CREguy13

Drove by here last night on way home from work. Lot of dirt being moved and appears digging has started. Hopefully a Press Release is forthcoming.

Does anyone know what is happening with the Pavilion? It seems like there's been little to no construction progress there for some time.

My only push back here is the total project cost is significantly higher and these condos appear to be priced at $3m+. I would expect the materials and overall design to remain very high-end if these prices stay relatively the same and they're able to secure their pre-sales goal.

To me one of the most exciting parts to this is The Standard hotel is a partner. Having a Standard in Houston and especially Montrose, would be incredible for the neighborhood. Really interested to learn more and hope this is an active proposal.

This location should do very well. The original McIntyre's is a destination in that part of the Heights/Shady Acres and is packed every weekend.

Harris County bought 1111 Fannin from Triten recently. They want to consolidate several properties to this building. This would be huge for downtown. The County own a lot of buildings/land that would present great development opportunities for more urban infill on northside of CBD. Looking forward to more details. https://therealdeal.com/2021/06/09/harris-county-set-to-buy-downtown-houston-office-building-for-close-to-29m/

I'll withhold judgement until it's complete, but does anyone else feel the glass on the Pavilion building seems really cheap and does not look that great? I run BBP a few times a week and always notice it. I hope I'm wrong, but have never seen it mentioned on this thread and am curious if I'm the not the only one in this camp.

Didn't get a picture but the entire Jones Plaza block has been barricaded up. So excited for this one to start.

This is not the final design.

It's projects like this that have me very excited about the future of Uptown. This building, both Hanovers, all the new highrise condos/MF on Westcreek, Post Oak Blvd's future retail, the Rosewood development + other high end hotels looking in the area, the growing emphasis on walkability, and even the new high-rise luxury senior living project on Garretson. I have to assume this area will have very few rivals nationally, for areas outside a CBD. A lot to be excited about for sure.

Any idea as to why the garage has not started? Where are all the employees of Microsoft, Chevron, Common desk, new retail tenants, etc. going to park in the next several months? Has something changed beyond a garage for this site? I scratch my head every time I drive by here. There's been no movement, yet we they keep announcing more and more tenants.

New Chris Shepherd restaurant coming to Regent Square. From Houstonia magazine: Chris Shepherd to Heat Up Buffalo Bayou Area with New Restaurant The James Beard award-winning chef will take on a global concept. By Timothy Malcolm 3/22/2021 at 10:18am Chris Shepherd. IMAGE: JOHN DAVIDSON GET READY FOR YET ANOTHER Chris Shepherd restaurant in Houston. According to an announcement Monday, Shepherd’s Underbelly Hospitality has signed a lease for a 5,000-square-foot standalone space at Regent Square, the urban development planned for W Dallas Street between College Memorial Park and Waugh Drive, just south of Buffalo Bayou Park. The restaurant will focus on global live-fire cooking, according to the announcement, and will anchor the phase two addition of GID Development Group’s masterplan for this area. This part of the project is scheduled to debut in late 2021; Shepherd’s restaurant will include a rooftop terrace. “While we have more surprises in store, we couldn’t help lead the beginnings of our tenant lineup with Chris Shepherd, a chef who has helped to define the dynamic, culinary landscape of Houston and whose passion for food, the restaurant industry, and his city is unparalleled,” said James Linsley, president of GID Development Group, in a release. A rendering of phase two of Regent Square. IMAGE: GID DEVELOPMENT GROUP “We’re still working through a lot of the details,” Shepherd said in the release, “but the idea of live fire cooking using multiple types of wood really excites me. Regent Square is an ideal location for this restaurant and for Underbelly Hospitality—convenient to Montrose, downtown, River Oaks—and it’s great to be a part of a project with so many like-minded people.” A James Beard award-winning chef, Shepherd has been cooking with live fire a lot over the past year, especially at home in his backyard. He told Houstonia in late 2020 that it was his one of his favorite things to do. “For me, sitting in the backyard on the patio watching football, having a beer or a glass of wine, and tending a fire ... it’s awesome,” Shepherd said in December. But does this mean Central Texas barbecue? “Do I have the endurance to cook brisket ... no,” he said in December. “Quite frankly, I am too afraid of the 14 hours and me not doing it well. But I’m just as much a nerd as everyone else doing this.” Shepherd also confirmed to Houstonia Monday that he will not, in fact, have a pit smoker at the new restaurant. He previously has said that he likes leaving that kind of work to the masters, like his friend and Austin barbecue hero Aaron Franklin, owner of Franklin Barbecue. Shepherd is staying busy lately. His Underbelly Hospitality is opening Wild Oats this summer at the Houston Farmers Market site, while a spinoff of his acclaimed steakhouse—Georgia James Tavern—is scheduled to open this year at Market Square Tower in Downtown Houston.

