The project offers immediate availability for 31,000 square feet of street frontage–with an additional 63,000 square feet below–supported by 550 parking spaces in the heart of the central business district. Spanning Milam to Travis Street, The Americana marks the western gateway to a future shopping district conceived by the downtown retail task force in cooperation with the downtown district. Stretching east towards La Branch and the George R. Brown Convention Center, the span's infrastructure is already in place with neighbors including Midway's GreenStreet mixed-use development, plus enhanced lighting, landscaping and widened walkways.

“We're thrilled to be part of downtown's evolution, reawakening a dormant block with a curated tenant roster that will serve and engage nearby offices as well as a day and nighttime population rapidly increasing due to the addition of hotels and residential properties,” said Capital Retail Properties' Jacob Weersing, who is overseeing leasing.

While Weersing is already encouraged by interest from established local restaurateurs, Capital Retail Properties is also marketing The Americana to specialty retailers and as a site for a fitness park with several operators sharing locker facilities.

“We were challenged with re-envisioning the existing garage levels and presenting them to the public in an age where the pedestrian experience and street-level activity is undergoing a major resurgence,” says Thomas De Froy, Identity Architects design director. “Conscious of celebrating the raw materials original to design, we suggested removing aluminum cladding installed in 1999, which unapologetically screamed 'mechanical equipment'. By uncovering the pierced terra cotta tiles and giving them a warm gray paint refresh, the porous nature and recognizable stacking immediately brought more interest to what was a monotonous, forgettable block.”

Adding to the visual appeal as well as integrating a sense of warmth, variety and invitation is the introduction of a living wall system and wood-like material interspersed throughout the facade.

Multiple construction projects have hit the market this summer, amounting to more than 736,000 square feet during third quarter, according to CBRE. Meanwhile, Houston remains a landlord's market. Rents have refused to soften, holding steady at $26.59 from the previous quarter, while occupancy levels continue to creep upwards, hitting 94.2%, a 10 basis points increase from the last quarter.