Developer Randall Davis has started presales for his latest project — The Paramount, a 25-story luxury condo tower planned for the River Oaks area just past Highland Village — and opened a sales center to display options buyers can chose from. Davis wanted to set The Paramount apart from competitors by using high-end finishes while making everything extremely customizable — but the design process wasn't easy.
Davis said he worked for months to draft an initial design before deciding he “just hated it.”
“I threw it in the trash and started over,” he said.
Davis said he and his daughter Natalie, who serves as creative director of the Houston-based Randall Davis Co., wanted to create a building that was unlike any other in Houston.
“We looked around and thought, there aren’t any other buildings with gold accents on the exterior. You really don’t see that in Houston,” Davis said. "I've always been a fan of art deco, and it's coming back in a big way to great success."
The exterior of the building is an homage to some of Manhattan’s most recognizable buildings from the 1920s. Art deco flourishes like gold accents and staggered, upward-facing lights are set against off-white limestone and black window frames.
Finding a new look was an additional challenge for Davis, who has already developed or co-developed some of Houston’s most luxurious condo buildings. His company, which has often partnered with Houston’s DC Partners in the past, brought to market the Astoria at 1405 Post Oak Blvd.; the Cosmopolitan at 1600 Post Oak Blvd.; the Manhattan at 3030 Post Oak Blvd.; and the Metropolis at 1914 Gray St.
More recently, Davis added the Marlowe at 1311 Polk St. and the Arabella at 4521 San Felipe St. to his company's portfolio. Most of the units in those buildings have already sold, Davis said.
But with the Paramount, Davis wanted to provide a building that combined classic design with the ultimate in modern luxury.
Davis and his daughter came up with a design that closely resembled the finished product and tapped Houston-based Powers Brown Architecture to serve as architect. Houston-based GT Leach will be the contractor.
The building will be located on a nearly half-acre tract of land at 3723 Westheimer, between Weslayan Street and Edloe Street. But there was a problem.Davis wanted a variance to build 15 feet closer to Westheimer Boulevard, and some members of the community didn’t approve.
That ended up forcing Davis to go with a taller, if somewhat skinner, building.
“That just made us have to go taller to get the same amount of square feet and units,” Davis said. “It also made us get rid some of our plans for streetlights and landscaping.”
Davis declined to say how much the building will cost to build. But he said he’s looking forward to construction getting underway. The building is set to break ground in the second quarter of 2020 and has a two-year construction timeline.
To show off the choices available to prospective buyers, Davis has opened a 9,000-square-foot sales center, half of which is devoted to showing off full-sized models of various rooms.
“We want to provide a place that emphasizes customization,” Davis said. “It’s important that the customer gets exactly what they want."
Homebuyers will be able to change just about anything they want before moving in. Not only will they be able to choose from a wide array of materials, color schemes and finishes, Davis said he’s willing to work with customers on how their new home is laid out.
“If they want a wall moved, we’ll get that wall moved,” Davis said.
The 25-story tower will include 50 units — 44 standard and six penthouse-level. Units will average 2,800 square feet and will cost between $1 million and $5 million, Davis said.
Standard amenities will include German-made Gaggenau appliances, Eggersmann cabinetry, 11-foot living room ceilings and two parking spaces per unit.
However, buyers will also have the option of adding features like a private elevator entrance, Molteni cabinetry from Italy or a secure “garage within a garage” for their vehicles.
Community amenities will include 24-hour concierge service, indoor and outdoor pools, a high-end fitness center and valet parking.
“We wanted to include as many luxury items as standard as possible, while also offering even more opportunities to customize your home,” Davis said.
By Jeff Jeffrey
Reporter
Houston Business Journal
Hallmark Floors, a California-based flooring manufacturer, expanded into the Houston market with the purchase from Vigavi SEDC of a 170,476-square-foot distribution center at 730 Genoa Red Bluff Road. Nathan Wynne and Cape Bell with CBRE represented the seller. David Buescher and Louis Tomaselli with JLL represented the buyer. The building will enable Hallmark to better serve distributors and dealers east of the Rockies.
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A joint venture of Archway Properties and Ridgeline Property Group completed construction on the Telge 290 Logistics
An Atlanta-based developer that has already made several investments in Houston’s growing industrial market recently added a new property to its local portfolio. 