Understand they have an office in Clear Lake, but to my knowledge it is very small. Certainly not large enough to accommodate the number of jobs they are now hiring for. I could be wrong which is often the case!

This is not an update, but a quick observation. I've long felt that if SpaceX moved its headquarters to Houston (which I honestly believe may happen) that outside of the new Houston spaceport, East River presents the most attractive location. SpaceX posted 30-35 new job postings a few days ago in Houston, largely engineering positions. I'm genuinely curious on what this news means and where they are looking for offices - I'd be shocked if all these positions work from home... Totally separate, but I find it funny Austin received so much press a few weeks ago on just a few job postings and barely any concrete news from the company ha. Meanwhile we have almost 40 open jobs and not a peep 😂

Innovation Map yesterday: "We are excited to see Google expand its presence in Texas and here in Houston," Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, says in a Google release. "Google is working closely with Houston companies in energy and healthcare to ensure successful digital transformation in these core industries. At the same time, the company is collaborating with emerging energy 2.0 companies to help usher in the energy transition to a low-carbon future. We believe the future holds more partnership opportunities for Google and the Houston region." Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says the Google office will help lay the groundwork for Houston's evolution as Silicon Bayou, a center of tech innovation. Along those lines, Bill McKeon, CEO of the Texas Medical Center, says the medical complex is working with Google on several initiatives designed to capitalize on his organization's health data and intellectual capital. Does anyone else get the feeling Google may be a major tenant in TMC3? Their logo was displayed in the video as an industry partner, we know the first industry building is being announced soon from the most recent 'State of the TMC', and I believe the above bolded statement is the first public mention from Bill McKeon on the TMC's partnerships with Google. Fingers crossed.

It would also look better with retail/restaurant tenants + signgage.

That would truly be one of the best start-to-finish development stories of all time. The developer needs to be notified immediately.

The good thing is East River is broken out into 4-5 phases, so there will be more opportunity. My only thought on the central focus to the water is that this Buffalo Bayou East extension is meant to be largely recreational. In the above render, it appears they'll have 4 retail sites that face the bayou, but are set back and not right on the water. Maybe this is party due to the fact they want the trails to cater more to runners, walkers, and bikers? It's also very possible there are engineering considerations that we are not aware of, similar to the initial outcry many of us had on Barbara Jordan not being torn down to be multiple towers. Having said all that, I'm still very excited and bullish on this project and the companies it will attract. I think later phases could be dramatically different if the bull case/opportunity becomes more clear after Phase 1. But I certainly agree that this project is one of the few areas of Houston to truly engage water frontage - need to capitalize on this!

I could have sworn this was a topic, but can't seem to find anything... this is the former BoA branch at corner of Milam and Franklin. Walked by today and there was heavy equipment on-site. I talked to a construction worker who confirmed they are tearing it down. Likely more paved parking, he didn't seem to know, but certainly positive news and heading in the right direction.

Did not get pictures, but the industrial building was being torn down as I drove by this afternoon.

This building has been under contract for several weeks now. No knowledge beyond that.

The first image posted above is Phase 1 with Fulbright. Really like the initial drawings of the block West of Fulbright. BIG is providing a natural transition from the park experience/greenspace to the project which appears to be (at least in these drawings) an office building.

I have been to Blue many times, it has a great ambiance and fun atmosphere. I'm excited about this and will definitely frequent this location often. Great news.

Really excited for this project and what it will add to Midtown. Also love seeing they'll have a Green Wall covering at least one side of the parking podium.

