[roadrunner]

Like everyone, looks better than I was expecting. Where is the retail? I assume it will be facing the park.

It's too bad a parking garage is being built on one of the blocks caddy-cornering the park. You would think that could turn into a better result once that area gets going.

[Montrose1100]

I'm not a fan of the top, but I won't complain.

[ricco67]

roadrunner, on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 @ 9:40pm, said:

Like everyone, looks better than I was expecting. Where is the retail? I assume it will be facing the park.

It's too bad a parking garage is being built on one of the blocks caddy-cornering the park. You would think that could turn into a better result once that area gets going.

The thing is, you should look at it as a positive, not only would the parking be available for the stadium(s?) nearby, but could be close enough to use for Valet Parking for the various businesses in the area with the potential (but I doubt) of some ground level businesses. It might be expanded even more like the parking lot close to courthouse.

Either way, I hope they follow Mainspace's lead and put a park on the top level of the garage.

[Nate99]

Just a random update, I walk across the surface lot that takes up the space that DT is supposed to be built on (the block surrounded by Walker, LaBranch, McKinney and Crawford, IIRC) on a regular basis, and I noticed at least two perfectly circular holes about five or six inches in diameter near the corner of LaBranch and McKinney with markings spray painted on the pavement around them.

I'm guessing these have something to do with soil samples that the builders might be taking. They probably showed up in late August/early September, if memory serves.

Those who know more about the process can chime in as to what these might mean.

[shasta]

Does anyone have a timeline for when they plan to start construction for this one?

[Houston19514]

shasta, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 @ 1:09pm, said:

Does anyone have a timeline for when they plan to start construction for this one?

I believe it's January 2008

[HtownWxBoy]

shasta, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 @ 1:09pm, said:

Does anyone have a timeline for when they plan to start construction for this one?

I thought I read they were supposed to begin in early 2008... january, february or march maybe.

[roadrunner]

Word is that there will be wind turbines on the top of this building.and no street retail, which sucks

[Jax]

Where did you hear that? I read in the Chron that in order to help it get the LEED certification, they decided to put in retail.

[HtownWxBoy]

Jax, on Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 @ 11:30pm, said:

Where did you hear that? I read in the Chron that in order to help it get the LEED certification, they decided to put in retail.

This is correct... I just read that it will have ground floor retail... this was needed to get LEED certification.

[fernz]

HtownWxBoy, on Thursday, November 15th, 2007 @ 1:48am, said:

This is correct... I just read that it will have ground floor retail... this was needed to get LEED certification.

Where did you read that? How on earth does having retail make a building more environmentally friendly? As far as I know, there isn't any LEED credit for mixing uses.

[HtownWxBoy]

fernz, on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 @ 12:46pm, said:

Where did you read that? How on earth does having retail make a building more environmentally friendly? As far as I know, there isn't any LEED credit for mixing uses.

http://www.allbusine.../4420437-1.html

This article mentions ground level retail. This isn't the article I read that says it was required to get LEED credit... I read that somewhere else... can't find that article.

[Jax]

Now what I want to know is where did Roadrunner here there wasn't going to be retail.

[lockmat]

It's really small, but CBRE had a picture of the tower in its Outlook report for Houston.

[GovernorAggie]

One word, three letters....W, O, W!!!!!!!

As far as the size, I'm sure some of our experts can help with that.

[bkjones98]

lockmat, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 11:50am, said:

It's really small, but CBRE had a picture of the tower in its Outlook report for Houston.

Clicking the pic requires a facebook UN/PW.

[King Owl]

I like the height....looks to be significantly taller than 5 Houston Center. This tower is going to have a PRIME location right on the lake portion of the park. It could fetch some of the highest rental rates in Houston

[lockmat]

bkjones98, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 12:40pm, said:

Clicking the pic requires a facebook UN/PW.

Sorry. It doesn't get any bigger on facebook. I had to copy and paste it from the pdf.

[LTAWACS]

It looks like any other box... I'm not sure I see anything outstanding about it...


Who is this Jesse character?

