HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – The Susman Godfrey law firm has grown its Houston office, expanding to 76,856 square feet of space at the Wells Fargo Plaza in downtown.
The 71-story office building, located at 1000 Louisiana, is the second-tallest office tower in Houston.
The firm, a high-stakes commercial litigation firm with offices in Houston, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York, is expanding its footprint to accommodate future growth.
Marilyn Guion, Dave Hanusa and Warren Savery with CBRE represented the landlord in lease negotiations. Steve Burkett with JLL represented Susman Godfrey.
“After carefully studying a variety of alternatives it was clear that Wells Fargo Plaza was the best choice in every way,” said Neal Manne, Managing Partner at Susman Godfrey. “Our firm has existed for 41 years and for 37 of them we have proudly been at 1000 Louisiana. We are delighted to extend our relationship toward the half-century mark.”
Wells Fargo Plaza continues to attract and retain a prestigious roster of tenants with its superior amenities, which include a 16,000-square-foot fitness center offering grand views of the CBD, the brand new upscale restaurant and bar, Adair Downtown, valet parking, and two sky lobbies.
The 1.7 million-SF office tower, which opened in 1983, was developed by Century Development, a Houston firm that was led by Kenneth Schnitzer and Richard Everett.
Richard Keating, formerly a partner of the Skidmore Owings & Merrill architecture firm, designed the building, which is one of the tallest towers in the southwestern U.S. The 1000 Louisiana building is the second-tallest building in Houston, slightly shorter than the 75-story JPMorgan Chase building.
The Wells Fargo tower was originally called Allied Bank Plaza, then First Interstate Bank Plaza, then Wells Fargo Plaza.
In 2011, the building’s owner, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., sold a 50 percent interest in the downtown building to New York State Common Retirement Fund.
As a whole, Houston’s office market has been experiencing rising vacancy rates, a result of the coronavirus and a decline in the energy industry.
Wells Fargo Plaza offers a 16,000-square-foot fitness center offering views of downtown, the brand new upscale restaurant and bar called Adair Downtown, valet parking, and two sky lobbies.
The Susman Godfrey “expansion and renewed commitment demonstrates the strong demand that remains for office properties with well-capitalized ownership offering best-in-class service and amenities for their tenants,” said Marilyn Guion, Senior Vice President at CBRE.
Jan. 15, 2021 Realty News Report Copyright 2021
File: Houston’s Second-Tallest Skyscraper
Caption: Wells Fargo Plaza, 1000 Louisiana. Photo courtesy CBRE
File: (2) Houston’s Second-Tallest Skyscraper. Wells Fargo Plaza, CBRE. Susman Godfrey. Adair Downtown.