[citykid09]

I kind of knew that this development would not happen. It was never really mentioned like all of the other developments such as BLVD place.

[TheNiche]

wernicke, on Thursday, June 26th, 2008 @ 12:04pm, said:

So how is it a development firm/construction company could make it through all the phases of preconstruction planning, start clearing the site, and throw up a crane only to have the project dissolve?

Developing highrise condos = bankruptcy.

This wasn't a good site, the mortgage market sucks, there were going to be too many units in the same place, the condo market is extremely thin to begin with, construction costs have gone up significantly since this was first proposed, and the other multi-building highrise condo project in town is not selling as well as had been projected.

Let us assume they had all the financing in place--probably not a safe assumption--it would still not make sense to build even a single tower.

[desirous]

It's not a good design in the first place. You can't get by with an 80's design in today's market.

[Samson]

desirous, on Sunday, July 13th, 2008 @ 12:26pm, said:

It's not a good design in the first place. You can't get by with an 80's design in today's market.

Hey guy I just sent a email to Park 8 Land Of OZ and the main guy Jenny responded back saying this.

Yes, I delayed Park 8 construction. Because there are some un-predictable things, like permit, bank restrictions, etc. We are trying our best to have everything to be ready. The project is expected to re-start in 3 months.

So maybe the Land Of OZ is coming back to construction after all.

[desirous]

Samson, on Monday, August 11th, 2008 @ 2:20pm, said:

Hey guy I just sent a email to Park 8 Land Of OZ and the main guy Jenny responded back saying this.

Yes, I delayed Park 8 construction. Because there are some un-predictable things, like permit, bank restrictions, etc. We are trying our best to have everything to be ready. The project is expected to re-start in 3 months.

So maybe the Land Of OZ is coming back to construction after all.

That can't be a native speaker of English.

[Samson]

desirous, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 12:51am, said:

That can't be a native speaker of English.

What do you mean like there are english speakers working on this project you know not just asian speakers and this is true I actually talked to this person for realz.

[desirous]

Samson, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 2:01am, said:

What do you mean like there are english speakers working on this project you know not just asian speakers and this is true I actually talked to this person for realz.

Oh, I thought that was her exact wording.

[Samson]

desirous, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 9:57am, said:

Oh, I thought that was her exact wording.

Man stop playing of course the thing I got from the email is the exact wording and plus I have evidence check out this site ok the thing will say something like it supposed to be done by 2009 but if you look at the status it is saying that it is on hold meaning that this construction is not cancelled just delayed because of bank restrictions and permits and should be back to reconstruction by winter 2008.

Here the site saying the status is on hold.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=park8p...-houston-tx-usa

[ChannelTwoNews]

Samson, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 12:34pm, said:

Man stop playing of course the thing I got from the email is the exact wording and plus I have evidence check out this site ok the thing will say something like it supposed to be done by 2009 but if you look at the status it is saying that it is on hold meaning that this construction is not cancelled just delayed because of bank restrictions and permits and should be back to reconstruction by winter 2008.

Here the site saying the status is on hold.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=park8p...-houston-tx-usa

"Jenny" isn't in charge of the project. David Wu, I'm pretty sure, has been for the duration it's been around. Actually met the man in the office last year when I snapped the shots of the model earlier in the thread. Nice enough guy, but it seemed kinda like the whole operation was a bit amateurish, IMHO.

As for construction, the furthest they got was several groupings of rebar sticking out of what would've been the base of the first condo tower. You could see it from the back of the Bank as it was right under the base of the crane that was recently removed. It was new in maybe November or December of last year, but I'm not certain if it's been removed at this point.

I have seen a truck or two drive onto the site even since they removed the crane, but I could only guess if they're affiliated with Lyda Swinerton (the contractor) or if they just took a wrong turn.

Also, I was the one who switched the status to on-hold, just due to the fact there had been activity on that one tower at one point, but it had stalled. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole project were flat out dead, to be honest.

At the very least, I have their marketing mags & floorplans for my collection.

[Samson]

ChannelTwoNews, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 1:53pm, said:

"Jenny" isn't in charge of the project. David Wu, I'm pretty sure, has been for the duration it's been around. Actually met the man in the office last year when I snapped the shots of the model earlier in the thread. Nice enough guy, but it seemed kinda like the whole operation was a bit amateurish, IMHO.

As for construction, the furthest they got was several groupings of rebar sticking out of what would've been the base of the first condo tower. You could see it from the back of the Bank as it was right under the base of the crane that was recently removed. It was new in maybe November or December of last year, but I'm not certain if it's been removed at this point.

I have seen a truck or two drive onto the site even since they removed the crane, but I could only guess if they're affiliated with Lyda Swinerton (the contractor) or if they just took a wrong turn.

Also, I was the one who switched the status to on-hold, just due to the fact there had been activity on that one tower at one point, but it had stalled. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole project were flat out dead, to be honest.

At the very least, I have their marketing mags & floorplans for my collection.

Ok so Jenny is not the CEO of this project I contacted her and she said that she was the office assistant. I thought she was the Ceo because she said in my letter that she was the one who delayed the project so its David Wu. Jenny the office assistant told me that she will keep me informed when this project goes back to construction again and hopefully it gets back around winter of 2008, well only time will tell at this point.

