[Jax]

Quote

i agree. Without something to vitalize that part of town, more well loved buildings could perhaps, fall into disrepair, so this project will probably save more beloved historic spots.

I agree. I love the look of the Texaco building (much more than the New West Building and Montagu). I'm really hope something good will happen with it soon. So much potential there, and it's depressing to see it empty.

[JWW]

Apology if someone answered this already, but what is the scheduled day of demolition so that we can go see this?

[sevfiv]

^The rep that posted here only mentioned January 2008 - nothing more specific. I guess it is time to make some calls.

[PuroAztlan]

sevfiv, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 11:07am, said:

The rep that posted here only mentioned January 2008 - nothing more specific. I guess it is time to make some calls.

I think its cool how they're able to pull off a controlled demo that close to Stowers. It'll be interesting to watch.

[sevfiv]

There will be a buffer where Bond is (was), but it is still close to Stowers, as well as Club Quarters and Texaco.

I hope they release a date soon and create viewing areas - it would be a shame for such an insanely large ($) company to blast the old Cotton into nonexistence without a proper farewell.

[dbigtex56]

TheNiche, on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 @ 10:44am, said:

I don't doubt that it makes some people's lives more convenient--if not in time savings then in terms of comfort or just the uppity satisfaction of doing the 'green' thing that Al Gore told them to--but by the numbers, it just doesn't compare to the added level of congestion or the added inconvenience to those that now have to use the Red Line as an intermediate mode that used to be able to avoid an extra transfer.

Not just wrong - in the wrong thread, too.

[TheNiche]

dbigtex56, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 4:54pm, said:

Not just wrong - in the wrong thread, too.

If you disagree, by all means explain why - in a different thread, if you so wish.

[LTAWACS]

TheNiche, on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 @ 6:02pm, said:

If you disagree, by all means explain why - in a different thread, if you so wish.

Why can't we all just get along?

[editor]

Keep it on topic and play nice, children.

[redant]

 Picture_2.png (271.2K)
Number of downloads: 318

[Trae]

^^Yeah, that was posted a while back.

[redant]

Darn! I didn't see one, thought I would be the first!

[totheskies]

Oh, nay-sayers nay-sayers...

I'm all for preservation and stuff, but this is one sweet action project. Houston needs to get out of it's funk and reclaim some of our architectural legacy. Cheap infill ain't gonna do it, so we better build up. The contrast of Main Place in the "old" section of downtown will be super impressive.

[PAC]

FYI - the implosion is scheduled for January 20th.

[sevfiv]

PAC, on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 @ 2:26pm, said:

FYI - the implosion is scheduled for January 20th.

Yep, we've been hearing that date over the past month - morning i assume. Anything more specific? Special viewing areas?

[H-Town Man]

I know there are a lot of people who wish that this could have been built on an empty surface lot where historic buildings wouldn't have to be torn down, but there just weren't any empty surface lots in downtown Houston. Oh wait...

[sevfiv]

H-Town Man, on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 @ 8:24am, said:

I know there are a lot of people who wish that this could have been built on an empty surface lot where historic buildings wouldn't have to be torn down, but there just weren't any empty surface lots in downtown Houston. Oh wait...

mmhmm....

It also doesn't help that there are a bunch of high class 'lords that buy up and do nothing.

Aside from Masterworks Development Corp/Club Quarters and their fantastic renovation of the Texas State Hotel (okay, honorable mention to the eternally empty Stowers that Spire Realty owns, and the horribly re-veneered Sanguinet, Staats, Hedrick & Gottlieb building at 806 Main - at least it is in use)
we have, in that general block area:

-The Davis Brothers and the Beatty-West Building
-Crescent Real Estate/Texas Co. Building LP and the Texas Co. Building
-Aaron Wiese and the Battelstein Building
-Montagu/Hotel Cotton - complete waste of a good building
-Bond Clothing - another waste, but stuck in the middle of everything

Way to go, guys.

