HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[johnme]

@ Metro Matt; the Chase tower recently has only turned on the lighting for Christmas (white) and in February (Red), but the rest of the year the tower has been mostly dark. A few years ago just before Hurricane Ike a non-profit called lights out Houston got many towers to commit to reducing their lighting, and that is when many building owners shut off the lights on the tops of the towers. Chase tower, Four out of the Five Houston Center buildings, The shorter former Enron building, Exxon, and a few other smaller buildings turned off their lights with this commitment. Others such as the Heritage Plaza and the taller Enron were probably damaged and never fixed and have been dark for several years. Wells Fargo's owners hopefully started a trend in office tower lighting in Houston that will have the owners competing for better designs such as in the 1980's when most of the larger downtown skyscrapers were built. Just take a look to the south at the lighting schemes in the medical center office towers for what can be done downtown.

I pass downtown 5-6 times a week, so I have noticed many things over the years and researched what happened when the towers mostly went dark a few years ago.

[Samwill89]

Cruising condominiums? Whatever floats your boat
Developer plans to base 180-unit vessel in Bayou City



source

Minnesota-based River Cities is proposing a floating condo community that would be based in Houston. The developer, which is targeting retirees, is showing a model condo at the Marina Del Sol in Kemah through Feb. 6.

The boat, which will be 600 feet long and called the Marquette, would spend more days in Texas than in any other state, according to the developer, which hopes it will eventually dock at the Bayport cruise terminal or someplace that has "a less commercial feel."

"While we are in town, we will be looking at the possibilities," developer David Nelson said. "Especially in the river towns north of the Gulf, the docking location usually puts us right in the middle of town, which is very convenient and usually a fun place to be. Ideally, if we could find a similar place in Houston, we would be very happy, especially since it will be our longest stop of the year — 10 days."

The boat would cruise the inland waterways along the Gulf coast in the winter and northern rivers within the U.S. in the summer, getting as far north as Minnesota.
The boat would have 180 condos, restaurants, lounges, swimming pools and a golf course.

Not surprisingly, developers Bill Tout and Nelson are self-funding the $109 million project. "Unfortunately, bankers only do what has been done before, so we are unable to get banks to participate in financing our vessel," Nelson said. A project like the Marquette has never been done on the inland waterways, said Nelson, who has worked on smaller boats. His largest boat project was $1.3 million houseboat, he said.

The condos cost from $310,000 per unit to $1.8 million for a deluxe penthouse. Or $55,000 will get you a two-month shared unit. There's also a homeowners maintenance fee, which covers the shared cruising costs, of $1,200 to $2,500 per month.

So far, most sales, about 25 percent of the boat, have been full ownership, Tout said. Construction won't begin until enough units are sold to make the project viable. The youngest buyer so far is 49 and oldest is 84, according to the developers, who added that they have buyers from Alaska to Australia, but none from Houston yet.

I don't know about this one.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by Samwill89

I don't know about this one.

LOL. Hey, if they can make it work.... more power to them.

[KevinFromTexas]

So they finally switched to LEDs on Wells Fargo. I'm guessing that's what it is since they're able to change lights like that. They're far more efficient and can change colors without any physical/manual change.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

So they finally switched to LEDs on Wells Fargo. I'm guessing that's what it is since they're able to change lights like that. They're far more efficient and can change colors without any physical/manual change.

Yeah they ditched the white neon look for LED's.

Its the same thing used on the Austonian in Austin & Plaza Tower here in Tyler.

Wells Fargo had a ton of the old neon go out during Ike & only sections of it were lit. I'm sure they used the insurance money to upgrade.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

one day I'll pull out the binoculars and have a closer look at the lights surrounding Wells Fargo.

As far as I can tell, there's separate red, green, blue, and white LED tubes, since sometimes I see the red fade below the green

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed_Tx

one day I'll pull out the binoculars and have a closer look at the lights surrounding Wells Fargo.

As far as I can tell, there's separate red, green, blue, and white LED tubes, since sometimes I see the red fade below the green

On a building as tall as Wells Fargo they would almost have to use separate rows of tubes for it to show up good.

Makes sense.

[weatherguru18]

Mayor Parker has signed an endorsement letter for a 1,000 room hotel and convention center on the east side of the Eastex Frwy across from GRB!

From HBJ:

Businessman Dan Nip wants to build a 1,000-room convention center hotel on the east side of downtown and has secured a letter of support from Houston Mayor Annise Parker to help him do it.
The hotel is proposed on a two-block site Nip controls on the opposite side of State Highway 59 from the George R. Brown Convention Center. The project includes constructing a pedestrian bridge across the busy freeway to connect the hotel and convention center.
The mayor’s letter is designed to show potential lenders and investors that Nip’s project is needed and would have the backing of the ...


Read more: Houston backs downtown convention hotel | Houston Business Journal

[photoLith]

^
Holy crap, a pedestrian bridge over the highway, the will be sweet. I never thought anything of any importance would be built on the other side of 59 for at least another decade because that area is pretty much a shithole right now, but its getting better. And expanding downtown to the other side of the highway will do wonders. What I really hope one day is that somehow, they can move 59 further from downtown, that probably wont ever happen though.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

^
Holy crap, a pedestrian bridge over the highway, the will be sweet. I never thought anything of any importance would be built on the other side of 59 for at least another decade because that area is pretty much a shithole right now, but its getting better. And expanding downtown to the other side of the highway will do wonders. What I really hope one day is that somehow, they can move 59 further from downtown, that probably wont ever happen though.

