The Allen Center is a mixed-use skyscraper complex in DowntownHouston, Texas, United States. It consists of three buildings, One Allen Center (500 Dallas Street),[1]Two Allen Center (1200 Smith Street),[2]Three Allen Center (333 Clay Street).[3] The complex has about 3,000,000 square feet (280,000 m2) of space.[4]
The area that became the Allen Center was originally considered to be an eastern portion of the Fourth Ward. The opening of Interstate 45 in the 1950s separated the eastern portion from the rest of the Fourth Ward; that portion became the Allen Center and is now considered to be a part of Downtown Houston.[5][6]
TrizecHahn Properties acquired the Allen Center in 1996.[7] Trizec defeated 16 other real estate companies so it could purchase the center for an amount reported by Tanya Rutledge of the Houston Business Journal as $270 million.[8]
When Trizec acquired the Allen Center in November 1996, the complex had a 76 percent occupancy rate. By 1997, Trizec had convinced several tenants of the Cullen Center, also owned by Trizec, to relocate to the Allen Center. Paul Layne, a vice president of the office division of Trizec, said that the shifting of tenants would lead to Allen Center having an occupancy rate of 92 percent in 1998.[4]
In 2001, when Enron collapsed, it vacated 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) of space in the Allen Center and Cullen Center complexes in Downtown Houston.[9]
In 2010 Devon Energy was trying to sublease about 125,000 square feet (11,600 m2) of space that it occupied in the Allen Center complex. Hess Corporation announced it would vacate approximately 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of space in the complex when a new office tower in the east side of Downtown Houston opened.[10]
Major renovations to the property were completed in March 2021; these included new lobbies, bike storage, and a suite of rooms designated for breastfeeding mothers.[11]
Operated a sit-down restaurant and a breakfast and lunch taco bar.[19] The restaurant was active for around 20 years, servicing local office workers and catering corporate office parties. Phaedra Cook of the Houston Press wrote that Don Patron "hasn't been a critical darling of food writers in a long time" but that "it has been an important part of work life for thousands of people who work in" the complex and that "it's been treasured for good Tex-Mex plates and as a convenient spot for business lunches[...]and was great for indulging in an after-work margarita or two, also."[20] In 2016 the management revealed plans to remodel the lobby area of One Allen Center; Don Patron's dining hall was closed by February 29, 2016, and the taco stand is scheduled to close on Friday March 5, 2016. The owners of Don Patron will continue to operate Tejas Grill & Sports Bar.[20]
EOG Resources had space in Allen Center; in 2006 it announced that it was moving to the Heritage Plaza. It planned to move 400 employees there by early 2007. When it occupied portions of Three Allen Center, EOG had 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) of space occupied scattered throughout Three Allen Center.[24]
^ abZehr, Leonard. "TrizecHahn nabs U.S. leasing deal Continental Airlines enticed to move head office to downtown Houston from suburbs." The Globe and Mail. September 11, 1997. Report on Business B7. Retrieved from LexisNexis on April 1, 2010.
