HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Downtown Houston’s five-story Kiam Building, believed to be the city’s first building with an electric elevator, is getting a thorough renovation.
The building, constructed in 1893 at 320 Main Street, later became the site of Houston’s first Sakowitz department store, a major brand in Houston retailing for many decades.
A $250,000 TIRZ façade improvement grant was recently awarded to Kiam Building owner M.T. Mercantile Company by the Downtown Redevelopment Authority.
The 8,500-SF building is expected have 13 studio suites, eight residential units, ground floor retail and 100 new windows. A new 140-foot canopy will wrap around the building’s frontage on Main and Preston streets.
“Collectively, these improvements will preserve the Kiam Building’s historic integrity, strengthen the pedestrian experience, and contribute to Downtown’s economic vitality,” the M.T. Mercantile Company said.
The Kiam building was one of the city’s first 1800s proto-skyscrapers, which used load-bearing masonry walls, without a steel skeleton to support the upper floors, according to Preservation Houston’s article on the Kiam Building.
Extra, Extra: Main Street Building Fully Outfitted with Electric Lights when it opened in 1893
“Clothier Ed Kiam built the five-story building to house his clothing store on lower floors with office space above,” Preservation Houston said. “The architect, H.C. Holland, designed the building with Romanesque Revival elements including arched windows and rusticated masonry accents. It was said to be the first building in Houston with an electric elevator and drew attention because it was fully outfitted with electric lights when it opened.”
The upgrade to the Kiam Building contributes to the seven-block Main Street Promenade, a transformative project scheduled for a June completion in time for the FIFA World Cup soccer games, according to the Downtown Houston+ organization. The promenade will deliver wide walkways, landscaping and shade structures, and sidewalk cafés in front of restored historic buildings in the northern end of downtown.
Jan. 12, 2026 Realty News Report Copyright 2026
Caption: Work is underway at the Kiam Building, 302 Main, in downtown Houston.
Photo credit: Ralph Bivins, Realty News Report Copyright 2026
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File: Historic Downtown Building (Circa 1893) is Getting a Redo