HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[lockmat]

Originally Posted by Reverberation

1982-1983.

That's what I was thinking. Developers have been very responsible since then. Houston went into the recession in a very healthy state relative to the rest of the country. We didn't have empty buildings like other cities.

[Bailey]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

It was my impression that it would be a mirror image of the Hilton Americas. Anybody?

The location will mirror itself so that Discovery Green will have a large hotel on both sides. I am thinking the design will be different.

[photoLith]

The design is different. It was on this thread a while ago and it's going to be more moderny art looking than the Hilton hotel.

[photoLith]

This is going to be a huge development that from the looks of it will be fairly urban, unlike a lot of the gated off suburban styled apartment complexes in the area.

[YakuzaIce]

Looks like the site is about 240k sqft. At 6 stories this could have quite a huge number of units in it. Did the fenced in area take up the whole site between Peveto and Eberhard?

The website has a higher resolution rendering. Seems like it might be 4 separate buildings with fenced courtyards between them. Though they may connect along the back. Certainly a step in a positive direction compared to their mostly gated Jackson Hill building on the other side of Memorial. Looks like it will be 431 units. http://www.smartapartmentdata.com/sh...nstruction.pdf

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by photoLith

This is going to be a huge development that from the looks of it will be fairly urban, unlike a lot of the gated off suburban styled apartment complexes in the area.

Thanks for the find.

Originally Posted by YakuzaIce

Looks like the site is about 240k sqft. At 6 stories this could have quite a huge number of units in it. Did the fenced in area take up the whole site between Peveto and Eberhard?

The website has a higher resolution rendering. Seems like it might be 4 separate buildings with fenced courtyards between them. Though they may connect along the back. Certainly a step in a positive direction compared to their mostly gated Jackson Hill building on the other side of Memorial.

This is certainly going to be a big project. It will be next door to the new whole foods and is about 5 blocks east of the Reagent Square development.

[photoLith]

Yes it's at least that much, it may extend past eberhard but I'm not completely sure. They've just torn up the ground right now and put in plumbing and what not.




2900westdallas.com

[toxteth o'grady]

Why are they even holding a design competition? We all know its going to be some box fugly building.[/QUOTE]

Hmm, more fugly ducklings?

Houston at one time had a reputation for some incredibly forward-looking designs. Cesar Pelli, Philip Johnson, IM Pei - they're all represented on the skyline. These days, starchitecture is just too expensive - unless you're doing a museum.

Meanwhile, it's possible to pick out the contenders from the pretenders on the list. The only hotel chain I see represented is Omni Hotels, so they have to be considered a strong candidate. I'd also give the nod to the Midway Cos. team, though I'm not sure if Portman is the powerhouse we all recall from Atlanta. But it looks like there's plenty of interest.

[toxteth o'grady]

Originally Posted by lockmat

From what I've heard online (and possibly read) is that lenders are scared of oil boom/bust aspect of Houston. They are requiring a higher percentage of preleasing.

Amusing. New York's economy has been hobbled for the better part of three years, yet they seem to be enjoying a building boom (or at least plenty of speculation). Eve Dallas, which is overbuilt, seems to be experiencing something of an upturn.

Anyone know anything about the two buildings Shell has on the drawing board?

[photoLith]

Does anyone know whatever happened to regents square? Is it dead completely or just waiting for better economic conditions?

[toxteth o'grady]

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

Anyone know anything about the two buildings Shell has on the drawing board?

I guess I answered my own question...

http://http://www.bizjournals.com/ho...n-two-new.html

[lockmat]

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

Amusing. New York's economy has been hobbled for the better part of three years, yet they seem to be enjoying a building boom (or at least plenty of speculation). Eve Dallas, which is overbuilt, seems to be experiencing something of an upturn.

Anyone know anything about the two buildings Shell has on the drawing board?

Did NYC ever stop building high-rises even through the recession? For some reason I don't think they did, but I could be wrong.

[vjhe]

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

Why are they even holding a design competition? We all know its going to be some box fugly building.

These days, starchitecture is just too expensive - unless you're doing a museum.
[/QUOTE]

But that reason has been used in Houston for the last 15-20 years. As a whole, Houston's recent history of architectural designs have been mediocre AT BEST. It seems minimalist, boxy, "as cheap as we can get it", "anything that even RESEMBLES ANY form of flash is the equivalent to drowning puppies ", has slowly but surely become part of Houston's culture; and this started before the current economic downturn, and before 9/11.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by vjhe

These days, starchitecture is just too expensive - unless you're doing a museum.

But that reason has been used in Houston for the last 15-20 years. As a whole, Houston's recent history of architectural designs have been mediocre AT BEST. It seems minimalist, boxy, "as cheap as we can get it", "anything that even RESEMBLES ANY form of flash is the equivalent to drowning puppies ", has slowly but surely become part of Houston's culture; and this started before the current economic downturn, and before 9/11.[/QUOTE]

i look at it as much needed, decent infill. i'm sure there will be some trophy projects at some point but we need boxes to fill in all the empty spaces in between.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by photoLith

I seriously dont understand why they are so up in arms over that like 20 story building. Every time I see some uppity douche with one of those stop Ashby highrise bumper stickers I just want to punch them in the throat because it seriously makes no sense why they are so against it. I mean, theres tons of mid rise residential towers all over the city and they live in the city, so get over it. And their little cartoon of the highrise makes it seem like its a 600ft tall building or something. What are they so against? The possible shadows it will cast? Why do they care, most of that neighborhood is covered in trees and the ground is usually shadowed by them anyways.

