Completed 1983 Floor count 42 Height 180 m Opened 1983 | Roof 590 ft (180 m) Floors 42 | |
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Architect Lloyd Jones Brewer and Associates Main contractor W.S. Bellows Construction Corporation Owner American International Group Similar Marathon Oil Tower, San Felipe Plaza, The Mercer West Tower, KBR Tower, 1600 Smith Street | ||
The American General Center is a complex of several office buildings in Neartown Houston, Texas located along Allen Parkway. It is owned by AIG American General.
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The America Tower is a 590 ft (180m) tall skyscraper. It was completed in 1983 and has 42 floors. It is the 19th tallest building in the city. It serves as the headquarters of Baker Hughes. It served as the former headquarters of Continental Airlines; it now houses AIG American General and BDO USA, LLP. The other buildings include the Life Building, the Wortham Tower, the Woodson Tower (a.k.a. the Liberty Tower), and the Riviana Building.
History
On July 1, 1983 Continental Airlines's headquarters were located at the America Tower, and would remain there until relocation to Downtown Houston in 1998 and 1999. Stephen M. Wolf, the president of Continental said that the company moved its headquarters because Houston became the largest hub for Continental. During the existence of Texas Air Corporation in the 1980s, it had its headquarters in the America Tower. In September 1997 Continental announced that it would move its headquarters to Continental Center I. Continental had occupied around 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) in space in the America Tower before its lease expired in July 1998.
In 1998 Andersen Consulting, now Accenture, announced that it would consolidate its existing Downtown Houston and suburban workforces into 153,000 square feet (14,200 m2) in the America Tower, with more than 1,100 employees based in the space. Lynn Cook of the Houston Business Journal described this as "an astonishing number for the size of Andersen Consulting's lease." In 1999 Cushman & Wakefield, a realty firm, moved its Houston office into the America Tower from the Wells Fargo Tower of Four Oaks Place in Uptown Houston. As of 1999 the building was 99% leased.
Tenants
American General Life Companies has offices in the America Tower.
American General Life Insurance Company is headquartered in the Life Building.
Ebro Foods North America Riviana & New World Pasta is in the Riviana Building. The Consulate-General of Norway in Houston was in Suite 1185 in the Riviana Building. It is now located in another location in Neartown.