With the raise in property values in that area over the last few years, I wouldn't call it a shithole. Now you got the light rail, Dynamo Stadium, and Houston sister-cities gardens going up there.

[photoLith]

Well, it still is pretty bad, except for a few new condos, but overall, the area on the other side of GRB Convention Center is pretty craptastic. Its mostly vacant land, abandoned buildings, and ghetto. But, with the Dynamo stadium coming, and the light rail, things should start to pick up pretty good. Although, Minute Maid Park didnt really liven up that side of town when it went in. I mean, you still have an abandoned hotel right across from MMP and no new development near the ball field, save Discovery Green but that had nothing to do with MMP I dont believe, nor the light rail.

[weatherguru18]

METRO's new intermodal terminal is supposed to go in on the east side isn't it? That should REALLY help out development on the east side. I wonder what ever happened to the Hardy Yards?

[photoLith]

No that's going in near university of Houston downtown on the north side.

[yaga]

Apple Store coming to Highland Village will be Houston's 1st non-mall Apple Store.

http://swamplot.com/the-new-apple-st...ge/2011-02-14/

[TexasPlaya]

Good news about METRO rail, Texas Medical Center, and Buffalo Bayou "greenbelt" west of the Downtown.

METRO rail
"Houston Metro's expansion is getting a $200 million boost in Obama's budget request to Congress. The money for the North Corridor and the Southeast Corridor projects is $50 million more than the $150 million set aside by Obama in his last two budget proposals.
The Metro project is part of a wider bid by the administration to upgrade transportation infrastructure nationwide so that 80 percent of Americans have "convenient access" to a high-speed passenger rail system within 25 years. "
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/7427505.html

TMC
"The Texas Medical Center and other research facilities in the state could benefit from the 3.4 percent increase proposed for the National Institutes for Health. The NIH was a rare winner in a budget that left discretionary spending on health and welfare programs almost flat."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/7427505.html

Buffalo Bayou
"Construction is expected to start in mid-2012 and take three years. The effort will be funded almost entirely by private donors, save $5 million from the Harris County Flood Control District. The Kinder Foundation has given $30 million, believed to be the largest gift ever given to a park project in Houston. That leaves the partnership with $20 million to scrape together.

"That area of the bayou is so used," said Nancy Kinder. "The trails are in such dire shape. That was really what caught our focus — that this could be a world-class park if you did just some basic work."

The Kinders hope their gift will spur not only physical improvements, but also a shift in attitudes. Viewed as little more than "big open sewers" a generation ago, perceptions of the city's bayous have begun to change, said partnership consultant Guy Hagstette...Between Shepherd and Sabine, the partnership proposes adding a path closer to the bayou so walkers and joggers won't compete with cyclists on the main hike-and-bike trail.

Two dry ravines would become ponds, one of them the focal point of a fenced-in dog park in an area that pet owners unofficially use for that purpose now.

The distinctive blue lighting along the trails at Sabine Promenade would be expanded along the entire hike-and-bike trail. A five-acre plot next to Jamail Skatepark, currently fenced off, would be incorporated into the park. A raised concrete reservoir there would provide views of downtown, function as an event space and host bike and canoe rentals and, possibly, a restaurant.

The plan also proposes adding two pedestrian bridges, one across Memorial Drive near Jackson Hill Street and one spanning the bayou at the Houston Police Officer Memorial. A pedestrian bridge near Rosemont Street is nearing completion; another running parallel to Shepherd Drive is expected to start construction this fall. Both are parts of separate projects."
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/7425998.html

[Trae]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

Well, it still is pretty bad, except for a few new condos, but overall, the area on the other side of GRB Convention Center is pretty craptastic. Its mostly vacant land, abandoned buildings, and ghetto. But, with the Dynamo stadium coming, and the light rail, things should start to pick up pretty good. Although, Minute Maid Park didnt really liven up that side of town when it went in. I mean, you still have an abandoned hotel right across from MMP and no new development near the ball field, save Discovery Green but that had nothing to do with MMP I dont believe, nor the light rail.

Didn't they build a few lofts and things? Besides, remember what was in Downtown ten years ago? Look at it now. No, MMP may not have brought more highrises, but so much has been put together over the eastern sides of Downtown in the past ten years. The Dynamo Stadium has already led to that six block "Sister-City" gardens development, that also seems to tie into the new convention center hotel being built.

[johnme]

February Night in Houston

[photoLith]

Originally Posted by Trae

Didn't they build a few lofts and things? Besides, remember what was in Downtown ten years ago? Look at it now. No, MMP may not have brought more highrises, but so much has been put together over the eastern sides of Downtown in the past ten years. The Dynamo Stadium has already led to that six block "Sister-City" gardens development, that also seems to tie into the new convention center hotel being built.

There were two new loft buildings across the highway from MMP, but once you get past those lofts, its pretty terrible that side of town is. That six block development hasnt started construction yet and I wont believe it til I see it because Houston has so many projects that they say are going to happen, but rarely do any of them come to fruition.

[AusHou]

Originally Posted by photolitherland

There were two new loft buildings across the highway from MMP, but once you get past those lofts, its pretty terrible that side of town is. That six block development hasnt started construction yet and I wont believe it til I see it because Houston has so many projects that they say are going to happen, but rarely do any of them come to fruition.

Rarely? I guess you have a different perspective on the city than I do.

[Complex01]

The east side of downtown is so dead, it needs more infill. Hopefully the light rail will spur some stuff. There is plenty of room out there. Houston needs some projects to start. I am waiting.