The COVID-19 pandemic means we must adapt to different workspaces and lifestyles, beyond simply moving desks around and providing hand sanitizer. We must also reevaluate existing spaces and recalibrate standards. The six new degrees of separation include:
Before the coronavirus stormed workplaces worldwide, the office sector had hummed along relatively unchanged for much of the past several decades.
Before the pandemic, about 10% of workers able to work remotely did so full time, and an additional 20% did so some of the time, according to Gartner. Now, chief financial officers the company surveyed indicate 19% of workers will go remote full time and 29% will go remote some of the time. 
“You’re hearing a lot of people putting the brakes on Houston,” said Justin Bennett, Texas regional partner for Phelan-Bennett Development. “In the case of our particular project, we’re full steam ahead.” 
One of the tallest and most anticipated downtown developments under construction in San Antonio is making progress.
“Every detail of EDGE 470 is designed to give tenants a competitive edge in the market, providing some of the highest visibility and accessibility in the area,” said Dave Klebba, partner at Etkin Johnson. “As the metro area continues to grow, Southeast Denver is attracting high-caliber companies looking to take advantage of the highly educated workforce and lower cost of living.”
Industrial Properties and USAA Real Estate has broken ground on Ella West Crossing, a 221,393-square-foot industrial project located within Pinto Business Park in North Houston. The property will offer proximity to Bush Intercontinental Airport and Interstate 45 and will feature cross-dock and front-load spaces that can accommodate users with requirements as small as 40,000 square feet. Additional building features will include 32-foot clear heights, 185-foot truck court depths, 67 trailer parking spaces and an ESFR sprinkler system. Completion is scheduled for July 2020.
Remember when The Arts Residences broke a record last summer by being the fastest-selling condominium project in Texas? It's time to add another accolade to the development's list, as it has now topped off — or finished its vertical construction — with a little less than a year from its targeted completion date.
SAN ANTONIO — Locally based developer Koontz Corp. has completed Foster Ridge Distribution Center, a 327,000-square-foot industrial project in northeast San Antonio. The property is situated on 21 acres near a distribution center leased to Dollar General and the 871-acre site that will eventually house H-E-B’s distribution facilities. Foster Ridge Distribution Center is a cross-dock building that features 32-foot clear heights, 75 dock-high overhead doors, 130-foot truck courts and an ESFR sprinkler system. 
On September 27, Jeffrey Brown, FAIA, was named to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association's College of Fellows at the Tilt-Up Convention and Expo in Atlanta. Jeffrey Brown, FAIA, FTCA, is a leading advocate for the design application of tilt wall technology. As a researcher, innovator, and practice leader, he has pioneered the construction methodology’s use in award-winning and commercially successful projects. 
Construction crews have begun work on a 19-acre industrial complex in Humble.
The two-building development, dubbed Parc 59, will offer tenants a total of 279,500 square feet of Class A warehouse space near George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
Real estate development in Houston throughout its history has been mostly unremarkable, the minimum product of pro formas and adherence to the city’s slipshod patchwork of building, site plan, traffic, and parking ordinances. The only notable interruption in the pattern of averages was during the go-go years of the 1970s and 1980s when, according to an April 1982 Texas Monthly profile, Houston was “(maybe) the architectural capital of the United States, the place where styles are set.” At that time, interest rates were sky-high, and certain progressive developers (Gerald Hines being the best-known example) experimented with hiring fashionable architects to add high-quality design as a means to differentiate their products in a crowded and already expensive market.
The new facility services 45 stores in Houston and East Texas. This means faster deliveries, pivotal to a company that relies heavily on next-day delivery.
“Allowing us to operate in one building gives us so many more opportunities to service (customers) faster, better, in a more meaningful way. It also allows us to manage our costs, so we don’t have to pass that cost on to our customers,” said Chris Kaye, vice president of distribution and logistics with Conn’s.
Conn’s CEO Norman Miller touted the facility's features, adding that it’s a LEED-certified facility. The distribution center broke ground Aug. 15, 2018.
“For us, certainly, it’s clearly state-of-the-art within the industry, but for us it’s (also) cutting-edge, something we’ve never done within the company. This is diverse and complex, pulling so many functions together under one roof,” said Miller.
