Greenway Plaza

Greenway Plaza is a special business area in Houston, Texas. It is found along Interstate 69 and U.S. Highway 59, just inside the Interstate 610 loop. It is 5 miles west of Downtown Houston and 3 miles east of the busy shopping area called Uptown. This area is known for its modern buildings and lots of green space.

Greenway Plaza was first imagined in the late 1960s by a developer named Kenneth L. Schnitzer. Today, it is one of the biggest places for jobs in the Houston area. It has more than 4.4 million square feet of office space spread across 52 acres. The ten tall office buildings are linked together by covered walkways called skyways, tunnels, and underground parking.

One of the most famous spots in Greenway Plaza is Lakewood Church. This large church has one of the biggest groups of members in the United States. The church meets in a big building that used to be a sports arena called The Summit and later the Compaq Center. This place was once home to the Houston Rockets basketball team and hosted many games, concerts, and events before the church bought it in 2005.

History

Kenneth L. Schnitzer, the leader of Century Development Corporation, created Greenway Plaza. It was the first place in Houston to mix different types of buildings like offices, shops, and a hotel. People bought land quietly so no one would notice, but one homeowner learned about the plan and sold their house for a high price so the land could be used.

Many big companies moved into Greenway Plaza over the years. In 1970, M. W. Kellogg Company moved its headquarters from New York to Houston and started using part of the building. Later, Dresser Industries swapped spaces with Kellogg, renaming part of the building the Dresser Tower.

Some changes happened over time. The Houston Rockets left their arena next door, which made Greenway Plaza quieter at night. In 2013, a company called Cousins Properties bought Greenway Plaza. By 2017, Parkway Inc. owned it and planned to make improvements. In 2026, Interra Capital purchased the complex.

Composition

Greenway Plaza has many office buildings and shops.

You can find stores like Amegy Bank and many small shops at The Hub at Greenway Plaza, which opened in 1973. There were also restaurants and a coffee shop.

There are other buildings too, like the Doubletree Hotel, which opened in 1972, and Tony's Restaurant, which moved to Greenway in 2006. There are also condominium buildings and a church campus that opened in 1975.