[HtownWxBoy]

I like it... it will look great overlooking the park!

[lockmat]

LTAWACS, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 1:18pm, said:

Who is this Jesse character?

Nunya

[dmoneybangbang]

It reminds of the buildings they have out in Westchase between Westheimer and Briar Forest @ BW8. It looks like a nice sized building though.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

Let me get this straight. This is in addition to 6 Houston tower,right?

[TheNiche]

Houstonian in Iraq, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 3:49pm, said:

Let me get this straight. This is in addition to 6 Houston tower,right?

That is correct. Trammell Crow is developing this one (Discovery Tower). Crescent is developing 6 Houston Center.

Both are absolutely going to happen.

[bigdig]

Guys, don't get too carried away. That rendering is about four months old. The new one will be going public in a few weeks and is a vast improvement.

[shasta]

bigdig, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 10:07pm, said:

Guys, don't get too carried away. That rendering is about four months old. The new one will be going public in a few weeks and is a vast improvement.

When is this thing scheduled to start construction?

[Triton]

bigdig, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 9:07pm, said:

Guys, don't get too carried away. That rendering is about four months old. The new one will be going public in a few weeks and is a vast improvement.

I do believe you... I'm just curious how you know. Are you in the "inter-loop of knowledge" of the contruction projects?

[bigdig]

Triton, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 10:28pm, said:

I do believe you... I'm just curious how you know. Are you in the "inter-loop of knowledge" of the contruction projects?

There are a bunch of non-architect, developer/broker types who lurk on this board.....good place to pick off information on competitor's projects from architects who shouldn"t be talking!

[King Owl]

bigdig....you're such a tease!

come on, give us internet geeks a hint of why you think it's a vast improvement... Do you like the height? Is the top still innovative like the previous rendering? Retail? Give us something to hold us poor schlepps over

[roadrunner]

shasta, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 10:23pm, said:

When is this thing scheduled to start construction?

From what I've heard breaking ground in a few weeks.

[ricco67]

Guys, need I remind quite a bit of you to take the information as its given to you and let it go? As I've said before on other posts, the people that post here are usually just the people privy to some information that isn't widely known and they could burn themselves or their sources if they give out too much info.


Let people share what they want to share, this guy has cred.

[The Great Hizzy!]

If nothing else, the photo gives you a pretty good idea of its eventual relationship to the park.

[lockmat]

The Great Hizzy!, on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 9:44am, said:

If nothing else, the photo gives you a pretty good idea of its eventual relationship to the park.

Exactly. The rendering was nothing new, just the perspective was. It looks good.

[LTAWACS]

lockmat, on Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 @ 9:37am, said:

I've noticed on downtown maps on the street that the west side of DT is called the Skyline district. Do they call it that b/c that's just what it is, or are there some kind of regulations that say if you build in that area, it's gotta be a certain height?

They call it that because it's a gimmick.

[Gary]

LTAWACS, on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 @ 1:18pm, said:

It looks like any other box... I'm not sure I see anything outstanding about it...


Who is this Jesse character?

Mr negative is back!

[LTAWACS]

Who?
Jesse?

[NewMND]

I would love to see the east side of downtown filled up with these around 500ft buildings. I still want to see some supertalls on the west wall though, but I'll take what I can get.

[Houston2010]

Wow...a vastly improved rendering is coming of a Westchase boxy building plopped down on the park. I. can't. wait.

Too bad that the building doesn't have a tunnel connection nor is close to getting one due to the ongoing negotiations with their neighbors...nothing like not being on the tunnel system to kill a few lease proposals.

I don't honestly see what anyone is excited about in this building...its a 30-40 story box, with some, cough cough, interesting structure at the top with wind turbines in the roof which according to local HVAC experts, will MAYBE on a good day provide 1% of the buildings energy. Bet that takes a while to pay back...if they don't value engineer those ridiculous things off the building after they pay 5 Houston Center a ridiculous fee to connect to their building.

This building is still boring. And no park will change that.

[Trae]

LTAWACS, on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 1:53pm, said:

Who?
Jesse?

