toxtethogrady Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 (edited) I'm also very disappointed in the City of Houston for allow this to go through when it was only a 1/3 of the way funded! The cost creep on this project is perhaps an example of what all developers were dealing with, as costs more than doubled, making a project that was almost fully funded fall woefully short. When it only cost $40 million, $33 million in funding seemed like "almost there", but with cost growth to $80 million... Edited March 17, 2015 by toxtethogrady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Except that this thing's scope and program were constantly expanding. This was not simple an issue of changing market forces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Scopes that creep always get value-engineered down. Perhaps that's what they're doing during the "pause". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Scopes that creep always get value-engineered down. Perhaps that's what they're doing during the "pause". No. This thing is simply dead. If they are having to give back donations....that's the nail in the coffin. The guy was an idiot to start construction when he was only a third of the way funded and the city was were suckers to believe his timeline. They should learn from what MATCH did. MATCH got up to around 80 to 85 maybe even 90% funded before they broke ground and that's what it should have been. Instead this guy only cared about completing the building before the Super Bowl. That's just selfish and moronic levels of project managing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 The city will probably keep this site reserved for a future hotel development, but based on the location I think another cool idea would be something like the Sports Legends Museum next to Camden Yards in Baltimore. Not this architectural style per se, but the lot's proximity to MM Park and the Toyota Center make it a good candidate for a Houston sports museum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/03/project-leaders-shed-light-on-shelved-downtown.html In the wake of the Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage halting construction on a southeast Texas cultural history museum and visitor center in Houston's convention center district, donors are getting their money back and plans for the downtown site are up in the air, said those involved with the deal. Houston First Corp. is still in the early stages of discussing precisely what will happen to the property that was earmarked for the museum, located between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park. How precisely the site will be used is still up in the air, said John Harris, spokesman for Houston First. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) - Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehoustonion Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 They should build a observation tower. The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas does a lot of business. It has a roller coaster on top of it, restaurants. I actually bungy jumped off of it! That was the scariest thing I have done so far. I want too visit the Tokyo Sky Tree next time I'm in Japan. It is at 2,080 feet tall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTHONYHTOWN Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 They should build a observation tower. The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas does a lot of business. It has a roller coaster on top of it, restaurants. I actually bungy jumped off of it! That was the scariest thing I have done so far. I want too visit the Tokyo Sky Tree next time I'm in Japan. It is at 2,080 feet tall. That sounds interesting, have a picture of either one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Purify Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 They should build a observation tower. The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas does a lot of business. It has a roller coaster on top of it, restaurants. I actually bungy jumped off of it! That was the scariest thing I have done so far. I want too visit the Tokyo Sky Tree next time I'm in Japan. It is at 2,080 feet tall. Except for the rollercoaster part (lol), that is exactly what I'm talking about. The City should build a tall monument with or without an observation tower on that block. An observation tower would make some extra money, but even without it, locals and tourists would visit to take pictures and then dine in area establishments before going to an Astros or Rockets game. I wish I had the ability to create a rendering because I'm sure one would get everyone on this thread on board. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Purify Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Seattle has a Space Needle and Houston, the home of NASA and future home of the Ellington Space Port, does not. Who on here has Mayor Parker's phone number? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) I think they should take this opportunity to do something historic and help save a great example of Nicholas Clayton's architecture here in Houston.. Here is a twist of fate that is a little ironic. The sisters of Incarnate Word want to stay down town and build there new building where the Nicholas Clayton wing now stands. John Nau and his group had planned on building on the adjacent block a history museum. That failed and they are now in the process of giving the donations back. Why not trade the vacant lot next to the school for the Nicholas Clayton building and repurpose it into a history Museum. That way the nuns can build there new campus right next door. John Nau can save a historic landmark and possibly still create a history museum. and the city can make a statement on historic preservation and start a new era of saving our past for the future. Isn't that kind of what Nau was planing anyway. Edited March 18, 2015 by bobruss 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 High rise resi or another convention center hotel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSGinSpringBranch Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I hate to say it but I do not think this project will be resurrected. I think there was a loss of interest somewhere (the funders, the board, the city) that when combined with the economic downturn made this not only unfeasible but unpopular. And whatever happened/whoever made the decision--I think it caught Houston First off guard, as of 10 days ago they were enthusiastically interviewing candidates for museum staff to guide the content development. And they swore up and down that funding wasn't an issue. At least now I know why they never called me back. I am very curious/worried what will happen to the Cohn house and the Foley house now. Anyone heard anything? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 One of the houses was moved over to the church property next door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) - Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSGinSpringBranch Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 One of the houses was moved over to the church property next door. Yes, the Foley house was given to Incarnate Word and I was told (see above, I was also told funding was not an issue) IWA would rehab the building and use it for office space, but in light of the news about the Clayton building, I was just wondering if the Foley house was still being saved or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehoustonion Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 That sounds interesting, have a picture of either one? www.tokyo-skytree.jp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehoustonion Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 reuniontower.com in Dallas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTHONYHTOWN Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 www.tokyo-skytree.jp Thas is awesome! thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I think they should take this opportunity to do something historic and help save a great example of Nicholas Clayton'sarchitecture here in Houston..Here is a twist of fate that is a little ironic.The sisters of Incarnate Word want to stay down town and build there new building where the Nicholas Clayton wing now stands.John Nau and his group had planned on building on the adjacent block a history museum.That failed and they are now in the process of giving the donations back.Why not trade the vacant lot next to the school for the Nicholas Clayton building and repurpose it into a history Museum. That way the nuns can build there new campus right next door.John Nau can save a historic landmark and possibly still create a history museum.and the city can make a statement on historic preservation and start a new era of saving our past for the future.Isn't that kind of what Nau was planing anyway. A nice thought, but I would think the space would just be way too small. The next best hope for the Nau Center is to lease some of the under development retail space in the GRB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 A nice thought, but I would think the space would just be way too small. The next best hope for the Nau Center is to lease some of the under development retail space in the GRB. Thanks Sparrow. I guess I wasn't as concerned about the museum fitting in the Clayton building as much as I am concerned about losing it to the wrecking ball. I just thought it might be a way to at least repurpose it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 A nice thought, but I would think the space would just be way too small. The next best hope for the Nau Center is to lease some of the under development retail space in the GRB. Thanks Sparrow. I guess I wasn't as concerned about the museum fitting in the Clayton building, as much as I'm concerned about the demo of this historic building. I just thought it might be something they could use until the funds were available for another museum to be built in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Buy-U-City Posted March 19, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted March 19, 2015 Nau you see it Nau you don't 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nole23 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Nau you see it Nau you don't 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Houston was actually supposed to get an observation tower near 59 and 610 on the southwest side, but that was back in the early '80s, before the last bust. The last thing I remember being on that corner was the big mound of dirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Source for that? That hurts to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxtethogrady Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I looked diligently for any old records of it. It's all down the memory hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PD_1 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Houston's newest Green building initiative. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 is that all grass seed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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