Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/19/2020 in Posts

  1. Developers unveil ambitious Buffalo Bayou urban village Houston-based apartment developer Hanover Co. aims to deliver the initial phase of its most ambitious project yet on a 14-acre parcel along the western edge of Buffalo Bayou Park in fall 2021. The company, which has developed more than 60,000 apartment units across the U.S. over the last four decades, and financial partner Houston-based Lionstone Investments today unveiled an urban village called Autry Park at the gateway to the River Oaks and Montrose neighborhoods. The project, which pulls from the natural landscape of Buffalo Bayou Park and will serve as an amenity for park goers, will bring apartment buildings, restaurants, shops and retail services to the site. “We anticipate the desire to live across the street from one of Houston’s most treasured park spaces in the middle of a vibrant retail development adjacent to some of Houston’s best neighborhoods is going to be something greatly desired by renters and retailers,” said David Ott, development partner for Texas at Hanover Co. Autry Park, named for the small city park it surrounds, will consist of five towers totalling 1,450 residential units, 350,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet of retail space and a hospitality component. Phase 1, which broke ground at the end of 2019, will bring two multifamily and retail buildings totaling 750 units and 50,000 square feet of retail space amid a winding network of streets and sidewalks shaded by mature oaks. On HoustonChronicle.com: An abundance of apartments slated for small stretch of West Dallas “What we’re trying to create is really this unique retail experience right on the park that will seamlessly interact with Buffalo Bayou Park,” Ott said. COVID-19 did not upend the design. “Fortunately, our vision for Autry Park always contemplated ample patio space, a dynamic public park, indoor-outdoor breezeways, and small-footprint retailers and restaurants,” said Tristan Simon, managing partner of Rebees, the project’s retail development partner. “This village-like atmosphere will feel safe and rewarding in the post-pandemic world.” Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture is designing the retail space and central park. Houston-based landscape architecture firm OJB is using inspiration of the natural landscape of Buffalo Bayou Parks along the streets and sidewalks of Autry Park. The developers collaborated with Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the city of Houston and Memorial Heights TIRZ 5 reinvestment zone to improve the city’s infrastructure, including new roads, bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly intersections that will make accessing Buffalo Bayou Park, a linear park stretching from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston, safer, according to Ott. On HoustonChronicle.com: Allen Parkway hotel and condo tower breaks ground The property, which was assembled in three purchases from Center for Pursuit, Lighthouse for the Blind and the city of Houston and Harris County, is east of Shepherd between Allen Parkway and West Dallas. New streets will create smaller scale blocks with granite paver streets lined with trees, landscaping and a new urban park at its core, Ott said. Though near the bayou, the project is not in the floodway. The developers are building the code-required 2 feet above the 500 year flood plain, which is approximately 5 feet higher than Harvey water line. A lighted intersection will go in at Allen Parkway and Buffalo Park Drive, a new street west of Tirrill Street at the primary entry to the development. Improvements at Autry Park will do away with a turning lane and extend the park to the hard corner at Shepherd Drive and Allen Parkway to make it pedestrian friendly, Ott said. A signalized cross walk will be added to provide access to Buffalo Bayou Park across the street. Ziegler Cooper Architects designed the 21-level Hanover Autry Park, while Design Collective and W Partnership designed the eight-story Hanover Parkview mid-rise also under construction. Monthly rents are expected to range from $2,000 to more than $10,000 for a 3,000-square-foot penthouse, Ott said. Hanover and Lionstone aim to deliver the first apartment units and retail spaces in fall 2021, when they expect the economy is in better shape. The project is in development at a time when urban neighborhoods such as Montrose, downtown, Washington Avenue and the Heights have been hard hit by the pandemic as renters have opted to buy houses and fled to the suburbs for more space, said Bruce McClenny, president of ApartmentData.com. Demand is not as strong as supply as nearly 23,000 units were delivered across the Houston market in the last year, well above historic average of 17,000 units, according to ApartmentData. Rents in Houston were down 1.1 percent in the last 6 months, while rents in Montrose/Museum/Midtown are down 6.1 percent during the period. By the time it opens in 2021, Houston should be in better shape and adding jobs, McClenny said.
