HOUSTON—The Capitol Tower site is situated in the central business district, near landmark cultural neighbors that include the Theater District, the historic Market Square and Buffalo Bayou Park. Construction is set to commence on the 35-story class-A office development located at 800 Capitol St., after developer and owner Skanska USA Commercial Development reached a lease agreement with Bank of America.

“Capitol Tower is a game-changer for downtown office space in Houston, so it is an honor to have such a prestigious, global firm like Bank of America as our lead tenant,” said Matt Damborsky, executive vice president for Skanska USA Commercial Development in Houston.

Under the terms of the lease, Bank of America will occupy a total of 210,000 square feet, spanning six-and-a-half floors of the sustainable office tower. The company will take 205,000 square feet of office space as well as 5,000 square feet of retail space in the tower. The project is expected to finish in the second quarter of 2019 and the tenant plans to move in shortly thereafter.

“We feel strongly that Houston will respond and signing Bank of America is a sign of that,” Damborsky tells GlobeSt.com. “We feel good about the two year build timing, and it's an irreplaceable downtown location near the arts and multifamily.”

The tower, designed by architectural firm, Gensler, offers 754,000 square feet of office space and a two-level open-air atrium that features more than 26,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. This lobby area will connect the building's street level to the active pedestrian five-tunnel system, creating a dramatic light-filled gathering place that will serve as a destination for tenants as well as visitors to downtown.

“It's a one-of-a-kind lobby experience,” Damborsky tells GlobeSt.com. “With this design, we are trying to encourage collaboration and connection with other employees, and to do this, a workplace has to resonate with them. It also helps to attract talent.”

Capitol Tower is the first Houston development to reach LEED v4 Platinum precertification from the USGBC and was one of only three core and shell projects nationally pre-certified under the standard. The building will use 25% less energy than typical facilities. Other sustainable features include a 50,000-gallon rainwater collection system for reuse in landscape irrigation and restrooms, secured bicycle storage room with access to lockers and showers, one block proximity to three MetroRail stations, 90% access to daylight and views for tenants, a facade that significantly reduces solar heat gain, an energy recovery wheel to precondition fresh air intake, and district cooling to provide chilled water throughout the facility–lowering cooling costs and offering unlimited service capacity to tenants.

“From its sustainable features to its distinctive retail experience, Capitol Tower blends community, culture and commerce together to create a fresh and compelling experience that looks to the future of the workplace and downtown,” says Damborsky.

CBRE represented Skanska and JLL represented Bank of America on the lease.

“Houston is an important growth market for Bank of America,” said Hong Ogle, Houston president, Bank of America. “We are pleased to be the anchor tenant at the tower, giving us the opportunity to co-locate our Merrill Lynch, US Trust, global banking and markets, retail and home loans teams so we can have stronger collaboration in better serving our clients while ensuring responsible growth to our company.”

Skanska has also developed the LEED Platinum West Memorial Place campus in the Energy Corridor, which offers direct access to the Terry Hershey Park hike and bike trails. Currently under development is Spring Crossing, a three-phase, class-A development with 850,000 square feet of office space near the Woodlands, providing an alternative for tenants in the emerging North Houston submarket.

Skanska has built and restored local landmarks in Houston for decades—from historic renovations such as San Jacinto Memorial Building on the Houston Community College campus, to the new construction of sports facilities including NRG Stadium, and healthcare resources such as the expansion of LBJ General Hospital's emergency department.

CBRE represented Skanska and JLL represented Bank of America on the lease.

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