The historic heart of downtown Houston is set to pulse with new life as SLTX Capital, a Sugar Land-based company, lays plans to convert the over-a-century-old Scanlan office building into a boutique hotel. As per the Houston Chronicle, the 11-story building, which stands at 405 Main Street, is distinguished by a striking mural of a boy on a bicycle and was previously the site of Texas' first "White House" during its time as a republic.
SLTX Capital, which took ownership of the nearly 87,000-square-foot property in December after the former owner forfeited it to avoid foreclosure, plans to revitalize the space into a 140-room hotel with a restaurant, bar, rooftop garden, fitness center, and other amenities designed to attract both visitors and locals. Although the purchase price remains undisclosed, the building's historical significance and its location along a planned pedestrian promenade are key factors that likely appealed to the developers. Ali Momin, co-founder of SLTX Capital, cited the area’s upcoming transformation as a potential draw for guests. The hotel will preserve significant architectural elements, including crown molding, marble walls, and flooring, according to Harris County records. The project is expected to begin in early 2026 and open by summer 2027 under the Hilton Canopy brand, aiming to capture the essence of the local community, as reported by Realty News Report.
This venture is not SLTX's first dance with historical redevelopments: the company's sister firm, Trend Hospitality, transformed a former furniture building into an Aloft hotel in 2016. The proposed hotel joins at least a dozen other office buildings in the downtown area that have been repurposed into hotels amid dwindling occupancy rates and a larger trend of reimagining office spaces nationwide to address a housing shortage. Yet many contemporary buildings defy easy conversion due to unsuitable architecture and prohibitive costs. Momin and his partners at SLTX have garnered attention for tackling this bold project on a street scheduled for substantial modification—the ambitious Main Street Promenade project, which will remove car traffic from several blocks, condensing the thoroughfare to pedestrian and light rail use, creating a scene ripe for street-side cafes and a more walkable city core.
Mayor John Whitmire underscored the significance of the Main Street Promenade as a "transformative project defining the next chapter of Main Street and Downtown," promising a future for Houston's central hub void of the usual automotive bustle, as noted by Realty News Report. Plans for a hotel in a revamped historic building by SLTX borrow a page from the city's past glories while stepping into a future that embodies urban innovation—a significant departure for a city traditionally oriented around car culture. The hotel will offer valet parking on an adjacent street to accommodate guests in a world where Main Street won’t be lined with parked cars, an unconventional concept for Houston, known for its vast sprawl and reliance on personal vehicles, as it forges ahead toward a new pedestrian-focused reality.
