Wind turbines will top Houston tower

Gilbane Building Co., Providence, R.I., will construct the 871,000-sf Discovery Tower in downtown Houston at an estimated cost of $156 million. Designed by the Houston office of Gensler, the 30-story tower will be topped with 10 wind turbines that will harvest the wind to generate electricity.

The project, estimated for completion in 2010, will seek LEED Gold certification, a first for Houston, based on the rooftop wind turbines, air filtration systems, and water-efficient plumbing.

Located on a full city block, Discovery Tower will include an adjacent, 10-story parking garage accessible by a sky bridge, as well as a 12-acre park with a playground, interactive water features, amphitheater stage, public art works, and restaurants.

Trammel Crow is the developer, and CB Richard Ellis is the real estate broker.