HOUSTON-EnerVest, Ltd. has inked an early lease renewal and expanded its footprint in First City Tower in downtown. The oil and gas company signed a long-term lease for 117,316 square feet, an increase of 36,721 square feet.

EnerVest has been a tenant in First City Tower since the early 1990s. The company started out with just 5,000 square feet, according to Chip Colvill of Colvill Office Properties. He and Michael Anderson represented the landlord, FC Tower Property Partners LP, an affiliate of JMB Realty of Chicago, in lease negotiations. EnerVest was represented by Tim Relyea of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc.’s Houston office.

“EnerVest is just a great story of a growing company and another example of the growth we’ve seen in the energy sector,” Colvill says, adding that the company currently occupies space on the 4^th, 8^th and 9^th floors. When it moves into its expanded space later this year, it will grow to the 10^th, 11^th and 12^th floors.