Miller declined to put a price point on the facility, only that it was in the “millions.” Conn’s aims to hire 150 more employees to staff the facility. 
Merritt is building a warehouse in Harford County that will be similar to a facility it built in northern Virginia, pictured above.
largest industrial buildings northwest of Houston to one of the city’s newest high-rise condos with views of the Galleria and downtown.
Powers Brown Architecture, an international professional services firm practicing architecture, interior design, programming and urban design, has promoted AJ Breneman, AIA, RID, to principal in the firm’s Houston office. She most recently served as a Senior Design Manager.
Some Houston-area women working to better their lives will benefit from improvements volunteers made at the Santa Maria Hostel in Spring Branch on Friday, Oct. 5.
The AEC Cares ProjectHouston brought out about 150 helpers to the nonprofit facility on Jacquelyn Drive that offers residential addiction treatment and housing to approximately 110 women every day, according to Santa Maria Hostel CEO Nadine Scamp.
Fabulous luxury living is at the heart of Arabella, one of the Randall Davis Company’s condominium offerings.
Located in the River Oaks District and only three blocks from The Galleria, Arabella presents not only a stunning facade with great attention to architectural detail, but also high-end, customized interior finishes. The project was designed by Powers Brown Architecture, a Houston-based firm.
Find 10-foot tall glass windows, 22-foot ceilings and more than 75 different floor plans. The Arabella, built with 33 stories, encompasses 99 units that can be customized with a design team for each owner. 
Nearly 400,000 square feet of speculative industrial development has broken ground in Baytown.
Investment & Development Ventures LLC and Sealy & Co. broke ground on a 390,000 square-foot speculative development on 26.86 acres in Baytown, per a CBRE release. The development, known as Thompson 10 Logistics Center, which is being leased by CBRE's Faron Wiley, Billy Gold and David Huddelston, is expected to generate "ample interest" from third-party logistics companies, petrochemical-related companies and e-commerce companies, according to the release.
The park should deliver in 2019. The development will be comprised of two buildings: one building will contain 130,074 square feet of space, while the other will contain 260,148 square feet of space.
The land was sold by Fuller Thompson Ten Ltd. in May, per county documents.
Arabella, a 99-unit luxury condo just inside the Loop at 4521 San Felipe St., will deliver its first units by October, said Randall Davis, the longtime Houston developer of the project.
The 33-story condos...
Powers Brown Architecture of Texas LLC specified aluminum composite material (ACM) panels and perforated aluminum panels in its design to renovate Island Transit’s Galveston Transit Terminal for busses. The perforated panels provide a vehicle screen and ventilation. The ACM was used for sunshading components.
Galveston Transit Terminal is located in the Strand Historic District in downtown Galveston, which is a National Historic Landmark District with Victorian-era buildings and retail businesses. The ground level of the 72,954-square-foot building houses the bus terminal, 4,880 square feet of retail space, 2,196 square feet of space for a visitor center and restrooms, and a 917-square-foot waiting area. The upper levels contain the garage with 159 parking spaces. 
Construction is the general contractor, a spokesman said. Jon Lindenberger, Walter Menuet and Paul Dominique of Colliers International will market the property, per the release.
“We are excited to kick off this project and offer a modern state-of-the-art distribution facility to a wide range of industrial users serving the expanding petrochemical and Port of Houston industries,” CHI Managing Director Cory Driskill said in the release.
Driskill leads CHI’s development and investment efforts in Houston, per the release. He was hired a year ago and previously served as vice president of leasing for Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corp. (NYSE: DRE) in Houston. Prior to that, he worked for Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co.
A three-building industrial campus is breaking ground in northeast Houston -- an area where industrial activity has been steadily increasing. Dallas-based real estate development company Jackson-Shaw...
“Since purchasing Market Center, we’ve been thrilled to explore options for renovating these historic buildings,” said URG founder and chief executive officer, Patrick Callahan. “We’re excited to see our plans coming to fruition, ensuring that it is a premier LoDo destination for office and retail tenants.”
Renovations to the 121,000-square-foot complex include exterior and interior upgrades, as well as enhancements to the pedestrian experience and expanded amenities for tenants.
