HOUSTON | Development Thread II - Page 151

Owlhorn · #**3001** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 1:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shasta

Word on the street is the Hines building is a go but someone leaked before they were ready to announce. I've been hearing a late 2012 groundbreaking with an early 2014 opening date set. It's the worst kept secret in town.

Also, while everyone is lamenting the potential loss of some jobs at Continental and Devon, people aren't mentioning that the Houston job market performed WAY better than predicted last year. Additionally, the big oil/energy companies are starting to hire. With the Gulf opening back up to drilling and the price of oil remaining around $100 a barrel, things should really start to pick up here in town.

And, I hate to rain on the Dallasite's parade, but our three brand new towers are starting off pretty damn well. The Hess Tower is 100% leased out. The building in the Pavilions is also 100% leased out to NRG (Reliant Energy). And, while the Hines tower isn't 100% leased, they did land two stellar tenants in KPMG (top floors) and BG Group (naming rights).

The time is right to start something now to take advantage of the future. The class A market in downtown is way too tight right now for someone to not make a play.

Lastly, word in Pine Shadows, where the head of Continental lives, is that the wife is flat out refusing to move to Chicago. Their house, which is just down the street from my parents' place is fully occupied and there's been no attempt to sell... Just sayin'

Why should that make Dallasites mad?

TexasPlaya · #**3002** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 3:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owlhorn

Why should that make Dallasites mad?

I think when you look at the context of the discussion, he was merely adding a response to a Dallasites' comments about how DT Houston is losing tenants.

TexasPlaya · #**3003** Posted **Apr 14, 2011, 3:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed_Tx

Disney sailing out of Galveston will only help parking lot owners and those three guys who have service stations on Harborside at I-45... The GPD directs cars west onto Harborside, straight out of town.

You'd be surprised how many of these cruise going folks eat and check out Galveston before getting on the ship.

c4smok · #**3004** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 9:14 PM**

Saw this posted up at TheHaif.com

Exxon HQ construction underway.. Aerial via Swamplot through unknown photographer

//Link
http://swamplot.com/aerial-views-of-...15/#more-27794

fits into Springwoods plans..

JoninATX · #**3005** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 9:22 PM**

I'm confused so Exxon is building a campus right where Springwoods Village going?

c4smok · #**3006** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 9:28 PM**

should give you a better idea =0

JoninATX · #**3007** Posted **Apr 18, 2011, 9:32 PM**

Ok, so Exxon is going to be north of Springwoods Village.

weatherguru18 · #**3008** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 2:32 AM**

I had the privilege of speaking with an Exxon media relations guy and I informed him of the arial photographs we had of the area. I asked him straight up if indeed Exxon was moving forward with an elaborate corporate campus. The gentleman said "I can tell you that site work continues at that location and all options are still on the table---that's anything from leaving things as is on one end to building a new corporate campus on the other. I replied to him, "but sir, there have been thousands of trees cleared from the area and clearly this is in the exact location of the planned corporate campus according to Springwoods Village. Site work requires the removal of thousands of trees?" He replied, a statement on the campus would be released "very soon" and that all he could confirm is that site work continues at that location. When I asked what "very soon" meant, whether it was days or weeks, he would not comment. So that's the latest from the horses mouth.

Orlando · #**3009** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 3:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Photos I took 2 days ago, now Im back in Arkansas, YAY

That is how you do a parking garage.

What an amazing tower! Pickard Chilton does beautiful buildings!

Btw, this is the first time I've looked in the Houston thread, and I've just got to say that I am very impressed with all of the great strides that the city and the people are doing to make it a better city to live in.

photoLith · #**3010** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 3:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by c4smok

Saw this posted up at TheHaif.com

Exxon HQ construction underway.. Ariel via Swamplot through unknown photographer

Yuck yuck yuck, I thought we evolved past these giant suburban campuses.

weatherguru18 · #**3011** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 4:40 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Yuck yuck yuck, I thought we evolved past these giant suburban campuses.

I can't understand why when big, elaborate projects happen in The Woodlands (or near The Woodlands), people are quick to criticize. But let it happen "Sugar Land" <nose in the air> and all of a sudden it's a bad ass project. If this was going up along the energy corridor, it would be applauded for being another large anchor in that area with fancy buildings, density, and 17,000 additional people to liven up the business.

JoninATX · #**3012** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 6:42 AM**

If it's this top secret then I should expect a good design from the architects god I hope it's not a bunch of low rise buildings. Maybe we will see alot of
20+st. buildings clustered around the site.

photoLith · #**3013** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 2:52 PM**

No it will probably be like the sears campus in suburban Chicago with one giant low rise building surrounded by a sea of parking yay.

Trae · #**3014** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 5:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photolitherland

No it will probably be like the sears campus in suburban Chicago with one giant low rise building surrounded by a sea of parking yay.

Not even close actually. You should look at what was posted on Swamplot. Exxon is going cheap with this campus.

c4smok · #**3015** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 8:42 PM**

thats all I can find on swamplot.. does not really tell you a lot.

Complex01 · #**3016** Posted **Apr 19, 2011, 11:27 PM**

Those trees are really tall. You would have to get some good height to even be able to see anything from 45. But yea yuck to removing all those trees for such a sprawling thing. Even thought it is in the middle of one of the worst sprawled out areas of the city...