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I don’t know if these signs are new or not but there are Harvey construction signs on the fencing. I’m pretty observant so I feel like they are new but I’m not 100% sure. Also I doubt Harvey did the Post Oak renovation so this could be a good sign.

A couple of pics of the ceiling in the main atrium, taken from the third floor. As you can see, there’s tons of natural light augmented with some artificial light. I can’t wait to see this building once she’s finished!

Updated renderings. Construction is now set to begin mid-November.

It's going to be a shame to ruin these beautiful, clean walls with a bunch of paintings...😉

@houstontexasjackI partially agree with you. The street level facade at lobby/bank hall on Capitol and at the Understory atrium on Milam are nice enough. The ability to peer down into the food hall from outside and walk down the tiered seating inside has a nice sense of occasion and connection. The glassy tower is decent... but also at ground level everything beyond the Common Bond location on Rusk and all of the frontage on Travis doesn't feel scaled to pedestrians at all. Perhaps it's unfair, but for me it really drags the overall exterior experience down. I don't necessarily mind the lack of GFR (actually Common Bond is gonna be awesome at this location). It's the massing, detailing, and materiality along these 2 streets (Rusk & Travis) that bother me. It felt inhospitable to walk there. The big planter boxes somehow make it worse by squeezing people up against the big stone wall like walking through a back alley. They even down-graded the sidewalk pavement to plain ole concrete here 🤨. I know these are the more service/utility oriented sides of the building but other towers built within the last 15-20yrs do it appreciably better (1000 Main, Hilcorp, BG Place, 609 Main...) If a building occupies a full Downtown block, I don't think any side can be treated like it's the back but that's how most of the bottom 2 floors on the Rusk and Travis sides look. ^^^This doesn't look all that well thought out to me.

Harvey is going to be the GC of the project, I talked with a Harvey worker during the demo of the parking garage where the Preston is going up and he told me they were building at the McNair project.

I still call 'Lakewood/Compaq Center' The Summit.

This is the parking lot where my hooligan friends and I used to hang out in the early 80's.

Adjacent to the regular seated restaurant, it looks like common bond will also have some sort of counter service. Covered out-door seating area.

well dangity dang dang this is going fast! should we go ahead and take bets as to whether this or Nidda Thai Cuisine plaza will open first?! haha!!!!! 🤪 and wow thanks @architeckton thanks for the awesome photos!

Idk. An active construction site puts more of a smile on my face than a vacant lot covered in grass. That Chevron lot still hurts my heart. Depending on what's going up, I would prefer an active construction site over the plaza and park too. Construction sites are fun to follow

Great news. I used to live right there and would walk over quite often. I don't get around there as much as it is great to hear they are coming. I read about the Voodoo Donuts as well. I think they are taking over the old Radio Shack.

I agree, it will always be Transco.

they are! i was making a joke about how dang long its taking to open this plaza back up!...but good news for you...the signage is already up and they are well underway! and the Voodoo Donuts location is next door to it i do believe and they are well underway as well!

Yeah...but it's hard to beat books and booze together.

You’re probably right. Why would anyone want to live in a non traditional high rise apartment with a central location, next to a park, blocks from the theaters, skyline views with any pizzazz.

Probably based on every rendering I’ve seen.

Not only the intersection, but that particular block is the best one on one of the best intersections. Lincoln Street bisects the block immediately across Westheimer. The Aladdin block is irregularly shaped and about half the size. The smoothie King block across Montrose it's bigger and would probably be better suited to the open renderings we saw a few pages back. But the south West corner of that intersection is a perfect parcel on one of the more popular intersections in town. I just think archiphiles would expect greatness here. It's not going to be hard to disappoint us on this one. Hopes are high.

Eh, this is one of the most important intersections in the city. I'm hoping for something genuinely great (like the Montrose Collective + 500 apartments or something) rather than just good enough.

I'm hoping that the Planning Department starts cranking out new Walkable Places and transit corridors as quickly as possible. Right now only the existing light rail lines, the uptown BRT, and the University BRT will be designated as corridors. They need to add every planned BRT line, Light rail extension, BOOST line, and any other high frequency bus line immediately. The 82 (lower Westheimer) needs to be a transit corridor yesterday. And then, for the first round of walkable places: Washington Corridor All of Montrose W 19th St White Oak Yale Shepherd Durham Rice Village EaDo N Main ...and lots of other places

Great photos thanks for those ! This building is making a massive presence felt downtown and I hope eventually on part of the skyline. It is amazing and going up so fast now. I swear Houston has one of THE BEST skylines in the country ! I'm so proud of this great City and region.