“Our goal with Market Center is place-making at the midway point between Larimer Square and Union Station, while celebrating everything LoDo has to offer and paying respect to the history of the buildings,” said Cristina Dawson, SVP-head of Asset Management at Stars Investments.
The architect for the project is Powers Brown Architecture a professional services firm practicing architecture, interior design, programming and urban design. The firm will oversee the design of the renovation through to completion. Award-winning Tryba Architects were also involved in the early stages of the project. The General Contractor is Bristlecone Construction.
The project consisted of three scopes of work starting with a full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing overhaul of the building.
Built between 1872 and 1902, Market Center includes five buildings stitched together to offer a continuous floor plate. The buildings’ façades were restored to their historic past and the outdoor patio areas have also been expanded and will include new retail and restaurant patios.
According to Tryba’s Senior Associate Sarah Snider Komppa, the five separate buildings were connected in the 1970s and renovated to create basement retail by “pushing” the storefronts away from the sidewalk.
“We were excited to help URG and their partners return the storefronts back to the sidewalk’s edge to make for a more complete pedestrian experience and create better retail frontages,” said Komppa. “As all five buildings are historic, the design of the new storefront windows needed to reflect the original window design as best we could determine from historic photos. We were able to design custom windows that replicate the historic design yet are also operable to allow the restaurants the ability to open their dining areas up to the sidewalk.”
Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. and New York-based Clarion Partners have broken ground on the second phase of Fallbrook Pines Business Park in northwest Houston, according to an April 9 press release.
The groundbreaking ceremony of Thompson San Antonio and The Arts Residences took place on Tuesday at the project site in San Antonio.
Thompson San Antonio and The Arts Residences will be a mixed-use development featuring a high-rise tower and hotel with 162 guest rooms and 58 residences with luxury amenities.
The groundbreaking began with the ceremony of shovels, followed by keynote speakers, including the developer, Roberto Contreras CEO of DC Partners; Acho Azuike, COO and Managing Director of DC Partners; Leland Rocchio, President of Jordan Foster's Commercial Construction Group, the general contractor, among others.
Powers Brown Architecture, an award-winning Houston-based firm, and Guadalajara-based Amass & G were selected to design the property in collaboration with Two Roads Hospitality. The property will feature oversized guest rooms and suites, a full-service spa and fitness centre, an outdoor pool overlooking the River Walk, and a 3,600-square-foot ballroom for luxury meetings and events.
Emilio Guzmán, chief of investor relations and executive vice president of DC Partners, wrote about the project in August 2017 in a guest column for the Rio Grande Guardian.
“As we see it, smart, forward-thinking investment in downtown San Antonio real estate is a non-zero-sum game; it is mutually beneficial to everyone involved,” Guzmán wrote.
“DC Partners is bullish on San Antonio, and with good reason. It is a dynamic city with the kind of robust, diverse economy that signals enduring growth and prosperity. San Antonio’s thriving business community boasts the headquarters of two Fortune Global 500 firms and seven Fortune 1000 companies. Its city government is focused on attracting and growing businesses that foster innovation and lure talent in key industries that complement the region’s strengths—aerospace, biosciences and health care, defense, energy, information technology and cybersecurity, and manufacturing.”
Guzmán said DC Partners has hired Jordan Foster Construction to build the 20-story tower, which will be constructed at the corner of North Saint Mary’s Street and Lexington Avenue, near the Tobin Center for Performing Arts.
Developed by DC Partners and San Antonio-based Universal Service Group, and designed by Powers Brown Architecture, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2019. The Arts Residences at the Thompson San Antonio is marketed by Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty. 
At the 2017 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo in Miami I took the opportunity to recognize several individuals who went above and beyond in their service to this organization. Notably missing was our immediate past president, Jeffrey Brown, who for the first time in perhaps a decade, could not attend, as he was supporting his business while it battled through issues presented by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. So, I will take this opportunity to thank him here in order to help everyone understand the depth of his impact on this industry and this organization. I want to do this not only to affirm his impact but also to inspire new leaders to emerge.
