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I thought someone else would have beaten me to these pix. There was a 'soft' opening tonight (and tomorrow). Only about 15 of the vendors were open and the site is still very much a work in progress. But it is an interesting space and, as promised, the roof views and gardens are spectacular.

From POST HTX

Jim Crane confirmed that construction will start in 12 months and be similar to the ballpark village in St Louis and The Battery in Atlanta. This is going to really spark this corner of downtown. Finally seeing the investment of building MMP downtown.

Sitework & Foundation permit for the apartments.

Satya Inc. to develop Tiara on the Beach condos in Galveston - Houston Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

The article says mixed use development, so I'm not sure why that is being questioned.

Astros owner Jim Crane talks planned expansion surrounding Minute Maid Park Danielle Lerner, Staff writer Nov. 5, 2021 Astros owner Jim Crane said Friday that construction on a ballpark entertainment district surrounding Minute Maid Park is set to begin “probably within 12 months.” The Astros’ lease with Minute Maid Park runs through 2050, and in 2019 the club purchased 1.738 acres of land surrounding the downtown ballpark with intentions of building a mixed-use development. Crane on Friday referenced the over $100 million the team has spent renovating areas like the Gallagher Club and Ultra Club inside the stadium, and said the next goal is to create an entertainment district in the area around Union Station and the now-closed Home Plate Bar & Grill. The Texas Department of Transportation’s plan to reroute a portion U.S. 59 and Interstate 45 underground on the stadium’s southwest side, part of the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, will also clear room for the Astros to build. “That whole area will turn into an entertainment area like a ballpark village like the Atlanta Braves, like the Cardinals, and some of the other teams,” Crane said. “We think that will bring a lot of people downtown. The area continues to improve around us. When we came in there was an old boarded up building where those apartments are. So I think this is going to be the spot. If they get the freeway done and it goes underground that’s going to be a park, so this area’s going to be a primetime area down the road for everybody to come down and enjoy the ballpark. And I think a lot more people are moving downtown which also helps us. So everything looks good, on the bright side.” https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/astros/article/Astros-Jim-Crane-expansion-Minute-Maid-Park-16596664.php

Thanks for the information. One odd thing though, the list leaves out the Allen.

3rd Quarter '21 Construction and Proposed is available by Berkadia. https://base.berkadia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Berkadia-3Q21-Houston-Construction-Pipeline-Report.pdf

So according to this document I found online, its going to be 100 units. Also, according to the Applicant's name (Janine Sisak), she works for DMA companies and they have a list of properties that could potential be a blueprint for this site. https://dmacompanies.com/properties/ 210519-CompHTCFullAppLog.xlsx

Good point. I guess I'm wondering, will it just be a low, mostly retail development, or will there be a high rise (likely residential) component above it?

If the Astros do lose one of their lots for NHHIP, I wonder if they are planning on doing a parking garage in the new development or on the further lot. You have to think between 81 home games, 20 Dynamo games, and 15ish Dash games it makes economic sense to build a parking garage. Throw in some retail and there is some potential born out of their parking necessity.

New plat called Boulevard 61. Future multifamily planned.

Apartment complex opens in Katy Boardwalk District mixed-use development https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2021/11/02/katy-boardwalk-district-lofts-apartments-open.html Boardwalk Lofts, the first building within the Katy Boardwalk District, is now open. Houston-based Sueba USA developed the four-story, 319-unit multifamily project, which broke ground in 2019. The apartment complex offers studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units from 480 to 2,087 square feet, ranging in rent from $1,090 to $3,025 per month, according to the Boardwalk Lofts website.

Noticed this on Satya Inc.'s website. https://satyainc.com/condo-hotel-office/

This entire intersection has seen so much change in the last decade! With the new intercontinental hotel/ residence tower next to it and now this entire project. Now.....if only we can get rid of that Pizza Hut and Burger King

Hello all, I just wanted to make a post about the building located at 4225 North Freeway. There has been a lot of activity on the site recently, and it appears as if they may be getting it ready to be demolished. The sign on the property has the name " Hotel Ambassador" on it. I assume that was the name the property was operating under before it closed. From what I have found online, it was once a Howard Johnson's. The property has been abandoned for at least the last 2 years or so. Before that, I believe a family lived in the hotel- possibly the owners. It has only recently started be actively vandalized in the last few months. This is due to the security guard no longer being present. Once security was gone, it did not take long for most of the glass to be spray painted or broken, and a lot of the ply wood to be ripped from the entry ways. Now, its seems as if a crew has moved in to clear the property, I am assuming to demolish the building. They have done this with at least one other building in the area, 3939 North Freeway. If anyone has any more information, I would be very curious. I have seen this building for years, never as an active hotel though. I thought I may have found that some people in the past had planned to remodel the whole property, but I cant find any of that information again. I would truly like to know what its fate will be.

Are these complainers, the same people who live in the Astoria by any chance?

"The Allen is blocking my view of the buildings downtown 😤🤮🤪 " said the Karens on reddit.

So I stoped to take some pics of what looked like and Indian Wedding event going on here. Up comes Paula Blart:Mall Cop, saying I can't take pics from a public street of a private wedding. STFU. I took a whole bunch of pics. Screw her.

They are using the brand new not yet open J-M BBQ restaurant at 2201 Leeland for the show. I rode by and asked a couple of people what was going on, first guy said a TV show, I asked if it was Top Chef and he said he couldn't say, same thing from a women. Their denials make it Top Chef. Lots of trucks, "Talent" trailers and audio and visual equipment.

Those are trees? Looks like a primitive attempt at creating CGI fireballs.

Plan Review permit.

Well, I don't think Shanghai River is super cheap? It's more so the only place left that has white table cloths from the 80s with decent food. They also have a dish called Happy Family Marvin Zindler which is super cool. A relic of the past for sure. The drink menu is ginormous, so many cocktails. Everyone at your table could order the same drink and they might come out different, but they're still good, part of the charm. The food is consistent and reminds of me of Chef Chan's. Higher quality than most.

Large crowd with a big surge, and no place to get away. This happens a lot with large crowds. My kid was there, and saw people body surfed back to the medical people, and saw a couple of people who were turning blue. He went to all 3 festivals, and said that after it's over, there are always a large number of phones, shoes, eyeglasses, merch, etc laying on the ground where people dropped them. It is not safe, ore even possible, to bend over and retrieve something in that situation. Look at the Who concert in Cincinnati in 1979 and the Hillsborough disaster in England.