[desirous]

Samson, on Tuesday, August 12th, 2008 @ 12:34pm, said:

Man stop playing of course the thing I got from the email is the exact wording and plus I have evidence check out this site ok the thing will say something like it supposed to be done by 2009 but if you look at the status it is saying that it is on hold meaning that this construction is not cancelled just delayed because of bank restrictions and permits and should be back to reconstruction by winter 2008.

Here the site saying the status is on hold.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=park8p...-houston-tx-usa

Calm down, I was joking about the statement having funky grammar and not being very professional in tone.

[ChannelTwoNews]

The contractor's trailers are still there, and it looks like they spent that possible new loan on a shiny & new, non faded sign.

Nothing's changed from the renderings based on what I saw.

[Urbannizer]

This post has been edited by UpuPUp!: Friday, March 13, 2009 at 10:34 AM

[lockmat]

Anyone know where to see tha city report mentioned?

[citykid09]

Why did they change the name of the area to Asia Town? So did old Chinatown change back to just Chinatown?

Any ways, I think the developers have an over all good idea, to build a kind of "Asian Downtown," but it seems that the whole development revolves around the car. They should have designed it more like an urban downtown instead of a business park. This development could have the potential to be the core of Asia Town. If the developers brought made it more like a huge mixed use development where people could walk down the streets, shop and do business like in other urban Asian areas/Chinatown (NYC, SF), I think it would really go well. There is nothing like this in the South or most any place in America. It could be a tourist attraction that draws people from all over. I know my mom would love it. Every time where in SF she wants to go to Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf.

So if the development stays like it is, I think it will be successful because that type of development is pretty much all that ever goes up in Houston.
But if the developers turn it into more of an urban Asian Downtown/Chinatown I think it could draw more people to the area and make it more of a tourist attraction. So when people from out of town say they want to go to Chinatown/Asia Town, that's where people will take them for a good impression.

Just my opinion.

This post has been edited by citykid09: Friday, March 13, 2009 at 1:45 PM

[TheNiche]

citykid09, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 1:45pm, said:

Any ways, I think the developers have an over all good idea, to build a kind of "Asian Downtown," but it seems that the whole development revolves around the car. They should have designed it more like an urban downtown instead of a business park. This development could have the potential to be the core of Asia Town. If the developers brought made it more like a huge mixed use development where people could walk down the streets, shop and do business like in other urban Asian areas/Chinatown (NYC, SF), I think it would really go well.

Dude, this is only 20 acres. Downtown Houston is closer to about 1,000 acres.

[lockmat]

Let me ask you all a question...

Do you love your mother like I love mine?

[citykid09]

lockmat, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 8:04pm, said:

Let me ask you all a question...

Do you love your mother like I love mine?

Why?

TheNiche, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 5:02pm, said:

Dude, this is only 20 acres. Downtown Houston is closer to about 1,000 acres.

I wasn't comparing it to downtown, basically I was saying it could be Houston's chance at a true urban Chinatown with high rises included.

[TheNiche]

citykid09, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 8:08pm, said:

I wasn't comparing it to downtown, basically I was saying it could be Houston's chance at a true urban Chinatown with high rises included.

You were suggesting that this development be something that revolves around some kind of transportation other than a car. Seriously, how is that even remotely conceivable on only a 20-acre parcel fronting a freeway? I suppose they could pay lip service to the idea, not unlike Sugar Land Town Square, but that's a complete joke (with a larger parcel, better traffic counts, and superior demographics). Do you honestly believe that a tiny island of mixed-use development actually has the commuter patterns like those that you described?

[citykid09]

TheNiche, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 8:19pm, said:

You were suggesting that this development be something that revolves around some kind of transportation other than a car. Seriously, how is that even remotely conceivable on only a 20-acre parcel fronting a freeway? I suppose they could pay lip service to the idea, not unlike Sugar Land Town Square, but that's a complete joke (with a larger parcel, better traffic counts, and superior demographics). Do you honestly believe that a tiny island of mixed-use development actually has the commuter patterns like those that you described?

I was not saying make it a non car place, I'm talking a place where you could park in a parking garage and walk the area. I was even thinking parallel parking along the shops.

Look man, I am basically saying its a very nice development, but with a few changes it could be a really great development. The developer could take advantage of the fact that Houston doesn't have a true urban Chinatown. This place has the potential to be a really great tourist attraction which Houston needs. It could be Downtown Asia Town.

Oh, and a lot can be done with 20 acres if the land is used correctly.

[TheNiche]

citykid09, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 8:48pm, said:

I was not saying make it a non car place, I'm talking a place where you could park in a parking garage and walk the area. I was even thinking parallel parking along the shops.

So...basically make it like a strip mall. You park on-site, in front of the store, and then you walk into the store.

citykid09, on Friday, March 13th, 2009 @ 8:48pm, said:

It could be Downtown Asia Town.

I'm going to point back to post #116.

[Urbannizer]

Anything new on Park8?

[Gary]

UpuPUp!, on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1:11 PM, said:

Anything new on Park8?

This thing has been dead for a while.

This post has been edited by Gary: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1:43 PM

[Urbannizer]

Gary, on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1:42 PM, said:

This thing has been dead for a while.