Jeffrey joined the TCA Board of Directors in the same year I joined the TCA. It was perfect timing. We immediately connected, as I had just left work at an architectural firm in Iowa. Over the past eight or nine years he has been that tie for me back to the world of academia, architectural theory and design. While other friends of mine working for firms across the globe have questioned my decision to work for a construction trade organization, Jeffrey has continuously confirmed my belief that there is good work to be done related to the study and advancement of everyday architecture and building.
You may know, tilt-up has not always been perceived as the most glamorous concept in the architectural community. Calling design professionals’ attention to the versatility, applicability and aesthetic potential of tilt-up has been a focus of our organization for three decades. The Tilt-Up Achievement Awards program has been a great tool for communicating this, and it can only be effective with the great work of our members, like Jeffrey and his firm. Powers Brown Architecture has won 21 achievement awards over the past 12 years, making them one of the top five most decorated members of all time. Jeffrey is the only two-time recipient of the TCA Irving Gill Progressive Architecture Award and has been the subject or author of more than a dozen articles for the Tilt-Up Today magazine. Jeffrey has spoken at six of the last seven Tilt-Up Conventions in addition to numerous talks he has given at other industry events. While many people need a dictionary to follow along, no one can deny the passion, incredible knowledge, and infectiousness of his talks. Overall, his work has shed new light on tilt-up and broadened the appeal for many who previously had limited knowledge and/or interest. As Paul Coonrod, a developer with Stream in Houston, said: Jeffrey was making tilt wall sexy.
HOUSTON – January 10, 2018 – Powers Brown Architecture announces the appointment of founding principal Jeffrey Brown, FAIA to the position of CEO. Brown will oversee the resources, development and management of the company’s international practice including establishment of future locations and growth in existing markets. These include the Denver and Washington, D.C. office locations established in the past five to ten years. More recently, in 2015, the firm established offices in Canada, and Brown will oversee their consolidation in Toronto. He will maintain his role as Creative Director for the firm. 
Brennan Investment Group LLC is launching its first development in the Denver market with a...
By Jill Jamieson-Nichols
ATLANTA—Special Agent in Charge David J. LeValley, FBI Atlanta Field Office, alongwith Acting Administrator Timothy Horne, General Services Administration (GSA), and Principal Claiborne Williams, FD Stonewater, announce the completion and transfer to the FBI of its new state-of-the-art, 151,066 square foot law enforcement facility that will serve as home to the FBI Atlanta Field Office at 3000 Flowers Road S., Atlanta, Georgia 30341, located on the Mercer University Atlanta Campus.
Earlier today, FBI Director Christopher Wray presided over ribbon cutting ceremonies that included Acting Administrator Timothy Horne, GSA, along with Principal Claiborne Williams, FD Stonewater.
Also in attendance were numerous local, state, and other federal law enforcement executives and their command staff.
Powers Brown Architecture has announced that John Cadenhead, AIA, has been promoted to Director of Design.
As the Director of Design, Cadenhead leads the Urban Design / Master Planning studio. He has 14 years of experience with Powers Brown Architecture overseeing projects through schematic design and design development, and ensures the design intent is expressed throughout the construction phase. He has worked on many of the firm’s most notable projects including Arabella, the tallest building ever designed by the firm.
Powers Brown Architecture has announced that Kristen Stapper, AIA, and Roman Mendez, AIA, have been promoted to Project Manager. As project manager, Kristen and Roman lead the project coordination and documentation process. They both oversee and maintain project documentation scheduling within the project team’s agreed upon schedule, and review the documents to ensure the client’s standards are fulfilled.
The project marks DC Partners’ debut on the San Antonio market. In partnership with Universal Service Group, the development is anticipated to create approximately 1,300 jobs and is slated to break ground this summer.
The 337,000-square foot mixed-use development will replace the parking lot at the intersection of North St. Mary’s Street and Lexington Avenue, across the river from the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and next to Hotel Indigo. The project will include The Arts Residences—66 luxury condominiums atop the city’s first Thompson Hotel and is slated for completion in 2019.
Thompson Hotels is a member of the Two Roads Hospitality portfolio and features a collection of boutique hotels and resorts in locations such as Manhattan, Chicago, Nashville, Seattle, Playa del Carmen and Los Cabos. The project’s architect is Powers Brown, while the interior designer is Amass & G. The Arts Residences at the Thompson Hotel is exclusively marketed by Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty. The for-sale residences are priced from the $400s to over $4.5 million for penthouses. 
