[JMancuso]

Nope, those would apparently replace the Richmont Square apartments on Richmond -- which wouldn't be a loss to lament (except for those, like me, who have positive memories of living there).

the demise of that complex seems almost certain given the development in that area.

[Reverberation]

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/YahTrickYah57/earthquestweb.jpg

Earth Quest Adventures | Website (http://www.earthquestadventures.com/)

Lamest theme park idea ever. How do you make rocks fun for kids? This is bound to be a place for interesting field trips but given the choice, most kids would rather be at Splashtown.

[TexasPlaya]

Lamest theme park idea ever. How do you make rocks fun for kids? This is bound to be a place for interesting field trips but given the choice, most kids would rather be at Splashtown.

They have all the attractions that a theme park like any Six Flags would have (roller coasters and other "thrill rides") plus they have the learning theme as well.

[JMancuso]

didn't our past theme parks turn out to be failures? fame city, astroworld...

this seems like a epic fail waiting to happen.

[Complex01]

I wander how tall that mountain would be. Hey that will be an idea. Lets put a whole bunch of hills and mountains all around Houston. That would be kewl...

:D

[JMancuso]

I wander how tall that mountain would be. Hey that will be an idea. Lets put a whole bunch of hills and mountains all around Houston. That would be kewl...

:D


http://www.pbase.com/mancusoj/image/55830355.jpg

[Complex01]

:previous:

Oh I like that. Very Kewl.

On a side note, what happened to all the Houston Forumers. Where did they all go. I know a lot of people use the other site for Houston, but there was still a good handful of Houstonians on here...

:shrug:

[TexasPlaya]

didn't our past theme parks turn out to be failures? fame city, astroworld...

this seems like a epic fail waiting to happen.

Never heard of fame city but they basically just didn't maintain Astroworld properly and it become a ghetto paradise.

[vjhe]

didn't our past theme parks turn out to be failures? fame city, astroworld...

this seems like a epic fail waiting to happen.

I suppose 37 years of operation would indeed be a failure to some.

With regard to Fame City, yes it has changed names, and yes Fame City WaterWorks was torn down, however the fact it is still open after almost 25 years is not a complete failure in my eyes.

I personally am very excited about EarthQuest. It has potential that AstroWorld did not. Who knows this may be a opportunity for Houston to have it's very first out and back coaster. I say bring it on.

[Saddle Man]

.

[TexasBoi]

Astroworld was not that great of a park. But it didn't fail because of how boring it was. It failed because Six Flags as an operation sucks. I think Earthquest can and will work. Different type of theme park.

[JMancuso]

I suppose 37 years of operation would indeed be a failure to some.

With regard to Fame City, yes it has changed names, and yes Fame City WaterWorks was torn down, however the fact it is still open after almost 25 years is not a complete failure in my eyes.

I personally am very excited about EarthQuest. It has potential that AstroWorld did not. Who knows this may be a opportunity for Houston to have it's very first out and back coaster. I say bring it on.

towards the end astroworld got trashy which is a turn off to many people mainly because six flags did a piss poor job of managing the park. fame city/funplex started out OK but also got trashy. earthquest is going to have to be very careful.

[AstrosFreak]

On a side note, what happened to all the Houston Forumers. Where did they all go. I know a lot of people use the other site for Houston, but there was still a good handful of Houstonians on here...

:shrug:

Some of us are still hanging around...Just not posting as often. Plus, there hasn't been much new information as of late.

On the EarthQuest topic though, I think it'll be a success. Astroworld failed because the management was terrible. I remember avoiding the place just because of how dirty the place was and how there were always at least 3 broken down coasters EVERY time I went. I would rather drive to Fiesta Texas than deal with the crap at AstroWorld. Splashtown is the same, run terribly. If a park would come in and make a good impression, I don't think it would have a problem taking off.

[urbanactivistTX]

^^ Astroworld was in the city, which nowadays is rare for a major theme park. I think EarthQuest will be ok too, just b/c it's going to be the "only game in town" for that area of Montgomery County. It's gonna the largest economic engine north of the Airport and east of The Woodlands. The people will make sure to keep it going properly.

[photolitherland]

I want earthquest to fail and fail miserably. I grew up bird watching in and around those woods in that part of montgomery county and Id hate to see it all get turned into banal urban sprawl and parking lots. In fact, my avatar which is a Prothonotary Warbler is found in the woods in that area and it will yet again, be losing more habitat to this huge park. The area where this park is going in was once known as the little thicket and at one time was considered to become part of the the big thicket national preserve. Too late for that and one of the last great stretches of forest in the houston area will fall to bland houses and soccer moms. uhg The only thing that will remain once the storm of craptastic sprawl rolls through will be the land protected through the ongoing acquisition of land for the Spring Creek Greenway Project, which when completed will only protect about 2-3000 acres of the 16,000 acres that is slowly getting turned into crap.

http://www.springcreekgreenway.org/the_latest.htm

[Trae]

I can't wait to see Earthquest succeed. Astroworld wasn't really boring. They always had new rides/features until after the 1999 season. That's when it started really going down.

towards the end astroworld got trashy which is a turn off to many people mainly because six flags did a piss poor job of managing the park. fame city/funplex started out OK but also got trashy. earthquest is going to have to be very careful.

