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The more I think about it, the more I realize that the idea of a Top Golf on the roof of the george r brown would be PHENOMENAL. But sadly, as Houston fights everything that makes a city "cool", it is probably jist another pipe dream of mine, like jumbotrons at greenstreet.

Per the 609 main construction cam, the parking lot is currently being excavated.

Can't believe it's over 40 years. I'm getting old.

The gryphon has been installed: "The renovation includes two ballrooms — the Picasso and the Monet — nods to the hotel’s eclectic art collection, which will eventually include a 13-foot sculpture of a gryphon, the mythical winged creature that makes up JW Marriott’s logo." http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/06/first-look-the-new-jw-marriott-houston-downtown.html?page=all

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/30717-cip-improvements-along-shepherd-drive/

Ate lunch at Treebeards today and I parked by this project. Was funny to watch two construction workers fight... one worker got a little too close to another one with a street sweeper and the other one took it really personally. Pushed him off the sweeper too!

The Houston Citizens building is offices. Lots of lawyers. Pretty sure the building is about to undergo a rehab. It's got one of the coolest (big) retail spaces in Houston on the ground floor, mezzanine, and basement. Was several nightclubs in the late 90's/early 2000's, but could be a fantastic high-end restaurant.

That drill looks like it is for geotech tiebacks for retaining walls. Hard to tell from that distance though. Youtube video explaining typical procedures

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Interesting move... Spirit has applied for route authority between Houston IAH and Cancun, Cabo, and Toluca. If it is awarded the service, it could block Southwest from entering the Cabo and Toluca markets from Houston and potentially Cancun if United throws an Express plane on the route due the bilateral agreement between the two countries limiting the number of carriers on different city pairs. United must be ecstatic. It might be able to avoid competing with Southwest on two huge routes (Cabo and Cancun).

geez triton, these illustrations are incredible!

IIRC there was a similar exclusion zone when the Montague, neé Hotel Cotton, came down. Though this is taller than Foley's (never could get used to calling it anything else), the goal is to bring it as close to straight down as possible. Otherwise, Niels Esperson, Pennzoil, the Chase Building, and the remaining parking structure would be at quite some risk, 801 Travis and the Subway across the Milam/Rusk intersection a bit less.

I don't know how old these markers are but I don't believe I've seen them before. My photo is making it look faded but it's definitely not. 2014-09-09 19.33.51 by marclongoria, on Flickr

They should not focus so hard on Big Box just yet..Downtown is a weak shopping market...I still believe their best bet right now is to focus on small scale shops and try and line the street with those..example: The shoe store Tipping Point (that use to be on main, Those mobile clothing stores that park outside green street...places like that can build a niche customer base Downtown first...people like urban izzy that sells hard to find vintage clothing( although she partner with the other two mobile clothing owner and now rents a space in city centre.

I sure hope this is not demonstrative of the talent available in the labor pool. It's bad enough that I once went up in a tower under construction with a worker who was just arriving at the jobsite fresh from a DUI hearing.

it's on the market... not sure what the status is. my understanding is the windhall apartments are under contract/sold to a multifamily developer as well.

Sigh, if only Transco stock had peaked @ $104 instead of $64. Hell, even $84 wouldve been awesome :eek:

Doubt Hines would've been interested since they couldn't knock it down. They hate reusing old buildings.

...especially if that double-posting means two towers are in the works.

In the opinion of this Dallasite... The Williams Tower is the most beautiful tower in Houston.

I can confirm. Here is a pic I took an hour ago.

I just stumbled upon this forum and figured I'd contribute. I work for Hess (building adjacent) to this site so here are some pictures from the 7th floor. I can provided updated photos throughout the build from different elevations inside Hess Tower. Sorry for the glare & reflection on the photos.

Well, let's see... Not to come off as snarky, but the building under renovation on the Fannin/Rusk/San Jacinto/Capitol block was built for and occupied by The Texas Company (Texaco), and remained vacant ever since they decamped for Heritage a couple decades ago. What is now the Courtyard Marriott was originally the Humble Building, before 800 Bell was built. As best as I can tell, Texaco and Humble were the only major single occupant, non department store, non government buildings until relatively recently. 712 Main was built by Jesse Jones for and known as the Gulf Building, even though he also put his National Bank of Commerce in there, along with five floors of Sakowitz. Buildings like Bank of the Southwest (now 919 Milam), Tenneco (now Kinder Morgan), etc. all had other tenants - IIRC, even One and Two Shell did originally.

It does appear that is what he said. Understanding that he is in the business of marketing office space (so it's in his interest to exaggerate the scarcity) but still that seems like a wild exaggeration. Even if you consider that he may have meant only three good office sites besides those already spoken for (so excluding the sites for 6 Houston Center, 5 Allen Center, 1500 Smith, Allen Center Clay Street, the 50-story Chevron tower, the adjacent block(s) owned by Chevron, Capitol Tower, One Market Square)... So excluding those 9 or so good office sites, are there really only 3 good office sites left in downtown Houston? What about... Block 142 (Milam, Louisiana, Walker, McKinney) Block 97 (Rusk, Walker, LaBranch, Austin) Block 251 (Lamar, Dallas, LaBranch, Austin), which would in turn open up 275 and 276, which would in turn open up 291 and 292 Block 319 (Clay, Bell, Milam, Travis) Block 318 (Clay, Bell, Travis, Main) Block 317 (Clay, Bell, Fannin, Main) Block 335 (Bell, Leeland, Travis, Main) Block 352 (Leeland, Pease, Travis, Milam)? And that's without getting into blocks that are/will be candidates for tear-downs (e.g. Block 257).

I talked to the security guard posted on the property last night. She told me they would be breaking ground next week.

Four-ish floors to goin the removal section, then another big pile o' rubble.

IMG_1122 by Not.Larry.Dierker, on Flickr IMG_1124 by Not.Larry.Dierker, on Flickr IMG_1123 by Not.Larry.Dierker, on Flickr

That makes sense. And I didn't mean to call you Shirley.