bachanon

The only parks likely to happen in the heavily developed Post Oak corridor will be pocket parks eked out by developers and the uptown tirz.

http://www.uptown-houston.com/about/page/vision-for-the-future

edit: i do not think we will have to wait too long to see some of the strip centers go higher density.  the rents have to be going through the roof and just how long can properties like post oak shopping center justify the current mix of retail at current rates?  i'm not in the commercial real estate industry, maybe someone in the game could better assess what is likely to happen with the lower density shopping centers along post oak.

With their most recent cut in prices -- specifically targeted for North America -- The Saudis want to choke off some US domestic production. When they do, the U.S. shale fields will get the sniffles and Houston will get a cold. TheWSJ had a very good article about a week ago showing the relative costs of production in the various shale fields. Some will be fine at $70 a barrel. Others will hurt. The Saudis know this too. And that is exactly what the Saudis want.

For the first time since moving here a bit ago, I sat around the table with several business colleagues and each of them said: "you were smart to rent......."

if oil prices were the only factor, your colleagues might be right.  demand for housing and the population in houston were growing before the shale boom was in full force.  the shale boom is producing oil and natural gas.  the cheap oil and natural gas provide resources that do not have to be imported for use in making by-products. the demand for housing in houston is more than double what the construction industry can produce.

i do not remember whether the WSJ article discussed the natural gas coming out of the shale fields or not; this too is a factor in the overall energy boom.

something doesn't add up here...

and part of the boom is riding on low natural gas prices.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/04/chevron-phillips-kicks-off-6-billion-construction.html?page=all

isn't the low price of natural gas the reason chevron phillips is spending 6 billion dollars on cracker facilities to produce cheaper plastics.  low natural gas prices have provided an opportunity that chevron phillips and others are aggressively pursuing.  once again, the boom is not riding on the price of oil or natural gas alone; it is happening partly because of the opportunity of readily available resources that have not been so readily available before.

it's not only about oil: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/04/chevron-phillips-kicks-off-6-billion-construction.html?page=all

So, it was said at the annual Economic Outlook Conference in February that an EB-5 development would be going in at Robinson Rd. and I-45; Woodlands Parkway turns into Robinson Road on the east side of I-45.  This would be in line with the sentence in the Penbera Paris notice that states: "The GHIC's first approved project --Woodlands Gate-- was submitted and approved with the regional center application, and consists of 220,000 square feet of commercial, class A office space, extended stay hotel, and retail shops along highway 1-45, at the entrance to The Woodlands and proximate to the new Exxon Mobil campus."  "....at the entrance to The Woodlands.." Being the key part of the statement.

My bad!!!  There's more than one.  Woodlands Gate looks like it is at 1488 and 242.

Chevron is spending billions on capital investments (refineries).  These future money makers have placed office building(s) on the back burner....or so I've heard.

moving forward: now that we are saddled with patrick as lt governor, it is important to watch every local election by which we send folks to the state legislature.  patrick is not one to compromise (not a trait that suits our form of government); every elected official in the texas senate is important.  vote in the primaries!  vote in the special elections!  vote in the runoffs!  do not vote straight party tickets...learn about the candidates and vote strategically when necessary.

off soapbox.  patrick's ascension horrifies me; it is his ilk who will destroy the republican party.  libertarians do not have enough political power, yet many moderates on both sides of the isle might be considered libertarian if they learned more about it (www.reason.org).

i do not want another obama, nor a hillary, nor a romney, and certainly not a dan patrick as POTUS, god forbid!  it would be refreshing to hear reason rather than party line; consistency of principle, rather than a third rail.

i'm exhausted already...dan patrick - booooo!  future elections - yayyyyy!!!!

...just a tad bit jealous

The GOP has again capture Congress which means trouble for Obama. The good thing is DC has legalized pot so when things get nasty for Democrats Obama can retreat to the Oval Office and toke a fattie. A win-win for everyone.

maybe the GOP will partake of the occasional legal fattie along with their esteemed democratic colleagues from across the isle; bipartisan compromise could become a regular occurrence. 

god i loathe dan patrick!  he's not the sharpest tool in the shed....but definitely a tool.  he regurgitates ideology and doesn't have an original thought in his head.  i can accept abbott; but patrick as lieutenant gov....embarrassing days ahead for texas.  if anyone can shift public sentiment against conservatives, it will be a doofus like dan patrick.  lazy...lazy intellect!  shame on texas for letting him through the primaries.

this is the way off topic forum right?  i can voice my "controversial" opinion in this format right?

...there was an article in the chron about all of the new buildings going up and it mentioned "2925" weslayan by pm realty; is that the same building as this or is it the other lot they purchased?  does anyone know?

very disappointing to hear this.  i'm sorry you had a bad experience.  i really like the space and have hopes they keep it together.  bummer!

The chef's specials are always the best. They are very accommodating if you have particular dietary needs.

I haven't been in awhile.  The times I've been it was amazing; the food and service were impeccable.  Let us know how it goes.

Remember, Houston's growth isn't only about oil; it's about natural gas and extraction technology; it's about medicine; it's about increased trade via the port of Houston; it's about manufacturing and refining.  Several billions of dollars are being invested in new chemical refineries for oil based products (which are not gasoline).  Also, Houston is increasingly seen as good place to live.

The boom is not riding on oil alone.

