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Stowers Building To Become An Aloft Hotel At 820 Fannin St.


Urbannizer

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Compared to Smaller cities, such as San Antonio, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, and others we are pretty shabby in the nearby hotels category.

In order for our convention industry to remain competitive, we do need a major increase in rooms.

The low lower end hotels Especially are in short supply

At least of those are more tourist-style cities. While downtown could use more moderately-priced hotels, the last thing downtown needs is a bunch of fleabag hotels. Leave Palace Inn and its ilk along the freeways.

Is Aloft a particularly upscale hotel? I'm in a low-rent house paying <$500 for a room and an Aloft is going up less than a mile away. By bike.

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~$200/night at the one by the Galleria.

upscale / fun... without being high end.  actually, it's a w hotel's little brother.  however, i cannot wait to view the renders as per the downtown aloft.  it needs to sparkle.  downtown houston, is in desperate need of fun.

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While you may have posted this today, is this article not dated from to his past April? Not long after this, the project was removed from the downtown development map. May still be a real project or it may be dead. I don't know.

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While you may have posted this today, is this article not dated from to his past April? Not long after this, the project was removed from the downtown development map. May still be a real project or it may be dead. I don't know.

 

You're right, it is from April, but urbannizer said the project was mentioned at a recent Downtown Redevelopment Authority meeting so I think we are good.

 

http://www.mainstreettirz.com/home.html 

Edited by DrLan34
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You're right, it is from April, but urbannizer said the project was mentioned at a recent Downtown Redevelopment Authority meeting so I think we are good.

http://www.mainstreettirz.com/home.html

Urbanizer certainly is dialed in but, I am at a loss as to why the project came off do the development map and has yet to come back on the map. It may be a timing issue? Perhaps the developers are still pursuing it as an active project but here are so many hurdles yet to jump that there is no really "starting estimate?"

Or, I guess it could be that the map is just not especially reliable.

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It's still showing up on Aloft's website, with a projected opening date of June 2016.  

 

There's not nearly as much work that must be done to the building as was the case with 806 Main.  The exterior has already been cleaned up and the interior is already gutted.  That projected date shouldn't be too hard to meet, even if they don't do much for a few more months.

 

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/directory/new-hotels/all/list.html?sortType=region

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 3 months later...

The aloft website still indicates early summer of 2016.

To me, this is a mystery project. Listed On development maps then off. Folks "in the know" say it's definitely on but it has yet to start construction. Public information on star woods own website has a completion date that seems to be becoming tough to meet.

It's a mystery to me.

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  • 4 weeks later...

If it's interior then wouldn't it not take as long to complete than a normal project? The State National Bank has progressed quickly.

 

Re-fitting all of the plumbing and other facilities to build out hotel rooms has to take a while. Not of the same scope (or size) of 806 Main/JW Marriott, but that took a couple of years.

 

I walk by frequently and have never seen anyone going in or out of it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

http://www.arch-con.com/hospitality/aloft-downtown/

 

This 1913 historic building in downtown Houston was the former headquarters of Stowers Furniture and housed the entire company’s operations. The first two floors were the company’s showroom. It will be restored into a vibrant 163 room, 119,981 square foot Aloft, respecting the integrity of historic preservation. The project will add an intricate 12,000 square foot terrace with roof top pool. This project is expected to deliver in May 2016.
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Lights were on inside it yesterday. First time I have ever noticed that.  You couldn't tell much trough the painted over windows, but they were either at a low second floor or a high first floor ceiling height and were temporary plastic cage over bare bulb type construction lights.

 

Game on.

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^^^ great illustration nate99!  however, surely they are going to require a bit more than approximately $8mm to fully and completely restore / renovate this wonderful old edifice correct?

 

The permit may just be partial with others to come as necessary, I too would assume it would be a lot more than $7.7 million to turn an old vacant office in to a hotel, but what do I know.

 

FWIW, the whole property was appraised at ~$7 million per HCAD.

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The permit may just be partial with others to come as necessary, I too would assume it would be a lot more than $7.7 million to turn an old vacant office in to a hotel, but what do I know.

 

FWIW, the whole property was appraised at ~$7 million per HCAD.

 

It seems like we've heard in the past that Hines restored it, at least somewhat, with the development of BG Group Place. I suppose the BG Group Place thread might have photos if anyone wants to dig through, although photos were much less common on HAIF back then. It would make sense for them to have at least fixed up the exterior so that it wouldn't detract from their new office tower.

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