FIRST PHASE OF IDESON BUILDING RENOVATION COMPLETE

HOUSTON — Construction is complete for the expansion of the Julia Ideson Building, a historic library building located at 500 McKinney St. in Houston. A new archival wing totaling 21,500 square feet was added. It includes a research room on the first floor with the remainder of the three-story wing containing high-density shelving space for the Houston Metropolitan Research Center. Also built was a two-story loggia that provides open-air seating as well as an garden and outdoor reading room. The new wing is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2010 once the archives are moved into it. Once that occurs, construction will begin for the complete renovation of the remainder of the 66,000-square-foot Ideson building. Completion of the entire $32 million project is slated for spring 2011. The project will be applying for LEED-Silver certification. The project architect is Gensler, with landscape architecture services being provided by TBG Partners. The construction manager is SpawMaxwell.