You can't see the difference, especially with Astroworld? Astroworld is in the middle Houston. Earthquest is going to be on the outskirts. Astroworld had like 80 acres of land (including Waterworld and parking). Earthquest has 250+ acres. Earthquest is going to have museums, a waterpark, and resort hotel. Big differences between the two.

[Saddle Man]

.

[()_T]

The new Houston Ballet is now Under Construction but no on knows which design was chosen.
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/america/jpgs/houston_ballet_pirages281108_1.jpg

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/america/jpgs/houston_ballet_pirages281108_2.jpg
Swamplot (http://swamplot.com/places-everyone-houston-ballet-center-for-dance-starts-digging-in-downtown/2009-07-24/#more-10898)

[Von]

eh... neither one of the puts a smile on my face...

[TexasPlaya]

eh... neither one of the puts a smile on my face...

Really? I like the top design, seems to fit what a dance rehearsal building should look like.

[photolitherland]

I like the top design too, but the bottom one, not so much, but hey, a building is better than a parking lot. Can someone show on a map where this is, Im not exactly sure which lot its going on.

[Complex01]

I like the top one, it looks great. It reminds me of the new YMCA being built on the other side of DT.

:tup:

[Von]

idk how to put a map up, but it's like two blocks down from the bank of America bldg .. I think :P

[urbanactivistTX]

I like the top design too, but the bottom one, not so much, but hey, a building is better than a parking lot. Can someone show on a map where this is, Im not exactly sure which lot its going on.

It's at Preston and Louisiana...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=texas+and+louisiana+77002&sll=32.357739,-98.443269&sspn=3.322141,4.927368&ie=UTF8&ll=29.76356,-95.364238&spn=0.001667,0.002406&z=19&layer=c&cbll=29.763346,-95.364412&panoid=-rc8Sou_L7DYKCInAfdG1g&cbp=12,305.32,,0,5

This used to be a drive-thru bank, but was used most of the time as a ridiculous parking lot. I'm glad to see anything but parking here.

[TexasPlaya]

Another parking lot bites the dust.

[()_T]

The new Houston Ballet is now Under Construction but no on knows which design was chosen.
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/america/jpgs/houston_ballet_pirages281108_1.jpg

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/america/jpgs/houston_ballet_pirages281108_2.jpg
Swamplot (http://swamplot.com/places-everyone-houston-ballet-center-for-dance-starts-digging-in-downtown/2009-07-24/#more-10898)

Design #2 was choosen.
Chron (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/6556005.html)

Also Novare Group based in Atlanta has bought land near the new Ballet Center! They done 360 in Austin and The Atlantic in Atlanta. :banana:

novaregroup.com

[AstrosFreak]

More renders! Courtesy of Swamplot (http://swamplot.com/peeking-into-the-new-houston-ballet-center-for-dance-downtown/2009-08-04/)

"'. . . the architects . . . envisioned the granite like a proscenium stage, framing views from the street through windows on several floors of the north and west facades.'

Those windows, [Gensler managing principal James] Furr added, are like a “billboard for dance,” enabling passersby to see classes and rehearsals.

Furr spoke to the Chronicle’s Molly Glentzer, and Gensler provided more-up-to-date images of the 115,000-sq.-ft. facility, which will be clad in black granite on one portion and “a light plaster” on the other"

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ballet-view-smith.jpg

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ballet-skybridge-wortham.jpg

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ballet-granite.jpg

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ballet-proscenium.jpg

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ballet-interior.jpg

[AstrosFreak]

Also Novare Group based in Atlanta has bought land near the new Ballet Center! They done 360 in Austin and The Atlantic in Atlanta. :banana:

I wouldn't get too excited. The same article you quoted mentioned that Novare Group has already put it back on the market. It might be a while til we see anything in that space, but I'm fine with the Ballet center at the moment.

[photolitherland]

edit, I moved this comment to the next page.

[Von]

Niceee updates!!!!
Actually now that i look at it, from that view, The Houston Ballet woul like very nice... umm what's happening infront of the courthouse

[TXLove]

Great updates photolitherland!!!! I love the nighttime lighting on that new Methodist Outpatient Centre! :tup:

[photolitherland]

Sorry, i hate it when my big post like this is the last one on the page and then nobody sees it. So I just posted it again on here again.

