[Complex01]

Houston Pavilions groundbreaking set for Nov. 6

www.houstonist.com
10-10-2006

http://www.houstonist.com/attachments/houston_jim/101006_pavilions.jpg

We were starting to wonder whether anything was going to happen with Houston Pavilions, the retail/entertainment/residential/office complex planned for three blocks on the south end of downtown. After all, the land sale was completed in mid-January, and we haven't heard much since House of Blues and Lucky Strike signed on as tenants. But now there is news: The developers have secured $140 million in financing and groundbreaking is set for Nov. 6.

The development, in case you've forgotten, will stretch east from Main and Dallas and will include 350,000 square feet of retail space, 140 condo units and 200,000 square feet of office space. The development will be similar to the popular Denver Pavilions, though it'll be more than twice as big. The architects are Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum.

Financing is coming from North Houston Bank, with additional funding from the city, Harris County, the Downtown District and Houston Catalyst LP; expect the doors to open late in 2008.

Posted by Jim Parsons in News: Houston




OKay i know the date for this story was back in October, but i dont recall anyone saying anything about this project. I was in dt Houston, the other weekend and i dont remember seeing anything under construction, other then a parking garage. I was wandering if anyone had any news or updates on it. The website doesnt give any new information...

:shrug:

[Complex01]

Well i did some more digging and from a source, which i cant really disclose i was able to gather this information...

HP will break ground on 02-05-07 and will be completed in time for the holiday season of '08 (approx. Oct.)

Yeah, I really like this project.

:yes:

[tmathis]

Fantastic urban core project. I am jealous.

[Wattleigh]

Since the project was announced, a number of things have occured. Towers have been added then scrapped, tenant lists have slowly trickled out and in the end, 3 full blocks have become filled with construction equipment working simultaneously.

The groundbreaking did indeed occur in February 2007, and the project should be complete by October of this year.

First, the updated renderings & model which have been posted on the Houston Pavilions website.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/opt2view2_lg.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/view2_lg.jpg

One of the few not to have one of the towers removed...
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/view3_lg.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/view4_lg.jpg

House of Blues
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/hob_lg.jpg

Pavilions Tower
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/rendering02.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/rendering01.jpg

Model Photos
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/modelv1_lg.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/modelv3_lg.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/modelv8_lg.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/model_0013.jpg

[Wattleigh]

Construction photos I've taken over the last few months...

9/14/07

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01138.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01139.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01140.jpg

10/10/07

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01371.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01373.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01374.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01377.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01380.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01378.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01379.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01381.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01389.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01391.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01390.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01392.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01393.jpg

[Wattleigh]

12/8/07

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01980.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01971.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01972.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01975.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01976.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01977.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01978.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01981.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01982.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01983.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01986.jpg

[Wattleigh]

Jan. 22, 2008, 5:28PM
Developer's gravity-defying design begins to take shape
Retail, office complex slated for October finish

By BETTY L. MARTIN
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Almost a year after the Valentine's Day 2007 ground-breaking on The Houston Pavilions, an entertainment, retail and office complex in downtown Houston, the heavy construction has begun over San Jacinto and Fannin to create its gravity-defying design within seven city blocks.

Ninety-foot-long trusses of 15 to 18 tons recently were carried through the air and put in place by crane. They will become the foundation for part of the mixed-use, $170 million center expected for completion in October.

The center — 360,000 square feet of retail, 200,000 square feet of offices and a parking garage with 1,600 spaces headquartered at 1001 Fannin St. — is already about 65 percent leased, said William Denton, co-developer of the development team with partner Geoff Jones.

Signed up so far to fill the retail space are the House of Blues, Lucky Strike Lanes, Forever 21, Books-A-Million and seven restaurants, including Lawry's, the Prime Rib, McCormick & Schmick's and the Red Cat Jazz Café.

"We have three city blocks under construction now ... (for) a retail building that has a common pedestrian mall running through it. To connect those three city blocks, we have connecting blocks and bridges over the streets," said Denton, who recently moved to the River Oaks area.

The structural trusses and two connecting blocks will support the retail building that is hung from them, as well as support the walkway sky bridges over San Jacinto and Fannin, he said.

The trusses with pedestrian walkways over the major downtown streets will be "a signature of the project, an architecturally designed roof uplighted at night and seen as you drive toward town from either direction, a stunning feature," said Denton, 56.

The Houston Pavilions is similar to a project Denton and Jones developed in downtown Denver, where Denton said he developed the "pavilions concept" in which the retail building projects out to bisect project space.

Architect on the Houston project is Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum; general contractor is Harvey Builders.

The Houston site is particularly fortunate given its neighbors, including Metro's light rail line, a planned central park and the 37-story, 346-unit residential high rise under construction, One Park Place.

Denton first became familiar with Houston when he developed Deer Park and Willowbrook malls in the early 1980s. After seeing Houston's oil-bust decade at close range, Denton left unimpressed. When he returned a quarter of a century later to consider it as a spot for the new project, he found a different, more impressive and more vibrant city.

"A close family friend convinced me at the time to come back to downtown. I was reluctant to come, but when I got here I was pleasantly surprised," Denton said.

That was when Minute Maid Park was still under construction and the Toyota Center was still a dream, "and now we are putting a major component into Houston, the fourth largest city in the country," he said.

The city of Houston and Harris County have provided, in total, $16 million to The Houston Pavilions for infrastructure improvements in the form of cash and future tax abatements.

Denton said he was so impressed with the changes Houston has made over the quarter century he decided live here.

betty.martin@chron.com

[Trae]

The project is 65% leased.

[Complex01]

I am sure it will be completly filled up by the time it opens...

:cool:

[KevinFromTexas]

Thanks for the update Wattleigh. I fixed one of the image links by the way.

[Great_Hizzy]

For some reason, I really like this picture. Maybe it's because you can get a good appreciate of both the former Foley's (now Macy's) building in relationship to the Sakowitz Bldg.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC01380.jpg

[Trae]

That Macy's will be seeing some extra business from HP. I am glad Macy's did not close the Downtown location (and I am sure they won't in the future).

[Wattleigh]

Here's a bit closer look at the multi-level skybridges over Fannin. I had the chance to drive under and it was interesting. It seems like part of the lowest level is yet to be complete.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02430.jpg

[Wattleigh]

There's a full-page ad in this week's Business Journal

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02692.jpg

[Wattleigh]

And some photos from earlier this morning... was in a bit of a hurry.

The block fronting Main Street

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02679.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02683.jpg

The second series of skybridges to be installed over Fannin

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02682.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02676.jpg

Pavilions Tower

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02681.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02684.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02687.jpg

Moving the first windows to be installed in the office building

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02688.jpg

Looking back along Dallas Street

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02675.jpg

The block w/ the House of Blues

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02674.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02672.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02673.jpg

Looking back

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02671.jpg