2 Houston Center Becomes Largest LEED EB MXU Asset

HOUSTON- 2 Houston Center in Houston's Central Business District achieved Gold status for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED EB). This U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certification completes all office buildings within the Houston Center complex and The Shops at Houston Center as LEED EB Gold.

The LEED Gold designation recognizes 4.2 million square feet of Class A office space and three floors of retail service outlets in the heart of Houston's downtown.  Additionally, the final LEED EB Gold award enhances Houston Center's classification as the largest mix-use real estate office and retail complex in Texas to complete LEED EB Gold certification.

Earlier in 2011, The Shops at Houston Center and 4 Houston Center achieved LEED EB Gold certification becoming the first Texas shopping mall to achieve Gold status.  In 2010, 1 Houston Center and Fulbright Tower achieved LEED EB Gold certification.

"Crescent is committed to environmental sustainability," said Jim Wilson, managing director, property management, Crescent Real Estate Equities LLC, which controls the asset. "In addition to being the right thing to do for the environment, energy savings and environmental leadership is a sound business practice that helps our customers reduce costs and improve their bottom line."

In addition to Houston Center, Crescent manages six other properties in Houston that are LEED EB certified: 5 Greenway Plaza; 9 Greenway Plaza; and 11 Greenway Plaza; and, One Post Oak Central; Two Post Oak Central; and Three Post Oak Central. Crescent's goal is to get all 17 Houston buildings under Crescent's leadership to be LEED certified by 2012.

ACQUISITIONS/DISPOSITIONS

FRISCO, TX-Del Taco LLC acquired a 36,000-square-foot retail pad site at the Hickory Center at Preston, a Walmart-anchored shopping center located on the southwest corner of Preston Road and Gary Burns Drive from Allegiance Frisco LP. Ken Reimer and Amy Pjetrovic-Hunnicut of Venture Commercial Real Estate and Joe Gampper of Integrated Real Estate Services represented the seller. Steve Ewing of EDGE Realty Partners represented the buyer.

MESA, AZ-Gilbert, AZ-based Valleywide Apartments LLC acquired the 80-unit 454 West at 454 W. Brown Rd. from RBC AZ Mesa-Rio Vista LP, based in Dallas, TX. Ric Holway, Greg Thielen and Thomas McPherson with Hendricks and Partners’ Phoenix office and Art Wadlund with the company’s Tucson office represented the seller.

LEASES

ARLINGTON, TX-Service First Mortgage renewed and expanded its 2,616 square-foot lease at Cordovan Park office building located at 5840 - 5850 W. Interstate 20. Beaux Riley, senior leasing specialist for SCM Real Estate Services, represented the landlord in this transaction.

DALLAS-Leslie’s Pool leased 2,824 square feet at the Shops at Mockingbird, situated on Mockingbird Lane between Lemon Avenue and Inwood Road. Jack Burgher and Lee Loftis with SRS Real Estate Partners represented the landlord, Cypress Equities in the transaction. Brian P. Catalano with CSC Properties Inc. represented the tenant.

DALLAS-Tracy Fults and Louis Weber of Fults Commercial represented Dr. David Stager, Jr. in lease negotiations at Plano Medical Center in the Richardson/Plano submarket. Dr. Stager previously leased 1,580 square feet at Plano Medical Park. In his new space at Plano Medical Center his pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus practice will occupy 3,628 square feet. The owner of Plano Medical Center, HCP MOP Plano, TX LLC, was represented by Jeff Smith of Transwestern.

HOUSTON-Advantage Insurance Brokerage renewed a lease with Unilev Capital Corp. for 3,370 square feet of space at 6363 Woodway. Stephen Kradjian of Situs Asset Solutions represented the tenant, and Steve Rocher, Kristen Rabel and Louann Periera of CBRE represented the landlord.

TEMPE, AZ-Plastics General, Inc. expanded its manufacturing/distribution operation to 70,000 square feet and extended its lease at Prologis-operated 455 West Diamond Dr. Rick Collins of CD Commercial Advisors represented Plastics General and Jeff Foster represented Prologis in-house.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

HOUSTON-Cody Armbrister has been promoted to executive vice president with CBRE. Armbrister specializes in office properties and is currently responsible for a portfolio comprised of over 4 million square feet in the Greater Houston area. Armbrister is also in charge ofe the direction and operation of the firm’s Houston office leasing team.

HOUSTON-Peter Billipp joined Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP as a director, with a focus on industrial investment sales transactions throughout the state of Texas. He joins HFF from J.A. Billipp Co. where he served as the vice president of development and investment since 2008.  Prior to that, Mr. Billipp was a development manager at Panattoni Development Co. Before joining Panattoni, he was an associate broker on a national investment sales team at CBRE and Cushman and Wakefield. 

SAN ANTONIO-George Harcourt, vice president, investment services with Grubb & Ellis Co. has been named the representative of the Development Community for San Antonio Mobility Coalition Inc.  He will serve on the organization’s executive committee for two years beginning January 2012. The San Antonio Mobility Coalition is a public-private partnership created in 2001 to bring focus to the community’s short- and long-range transportation funding needs.