Updates from everywhere from yesterday

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3563/3817597599_94187a5c88_o.jpg
TMC with the methodist inpatient centre pretty much completed

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3817596973_879a6499c7_o.jpg
Another TMC development

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/3817595759_478ede1d67_o.jpg
MIPC at night from Rice

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3817598085_129bd1fa31_o.jpg
West Ave. development across from 2727 Kirby

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/3818408088_5e485dc0d7_o.jpg
2727 Kirby completed

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3818408592_1133126eaa_o.jpg
The YMCA downtown

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3817599413_acb64f8b99_o.jpg
TMC, the building on the left was just recently completed

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2643/3818409672_661995a86d_o.jpg
The new park and eventual entrance for the municipal courts and such downtown

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2525/3817600531_4b4db53f1e_o.jpg
Embassy Suites

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3817601645_ffd3d7f6c5_o.jpg
Discovery Tower

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3818405774_de68ac57a7_o.jpg
Mainplace during a rain

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3817601227_f979dd9ca9_o.jpg
The Maternity Ward down at the TMC and then the cranes on the far left belong to a new 30 some odd story building.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3818474604_13b3f00145_o.jpg
Finally, the new ballet center is under way also!

[TexasPlaya]

Thanks for the all the updates.

[Complex01]

Just awesome pics. Houston looks grand. Very Kewl. Thanks for posting...

:tup:

[weatherguru18]

Ashyby Highrise gets the Green Light!!!! Project to rise 23-stories!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/breaking/6582223.html

[TexasPlaya]

Ashyby Highrise gets the Green Light!!!! Project to rise 23-stories!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/breaking/6582223.html

If you don't succeed, try, try again.

[photolitherland]

Sweet! I thought the nimbys killed that project long ago. Good news indeed.

[Boris]

Great photos PhotoL!!

Love some of those perspectives.

[Complex01]

If you don't succeed, try, try again.

Yea. Sucks they had to take out retail at ground level.

[Double L]

Houston's got some great postmodern architecture. I'm so proud of what's going up in our city!

[Reverberation]

How this,
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/ashby-hr-bissonnet.jpg

turned into this in the first place....
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/leequeed087.jpg
Good news.

[photolitherland]

Its absolutely terrifying! AHHHHHH
Glad that tower got approved.

[eburress]

Its absolutely terrifying! AHHHHHH
Glad that tower got approved.

Me too. God I hate NIMBYs!

[toxteth o'grady]

Its absolutely terrifying! AHHHHHH
Glad that tower got approved.

I think it's a tease. They must know the developers can't get financing...:jester:

[Raining Inside]

This terrible Tower of Traffic must be stopped, so people won't have shorter commutes to their jobs! Let them all spend more time on the roads driving into town from distant suburbs!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1/jfre81/leequeed087.jpg

[gardenoaksguy]

Me too. God I hate NIMBYs!

EVERYBODY is a NIMBY about something.......its all about what is happening in your "territory", remember at the core, we are just animals.

[eburress]

EVERYBODY is a NIMBY about something.......its all about what is happening in your "territory", remember at the core, we are just animals.

I see your point, but I don't know if I entirely agree. Maybe it's much less common, but some people do consider the greater good. :)

Maybe the issue though is some people's "territory" is greater than others...their back yards are city-wide.

[Complex01]

I miss my Houston, hope things work out so that i can get back soon. Anyhow. Here are some web cams for 2 projects downtown.

Embassy Suites

http://oxblue.com/pro/open/linbeck/embassysuites


Houston Ballet

http://www.oxblue.com/pro/open/houstonballet/centerfordance


Its fun to watch. Looks like Houston Ballet will have a yellow crane going up. You can see the base.

Very Kewl...

:tup:

[Complex01]

From Swamplot 9-18-09 (http://swamplot.com/emergency-demo-the-savoy-hotels-final-weekend-stay-downtown/2009-09-18/)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/savoy-hotel.jpg

"Houston’s first-ever highrise apartment building will be demolished next Friday, September 25th, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department announced today. Neighborhood Protection inspectors have determined that structural problems with the vacant-and-crumbling 1906 Savoy Apartments building (later the Savoy Hotel) require it to be taken down as quickly as possible. The Houston Press’s Craig Malisow reports:

[HPD's Mark Curran] said the police have had difficulty contacting the owner, who is currently in Lebanon. (Curran didn’t remember his name off-hand, but a 2007 Press story identified him as Michael Nassif). The owner has 10 days to file an appeal, Curran said.

The nearby Metro line will need to be closed during the demolition – hopefully not longer than Friday-Sunday, Curran said.

Curran also said that the building would be guarded continuously until it is torn down."


So this one comes down. Hope something grand and tall, very tall will rise in its place. Its right off the rain line so it already has great location. I know you can make something good out of this Houston...

