Shell to move Gulf of Mexico headquarters to new River District

Rendering courtesy Shell USA, Inc.

Shell USA, Inc. announced at a press conference Thursday that it will be moving its Gulf of Mexico headquarters to the new River District. “Keeping our Gulf of Mexico Operations headquarters here in Louisiana for the long-term underscores Shell’s commitment to provide more and cleaner energy solutions in one of the best places in the world to do that,” said Colette Hirstius, Shell’s Senior Vice President for the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a news release, the new 142,000 square-foot office building will be located on Convention Center Boulevard at the corner of Henderson and Euterpe streets next to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024. Architectural firm Gensler will design the building which is planned to be LEED certified for sustainable design. The proposed building will feature a rooftop energy collection system, water efficient fixtures, efficient HVAC design and rainwater collection.

Cypress Equities and Lauricella Land Company shared news of the lease agreement and were joined by Gov. John Bel Edwards at the press conference.

“This is an exciting announcement that further solidifies the long standing and successful relationship between Louisiana and Shell,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “From traditional oil and gas exploration to the current clean energy transition, we are continuing to build on the strength of our partnership by creating more opportunities for economic development and growth that will benefit our people and bring a dynamic addition to the River District neighborhood of New Orleans.”

The River District, next to the Convention Center, will turn one of the last available riverfront parcels into a mixed-use development with commercial, residential, entertainment and office real estate space.

“Shell, with its rich history in Louisiana, is just the type of anchor commercial tenant we had hoped for,” said Chris Maguire, CEO of Cypress Equities, on behalf of the Cypress Lauricella venture.

Earlier this year Topgolf was announced as one of the anchor entertainment venues for the River District.