Iconic Buildings Get New Lease on Life with Rebrand

Plans include a ground-level connection of the two buildings along with restaurant and retail spaces.

HOUSTON— Lionstone Investments and Midway are rebranding the iconic 708 and 712 Main buildings as The Jones on Main . Plans include creating a collaborative and socially engaging environment via ground-level connection of the two buildings and the addition of hospitality amenities, as well as new street-level restaurant and retail spaces. Midway CEO, Jonathan Brinsden , tells GlobeSt.com: “Main Street is experiencing a renaissance, and 712 and 708 Main are perfectly positioned to benefit from and contribute to the revival of this area. Updating the property in a thoughtful way will ensure that it continues to be viable and desirable for contemporary companies and retailers for generations to come.” Built in 1908 and expanded in 1922, 708 Main has held a presence on Main Street for more than a century. Also known as The Great Jones Building, the office tower was originally home to the Texas Company, later Texaco , and then became the Bankers Mortgage Building . Houston city father, Jesse H. Jones , kept an office in the building as work progressed on the adjacent Gulf Building . The 800,000-square-foot 712 Main office tower is a 37-story Art Deco skyscraper that served as the headquarters for Gulf Oil Company. This architecturally distinctive building was commissioned in 1929 by Jones and it remained the tallest building in Houston until 1963. The tower is a Houston Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historic interior details—including original frescoes illustrating the history of Texas and Houston in the Main Street lobby and myriad Art Deco flourishes and fixtures—will be integrated into a new contemporary public space featuring modern communal tables and lounge seating with tech hook-ups to be called the Currency Lounge. The Jones on Main’s debut amenity, the Currency Lounge will be a dual-level social space available to tenants and guests for informal meetings, collaborative working sessions, or upscale social occasions. However, the building’s name and original historical features will remain untouched and intact. Proposed renovations to the iconic skyscraper include ground-level connection of the two buildings, addition of high-end interior amenities, as well as new street-level restaurant and retail spaces along Main and Rusk streets. These new storefronts, the addition of sidewalk patios and a nearby bike valet will enliven the streetscape. Although the experience of new elements added to the building is being rebranded as The Jones on Main, 712 Main will retain the name JPMorgan Chase & Co. Building , as the main tenant in the building. This has been JPMorgan Chase’s Houston banking headquarters since the building opened in 1929.