In December of 2016, the City of Denver passed Code of Ordinances Ch. 4, ARTICLE V. – Energy Efficiency in Commercial and Multifamily Buildings. This ordinance follows in the footsteps of 17 other large cities in the United States who have decided to benchmark the energy use of their public, commercial and multifamily buildings. Now, for the first time, owners of most property types that are more than 25,000-square-feet will be required to publicly disclose how much energy their building is using. This year, the first wave of the ordinance is underway—owners of buildings more than 50,000-square-feet have until September 1 to comply or face fines—and by June 1, 2018, every building over 25,000-squre-feet is required to comply.
Why it’s Happening
The adage “what does not get measured does not get managed” explains the rationale behind the adoption of the new program. Denver’s 2020 Sustainability Goals contain two components that directly influenced the adoption of the ordinance—a climate goal to reduce overall city CO 2 emissions to 1990 levels and an energy goal to maintain the same energy usage as the year 2012—and currently commercial and multifamily buildings account for 57 percent of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. After an 18-month stakeholder process it was deemed that benchmarking and transparency was the best way for the city to achieve significant reductions in these structures.
The program requires the use of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Two main data points from Portfolio Manager are what drive competition for efficiency in markets with similar policies—every building that complies will have an energy use intensity per square foot (EUI) and a 1-100 score comparing a building to a climate-normalized nation-wide survey on buildings of the same typology. Denver is going to rank building types on the city level as well. All the data will be publicly available in list form as well as on an interactive map. This process has worked well for other cities with this policy. Transparency and competition has driven an average 2.4 percent energy use reduction annually. Spending on those retrofits also bolsters local spending and job creation. 
“We continue to see corporations access both the sale-leaseback and build-to-suit markets. They view this as a better use of their capital; they can make more money by investing in their own product versus investing in real estate,” Shelby Pruett, co-chairman & CEO of Capri EGM, told Commercial Property Executive.
Capri EGM—which specializes in corporate sale-leaseback and build-to-suit financing as well as the acquisition of institutional quality commercial properties—acquired the office project at 7250 S. Havana St. in Centennial, Colo. from its developers, United Properties and Principal Real Estate Investors. The acquisition price remains undisclosed; however, according to a report by the Winn Richey Team and CBRE Group, the development cost of the five-story building was approximately $70 million.
Comcast pre-leased Inova I in June 2016 under a 10.5-year agreement. The global mass media and technology company plans to utilize the LEED-certified building, which will accommodate 1,400 employees, as the national headquarters for its Business Services Group. Designed by Powers Brown Architecture, Inova I will feature the coveted state-of-the-art, sustainable design that many office users require as a magnet for talent. It’s the type of property that’s eyed among investors in the build-to-suit arena.
Congratulations to our team involved in the successful delivery of Bay Area Business Park located in Pasadena, Texas, winning the HBJ Landmark Award: Industrial. The 137-acre project near the Port of Houston’s Bayport and Barbours Cut shipping terminals was built in two phases, with over 2 million sf of warehouse space, which is among the largest over the last 10 years.
Team:
Developer: Stream Realty Partners
Architect: Powers Brown Architecture
MEP: Design-Build
General Contractor: Rosenberger
DENVER – April 18, 2017 – Powers Brown Architecture has announced that Lauren Amber Prestenbach RID, LEED AP ID+C, EDAC, has joined the firm in the new position of Director of Interiors. In this role, Prestenbach will oversee the firm’s Interior Design strategy and marketing efforts and be responsible for new business development in the Denver Market.
“We are delighted to have Lauren Amber join our growing Powers Brown Architecture family,” said Jeffrey Brown, FAIA, Principal at Powers Brown Architecture. “With Lauren Amber, we are bringing our collaborative and systems integrated approach at the core of our interior design services and practice experience to Denver. Working alongside her will only add to our knowledge base and allow us to better serve the clients in the Denver area.”
Prestenbach is a Registered Interior Designer, LEED and EDAC accredited professional, and is an active member in IIDA and ASID. She has 15 years of experience in business development and interior design, specializing in corporate and healthcare interior architectural and facility optimization.
