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fernz

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Everything posted by fernz

  1. fernz
    I just read this post for the first time and have a few things to add, or repeat: -Violet, I'm sorry, you ended up with the short stick on this one. -Yes, it is very disappointing to see Hines do this. Little by little, they are abandoning the philosophy their founder, Gerald Hines. -For those who said that Hines should somehow be responsible for their deceit, I am sorry to inform you that it's not possible. Under our no zoning laws, their promises were always empty promises. They cannot be held accountable for not delivering on them. -However, zoning is no guarantee that this could have been stopped. If parking garages were allowed in downtown by-right in a zoning ordinance (which is likely), the parking would only need to meet safety codes to get a permit. Zoning only helps when the developer is requesting a variance/rezoning/site plan approval/PUD or whatever you want to call the process that goes beyond by-right development and therefore triggers public hearings. -Stop bashing Niche, he is giving constructive ideas on how to get this resolved. You can choose to ignore him if you want, or disprove his logic if you think he's wrong. -Bad PR does help. It has not stopped McDonald's or KFC, but it has caused them to add healthful chioces to their menus and to eliminate trans-fats. A well organized PR campaign showcasing Hines lies and self of interest for their hometown would get those executives worried about investors/tenants backlash, at least locally. It won't stop any Pennzol building employee from parking in the garage, but in a couple of years when there are three or four office building under construction in Downtown fighting for tenants, Hines will not want any bad PR. True, Hines will only break ground once they sign a big pre-lease, but they will still be 40-50% vacant and will be fighting for tenants with Crescent, Trammell and Brookfields if they all move forward with current plans. -Violet, you have another option, albeit an expensive one. Sue Hines. Not for lying, not for building blight in Downtown, but for infringing on your rights - actually, only your lower level neighbors could get away with this. Under the property right laws in this country, you are allowed to certain rights. I am no attorney but I think you can at very least claim that the light is a nuisance on your property which denies you "enjoyment" of your property, one of the four rights you have as a real property owner. If anyone has any pictures please post for those of us that don't live in Houston.
  2. fernz
    The article is no longer in the Chronicle website. Can anyone tell me what the proposal was?
  3. fernz
    There is a post somewhere in this forum about Hines having two projects in the works in Downtown, and my understanding is that this one is second in line; so who knows how long it will take for this block to be developed. Also, there is no evidence that "this" is Hines project. Who knows how old this rendering is, it might as well be from a study done before the Shamrock. Hines is usually very good at not revealing what they are working on, and I would be surprised if they authorized their architects to post their building online. However, ANYTHING Hines does will be much better than the Shamrock.
  4. fernz
    Nope. That's it right there. On Main Street, across the street from the Chase parking garage and catty corner from the Rice Hotel.
  5. fernz
    That's the Shamrock site! That block is supposedly being developed by Hines.
  6. fernz
    And here's teh link to the ABC newscast. There are two videos and a slide show. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...amp;id=5391309#
  7. fernz
    Do you remember which news?
  8. fernz
    Here are some recent pics....
  9. fernz
    They do look nice, but they look too commercial. Isn't the tall one supposed to be apartments? I bet these are just massing representations and the towers themselves (at least the residential one) will not look anything like it. Is Wulfe developing all of it or is he only doing the retail and partnering with other developers who do have office / residential experience to do those portions? There has been talk on this forum that Hanover will be doing the residential component. That would make it even more likely that the towers will look very different from what's shown on the renderings. I don't think it's a coincidence that the renderings show a lot more detail on the retail components than on the towers. As for the parking lot on Post Oak, Wulfe knows from his experience that retailers in Houston will not sign a lease if they don't have parking in front of their storefronts. It's a business decision that has nothing to do with the urban character of Post Oak.
