including global law firms Vinson & Elkins LLP and DLA Piper. The latter committed to a 31,000-square-foot, 14-year lease in early 2020. Situated at 845 Texas Ave., the site is well-located between the Central Business District, the Theater District, and the Historic District. Last January, Hines renamed 600 Travis St., the tallest building in Texas spanning 75 stories and 1.7 million square feet, and situated just adjacent to Texas Tower. The supertall structure is now known as JPMorgan Chase Tower after its anchor tenant signed a 250,000-square-foot lease at the location in mid-2020. Click to read more at www.cpexecutive.com.