Emerging Midtown Offers Live Work Play Vibe

Powers Brown Architecture is the first tenant in Central Square.

HOUSTON—Located at 2100 Travis St., Central Square occupies the entire city block bordered by Travis, Milam, Gray and Webster Streets in the booming Midtown submarket. Currently undergoing a massive renovation, the class-A building comprises 280,000 square feet with 20,000 square feet of first-floor retail. Its 20,000-square-foot floorplates offer flexibility along with exceptional views of downtown and the Medical Center. These factors alone make Central Square ideal for a variety of businesses. One of those businesses is Powers Brown Architecture LLC , which has signed a new lease there. Transwestern’s executive vice president, David Baker ,and vice president, Evelyn Ward , negotiated the deal on behalf of the building owner, Claremont Properties . “We chose the Central Square project because we saw an opportunity to yet again be pioneers in an emerging urban location,” said Jeffrey Brown of Powers Brown Architecture. “We did so 15 years ago in 1999 on the eastern edge of downtown, and we see many of the same opportunities in the Midtown border location. Walkable dining and in some cases upscale food, bars, housing and parks, along with parking and signage on the immediate edge of the Central Business District exists only in the Central Square property, and close proximity to the Houston METRORail was also a must for us. By being the first tenants in the building, we are trying to set the bar high by pursuing a wellness certification along with our LEED certification, made possible by extremely competitive rent rates.” The new construction-quality redevelopment of Central Square is nearly complete. Upgrades to the property include a new floor-to-ceiling high-performance curtain wall exterior, five high-speed elevators and upgraded mechanical systems. The building will feature on-site management, a tenant conference center with room for 40 people, structured parking and 24-hour security. “The Midtown submarket is currently experiencing robust activity, and we have had extremely high interest in this property,” said Baker. “Powers Brown is a premier architectural firm, and its move to Central Square Plaza is a testament to the vibrant environment, and the growing creative and intellectual community in Midtown.” Baker continues, telling GlobeSt.com: “Midtown is the most walkable neighborhood in Houston. There are over 140 restaurants, bars, coffee shops and other entertainment in less than five minutes. As of January 2016 there were over 4,000 apartments in Midtown, and over 1,100 homes, condos and townhomes with many of them within walking distance to Central Square.”