“I am excited for this opportunity to join the Powers Brown Architecture team,” said Prestenbach. “The firm has made a commitment to the Interior Design practice, and I am very enthusiastic and eager to lead that effort in the Colorado office. I look forward to expanding the opportunities that Powers Brown Architecture has established.”
Prior to joining Powers Brown Architecture, Prestenbach worked at ELEMENTS and served the Greater Colorado Area as business development in their Architectural Products Division specializing in DIRTT and flooring needs. She has 12 years as an Interior Designer in Houston, before moving to Denver. She is a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston.
To learn more about Powers Brown Architecture, visit www.powersbrown.com.
Photo by Dror Baldinger, AIA
A big office lease in Irving will fill a big chunk of one new building, and a second will prompt construction of another project.
International firm Atos SE has rented more than 100,000 square feet for a new North Texas office in Stream Realty Partners Connection Park building near Interstate 635.
The business technologies firm signed a long-term lease for three floors in the 141,000-square-foot office building, which just opened its doors.
The Connection Park building near Freeport Parkway and Interstate 635 is just north of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
The building is a joint project by Stream Realty, Chief Partners and Alex Brown Realty. 
Powers Brown Architecture Houston office has moved to its new location at 2100 Travis St, Suite 501. The firm has moved from its original location at the Historic Great Southwest Building in Downtown Houston to the recently renovated building in midtown. Please update your address books with our new address.
Powers Brown Architecture
2100 Travis St, Suite 501
Houston, TX 77002
MISSOURI CITY, Texas – Phase I of Gateway Southwest Industrial Park, a 349,000-square-foot, multi-building development has been completed in Missouri City, on the southwest side of Houston.
Joint venture partners Conor Commercial Real Estate and USAA Real Estate Co. said the first phase consists of two speculative, industrial structures designed and built to provide warehouse and distribution space for single- or multi-tenant uses. 
“We all do these things (not) because they are easy; we do it because they are hard,” said
Anderson, adding the terminal is among the “hard” things Galveston has done.
The terminal serves as the terminus and headquarters of Island Transit. Located at 25th Street and Strand, it is a project of the Galveston Livable Communities Initiative.
It also offers additional parking spaces for Downtown and will house three retailers.
A development company is planning to construct Houston's first "micro-unit" condominium in east downtown and is marketing its small living spaces and customizable amenities as an affordable option for young single adults wanting to live and work in the area.
As the millennial generation enters the workforce, land developers are attempting to determine where the demographic of adults between the ages of 20 and 37 want to work, live and play.
Novel Creative Development LLC is betting that its development, The Ivy Lofts, will appeal to that generation. 
Novel Creative Development — founded by a group of doctors, real estate investors and midrise condo developers in New York — was inspired by My Micro NY, the first affordable micro-unit apartment building developed by Michael Bloomberg in Manhattan. They hope to bring the micro-unit concept — units that are less than 500 square feet and geared toward young, single working professionals— to Houston's up-and-coming EaDo neighborhood.
This week, construction is officially under way on a 211,657 square-foot office building at the INOVA Dry Creek campus in southeast metro Denver. 
Construction of a transit terminal that will add 159 parking spaces and fresh retail to the island’s downtown could be complete by mid-November, a year later than originally planned, port officials said.
Next month, Port Director Michael Mierzwa is expected to present several leases to the port’s governing board that would allow a restaurant, a specialty convenience store and possibly an art gallery to move into the bottom floor of what will be called the Galveston Transit Terminal underway on the northeast corner of The Strand and 25th Street. Mierzwa declined Monday to divulge the names of the restaurant and retail tenants, saying only that the convenience store would cater to passengers and crews of cruise ships, as well as downtown residents. The retail shops likely won’t be open until December.
The $6.3 million transit terminal, financed largely with a Federal Transit Administration grant, takes up half a block in The Strand Historic District and also will include public restrooms and a city bus terminal. It will connect by ramp to Shearn Moody Plaza, 25th Street and Harborside Drive. New construction of such magnitude is rare downtown, particularly in The Strand Historic District, defined by its 19th-century feel and carefully restored buildings occupied by galleries, restaurants, lofts, professional offices and shops.
