Harwood International Making Plans for Glass Tower and Fifth Phase

DALLAS-It’s all about change as Harwood International preps to add a seven-story, 17,000-rentable sf glass tower to its Rolex Building while making plans for a fifth phase at its prestigious 1-million sf complex Downtown.

The glass tower, designed by DMJM of Los Angeles, will provide conference rooms and additional office space for Rolex and Harwood plus add 12,000 sf for a mix of other tenants. The tower is the final phase of a multimillion upgrade at the 16-year-old office building, which has undergone improvements to elevators, the roof and HVAC system. The tower is being built atop a garden area and parking garage and will boast European-style landscaping, designed by SWA of Dallas, in keeping with the rest of the complex. Glass panels already are being stripped from the Rolex Building for the project, which will take eight months to complete. Centex Construction is the general contractor.

“As long-term owners and managers the expansion and enhancements to the building are part of our ongoing strategy to improve our properties and offer an expanding array of corporate services to our tenants,” says Gabriel Barbier-Mueller, Harwood’s CEO.

The glass tower will face the under-construction American Airlines Center at Victory, a mixed-use development of Hillwood and the Southwest Sports Group. The tower will bear a Rolex sign that is clearly visible from the stadium.

But, Harwood is just seeding change with the glass addition, says Harwood’s David Williams. “We are actively pursuing phase five,” Williams tells GlobeSt.com. “It’s the next generation of our master plan.” CEO Barbier-Mueller is in Europe, but Williams says Harwood’s planned build-out of its 10 full city blocks between Crescent and N. Arena–which could support up to 4 million sf–calls for residential and retail “connected by office… and possibly even a hotel.” The next phase, says Williams, will abut the Rolex Building at 2651 N. Harwood in Dallas’ Uptown area. Ultimately, Harwood International Center will boast a 10-building portfolio in an urban campus setting.

In addition to the Rolex Building at 2651 N. Harwood, Harwood International Center consists of the Centex Building, 176,384 sf, which is the firm’s corporate headquarters; Jones Day Building, a 210,000-sf building; and Building IV, 220,661 sf completed in February, with 132,000 sf leased by Centex and the IBM e-Innovation Center, Frost Bank and Frost Security and mixed-use tenants taking up all but 23,000 sf.