:yes:

[weatherguru18]

Ritz Carlton to step back into the Houston market with the first project slatted for The Woodlands! Unfortunately, the project may be put off for a while due to the economy.

http://www.ultimatewoodlands.com/2009/09/rumor-patrol-ritz-carlton-rebuffs-woodlands

[JMancuso]

From Swamplot 9-18-09 (http://swamplot.com/emergency-demo-the-savoy-hotels-final-weekend-stay-downtown/2009-09-18/)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/savoy-hotel.jpg

"Houston’s first-ever highrise apartment building will be demolished next Friday, September 25th, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department announced today. Neighborhood Protection inspectors have determined that structural problems with the vacant-and-crumbling 1906 Savoy Apartments building (later the Savoy Hotel) require it to be taken down as quickly as possible. The Houston Press’s Craig Malisow reports:

[HPD's Mark Curran] said the police have had difficulty contacting the owner, who is currently in Lebanon. (Curran didn’t remember his name off-hand, but a 2007 Press story identified him as Michael Nassif). The owner has 10 days to file an appeal, Curran said.

The nearby Metro line will need to be closed during the demolition – hopefully not longer than Friday-Sunday, Curran said.

Curran also said that the building would be guarded continuously until it is torn down."


So this one comes down. Hope something grand and tall, very tall will rise in its place. Its right off the rain line so it already has great location. I know you can make something good out of this Houston...

:yes:

doubtful. the owner still owns the lot (or at least holds the lease) and the taller savoy building is staying.

[KevinFromTexas]

I was in town on Sunday. Not the best day for taking pictures, but oh well.

10/4.

http://i37.tinypic.com/200723p.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/2ef0shs.jpg

Crane for the Embassy Suites Hotel.
http://i38.tinypic.com/334kiab.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/okbnnb.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/33en90k.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/11vpagl.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/2ilbngz.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/2sboeb8.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/241sgzt.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/1zf3q8n.jpg

http://i35.tinypic.com/kdlnom.jpg

http://i38.tinypic.com/2z8vpqr.jpg

[Complex01]

Some updates. Its been a while...

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/HT1009.jpg

DT

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/dt1009b.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/dt1009a.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/HT1009a.jpg

MP

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009f.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009e.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009c.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009d.jpg

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009a.jpg

A view from the top (of a little hill). Nice to see 4 projects going on...

http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/HT102009a.jpg


:tup:

[TexasPlaya]

Some updates. Its been a while...

Appreciate it.


http://i411.photobucket.com/albums/pp200/complex2501/mp1009a.jpg

I really like the facade of main place. I love the contrast between the old and new here in this shot.

A view from the top (of a little hill). Nice to see 4 projects going on...

I only see 3 projects?

[KevinFromTexas]

Haha, I was up on that hill the day before.

[Complex01]

Appreciate it.

I only see 3 projects?

1. Embassy Suites
2. One Park Place (I counted this even though its done really)
3. Discovery Tower
4. Main Place


I should have said 4 new projects over the past 2 years. Could also count the park as a project in itself...


:D

[TXLove]

great updates KFT and Complex01....Really liking MainPlace so far. Cannot wait to see the finished product!

[rdavis4559]

Don't have a picture but FYI... they just put up a skywalk connecting 5 Houston to Discovery Tower.

[Complex01]

:previous:

Very Kewl...

:tup:

[()_T]

The Perennial

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/YahTrickYah57/PostOak4.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/YahTrickYah57/PoastOak1.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/YahTrickYah57/PostOak3.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm99/YahTrickYah57/PostOak2.jpg

http://www.theperennial.com/images/perennial_leasing.pdf

[AstrosFreak]

:previous: More details, courtesy of Urbannizer on HAIF:

370,000sq ft.
20 Stories
8 Levels of Parking
297 Hotel Rooms and 100 Residential units
LEED Silver
Completion:30 months/3Q 2011


Also, I believe this is what is replacing the Compass Bank building that was demolished on Post Oak Blvd.

[Von]

nice set of towers!

[vjhe]

While I don't think the Perennial is bad, I do find it totally uninspiring. At this point, I'm not really surprised to see something uninspiring in Houston now, however it is still always disappointing nontheless. ESPECIALLY in such a high profile location.

[AstrosFreak]

While I don't think the Perennial is bad, I do find it totally uninspiring. At this point, I'm not really surprised to see something uninspiring in Houston now, however it is still always disappointing nontheless. ESPECIALLY in such a high profile location.

In terms of all tower architecture, I would agree, but in terms of Houston architecture, this would really stand out. And even though it's nothing groundbreaking, I'm excited for a little more variety in Houston skyscrapers, regardless of the style.

[TexasPlaya]

It's not a complete box, be happy.