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Source: Russell Hancock via Swamplot Flickr Pool

Once Catalyst and Alexan are occupied and the new HSPVA is in use, the turnaround from what that area once was will be about as stark as one could imagine. I could see the other vacant plots becoming very attractive for development in the neighborhood that this will be. The mega-block lot just north of the Marriott seems to have a ton of potential.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/real-estate/04-19-17-marriott-marquis-houston-grand-opening-party/#slide=0 ^^^ finally! marriott marquis's formal and official GRAND OPENING event. what a spectacular evening....

That is the existing building fronting on Post Oak (housing Whole Foods)

I doubt with a pension debt to figure out, that were going to be spending any extra on local road projects unless this money is guaranteed for this purpose only. Besides if the pension bill doesn't pass the house this week it will be two years before they meet again. And in the meantime the interests on this debt is going up and up. So unless we have a windfall or the bill passes and we straighten out our debt issues things might move along a little slower for a while. The bond agencies are already suggesting they may lower our rate. I sure hope not. In reality Westheimer, Alabama, and Richmond all need to be rebuilt. Just not at the same time. Richmond would have rail and the road would be open now if the little handful of NIMBYS hadn't ranted so vociferously. If you live in John Culbertson's district, don't vote for the blind visionary of science. He's a fool.

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Whitestone-REIT-buys-Uptown-s-BLVD-Place-11084662.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop confirms a new 6 story building is coming with two stories of retail

https://www.virtualbx.com/industry-news/24681-blossom-hotel-project-transforms-expands-reaches-build-phase.html

Ground to break Thursday, April 27 on Plano's Legacy West first residential high-rise. Official name - LVL29, with 29 floors of residential. Project Location

Construction work on the apartments is underway. First floor being built. There's a bunch of wood housed on the east side of the site, so things should be going up quickly.

One of the architects behind this wrote a really interesting narrative from his perspective on WOMH on reddit yesterday:

hahahaha. how long have you lived in Houston? the simplest solution to this problem would be to keep the exit from 45 > 59 where it is, but keep that lane separated from the main lanes until farther down 59. although, from this schematic, it looks like the entrance from 45 > 59 is farther upstream, near the i10 corridor, and the 59 > 45 entrance is moved from right exit to left exit? So while the cars won't be going from one side of the freeway to the other, now they'll just exit 45 > 59, stay in that lane, not let any traffic into that lane, and get back onto 45

https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/36665

There will be another great view from Almeda just south of Axelrad. By the way after spending much time looking at Downtown from the south, 288 and third ward areas, I have noticed that the skyline is broken up into three distinct clusters. Theres the Continental/Enron Allen Center cluster, the Wells Fargo, Shell Houston energy cluster, and then the Chase 609 Houston Center cluster. Right in the center is Pennzoil and nothing else. I think somewhere on the SE side of central downtown would be the perfect spot for a supertall. I really like the skyline form the south and southeast. You see all of the old and it looks so much more dense. Density is the secret.

Can't wait for this sucker to rise! It should rise fairly rapidly being the foundation and garage are long complete.

Now Pre-Leasing. Availability listed as June 15th. http://www.arismarketsquare.com/

It really is pathetic. Its a diversionary tactic to take our minds off of one thing and then forget about it. A kind of bureaucratic slight of hand. Now you see it now you don't. Sound familiar?

whatever happened to this deal? Shouldn't we be hearing about plans or ballot items or something by now?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/04/19/houstons-blvd-place-mixed-use-development-sold-to.html?ana=twt ^^^ first look. pretty nice.....

What this issue, as with the overall issue of unmitigated gentrification, is the unapologetic displacement of a huge swath of the public who many already live a tenuous economic existence by a very small number of people many of whom could care less about the ramifications on peoples' lives. There are clearly exceptions to this generalization but many gentrifiers walk into a neighborhood where many generations of people who have made a neighborhood their home through blood, sweat and tears, with little reverence and literally destroying a community's long and proud history. If a greater sensitivity and respect was displayed for the neighborhood's storied history, uniqueness and institutions, I suspect there would be a more receptive response. Otherwise, it's a full scale invasion. How can this be held against them when wealthy suburban areas create rigid rules, laws, and deed restrictions to ensure the security of their communities? The other half is just not wanting more prosaic, bland, and ephemeral suburbanization of urban areas.

Hall Arts Hotel & Residences set to break ground Friday. ULI

My friend at Camden says 20% pre-leased is a home run. 10% is goal. She's told me with so much new inventory coming on line recently that pre-leasing is really tough. Why wait 4 months on B when A is ready to move in right now and giving you a tv?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/04/18/photos-new-luxe-apartments-near-river-oaks.html

I drove up and down Travis and Louisiana between Prairie and Texas and the sense of sheer power and energy emanating from Market Square all the way down tp Skanskas block is buzzing with construction activity and leaving Chase tower completely uncovered. Its like downtown superblock +Chase. Three blocks of construction and cranes right there around the tallest building in Houston." I feel the earth move under my feet." C.K.

I just returned from a morning trip downtown. I walked the superblock around the whole space. The park is going to be incredible. The water feature along the west side is so much nicer than I was expecting and the bermed wall at the southern end with the limestone entrance is powerful. They've planted some beautiful selections of flowering and greenery that is just going to take peoples breaths away and to think its right there on Main Street which as everyone knows is never going to get developed. On a stupid railroad. Never work! Truly remarkable. Much more diverse and beautiful than Disco.

Texas...from the north

From 609 Main...trough dirty windows lol

Only in Houston could an area with 2 large universities be such a disaster and have people wanting to preserve it exactly as is segregation and all... Why would anyone want a neighborhood dominated by one ethic group in the 21 century? This should be a booming university neighborhood and it's not. UH needs to jumpstart cleaning up the area.

Took some photos this afternoon. Too nice of a day not to! The proximity of these two residences is wild. Closer together than the Four Leaf Towers down the road.

I love this quirky thing and also think it's kinda ugly. Kinda like a good mutt.

So had you not been downtown since 2004?

Posting this in this thread since the Convention Center thread has gotten a little acrimonious (which I may have contributed to...?). Made the drive in from Austin on Saturday morning with my old man, who I walked downtown with on the same day in 2004. We figured out a way to get in and out of downtown with zero traffic: the trusty Elysian Viaduct. Got on Hardy Street at the North Loop and headed south. The neighborhoods we passed through had either deteriorated since last time or my eyes have changed; I could not believe the dilapidation of the houses, and the omnipresent chain-link fences around the front yards. A few pockets of gentrifying townhomes amid a sea of disrepair. Was starting to wonder if I see Houston through rose-colored glasses, and then we were on the viaduct, looking down on Hardy Yards and St. Arnold's on either side, and the skyline rising up before us out of a misty gray sky. Wow. I have combed through the photos on here, but nothing could prepare me for the impact of all the new buildings. Particularly the new neighborhood that has emerged around Minute Maid Park, with its bricky feel, anchored by Finger's apartments. The whole panorama from Minute Maid Park to Market Square Tower a feast for the eyes. If someone ever builds an observation tower for Houston, please put it on the north end in the warehouse district. The thought of Boston crossed my mind. When we got out of the car at Congress and LaBranch, I was in a daze, almost hopping past the five blocks or so to Discovery Green. What a city we have, my friends.