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Bank Of America Tower At 800 Capitol St.


barracuda

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The report also says 609 Main is 41 floors, so I don't believe all their info is accurate.

Sure enough.... Sigh. Was hoping this outlet could be confirmation of projects. It's so odd that this organization uses either outdated or inaccurate data. Sorry guys.

Edit: maybe we'll see corrected numbers in their next report?

Edited by Triton
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  • 2 weeks later...

SInce demolition work is underway on the Houston Club, why is the expected "delivery" date 1Q 2018 - a full year after 609 Main and later even than Brookfield / 5 Allen Center, about which we haven't heard a word?  I would have thought if anything that Capitol Tower would be next to break ground after 609 Main.  

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There is some kind of parking garage retrofit going on with the work around the Milam/Capitol corner. 

 

In the discussion of the tunnel closure, I thought I recalled hearing that they were planning to build a new parking structure first, then the building, with the tunnel closed, then open, then closed again prior to final completion of the tower. 

 

Not sure where I read that though. 

 

EDIT: from an article Urbannizer linked:

 

 

Mair said Skanska has completed the first step of preparing the building for demolition. All tenants have vacated the decades-old structure, and workers have cleared out the interiors and removed asbestos.

The next step will be to accommodate those who continue to park in the building by moving the existing parking entrance so the tower portion of the building can be demolished. Then a new parking garage, which will be part of the new building, will be constructed.

Mair said the tunnel will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.

When the company decides to start construction on the new tower - Skanska still has not said when that will be - the tunnel could close again, "at least in part, until we can safely get above ground with construction activity," Mair said.

 

Edited by Nate99
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So they could tear down the building, leaving half the lot a parking garage and half the lot a surface parking lot. I was thinking they were moving forward with the whole project, but it looks like it's phased. Are they not going to be closing the tunnel for like 2 years? Seems like a long time to just build/repurpose a garage.

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Construction starts Q4 2014 and finishes Q1 to Q2 2016.

 

Edit: Difficult to show my proof but I'll see if Urbannizer can post it. It would be best if I could get in image form really.

Edited by Triton
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I think you mean Milam, not Main.  One lane of traffic is closed on the Travis side.

 

I did indeed, good catch. My last pic shows the closed lane on Travis. 

 

With the port-a-potties, it looks like a staging area for the rest of the demo. 

 

Edited by Nate99
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Demolition of the mural:

 

photo-e1395098375334-600x450.jpg

 

 

An excerpt from Lord’s recent blog post:

“Sellers’ third downtown mural, the 41-foot-by-94-foot Muted Hues of History, is her most famous. Completed in May 2000, it enlivens the Capitol Avenue and Milam Street wall of the 1956 Houston Club Building with its homage to Houston history (the fourth City Hall to sit in Market Square Park, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, First Methodist Church, the downtown skyline dominated by the 1929 Gulf Building, and row houses in Houston’s historic wards) and industry (oil, cotton, and the Port of Houston). “Historically, I wish to represent Houston during the early part of the 20th century, when Houston was really taking off,” said Sellers.”

A few years ago, Sellers’ 1998 mural depicting a market scene on the side of the Treebeard’s building on Market Square was lost when structural repairs were made to the wall. It’s now the site of a Houston scene by graffiti artistGonzo 247.

Sellers’ original mural from 1994 remains: a trompe l’oeil scene of downtown buildings painted onto two sides of a historic building at 1621 Milam.

Because the mural is painted directly on the brick exterior of the building, it will not be moved to another location, said Shelby Adams of Skanska USA. The Skanka team was able to safely remove a tile replica of the wall mural painted by the artist that was also in the building (pictured) and plans to give it to the artist.

Demolition of the building has begun and will continue through the end of the year, according to Skanska USA.

Source: Link

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what is that???

 

New ramp for the parking garage that they are making out of the Capitol St. side of the building. They are apparently demolishing the side of the building that currently contains the parking entrance first. 

 

This is an odd project to say the least. I'm trying to get my head around how the economics work that would justify that kind of new structure for a temporary solution. 

 

I guess parking garages make a lot of money. 

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New ramp for the parking garage that they are making out of the Capitol St. side of the building. They are apparently demolishing the side of the building that currently contains the parking entrance first. 

 

This is an odd project to say the least. I'm trying to get my head around how the economics work that would justify that kind of new structure for a temporary solution. 

 

I guess parking garages make a lot of money. 

 

Yes, parking garages are a license to steal, so making money while the demo work goes on keeps the bosses happy.

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From what I understand they had a contract for parking X number of cars that couldn't be broken.  This is the solution that allows them to demo half the building and build the new garage, then demo this structure and build the tower.

 

That is a reasonable explanation to why they are doing it this way. Still seems like a lot of money to be spending for a tower that may not happen... It leads me to believe that this one will in fact, go up. I've said this before, but it seems like the new standard is to build a project with or without the tenants - with the expectation they will come - or else the project may never happen.

 

Seems to be happening - "if you build it, they will come"

1. 609 Main - Hines (Summer 2014)

2. 6 Houston Center - Cresant (Summer 2014)

3. Capitol Tower - Shanska (Early 2015)

4. Chevron Tower 3 - ? (Mid 2015)

 

Waiting on a lead tenant - "the tenant that never came due to too many options UC"

1. 5 Allen Center

2. International Tower

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