Downtown Houston towers in ruins after deadly storms

Recent deadly storms in Houston have taken a toll on commercial real estate.

Downtown high-rise owners are scrambling to repair their buildings following the storms, which brought winds topping 70 mph and damaged nearly 4,000 downtown windows, the Houston Chronicle reported. This number is expected to increase due to cracks in the already stressed glass.

At least 20 downtown buildings were damaged, including CenterPoint Energy Plaza, Wells Fargo Plaza and two Chevron towers.

Windows in downtown skyscrapers are designed to withstand winds of 110 to 150 mph, according to Joe Colaco, a structural engineer who has worked on dozens of skyscrapers around the world and in Houston. However, wind channeled between buildings can increase in speed, and older buildings with aging glass are particularly vulnerable, he said.

Although most storm debris has been cleared, several streets remain closed due to the risk of falling glass. In response to the situation, the Houston Downtown Management District and Mayor John Whitmire are advising downtown employers to allow remote work until at least Tuesday. Chevron, one of the region’s largest employers, has temporarily closed its offices.

It’s common for more windows to break following a severe storm, Colaco said. Debris from upper floors can fall and shatter windows below, further complicating the repair process.

While most of the damaged windows should be boarded up by the end of the week, replacing them with custom glass will take much longer. Building owners will likely face difficulty sourcing glass due to high demand from construction projects globally, said Kris Larson, president of the Houston Downtown Management District.

“We’re going to have plywood-covered windows in skyscrapers in a few months, just as a reminder of the other events,” Larson told the outlet.

The Hyatt Regency Downtown Houston lost 30 skylights but hopes to have them replaced within two weeks. Meanwhile, the hotel has boarded up damaged skylights and is welcoming conference attendees and contractors after the storm.

Property managers leverage their relationships with contractors to expedite repairs. At 1100 Louisiana and 1415 Louisiana, Hines property managers are assessing how long it will take to repair or replace the 150 damaged windows and skylights in each tower. Brookfield Properties reported significant damage to the TotalEnergies tower at 1201 Louisiana, but did not provide a timeline for repairs.

-Quinn Donoghue