  10. fernz
    The interior artwork and furnishings always had a separate budget. Bishop Fiorenza was always very careful in all his statements to make it clear that the costs were for the building only, not including furniture, stained glass, sacred objects or artwork. Therefore, I would not consider the Italian chandeliers an "upgrade". As far as I know, the interior walls are all plaster now. I believe the original design was for stone walls, but was revised when the basement was deleted to save money. The idea was that in the future, when more money might be available, the walls could be upgraded to stone.
  11. fernz
    Not to drag on this issue, but have your architect buddy look into Chapter 26 (my mistake, it's not Chapter 42) of the code of ordinances. You can even check it yourself, it's online at http://www.houstontx.gov/codes/index.html Section 26-3 (d) states that "...the central business district has in place an adequate level of parking and loading facilities and it is hereby exempted from the requirements of this chapter." (you can look at the beginning of the chapter for the definition of the CBD) How do you think a building with huge parking requirements such as the new Catholic Cathedral was permitted with ZERO parking spaces provided?
  12. fernz
    There is an exception on Chapter 42 (Houston development ordinance) that allows construction in Downtown with NO PARKING at all. But TC would be crazy to build a Class A office tower with no parking.
  13. fernz
    Park Shops used to have household name stores, and they left because the demand isn't there!
  14. fernz
    The architect's success in South Florida and Vegas doesn't mean much. If you can show me a similar list of the developer's track record in the Houston market, then I'll think there is a possibility. I have worked in three different architecture firms in the last ten years, and all three have an extensive list of "projects" as part of their marketing material that are a collection of real projects and a range of feasibility studies, competition entries, or mere marketing for owners looking to sell their land. Besides, looking at all the potential towers planned for DT, all are for office space because that is where the demand is. With the Finger tower going up and the HP residential scrapped, I would bet that the numbers are not there to support additional apartments or condos in DT, espacially for a luxury 50-story tower.
  15. fernz
    Just like everyone else I hope this one is for real, but something tells me it's not. Architects typically will not publish their designs without owner's approval, and that happens once the project has been anounced or canceled. As secretive as the potential developers for the next DT towers have been - especially Hines - I doubt they would let the rendering to be made public. Did anyone notice how most projects on that site are renderings? Architects love to post renderings of projects that never made it past schematic design because they are still their original design, before the owner and marketing gurus mess it up.
  16. fernz
    Anyone interested in a preview? Private Preview & Wine Tasting April 17 5:30p - 8:30p 2401 1/2 Bolsover - Rice Village RSVP: 713.528.9600 or RSVP@RANDALLDAVIS.COM
  17. fernz
    Trust me, the Catholic Church does not expect people to join because of their architectural likes or dislikes. It goes a bit deeper than that. And Cathedrals are not built as tools for mass converations.
  18. fernz
    Amen. Amen And for those who think the church wants mediocre buildings, please see the official guidelines from the US Conference of Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/livingstones.shtml#chapteroneb Churches, therefore, must be places "suited to sacred celebrations," "dignified," and beautiful. Their suitability for worship is determined by their ability through the architectural design of space and the application of artistic gifts to embody God's initiative and the community's faithful response. Church buildings and the religious artworks that beautify them are forms of worship themselves and both inspire and reflect the prayer of the community as well as the inner life of grace. The church building is a sign and reminder of the immanence and transcendence of God
  19. fernz
    The key word here is "spec" office building. If you are developing a tower that is pre-leased to a bank or giant energy corporation you can make a statement, as long as your tenant goes along with it. But if you don't know who your main tenant will be, you need a "safe" design, something that is not too trendy or flashy, which unfortunately means boring.
  20. fernz
    Is this another project that died before breaking ground? There have been so many of those...
  21. fernz
    I completely agree with you. But the design of the tower itself is so uninspiring...
  22. fernz
    What a disapointing design! Why can't Houston get something interesting like the project recently announced in Atlanta? see attached...
  23. fernz
    Do you think Central Market is sexy enough for Highland Village?
  24. fernz
    Does anybody have any recent pictures, or can update us on the progress of this building?
  25. fernz
    Good grief!
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