    15 points
  2. I would also add that I don’t think pictures really do this building justice. Until you’ve seen it in person, I wouldn’t rush to make any judgements. In every video I’ve seen, Mr. Holl waxes poetic about light being so important for his structures and it is absolutely true with this one. The building changes as the light changes. It looks different on a cloudy day versus a sunny one. Even the angle of the sunlight changing throughout the day creates subtle and (I think) beautiful differences from morning to evening. I may be biased because I’ve literally put blood, sweat, and tears into it, but I think this building is beautiful and has definitely been a once in a lifetime project for me.
    11 points
  3. 7 points
  4. https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/11/18/former-halliburton-campus-to-be-demolished.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_27&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s A nearly 50-acre corporate campus near Houston’s Chinatown area that was once owned by a division of Halliburton Co. is set to be demolished to make way for a new mixed-use development. While plans for the new development have not yet been made public, Johnson Development Services and the Houston office of Gensler are crafting a master plan that will include office, retail and residential spaces, the news release said. Transwestern has been tapped to oversee office leasing for the project with several build-to-suit opportunities. The property at 10200 Bellaire Blvd. was formerly known as the Halliburton Oak Park Campus, taking its name from the company that had it built in the 1970s. The building also had ties to Brown & Root, which was a Halliburton subsidiary at the time before it merged with M.W. Kellogg to create KBR.
    7 points
  5. Literally every building going forward should be designed in this manner.
    5 points
  6. Honestly this is better than Hudson Yards, which turns its back on the city. This improves the street grid and better ties the bayou to W Dallas.
    5 points
  7. This maybe as close to Houston version of Hudson yards are get if it comes thu
    5 points
  8. Lovely infill building . Love this building in the late afternoon.
    4 points
  9. Dinerstein Cos.' luxury apartment tower in the Galleria area tops out ahead of schedule By Sara Samora – Reporter, Houston Business Journal Nov 18, 2020, 2:03pm CST A Houston-based developer has reached a construction milestone on its latest luxury apartment tower. The Dinerstein Cos. said its Aspire Post Oak project topped out ahead of schedule. The tower was original expected to reach its highest point in January 2021, according to a Nov. 18 press release. The luxury 383-unit high-rise is at 1650 Post Oak Blvd. and sits on 1.59 acres at the corner of Post Oak and San Felipe Street in Houston's Uptown District. It will have seven floors of residential and commercial parking below 33 residential floors. The project also contains 15,506 square feet of ground-floor retail space, which is slated to be leased to a "nationally renowned restaurant concept," the press release stated. Houston-based Ludlow & Associates Construction is the general contractor, and San Francisco-based Gensler is the architect for the project. “Aspire Post Oak’s location is one of Houston’s most appealing, urban mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly areas in the city, and we recognize the need for the property’s design to reflect the surrounding premier environment," said Brooks Howell, residential leader and principal at Gensler. Aspire Post Oak is a part of the Dinerstein Cos. Aspire Living Collection. The units have an average size of 1,210 square feet, larger than an average apartment space, to accommodate current market demand. All the units will have a private outdoor space overlooking the Uptown District with views of the Galleria, downtown Houston and Memorial Park. Future tenants will have the option of choosing between one-, two- or three-bedroom units and penthouses. The units will also feature modern kitchens, European-inspired bathrooms and in-unit washers and dryers. Aspire Post Oak's amenities will include smart unit technology, a resident lounge, massage rooms, private dining rooms, a 24-hour fitness center, an infinity-edged pool with tanning decks and adjacent aqua lounge, indoor and outdoor resident event space, an elevated dog park and a concierge. Leasing for Aspire Post Oak will begin in the latter part of 2021 with rents starting at $3,000 per month. “Although we do business all over the country, Houston is our home, and we are beyond excited for Aspire Post Oak to place its mark on the Houston skyline,” said Brian Dinerstein, CEO of Dinerstein Cos. “We look forward to creating a modern, cutting-edge, residential option at one of the most walkable and vibrant locations in the city.” The project broke ground in spring 2019 and had been the subject of a lawsuit related to neighborhood opposition. However, the lawsuit was dismissed in July 2020 after the parties reached an agreement, according to Harris County District Court records, which did not disclose the terms of the agreement.
    3 points
  10. Nice sunny afternoon . The fins are being constructed out of concrete block and a metal frame today Here is a nice pic of the ensemble of bldgs on this side of Post Osk .