AWESOME. Phase 1 set to break ground later this year. 2021 is going to be a crazy year for Houston and certainly in the emergence of its life science sector. First look: Hines releases initial renderings of planned Levit Green life sciences district Hines released the first renderings of phase one of Levit Green, which is set to break ground near the interchange of Highway 288 and Holcombe Boulevard/Old Spanish Trail later this year. COURTESY OF HINES By Jeff Jeffrey – Reporter, Houston Business Journal 21 minutes ago Houston-based Hines is offering the first glimpse of what its planned 53-acre life science innovation district near the Texas Medical Center will ultimately look like. Hines released the first renderings of phase one of Levit Green, which is set to break ground near the interchange of Highway 288 and Holcombe Boulevard/Old Spanish Trail later this year. Envisioned as more than a typical “live-work-play” mixed-use development, Hines aims to make Levit Green the kind of industry-led, purpose-built life sciences cluster that rivals those in San Francisco, San Diego and the famed Life Sciences Corridor in Boston. Hines Senior Managing Director John Mooz told the Houston Business Journal that there is no doubt that the vision for Levit Green is ambitious. But he said Houston is the perfect place to give coastal life sciences clusters a run for their money. “When you see these life sciences cluster cities that have 15 million to 20 million square feet of dedicated, purpose-built space for researchers and developers of life sciences technology, there is no reason Houston shouldn’t have that as well.” Mooz said the Texas Medical Center and the surrounding area — which is home to world’s largest medical ecosystem, complete with the top location for clinical studies and research in the country — is uniquely positioned for a life sciences research district that caters to industry-leading life sciences companies. “Houston is quickly emerging as a top life science cluster city and has been able to do so without the purpose-built product established in other locations,” Mooz said. “When you look at the fastest-growing areas of life sciences development — pharmaceuticals, biosciences, medical devices and advanced biomedical manufacturing — Houston has all of that. It just didn’t have a district that was designed to suit the sciences, rather than the other way around.” Enter Levit Green. The initial phase of the nine-building development calls for the construction of a five-story, 270,000-square-foot research building, which will be built to include a range of amenities specifically designed to support laboratory research. The 53-acre life sciences district known as Levit Green will include nine office buildings built around a series of man-made lakes. COURTESY OF HINES The initial building’s features will include 100% redundant emergency power, enhanced structural vibration attenuation, augmented mechanical systems, 33-foot structural bay depths and floorplates in excess of 55,000 square feet. The latter feature was included to enable research and office teams to create hyper-efficient configurations that enable teamwork and collaboration, Mooz said. The project is slated to break ground on phase one in September, with occupancy beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022. Mooz declined to comment on the how much the initial building will cost to construct. But for all of the technology factored into the design, Mooz said Hines wanted to ensure the building included the kinds of amenities that make going to work an enjoyable experience. The master plan for Levit Green includes several lakes in the heart of the district, with each building designed to embrace the planned waterfronts. The phase one building, for example, will include restaurant and retail space on the bottom floor, with outside dining space where researchers and technicians can gather for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine as they kick around ideas next to the water. The first building within Hines' Levit Green development will include restaurant and retail space where employees can gather for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine while they kick around ideas. COURTESY OF HINES Of course, when you mention water in Houston, you’re also invoking memories of past flooding events. Mooz said flooding-prevention was a key part of its design for Levit Green. Not only did the site not flood during Hurricane Harvey, Hines has spent the past several years working with the city and Harris County on the design to ensure that it meets and exceeds the higher resilience and retention standards adopted in the wake of the storm. “When you talk to people about Houston, that’s often one of the first things they ask about. We have found that it’s often best to lead with how we’re approaching flooding so they know their offices will be safe, regardless.” For Hines, reaching the point where the company can share the initial renderings of what promises to be a revolutionary life sciences cluster in the city is a significant milestone. The company began the initial talks with 2ML Real Estate Interests, formerly known as The Grocers Supply Co. Inc., to acquire the site of some Grocers Supply warehouse and distribution facilities for Levit Green in 2016. In fact, Levit Green takes its name from the family behind 2ML Real Estate Interests. But in the years since those talks resulted in Hines taking over the property, much of the work has focused on ensuring Hines got the design right. To design the building, Hines tapped St. Louis-based HOK, which has extensive experience designing properties for scientific research firms. Hines also hired JLL’s (NYSE: JLL) bicoastal team of life science experts to serve as leasing representative for the project. For nearly two years, Mooz said, the company sent teams to life sciences clusters across the country to see what kinds of facilities and amenities competing cities offered. Hines also drew on the company’s experience designing and building “complicated” laboratory environments around the world, which include a research center for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, petrochemical labs and research facilities for clinical clients, among others. “We really wanted to ensure that we were delivering a top-of-the-class building that was on par with or better than any of those found in what we see as our competitor cities,” Mooz said. It also doesn’t hurt that the life sciences sector has been one of the few bright spots on an otherwise lagging commercial real estate market, nationally. In Houston, where the office market has stumbled along for years amid vacancy rates in excess of 20%, a number of developers have been making plays in the life sciences space to find opportunities. Houston-based Medistar Corp. is developing a 30-story high-rise, dubbed Horizon Tower, near the Texas Medical Center in partnership with Texas A&M University. The 485,000-square-foot, 17-story office project is being built atop a 13-story parking structure at 6929 Main St. and will be part of the planned Texas A&M Innovation Plaza. It's slated to deliver in early 2023. Cushman & Wakefield was recently hired to provide agency leasing services for Horizon Tower. In addition to Levit Green and Texas A&M Innovation Plaza, other examples of local high-profile life sciences real estate projects include the Texas Medical Center’s planned $1.5 billion TMC3 expansion.