 Houston is known for many things. Preservation hasn't always been one of them. But when Houston gets it right, it gets it right in a big way. The dramatic renovation of Houston's historic Samuel F. Carter Building into the JW Marriott Houston Downtown Hotel shows how preservation can lead to profit. The SF Carter Building, also known as the Second National Bank of Houston, was constructed in downtown Houston in 1910. At the time it was built, the 16-story property was both the first steel-framed skyscraper in Houston and the tallest building, not just in Houston, but in Texas, too. When it was purchased in 2009, the building was a semi-occupied, Class C office building which had been neglected for years. Instead of demolishing and replacing the property, Pearl Hospitality opted to join a growing cadre of property owners, developers, and city leaders that realized Houston's past had a lot to contribute to its future. Following an extensive restoration, the original building remains structurally intact with original, hot-riveted steel columns exposed and incorporated into the design throughout the hotel. The hotel's layout and guestroom design also preserves the column structure, while the beautifully restored 1929 historic boardroom on the second floor offers a unique event space. The project has played a tremendous role in downtown revitalization by creating a desired destination for both out-of-town guests and Houstonians alike, generating tax revenue and creating 200 permanent jobs. Even better, since the restoration, the value of the building has increased more than 12 times. The JW Marriott Houston Downtown The JW Brand's first adaptive reuse project in Texas is a great example of respecting a building's history while updating it for modern use, and it gives a whole new meaning to making bank.