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Article Excerpt
As Texas tradition dictates, Houston's Greenway Plaza does nothing by halves--and its security program is no exception. The enormous business campus is watched over by a security and tenant-relations program that does the Lone Star State proud.
Greenway sprawls over 60 acres, just off of U.S. Highway 59, about five miles from downtown. Built in phases during the 1980s, the complex includes ten office buildings ranging from five to 31 stories and totaling 4.3 million vertical feet of space. Also on the grounds is the 388-room Renaissance Houston Hotel, multiple garages with parking for more than 10,500 cars, a grand plaza, a large food court, and retail and professional service shops such as florists, movie theaters, and one of the town's most acclaimed restaurants.
And if all of that were not enough, Lakewood Church, the largest nondenominational congregation in North America, meets in what was previously the Compaq Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets. Today, it is the site of services for more than 16,000 worshipers. The church is attached to the Renaissance Houston Hotel.
Lakewood uses the Plaza's parking garages. Charles K. Hutchinson, senior security manager for Crescent Real Estate, which owns and operates Greenway Plaza, says that while the church isn't part of the security's purview per se, "It's as good as attached to our property as it gets."
The average daytime population for Greenway Plaza is about 12,000. They are primarily employees of tenant companies that include financial, legal, oil and gas, and "just about every type of business you can imagine," says Hutchinson. On Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the population swells further with the Lakewood congregation.
Not the Norm
Security at Greenway is proactive, which is not the norm for such mixed-use commercial complexes. At most commercial real estate facilities, someone like the property manager hires a contract guard service that operates fairly independently, says Hutchinson. "The contractor takes care of what it thinks is important, and the manager gets involved when there's a problem," he says. Contact between tenants and security is minimal.
By contrast, at Greenway, "It's not unusual to see our tenants on a weekly basis," says Hutchinson. Not only are the bonds between tenants and security tight, but the security program also includes a 24/7 command center, a comprehensive, integrated access-control and badging system, a well-trained officer corps, carefully considered antiterrorism measures, and a strong alliance with law enforcement and emergency services.
Central Command
At the heart of the security operation is an around-the-clock command center staffed by one officer per shift, with an overlap during peak times and during church and other events. The command center receives data from 148 CCTV cameras, approximately 1,000 alarm points, and 300 access control card readers in the buildings' base levels and garages.
It also controls the intercom system throughout the complex. "Every elevator, every entry point, and every incoming vehicle gate all have intercoms," Hutchinson says. After hours, the command center controls access to the buildings, garages, and elevators.
The complex is currently preparing to upgrade from analog to digital cameras and to a server-based digital recording system. Hutchinson says that the upgrade, which will take place in 2007, will include greatly increased...
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