Leaderboard

Alternative take; the dedication to even find and reply to a 2 year old post is amazing.

This is basically the correct reason and is the explanation why nearly every zoning code in America has parking minimums, and even the one city without a zoning code (Houston) has adopted them. That said, it would be a step forward in our evolution as a city if we got rid of them or at least drastically reduced them and embraced street parking and residential permitting. It might also help with storm runoff. Now, what say we stop bumping this thread unless we have news about Block 98?

City Planners? Who are these "City Planners" that you think exist?

I'm pretty surprised this forum hasn't embraced this more. I'm really excited to have BRT in this city. Many of the great world cities use this service and San Francisco is building a couple of lines now. Chicago has the Central Loop BRT line that was finished recently. Knowing how much cheaper this is compared to rail, why not do the same down Richmond Ave or Washington Ave? Especially if it can easily be converted in the future. theboulevardproject.com

How did you even find this thread

The crawler crane on site is for the foundation pilings. The northside.

Apartments, live theater planned for former Bishop Arts medical building Project Location

Dallas, Austin are among 20 finalists for Amazon's coveted HQ2

http://images2.loopnet.com/i2/435u-ZimDQfprCqqOYCau4u7EQJ5DbpZ8R0PkuqeIkM/112/image.jpg http://images1.loopnet.com/d2/3XhMIvDR0K9TY85gdG6dIc3b3rjyohpZciJxW2St7ok/document.pdf

The trio of cranes from a few days ago

Well, thats another story, and most of what you ask are good questions. You would think that those issues would or should be an issue for planning through permitting, I guess. I remember from my experience with Austin planning and permitting the very strict rules and regulations that were carried out to the inch. I don't know if the planning board has a recommended preference for developers to follow, but it would be interesting to know. . . . . if someone cares to tell us more.

Well we still need to build POST HTX and TMC3 first for there to be a true takeoff in the tech industry, BUT we are so damn close and it's exciting.

@j_cuevas713 we wholeheartedly AGREE with your very sentiments my pal. however, if only AMAZON would have smiled down upon our fair city as well. apparently, they must think that houston is the worst....

Houston is making big gains in the tech industry. So now we will have a medical research center, esports arena for gamers, and Post HTX for tech startups. This city is about to explode! We are literally the next big thing. So proud to be a Houstonian and support it through all the rough times. We're finally seeing the patience pay off.

With the way they are explaining this location it just makes sense that this is going to become our SoMa SF. It's centrally located in an overall thriving area with solid infrastructure and the ability to draw some MAJOR tenants. I think the city will eventually name this our tech district which would be absolutely huge and a real game changer for this city. When a company like We Work opens offices in your city, it's because they see the potential for technology. We have to capitalize on this and keep our young talent in Houston. I work in animation and I've been waiting a very long time to see something like this happen. I just didn't know where and when it would happen.

Completely agree. I think if anything, we should focus on rail to the airports and BRT for some of our major thoroughfares. It would be a quick shot in the arm for our public transit system.

You can't have enough. If you want downtown to grow and densify, these types of developments can't have just 1 or 2 locations. You need lot's of these types of meeting places for PEOPLE.

And that's exactly MY point. I understand the planning department can't dictate where a developer wants to build, but much how the city can suggest, for example building closer to the street or parking in the back, why can't they offer an incentive of some kind to build closer or in a certain area?

I agree 100%. Its not the city planning department's place to decide where things should be built in our system of no zoning. It's the developers job to choose what they feel is the appropriate location for their project. The public has the opportunity to vote on the developers decision for location and whether the idea is worthwhile with their pocketbooks and their participation in these enterprises. It's a shame that there isn't some kind of advisory board that could help these developers make better decisions. Someone to play ideas off of. In fairness to this site the burbs are where the majority of young people who would be more inclined to use this type of facility live.

No. Their job us to ensure the developers follow rules on site prrp, life safety, etc. The Houston Planning Department doesn't get to choose siting for projects, which is as it should be.

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/

Twitter 1. You are probably the frontrunner for the worst reply in 2018. It's only January. Good grief! Cmon man/ woman.

New Knox Street district apartment plans include affordable units Project Location

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2018/01/17/262230/housing-development-at-houston-superfund-site-moving-forward/ Looks like its moving forward.

Wow, I thought I'd read it would be a copy of the existing bridge. This looks great, and it gets the supports out of the water. Good compliment to Fred Hartman.