[Trae]

H-Town Man, on Wednesday, January 9th, 2008 @ 8:24am, said:

I know there are a lot of people who wish that this could have been built on an empty surface lot where historic buildings wouldn't have to be torn down, but there just weren't any empty surface lots in downtown Houston. Oh wait...

Please...

This block will help the entire Main Street corridor and hopefully spur a redevelopment of those older, historic towers. This particular block I heard was not too great, and the Stowers building was redeveloped to no success. With MainPlace coming in, I bet some small businesses will move into the Stowers Building. You are just so set on Houston not caring about anything historic.

[Jax]

As of today, there is nothing left of the West building but a pile of rubble.

[ricco67]

Looks like KPMG is going to go for more than 100,000 sq. ft.


But of course, no one is REALLY talking about what's going on. Since KPMG is currently in Bank of America Center, I wonder the remaining tenants are going to swallow up the space.

[Highway6]

Has anyone heard a time yet for the implosion on Sunday ?

What time of the day did Cherry do the Med Center Implosion few months back ?

[sevfiv]

Highway6, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 9:46am, said:

Has anyone heard a time yet for the implosion on Sunday ?

What time of the day did Cherry do the Med Center Implosion few months back ?

I am going to call Cherry and see.

The Crowne Plaza was about 7am

[musicman]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 9:53am, said:

I am going to call Cherry and see.

The Crowne Plaza was about 7am

they said sunrise

[sevfiv]

musicman, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 9:53am, said:

they said sunrise

cool - so a little after 7

[Highway6]

How big was the perimeter they roped off for Crown Plaza ?

Looking a google maps, there is a 10 story parking garage 1 block over at San Jacinto.... what are the chances they'll have that off limits.

[Highway6]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 10:57am, said:

cool - so a little after 7

and definitely this Sunday ...rain or shine ?

[sevfiv]

When I call i'll ask about weather and viewing areas

[Highway6]

sevfiv, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 11:12am, said:

When I call i'll ask about weather and viewing areas

Called Cherry, he said 7am Sunday, rain or shine. That they will have a 1 block perimeter, but that he didnt know off hand if the parking garage at San Jacinto would be offlimits or not but that it probably would.

[sevfiv]

Highway6, on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 @ 10:19am, said:

Called Cherry, he said 7am Sunday, rain or shine. That they will have a 1 block perimeter, but that he didnt know off hand if the parking garage at San Jacinto would be offlimits or not but that it probably would.

Ha - thanks.

I'll copy this over to the Montagu thread

[bkjones98]

I can't wait. I'll try to record it my camera.

[mrell32]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=E7pze4tJrhE

This post has been edited by mrell32: Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 9:35 AM

[capnmcbarnacle]

mrell32, on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 @ 9:29am, said:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=E7pze4tJrhE

Thanks for posting. The fact that this is up less than 2 hours after it happened is still amazing to me. I am a little conflicted about seeing the Montagu go, as I used to go to the bar 10 years ago, but I'm excited to see how MainPlace turns out.

[Trae]

[lockmat]

mrell32, on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 @ 8:29am, said:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=E7pze4tJrhE

What did that one girl scream, "that was amazing??!!"

[bkjones98]

Trae, on Sunday, January 20th, 2008 @ 10:03am, said:

Your view was better than mine. I was on the other side watching down Fannin. I think it was Fannin. I won't post my video, because it's the same, but that was awesome. I can finally scratch that off my list of things to see.

[Captain Impossible]

bkjones98, on Monday, January 21st, 2008 @ 9:18am, said:

Your view was better than mine. I was on the other side watching down Fannin. I think it was Fannin. I won't post my video, because it's the same, but that was awesome. I can finally scratch that off my list of things to see.

I think I might have been where you were, and if so, we were looking east down Rusk. I didn't know that view in the video would actually be there.

[sevfiv]

That's where i was - on the northeast corner of San Jacinto and Rusk, looking west(ish).
I had video and camera, and was standing diagonal to the guy that kept yelling about his arm hurting from his massive camera lens

[bkjones98]

Captain Impossible, on Monday, January 21st, 2008 @ 12:57pm, said:

I think I might have been where you were, and if so, we were looking east down Rusk. I didn't know that view in the video would actually be there.

