Chevron Place reopens as a technology hub

Chevron Place is finding new life as a hub for tech-based firms. The 21-story office tower at the corner of O’Keefe and Gravier streets in New Orleans has been acquired by Kingfish Development, LLC. The skyscraper will be renamed City Centre of New Orleans and it will become a hub for technology based companies, entrepreneurs and companies who want a downtown business address. Once fully occupied City Centre will bring 700-800 jobs into the Central Business District. Kingfish Development bought the 380,000 square foot office tower, seven story parking garage and adjacent two level annex from Chevron. The principals of Kingfish are Hugh Uhalt and Steven O. Medo III. Other investors include Robert, Joseph and Chris Bruno. “As New Orleans natives we have seen the recent progress downtown,” Robert Bruno says. “We envision City Centre as a key driver of downtown’s robust trend of business development.” The property boasts a high-tech infrastructure, including a fiber optic network, network servers and 1,000 phone lines. The building will also have community spaces with interactive white boards to accommodate those entrepreneurs and business executives who are searching for innovative ideas. The owners plan to invest another $25 million to $30 million in the tower to continue to keep the technology and space on the cutting edge of the demands of global business trends. “We are excited to see the former Chevron Place come back into use as the City Centre,” says Greater New Orleans Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht. “As our region’s business community continues to rapidly expand, this property will add to the renaissance of New Orleans.”