DEAL OF THE WEEK

At Williams Tower, CBRE will have views but no assigned seats

CBRE Group, a commercial real estate firm based in Los Angeles, will bring about 350 local employees under one roof in Williams Tower as it consolidates three offices into a new space the firm has dubbed Workplace360.

CBRE Group has renewed and expanded its lease to 77,695 square feet in the Galleria-area tower for what will be the largest of some 50 Workspace360 offices around the world. The concept is designed to promote flexibility, mobility and productivity through a high-tech, paperless office with no assigned offices or desks for employees.

Employees at the downtown offices in Bank of America Center and 2700 Post Oak Blvd. will consolidate to CBRE’s Williams Tower office in the first quarter of 2018. CBRE, a tenant in Williams Tower for 10 years, will leave its downtown offices at 700 Louisiana.

The company will occupy portions of the second and fourth floors and the entire fifth floor of the tower at 2800 Post Oak Blvd. The offices have floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Waterwall Park. Some private areas will be available for employees.

“Moving our Houston professionals into one office will allow them to better interact and collaborate in an amazing workplace environment,” Cody Armbrister, CBRE senior managing director, said in a news release.

“We look forward to demonstrating a new way of working to our clients and to the broader business community in the Houston area.”

Williams Tower will house 325 to 350 employees, including sales professionals, researchers, valuation and advisory services, and support staff. CBRE employs 1,300 locally, including property managers and others who work on their clients’ sites.

CBRE’s Charles Gordon and Jon Lee of represented their firm in negotiations, while Dave Hanusa, Bonnie Kelley Dienna and Jason Presley, also of CBRE, represented the landlord, Invesco.

CBRE’s move out of downtown represents the loss of another company in Bank of America Center. Bank of America will relocate to nearby Capitol Tower when the new building at 800 Capitol is completed in 2019.

The company’s Workplace Strategy and Project Management teams will bring the Workplace360 offices to Williams Tower. Instead of assigned offices, there will be a combination of collaborative and private spaces, according to CBRE.