I was at Fannin and Capital looking southwest down Fannin. It was a decent view, and I was only kidding. I'll try and post my video when I get home.

I just parked and got out, without much thought of where to watch. It was kind early and I was pretty much still asleep.

[Jax]

I just installed Google Earth on my new MacBook, and I noticed that Google Earth now has a 3D model of MainPlace in the skyline by default! This is great for giving us an idea of how it's going to look in a few years.

Here's a screenshot.


If only there was a 3D model for One Park Place...

This post has been edited by Jax: Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 10:49 PM

[ricco67]

Jax, on Sunday, January 27th, 2008 @ 10:48pm, said:

I just installed Google Earth on my new MacBook, and I noticed that Google Earth now has a 3D model of MainPlace in the skyline by default! This is great for giving us an idea of how it's going to look in a few years.

Here's a screenshot.


If only there was a 3D model for One Park Place...

that looks neat. But the view of the skyline seems a bit out of place, but I just can't put my finger on it.

As I passed the construction site, I noticed that there is/was some structures UNDER mainstreet. was the building part of the tunnel system at one point?

[wxman]

I pulled Google Earth up on my computer and though it is neat, it doesn't make as big of an impact on the skyline as I would have thought...especially from the N. Side and the West side. Even from the south side it looks modest compared to the others. Anybody else think that? Also, how come Google Earth does not 3D the Heritage Plaza anymore? It was, at one point, one of the colored in buildings. Now, it doesn't even pop from the ground. Any thoughts?

This post has been edited by wxman: Monday, January 28, 2008 at 1:00 AM

[Jax]

Actually... it turns out you CAN download the one park place model and add it to Google Earth! Cool!
http://sketchup.goog...2882a44b397b90d
And there are lots of other buildings not included by default too!

[PAC]

Attached is a typical floor plate for MainPlace....good representation of the articulated layout of the building.

Attached File(s)

•  MP_Floor_Plate.pdf (131.88K)
  Number of downloads: 106

[ChannelTwoNews]

Some overhead shots I took this afternoon. It looks like they've almost cleared out all of the debris from the old buildings away...



Former Montagu site


Former West Bldg. site


The first part of the block that was demolished

[Montrose1100]

Those are grade "A" pics ChannelTwoNews! Great Angle, thanks for sharing. A shame the surface lot across the street (in the first 2 pictures) is right there.

[HtownWxBoy]

GREAT PICTURES... thanks!!

[PAC]

FYI - MainPlace is breaking ground on Monday March 3rd, two months ahead of schedule. Cap beam excavation will start the first week, with first drilling operations the following week. The site will ramp up to 3 drilling rigs by late March.

[Ethanra]

PAC, on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 @ 7:09pm, said:

FYI - MainPlace is breaking ground on Monday March 3rd, two months ahead of schedule. Cap beam excavation will start the first week, with first drilling operations the following week. The site will ramp up to 3 drilling rigs by late March.

That is awesome. I think this is 3 buildings scheduled to break ground DT in the first week of March!

[lockmat]

Did we ever conclude that this will be connected to the tunnel system? If not...

A grand lobby with atrium located directly off of Main Street will offer a connection to Houston’s underground pedestrian tunnel system, linking MainPlace to office buildings, hotels and retail centers.
http://hines.com/pre...es/8-22-07.aspx

[bkjones98]

lockmat, on Thursday, February 28th, 2008 @ 8:28pm, said:

Did we ever conclude that this will be connected to the tunnel system? If not...

A grand lobby with atrium located directly off of Main Street will offer a connection to Houston’s underground pedestrian tunnel system, linking MainPlace to office buildings, hotels and retail centers.
http://hines.com/pre...es/8-22-07.aspx

Im in Houston 2, and I think it will be connect to Houston 1 via sky bridge.

edit: my office overlooks the lot, so I'll try to keep us all posted.

This post has been edited by bkjones98: Friday, February 29, 2008 at 12:04 PM