From the article above...

# If you nevertheless succeed in constructing this project, we will not stop our opposition, and we will take every lawful action available to us. It is important that you, your investors, and your construction and permanent lenders understand this.
# We will picket your leasing office. Not once or twice, but at all times it is open.
# We will identify your tenants and send regular communications to them at their units and their places of business to let them know that they are not welcome in our neighborhood.
# When your tenants walk in or through our neighborhood, we will let them know that they are not welcome.
# We will challenge the permits for your restaurant tenant.
# We will boycott your restaurant and encourage our friends and neighbors to do the same. We will appear at your tenant’s restaurant and demonstrate our opposition to their presence in our neighborhood.
# If your restaurant tenant has other locations, we will boycott and appear at those locations as well.
# We will appear at the homes of the owners, investors, and chef of your restaurant tenant and demonstrate our opposition to their presence in our neighborhood.
# We will post unfavorable reviews of your restaurant tenant on dining websites.

How about we form an pro Ashby highrise group and picket these assholes houses and tell them they arent welcome in a changing city and can piss off to Tulsa or something. Some of the above stuff is like borderline stalking and harassment.

Some other things they might as well add to that list would be... we will show up at your houses and places of business and key your cars and spray paint your windows to show our opposition; we will also be forced to break your gas lines leading to your houses or condos and be forced to light molotov cocktails to show our opposition to this highrise.

well at least they know how mexicans and blacks feel when condos start getting built in their neighborhoods and they can't do a damn thing about it. yay houston!

[weatherguru18]

The link doesn't work. What is Shell planning on building?

[rdavis4559]

Originally Posted by weatherguru18

The link doesn't work. What is Shell planning on building?

http//www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/05/04/shell-close-to-construction-on-two-new.html

two new 12-story buildings at the Woodcreek location.

[Bailey]

Originally Posted by vjhe

These days, starchitecture is just too expensive - unless you're doing a museum.

But that reason has been used in Houston for the last 15-20 years. As a whole, Houston's recent history of architectural designs have been mediocre AT BEST. It seems minimalist, boxy, "as cheap as we can get it", "anything that even RESEMBLES ANY form of flash is the equivalent to drowning puppies ", has slowly but surely become part of Houston's culture; and this started before the current economic downturn, and before 9/11.[/QUOTE]


Houston prides itself on being the "Walmart" of cities....very efficient, but lacking aesthetically, and short sided.

[vjhe]

Originally Posted by JManc

But that reason has been used in Houston for the last 15-20 years. As a whole, Houston's recent history of architectural designs have been mediocre AT BEST. It seems minimalist, boxy, "as cheap as we can get it", "anything that even RESEMBLES ANY form of flash is the equivalent to drowning puppies ", has slowly but surely become part of Houston's culture; and this started before the current economic downturn, and before 9/11.

i look at it as much needed, decent infill. i'm sure there will be some trophy projects at some point but we need boxes to fill in all the empty spaces in between.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, I love the infill. The upper Kirby district blows my mind and I want more of it. I would like to see a bit more effort in terms of imagination.

[TexasPlaya]

Houston Pavillions
Swamplot: City Centre Owner Buying Houston Pavilions

Houston’s Midway Companies, along with an unnamed New York Partner, is set to acquire Houston Pavilions...the bankruptcy court indicate that the development’s retail space is now 66 percent leased, and the property has a positive cash flow — before debt service.

The thing that kills this development is its inward design. Hopefully, Midway has something up its sleeve to either do some remodeling or a good mix of retail.

Upper Kirby Area
Swamplot: 7-Story Southwest Freeway Audi Dealership Gets Go Ahead, Will Split Momentum

EXPECT TO see workers moving dirt on the 1.5-acre site at the northeast corner of Greenbriar and 59 within the next few weeks; the city’s planning commission last week voted to approve a variance granting permission for a 7-story auto dealership building at 2120 Southwest Fwy. to poke a few feet further toward Greenbriar (at left in the above rendering) than regulations allow. The result: the country’s largest — and tallest — flagship Audi dealership, featuring a 2-story car display case on the corner of the third and fourth levels that’ll bring the latest models up to eye level for drivers on the raised freeway who aren’t looking where they’re going.

West Ave Phase 2

Images from Lockmat on HAIF




Per Lockmat on HAIF

The second phase of the West Ave development in River Oaks is a 288,389 s.f. mid-rise apartment project with 305 housing units. The eight-story, concrete structure with attached garage will have 640 parking spaces, 157 of which will be for retail use from Phase 1.The project finish will consist of mostly brick with accents of Arriscraft and terra-cotta. The design will feature an interior courtyard with swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and living room, lounge, theater, fitness center, dining/wine room and is estimated to complete June 2013.

Uptown

Chron: BBVA update

From Chron

The first floor will house two restaurants. Local restaurateurs will operate new concepts there, but they won’t be announced until the end of this year...When the project broke ground last year, the developers said the 6.5-acre site was also being designed to house a luxury hotel and possibly a residential tower. Those plans have been altered and now call for another office building along with the hotel.