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I mean......... the taxes were collected in this area by Midtown Tirz for almost the last 3 decades (since 1994). Why is no one having an issue with them but have an issue with Rice? Rice did WAY more upgrades to the area in the last year than Midtown Tirz has done in the last 30 years. Not to mention, Rice did all the upgrades before they even requested funding. This area was never really touched by Midtown Tirz except the street signs to include "Midtown." The Tirz mainly focused on the northern portion of midtown. I feel like theres a constant switch of narratives to paint Rice as the bad guy 😂, either its not paying taxes, not considering 3rd ward residents, creating a food desert. Would you guys prefer the abandoned sears and run down fiesta with all the homeless scattered around?

They aren't doing busy work, this is under construction now. Dozer moving lots of top soil, lots of workers vehicles, creating a rip rap hard bottom area for heavy equipment and continuing with the construction trailers.

The 5 section taller tower crane from 2100 Memorial.

Found out from a worker that CapForm is the concrete contractor for this. First time hearing this company in Houston, they are from Dallas but have done work there and in Fort Worth, Austin, Miami and Tampa. https://capforminc.com/CFI2019/

Just found this. It was posted October 16,2021. “[W]e are planning to hold a design sharing event in Houston in mid-November to share preliminary images of the Center and discuss how it will be used to serve the Jamat and the broader community in the Houston area and beyond. We will share these preview images in the near future.” https://the.ismaili/usa/ismaili-center-houston-project-update-the-jamati-institutions

Had a long conversation with the supervisor who demoed this. He said Urban Genesis original goal was to use the existing shell and building up from there. They realized this wasn't going to be financially feasible because of all the work it would have required to stabilize the old building while under construction. It was in really bad shape and no way they could do it. They did save some of the old brick and the large wooden timbers to use during the build. His company will be finishing soon and Cardinal Construction will be moving in in a few weeks to start the construction. He said they found a lot of old artifacts while digging down including old bottles, watches and other things. He said in those days this was all landfill from old buildings here and future builders just built on top of that. Old plats showed this to be housing back in the 1890's and contractors would just back fill the trash into holes.

Hines could probably build 2 Texas Towers by the time these Russian mobsters finish laundering their money building this one.🤑🏦💶🇷🇺

Talked with the guy on the left who was rigging for the tower crane. He said they were on the 37th floor and this will be 44 floors high.

They erected the tower crane since my last visit on Sunday. TAS is the concrete contractor.

Amazing, it looks very much like the rendering. I'm impressed. It's impressive to see what a successful art development can do for an area. My first studio back in 1986, was just east of Winter studios and on the corner of Silver, Summer, Winter White Streets. There was no A.C., and I entered one weekend, to find six bullet holes on the end of the building. The neighborhood has definitely changed. It backed up to the tracks behind the Silver Eagle facilities, that are now a very popular venue for a multitude of events. The area around Sawyer Yards has exploded with some well thought out projects, repurposing old structures, to combine with new construction to make a cohesive walkable neighborhood. I can't wait to walk through this area once this project is complete with people living there. What's also nice is the number of buildings dedicated to artist studios scattered around the neighborhood. Should really make the overall neighborhood a very fun area to live and play in.

That's really cool. Apparently it was publicly funded. Send the idea to the Mayor's office, Houston First, Central Houston, Downtown TIRZ Here's some more info: New public artwork rises at the new City Light Denny Substation May 9, 2019 by Erika Lindsay Leave a Comment Denny Substation is now home to two incredible new public artworks, the towering Transforest by Lead Pencil Studio and a kinetic piece, Switchwall, by Ned Kahn. The Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) worked with Seattle City Light to incorporate artworks and cultural planning that supports the utility’s mission and goals at the Denny Substation. ARTS worked with City Light and architects to develop a temporary art program prior to construction of the substation, and permanent art installations at the new facility that are responsive to the surrounding community and reinforce the public nature and essential function of the station.

I'm thinking this is the final colors, they are adding white rock on the corners. Looks like a cheap "No tell motel" off the freeway.

Now Open banners.

This broke ground today.