I thought the two ExxonMobil buildings were also "Hughes Landing" numbered buildings. I see the brochures now. Thanks.

They are all terribly ugly; at minimum mundane. What a wasted opportunity of location and setting.

The tower crane is up for Three Hughes Landing, a 12 story office building. This will be the fifth office building in the development (One and Two are 8 stories each and the two ExxonMobil buildings are 12 stories each.

..ummm the two 12 story Hughes Landing buildings are already topped out. There are four up; they announced the Embassy Suites recently. ..maybe that's the new crane?

good insight.  thanks for the responses so far.

if i stay with my current career, a master's would create additional opportunities....assuming the master's degree is business related.  however, i do not know that i will lack for opportunities without it; that remains to be seen.  the income would be a motivating factor.  as i've been in school part-time since the summer of 2011, a semester off might provide additional clarity.  i guess i do not have to decide now.  i am curious as to how i will do on the gmat; i'm motivated to take it for that reason alone.

also, i think my flexibility for leisure time will continue to increase if the current trajectory of my career path holds.  i may be able to have the best of both worlds.

as HAIF has many educated users in various industries, i'm interested in opinions on whether completing an advanced degree after fifty is worth the time and money.

i'm currently in my third career.  i will finish my business degree next spring; a degree i began in 1983.  while i'm in this odd place, working full time and in school part-time; i wonder if i shouldn't seriously consider an advanced degree.

an MBA would allow greater advancement in my current position; however, i'm not sure i want to be immersed in collegiate business study for the next few years.  i will turn 50 next year.  at this point, i'm not sure if three additional years or so of part-time school will benefit my remaining 15-20 working years.

at my age, i'm starting to watch the clock.  travel, family, and friends look really good right now.

your wisdom and experience are greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance HAIF.

obviously the developer is unaware of texans and their hidden valley ranch dressing.  you say "valley ranch" and i think baked potato, side salad, or fried zucchini.

is it the same design only shorter?

(thinking as i type, don't shoot me)

dallas has a huge fashion marketplace, and lots of good PR.  many buyers for interior design, clothing and accessories go to dallas for shows and to buy merchandise for their stores.  http://dallasmarketcenter.com/  over 200,000 buyers from around the world visit dallas market center annually.

that said, houston's panache is on a high-speed upward trajectory that, i fear, will surpass dallas eventually.

are we ready for a "keep houston down-to-earth" campaign anyone?

if landing W hotels and Ritz hotels require that houston have a different personality, i'd rather not have them. 

it's true that houston has been predominately a working class city; many of houston's movers and shakers in the past would never darken the door of neiman marcus.  energy sector folks tend towards less flash more cash.  george and cynthia mitchell are prime examples.  if the guys at the top wouldn't pay for an executive suite at a posh hotel, you can bet their middle management will not want a flashy hotel on their expense reports.

the same cannot be said for the advertising industry, fashion industry; the see and be seen industries thrive on being in the hot places.  not a criticism, just an observation.

with all of the international money flowing into houston, increasing tourism, luxury homes and high rises, it seems as though we could support more trendy hotel chains.  i second the previous comment that we have bits and pieces of walkable high dollar areas scattered about town.  downtown or uptown would most likely suit a W or similar hotelier. inside the loop at 610 would not be my first choice.  i would want to be near those shiny chrome arches in uptown or near rail lines connecting the med center, museum district and downtown; a discovery green locale or something at the edge of downtown on buffalo bayou, near the theater district.

concerning the river oaks district; is it an island unto itself?  is it interacting/interconnected with neighborhoods and nearby shopping centers?  it's important that all of these mixed-use developments CONNECT seemlessly with the surrounding area.  it looks like many developments such as this simply turn their backs to homes and apartment complexes or put up walls.  it's sad to see a "walkable" district built with no sidewalks connecting with the street or surrounding neighborhoods.

I don't think this is as big of a secret as you guys are making it out to be. There was a tidbit in the Chron about how Anadarko has space for another 600,000 sq. ft. tower in the near future. Trying to find the article now.

 

Here it is!

 

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/04/anadarko-campus-in-the-woodlands-could-grow-again/#13441101=0

it's not that it's a secret, it's the timing.  it may not be too far in the future, although the word in anadarko is that they haven't filled up the new building yet.  everyone know's they own the land for future expansion.  a third tower this soon after the second tower is big news.  maybe the third tower is only necessary if certain deals or mergers go through; who knows.  a tower announcement coming sooner rather than later is what the excitement is about, not whether or not a tower will be built in the future.

the tower that is supposed to be a condo on waterway square, next to the westin hotel under construction, may be rental rather than condo.  it sounds as if they are ready to build it but cannot build it while the hotel is under construction.  i was complaining in the elevator at 24 waterway about howard hughes focusing development at hughes landing and taking resources away from the waterway square area; unfortunately for me, a woodlands development company land surveyor was in the elevator.  i learned that my dismay with howard hughes focusing on hughes landing is not about howard hughes at all, but a logistical matter; they simply cannot build fast enough for the demand and building around the waterway square area and the eastern superblock is limited due to traffic concerns, space for setup, and the capacity of available construction resources (i've assumed, perhaps wrongly, that HH altered development plans since they took over).

it sounds as if they are buidling as fast as they can to capture demand, while they can; this could explain the less appealing designs and less focused area development as before.

...second blank face hesitation from non-anadarko employee in development community. something is afoot with anadarko.