    3 points
  11. Some activity going on today at the construction site.
    3 points
  12. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/University-of-Houston-Downtown-breaks-ground-on-15723297.php University of Houston-Downtown breaks ground on student center Katherine Feser Nov. 13, 2020 Students at the University of Houston-Downtown will have a new place to gather in the upcoming Student Wellness & Success Center in 2022. University officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday attended by state, community and student leaders along with members of the design and construction teams. “This is an iconic project, and a special one for defining the University of Houston-Downtown,” University of Houston System Chancellor Renu Khator said in an announcement. “The new Student Wellness & Success Center is important for all of Houston. It’s a shining example of what higher education institutions represent in Houston.” The 72,000-square-foot building, to be built on the north side of the downtown campus, will house recreation spaces, study areas, classrooms and spaces for learning about health and wellness, including a demonstration kitchen for meal preparation workshops. The $38 million facility will provide a place for the university's more than 14,000 students to relax and build friendships. "Ultimately, it will be a place of student growth, development and success," Richard Sebastiani, director of University of Houston-Downtown Sports & Fitness, said at the ceremony which was broadcast on Facebook. The student center will go up next to the College of Sciences and Technology Building on land acquired by the university just north of White Oak Bayou at North Main Street in 2016. It is set to break ground in January and will take about 18 months to complete. Vaughn Construction, a longtime collaborator on expansions at UH-Downtown, is the general contractor. Architecture firm SmithGroup oversaw the design.
    3 points
  13. Tons of renderings and new information here: https://www.rue-re.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Autry-Park_Catalogue_Digital_20200916.pdf
    3 points
  14. I'm hoping it something that fits the area I feel like that area has not even begun to tap it potential
    2 points
  15. Several African American elected officeholders in Houston & many civil rights activists have blasted HISD's decision in not giving Lathan the position of HISD Superintendent on a permanent basis, calling the decision "grossly misguided" & "ill-motivated": https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2020/11/18/386318/naacp-leaders-call-vote-against-interim-hisd-superintendent-racially-polarized/ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/Grossly-misguided-and-ill-motivated-15734253.php The racially-charged hostility inside HISD School Board of Trustees continues to escalate even further.....
    2 points
  16. I would like to see: 1. sell the Commerce St building, and use the proceeds to buy more land/buildings around the current business building, or around the parking lots 2. Move I-10 as far North as possible 3. Redevelop the land freed from the I-10 move into a pretty park, with continuation of the bayou esplanade. 4. Dorm for international students and honors students 5. walking path from parking lot to the metro stop nearby (the one north of the current UHD stop)
    2 points
  17. Construction overall was actually around $385 million and that includes the new gallery building, the school, the underground parking and the new state of the art conservation labs. They very wisely raised an additional $90 million to support an operational endowment. So this building is not just bought and paid for, but they’ve ensured that the additional expenses are covered in perpetuity. That’s 650,000 square feet of new construction. Compare that to LA’s plans to spend $750 million to replace 3 buildings At LACMA with 1 building AND end up with less space. $475 million is a lot of money, but they have spent it wisely.
    2 points
  18. I have to give the developers credit for being "brave" in pushing their building so close to the edge of the street. It seems so out of character in a city like Houston that when you see it, it stands out as being something exceptional.
    2 points
  19. They tryin to step up to Abu Omar Halal's new spot, right up the block. https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/dining/new-halal-guys-set-for-downtown-houston-in-early-15736419
    2 points
  20. The city council approved a plan to temporarily close off main street between Commerce and Rusk for use as outdoor seating for the restaurants and bars on main street. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/Houston-OKs-plan-to-let-downtown-bars-15736736.php Here's the relative agenda item: https://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=21005&MeetingID=453
    2 points
  21. Ugh... why do we always get the short end of the stick?! In NYC, these towers would be 200 stories tall! We are getting the Houston treatment again. So bland and monotonous, we never push the envelope. Why can't we ever have nice things? Now, for real, this is AMAZING! So elegant, classy, luxurious, without being crazy and over the top with unnecessary design features. I think if built like the renders, this development will be timeless.
    2 points
  22. That’s a pretty cool name, Allen University. I’ve always liked Houston City University
    1 point
  23. Walked by the other night. 16 units and “breaking ground 2021.” Not sure if they sold any. The only progress since last year looks to be this new sign.