Greyhound company acquired by Flixbus. Maybe they have big plans. https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/21/germanys-flixmobility-acquires-greyhound-lines-the-iconic-u-s-bus-company-in-78m-deal/?tpcc=tcplusfacebook&fbclid=IwAR1UusDPKOkKpvBaN-hvmv2MW_tCN_E02MtwUoBJh7mloJEmufse0IJHQ_M

unless they are going to fund and build an almeda line

Well, TMC is kinda a special case with it's own history. It employees 105k people now and that is about to boom even more. If we are Including the outlining hospitals, the medical industry that feeds into these hospitals locally the number of people they employ surpassed Houston's OG industry around 2018, even when oil booms again it's unlike to re-seat itself as Houston's leading industry. As much thanks I have for the OG industry for what it's done for this town, it's always been a bi-polar experience. There's a group of venture capitalists that teach start-up healthcare and pharmaceutical classes at Rice and they allow people who work in the med center to audit them. Their studied appreciation of TMCs missed opportunities are really very similar to what I've seen on the ground floor and exactly what these expansions and TMC3 are designed to close the loop on. For many decades now it's been what doctors I know that come here from prestigious hospitals in the NE refer to as "the medical Disney World" and they're right, AND it's one we've never properly capitalized on. It's very leaky. TMC despite having every toy and specialty and research rabbit hole imaginable has failed spectacularly to keep any of the fruits of that labor and capital here in the city when it comes to the startups that research generates which turn into or are bought out by big companies. I've been a part of plenty of studies, been trained on plenty of gizmos and gadgets who while the hospitals here were always some of the top centers involved, if not the top contributors, we were none the less being ferried back and forth to incubators in Boston, Raleigh, California etc. the company headquarters at for training. For decades TMC hospitals have provided an insane amount of access and money to patients for studies, devices, medicine etc. to companies but once the work's done the company growth and economic fruits are felt elsewhere. TMC is great for coastal startups to use to leverage their products etc. into reality but Houston doesn't benefit from it, only marginally. Having a massive engineering medicine campus feed into the medical schools and hospitals here, next to the world's largest medical center, next to some of the worlds largest medical research campuses and then offering plenty of incubator space and access to capital, hotels etc. is designed to stop the drain. I am pretty sure they'll be successful, even without this project.

I will do so! Hopefully they consider something similar to it 😅

yesterday we went to Velvet Taco then walked across the street and looked around and climbed the stairs to the top... such a cool place and tons of potential...love all the floor to ceiling windows that all the tenants will have...the top floor has a great view of downtown!

Get you tan on at Sun Luxe Tanning in suite 211.

Big AT crane with the heavy lift package out setting the cross beams over the bayou.

Second tower not finished yet, but they have assembled 1 crawler crane and are in the process of assembling a second one. They usually use these for building precast parking garages. I wonder if that is what they are going to use for the lower sections of the new high rise? Luncheon set up, they usually do this for safety bonuses or good progress on the project.

WELL THANKFULLY

The bill passed early this morning and is on its way to Gov. Abbott's desk for approval! The amounts for the TMC3 projects are listed below. Texas A&M: $69,897,111 MD Anderson: $69,897,111 UT Health Houston: $69,897,111 I believe these projects were already fully funded before so this will mean either larger buildings or (more likely) new projects elsewhere. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/873/billtext/pdf/SB00052F.pdf#navpanes=0

Noticed this a while back while walking the dog, and finally got around to taking a picture. Looks like the property includes the single family house next door Looked at their website, and there's no mention of this project but they do claim the Parc @ Midtown I've always thought this would be a nice plot for a park because of the two huge trees - hopefully they can keep them in their final design, but I'm not holding my breath.

Hoisting sheetrock.

Baker Concrete is doing a concrete pour at the Abercrombie Science build. Work continues at the Hanszen College.

A little more information from one of the other prime contractors: http://www.austingilbane.com/docs/OUTREACH_KICKOFF_FINAL.pdf

To be fair, there are still a lot of homeless scattered around. I have no idea how Stuff’d Wings plans on running a successful business out of the old Shipley Donuts when there’s a homeless encampment right outside their front door along the 59 off-ramp.

Does Grayhound own the bus terminal? If so, this quote seems especially interesting: " Greyhound properties with an estimated net market value of c.$176m will be retained by FirstGroup; they will initially be leased back to Greyhound at market rates but are expected to be sold over the next three to five years"

Looks like Rice is actually delinquent on their taxes at 4201 Main St (the Ion).

A healthy mix would be good. Looks like there is an atrium in the middle, so if you build around that you get 5-6 units/floor if you assume that the 3 balconies facing out are separate units. Maybe 4/floor if you go slightly larger. Traditionally, 2 bedroom apartments require 1.666 spots and 3+ bedrooms require 2.0, so that would be a range of 16 3BRs to 24 2BRs, so 32 to 40 parking spots typically required. At 250ish sf/spot, it looks like they could make 30ish work in the bottom level. Maybe I'll email and ask nicely for some more details.

Shouldn't be too bad. All of the signaled intersections have unprotected lefts and two lanes, so giant backups don't really happen.

He came through with a clutch 8 inning performance....

This is an extremely exciting project although to be clear it is at the Johnson Space Center, not the Houston Spaceport.

Concrete pour for the new driveway is underway.

This pic shows the raised grade better

Another good website for learning about and keeping track of the ongoing ITRP. https://houstonairport-fis.com