...and yet the market will provide. Which just goes to show how absurd the City's parking requirements outside the CBD are.

171208 Houston TX by Timothy Schorre, on Flickr

Downtown Dallas finally scores the grocery store it has long craved Project Location - Trammell Crow Center Project Location - Mercantile Place DMN

Renderings for Downtown's South Asian Museum: Project Location

2016 GDP Rankings: Both DFW and Washington DC surpassed Houston in 2016. Nation's Top Five Largest Metros by GDP: (change from 2015) New York City - $1,657,457 ------ (+49,112) Los Angeles - $1,001,677 ------ (+38,219) Chicago - $651,222 ------ (+16,168) Dallas Fort Worth - $511,606 ------ (+18,558) Washington DC - $509,224 ------ (+15,573) Texas Metros by Largest GDP: (change from 2015) Dallas Fort Worth - $511,606 ------ (+18,558) Houston - $478,618 ------ (-18,090, second consecutive year of decline) Austin - $135,010 ------ (+7,427) San Antonio - $116,538 ------ (+4,367) El Paso - $28,644 ------ (+930) Beaumont - $24,875 ------ (-119) Midland - $24,224 ------ (-2,141) Corpus Christie - $22,403 ------ (-820) Killeen/Temple/Fort Hood - $17,676 ------ (+869) Tyler - $13,499 ------ (-134) Lubbock - $13,434 ------ (+526) Amarillo - $13,009 ------ (+184) Waco - $11,892 ------ (+593) Longview - $9,753 ------ (-742) B/CS - $9,520 ------ (-101) Odessa - $8,718 ------ (-1,439) Abilene - $6,752 ------ (-220) Wichita Falls - $6,164 ------ (-157) Texarkana - $5,298 ------ (+179) San Angelo - $4,839 ------ (-222) Victoria - $4,665 ------ (-527) Sherman/Denison - $4,292 ------ (+114) Texas Metros by Change in GDP: Dallas Fort Worth - $511,606 ------ (+18,558) Austin - $135,010 ------ (+7,427) San Antonio - $116,538 ------ (+4,367) El Paso - $28,644 ------ (+930) Killeen/Temple/Fort Hood - $17,676 ------ (+869) Waco - $11,892 ------ (+593) Lubbock - $13,434 ------ (+526) Amarillo - $13,009 ------ (+184) Texarkana - $5,298 ------ (+179) Sherman/Denison - $4,292 ------ (+114) B/CS - $9,520 ------ (-101) Beaumont - $24,875 ------ (-119) Tyler - $13,499 ------ (-134) Wichita Falls - $6,164 ------ (-157) Abilene - $6,752 ------ (-220) San Angelo - $4,839 ------ (-222) Victoria - $4,665 ------ (-527) Longview - $9,753 ------ (-742) Corpus Christie - $22,403 ------ (-820) Odessa - $8,718 ------ (-1,439) Midland - $24,224 ------ (-2,141) Houston - $478,618 ------ (-18,090, second consecutive year of decline)

More renderings of the Weir's Knox expansion: Candy'sDirt

New rendering w/ different angle of AMLI Fountain Place. Appears to be around 620'. MHN

Textbook example of how to do it right. Bravo.

From FaceBook.... They have been jumping the one of the tower cranes.

Concrete vs Steel is a big debate on lots of projects. Here is a quick rundown on Healthcare related steel vs concrete: The best way to make a tall building cheap is to use concrete with LOTS of post tensioned steel. This allows you to use less rebar, less concrete. The downside to this is that post tensioned steel is NOT GOING TO MOVE. Once you put tension on it, relocation becomes EXTREMELY expensive. Healthcare Facilities like to make changes to their buildings. Moving bathrooms, labs, etc happen ALL the time in these buildings. If your slabs or beams are post tensioned then you are going to be extremely restricted in where you can put stuff. This building is using concrete shear walls in the stairs and elevator tower to help with the rigidity of the structure. This is a hybrid design which helps reduce the amount of cross bracing or moment frame welding required. There are a bunch of other reasons, but I should probably get back to work so this will have to do for now.......

Perhaps the price of concrete has gone up just enough to make steel more economical?

I wonder what drives a builder to use steel instead of concrete when they build something like this? Looks like the elevator shafts are concrete but the rest is steel.

Seems like this is taking forever.

Steel structure

She might not be the most attractive building, but the glass looks pretty cool with the sun reflecting off of it at sunset. 3009 Post Oak by Bryan Malloch, on Flickr