Project: Sunnyside Health and Multi-Service Center Location: 4410 Reed Road Houston, TX 77051 Architect: Kirksey Information: The Sunnyside Multi-Service & Health Center is a single 2-story building, approximately 56,000 SF. The new facility will combine the community service oriented Multi-Service Center programs and the Health Center programs into one facility. The building will be located on a 6.5 acre site and construction is set to begin the 2nd quarter of 2021 with a duration of approximately 16 months.

You mean the old YMCA lot? If so then I can do without that grass field. That old yellow and red brick building was cute.

I'm thinking more day to day, walking around level. That vacant lot makes a great dog-playing-catch area downtown

Nidda Thai needs to come back. Loved that place. I heard the owners were back in Thailand for now. Hope they reopen one day.

N ⌵⌵⌵ Neither does this.

I very honestly would add the areas around the current rail lines to those two streets. Midtown, just by the buildings that are already there, give a glimpse of what the rail corridors could end up looking like, specifically that area by the Continental Club and a few streets north. All that land around Wheeler (that Rice/Mann don't already own) and south of it, the land south of TMC going to NRG, and the area going southeast of the soccer stadium can finally have development that makes sense and not just random smatterings of...whatever.

I think it looks elegant and clean, I don't think their target demographic is looking for "piazzazz" outside their apartment.

I think when it's all done, it will come together nicely...... I will remain optimistic. :-)

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-considers-a-plan-to-make-the-city-more-15459085.php

Awesome, I'm not the only person here who still calls it the right name. It will always be the Transco Tower to me. Along with the Republic Bank building, the Allied Bank building, the Texas Commerce Tower, etc.

Per Nancy Sarnoff in today's Houston Chronicle: "Skanska USA Commercial Development closed this week on a $27 million acquisition of the property at the southwest corner of Westheimer and Montrose where it plans to build an apartment and retail development."

I think the Capitol Tower is actually quite nice in terms of pedestrian experience. The opening into Understory is clear and quite inviting. It lacks the same opportunities for ground floor tenants as 609 Main, but I think the design was mean to engage the surface with the tunnel space below. Skanska's "tunnel space" connects with the ground level in a way that I haven't seen with other structures Downtown. I would not peg the Capitol Tower design as lacking thought. It just engages the ground level differently than more traditional retail rings.

It looks like they are getting close to having the roof done. I walked by the building and the roll-up door on the front was open over the weekend, and the inside is about as far as you can be from being done.

Big win. Emailed the council members after meeting, I'm hoping they received enough support post meeting for them to feel comfortable with their votes. Mayor Turner being such a stalwart in defense of the ordinance probably had a huge impact.

Unanimously???? Fantastic! I'm going to buy a cake or something to celebrate!

This passed city council unanimously - pretty big step for Houston Urbanism.

Does anyone know where this is?

I love Van LeeuWen, it's everywhere in NYC, they have a really good pistachio flavor... Their shops generally have really nice designs

awesome...i grew up in the woodlands but basically lived at that Bennigans by you on 1960/59 with all my friends that lived in Kingwood! if you ever went to the bar area i was there! back then you and i only had our malls to hang out at for the most part (Woodlands Mall/Deerbrook Mall) but of course both areas are now super developed...so much has changed for the woodlands area at least from what i see first hand when visiting my family. i do really like downtown, montrose and the museum district but to visit and hang out, never had the desire to live there. and edited to make this all relevant to the topic again... i really do hope they start work on this McNair project. it was so exciting when they first announced it but hard to stay excited when so many obstacles are in the way and happening.

That's awesome...congrats! The Transco Tower is like Houston's compass to me...when I see it, I know I'm close to home. I grew up in Kingwood, and had been downtown and the Astrodome/AstroWorld area several times, but never really knew about the galleria area until I was about 12 or so. It seemed so much more vibrant at the time (late 80's/early 90's). I knew that everything I need would be close, and all the restaurants gave me so many options. Back then though, downtown was a dead zone. I love where I'm at, and it's perfect for me location wise...but I'd actually rather live between downtown and the Museum District these days.

Paving permit by Harvey for a new private street at 3202 1/2 Post Oak.

Saw two new variance signs requesting reduced setbacks for residential. This could be interesting!