Just take a look at your horrible signature.

[Gary]

Trae, on Friday, February 1st, 2008 @ 6:23pm, said:

Just take a look at your horrible signature.

Thank you Trae.

[Houston19514]

Houston2010, on Friday, February 1st, 2008 @ 5:15pm, said:

Wow...a vastly improved rendering is coming of a Westchase boxy building plopped down on the park. I. can't. wait.

Too bad that the building doesn't have a tunnel connection nor is close to getting one due to the ongoing negotiations with their neighbors...nothing like not being on the tunnel system to kill a few lease proposals.

I don't honestly see what anyone is excited about in this building...its a 30-40 story box, with some, cough cough, interesting structure at the top with wind turbines in the roof which according to local HVAC experts, will MAYBE on a good day provide 1% of the buildings energy. Bet that takes a while to pay back...if they don't value engineer those ridiculous things off the building after they pay 5 Houston Center a ridiculous fee to connect to their building.

This building is still boring. And no park will change that.

Ummmm, I think they were saying there is a new design, which we will see in the forthcoming new rendering.

[C2H]

LTAWACS, on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 2:53pm, said:

Who?
Jesse?

Are you MIDTOWNer or his close relative or something? Your signature matches his mindset.

[WesternGulf]

Love the new rendering? Seeing how it fits with the surroundings reveals a lot more to me even if it is the same design showed over again. Seeing One Park Place away from the basic renderings we have seen before even excites me.

[LTAWACS]

Houston2010, on Friday, February 1st, 2008 @ 6:15pm, said:

Wow...a vastly improved rendering is coming of a Westchase boxy building plopped down on the park. I. can't. wait.

Too bad that the building doesn't have a tunnel connection nor is close to getting one due to the ongoing negotiations with their neighbors...nothing like not being on the tunnel system to kill a few lease proposals.

I don't honestly see what anyone is excited about in this building...its a 30-40 story box, with some, cough cough, interesting structure at the top with wind turbines in the roof which according to local HVAC experts, will MAYBE on a good day provide 1% of the buildings energy. Bet that takes a while to pay back...if they don't value engineer those ridiculous things off the building after they pay 5 Houston Center a ridiculous fee to connect to their building.

This building is still boring. And no park will change that.

I agree... But we shall see what happens...

[Houston2010]

I just received an updated rendering package for Discovery Tower, which has 4-5 exterior shots, an interior shot of the lobby (is that corkboard on the walls?) and the floor plates.

I stand by my earlier comments...take the building away from its unique setting, and this thing would fit in perfectly in any suburban setting. Its a square Anardarko Tower, with what looks like precast on the north side of the building.

I really hoped for something more striking and unique for its location...

[ricco67]

No posting, you tease?

[King Owl]

ricco67, on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 @ 3:54pm, said:

No posting, you tease?

sorry, somebody had to do it...

ricco67, on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 9:41am, said:

Thursday, January 31st, 2008 @ 9:41am Post #232

Guys, need I remind quite a bit of you to take the information as its given to you and let it go? As I've said before on other posts, the people that post here are usually just the people privy to some information that isn't widely known and they could burn themselves or their sources if they give out too much info.


Let people share what they want to share, this guy has cred.

[lockmat]

Houston2010, on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 @ 3:48pm, said:

I just received an updated rendering package for Discovery Tower, which has 4-5 exterior shots, an interior shot of the lobby (is that corkboard on the walls?) and the floor plates.

I stand by my earlier comments...take the building away from its unique setting, and this thing would fit in perfectly in any suburban setting. Its a square Anardarko Tower, with what looks like precast on the north side of the building.

I really hoped for something more striking and unique for its location...

Since when did creativity cost so much money?

Less money for a project = no creativity allowed?

Is this how architects think? I understand some of the greater designs take more/better materials, but still...

[Trae]

They could have at least went with the curve on the street I guess. Would have looked nice.

Like this:


And a better view:
http://www.oxblue.co...ie/1010midtown/

This post has been edited by Trae: Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at 5:38 PM