    1 point
  24. Yeah a few years back there was a plan to change the name. I would go with Allen State University!
    1 point
  25. Hopefully!! I’d like to see Allen University or Buffalo Bayou University... but idk Ive never heard about them wanting to change their name though
    1 point
  26. I was hoping they'd do a little more with the parking garage but this looks great from Post Oak.
    1 point
  27. If you want good architecture and mixed use, you'll have better luck waiting. Both of those things entail risk and require willing investors. "Featureless and austere parking podium" is the kind of thing you get in a rush to just put something there.
    1 point
  28. And, I was noticing that from the renderings of the tower that is actually from the one in Shanghai, if the proportions were correct? this tower would be anywhere from 65 to about 72 stories high, and very close to the height of the Chase Tower. Of course, it's probably NOT in proportion in the renderings, but wouldn't it be great for it to be a true supertall whenever they secure a wealthy tenant that wants something magnificent again downtown, in true "bigger in Texas" fashion? And, Houston is the place to build it. Yes, dreaming is fun in this troubled age we live in. A truly fun escape from the daily chaos and confusion of the past few years. Now, if we all think hard and concentrate and pray for it, I just know it will happen.
    1 point
  29. IMO proximity to parks within walking distance is an awkward measure because it doesn't reflect differences in how citizens get around, what kind of parks programming and features they actually want/need, and differences in the quality of parks. Chicago is a traditionally urban city and so it stands to reason they should have more small neighborhood parks that give people access to ample areas of grass and trees for activities they would otherwise miss while living in a rowhouse or apartment. And Chicago is also the kind of city where many residents would and could walk to such a park. A lot of Houston is annexed suburban sprawl or suburban style apartment complexes. People who live in these areas thus have access to large private yards, cul-de-sacs, private HOA amenities, apartment complex amenities and green spaces, etc. So not only is the need for small neighborhood "grass and trees" parks greatly diminished, but because of the lower population density and limited walkability of these areas it would be harder to provide raw geographic coverage and also actually achieve the goal of these places being accessible on foot. Also the County runs a lot of parks and there are lots of MUD amenities that aren't being counted. And there's initiatives where school playgrounds and sports fields get double use for community programming and recreation leagues. And there's private sports parks. When you put it all together, the stats are skewed I think. I think if there was a analysis done on parks needs and accessibility, what you'd find is that older neighborhoods in the city proper aren't that different from Chicago. There's parks all over the place and recreation and sports facilities and community centers in most established areas inside the Beltway that are in the COH or one of the other traditional municipalities(Pasadena, Bellaire, etc) The deficiency I think would not even be in the City of Houston at all but rather in unincorporated Harris County. There are areas of poor infrastructure that are also mostly low income in the Northwest and Northeast. There's also similarly low income "rural urban" areas. Also many of the new-build sprawl housing developments(detached homes built for rental purposes by remote investors, that will quickly depreciate and become workforce housing) have zero built-in parks. I would like to see outlying areas have more parks facilities that fill the gaps that would exist in such places. For example, contiguous hike and bike trails to compensate for streets and roads being pretty terrible for that. In areas with lots of working families with children a multipurpose gym and rec center that the YMCA could operate would be appreciated by these citizens I am sure. Also there are relatively few public swimming pools that don't require a costly membership to access located on the northern side of the metro, a county pool would be a big attraction. People generally like dog parks as they are a place to get out and be outside. In all case these things would be more centralized and would be accessed mostly via driving or by public transit(bus routes) and would be most effective if they drew from a wide area rather than trying to be neighborhood focused just to boost a stat. Sorry for the wall of text, I was really bored at work today and kind of daydreamed about this question for longer than normal.
    1 point
  30. Lots of concrete trucks doing a pour near Buffalo Bayou bridge.
    1 point
  31. This is just... WOW! The fact that it's going up right by Regent Square is just insane in itself. Man, Allen Parkway is definitely going to need some type of rapid transit after all of this high density development gets finished. Can't wait to see how this part of Houston looks after it's finished, hell this might even be part of the Downtown skyline by the time everything finishes. The park, buildings, street setup, ground floor interaction, everything about this project is just amazing. When Hanover goes big, they go BIG. Edit Also Collage Time (open in new tab for full quality):
    1 point
  32. That area is forming quite a little skyline of it own
    1 point
  33. That list also didn't include the McNair post Oak at Richmond development.
    1 point
This leaderboard is set to Chicago/GMT-05:00
×
×
  • Create New...