The port hopes to eventually use the spaces at the new terminal for parking for cruise-ship passengers. But until then, the spaces will be available to the general public in a downtown that has a shortage of places to park.The port in November of 2011 agreed to partner with the city in building the transportation terminal after outbidding Mitchell Historic Properties for the neighboring Shearn Moody Garage, which the city owned. The port bid about $3 million for the parking garage where it had a long-term lease and charged downtown office workers and others to park. Port employees, other tenants atShearn Moody Plaza and the public all use the 330-space Shearn Moody garage.
Mitchell Historic Properties bid $1.75 million. After losing the bid Mitchell Historic Properties withdrew as developer of the transportation terminal saying Shearn Moody Garage had been essential for its development.
The port also agreed to bring the Shearn Moody Garage up to code at the cost of about $1 million. The city will lease the transportation center from the port for 40 years.
Randall Davis Co. plans to break ground this fall on a new high-rise condominium, which is seeing brisk sales despite the oil slump.
The Houston developer and its development partner, DC Partners, expect to start construction in mid-October on Arabella, a 33-story, 99-unit condo tower at 4521 San Felipe. The condominium project, which will feature 10 units with private terrace-top swimming pools, is planned for the former site of Westcreek at River Oaks apartments near Westheimer Road and the 610 Loop in the Galleria area.
Buyers have purchased about 45 percent of the condo units inside Arabella since Randall Davis Co. began presales in April. The project — which will be built near the River Oaks District, a high-end retail development from San Diego-based OliverMcMillan — is expected to be completed in January 2018.
A ground breaking ceremony was held at 40th Avenue and Central Park Boulevard in Denver’s Stapleton neighborhood which will become the new home for Beverage Distributors Company, LLC, Inc. Construction of this new Stapleton project is now underway.
In August United Properties announced that Beverage Distributors Company, LLC, Inc. has signed to lease 500,000 square feet of space and closed on the purchase of 45 acres of land from Forest City Stapleton. This land is located at I-70 and Havana Street in Denver.
“In 2003 when I became an elected representative of this area there were 3,000 residents living in Stapleton. Today over 20,000 people live in Stapleton and it’s growing everyday. Today is another symbol of that effort and the tremendous dynamic of projects that are taking place here at Stapleton,” stated Mayor Hancock. 
COURTESY | UNITED PROPERTIES
United Properties is planning 850,000 square feet of new industrial development at Enterprise Business Center.
COURTESY | NEWMARK GRUBB KNIGHT FRANK
The first new phase of Inova Dry Creek will break ground in September.
National shipping retailer UPS (NYSE: UPS) plans to invest an additional $35.19 million to expand its Northeast San Antonio distribution center.
Additional space for the industrial center, which sits on a 19.8-acre plot at 6400 Seven States Blvd., will bolster UPS' presence in San Antonio amid the city's industrial boom.
Houston-based Powers Brown Architecture is leading the expansion, which will include additional warehouse space, an autoshop, and site renovations and improvements.
This won't be the first industrial project for Powers Brown, which has done design work for Walgreens and FedEx. An associate for the company confirmed that it is working on the project.
Houston real estate developer 
Arábella will feature 105 to 109 condominium units, ranging in size from 1,400 square feet to 5,800 square feet and in price from $800,000 to $4 million. The units — which will have floor plans named after New York City neighborhoods like SoHo and Tribeca — will feature European cabinets, high-end Miele appliances and a range of customizable options for wood floors, stone finishes and carpeting. 
Company officials from Japan and Houston gathered with community representatives at a groundbreaking last month.
The campus represents a $417 million investment for the Japanese company, which gained a foothold in the U.S. with the purchase of Houston-based Goodman Manufacturing Co. several years ago.
The campus will house engineering, logistics, procurement, manufacturing and marketing operations. It’s being built on 90 acres just north of U.S. 290, about three miles west of the Grand Parkway.
Daikin will employ up to 4,000 people at the campus, which will open in mid 2016. The campus will contain 3 million to 4 million square feet of space.
California-based private real estate investment trust 
A privately held commercial real estate company is set to develop a low-rise office building to add to its growing portfolio near the 
