fernz

Developers are all using drones now to capture views from specific floors as marketing tools.

They don't need any drones. Developers have been using blimps for a long time.

http://www.blimpphoto.com

And you bet Hines did something of the kind; it's one of the best tools during preleasing.

See post #231

Yes, we get news from Urbannizer before they're are published in the chronicle's website!

I really like that the garage is lined with units (or at least pretending to be) so it doesn't loom like a big parking garage at the base. These developers know what they're doing.

Since when is aluminum transparent? Never

If it's a mesh, instead of solid material, like in this case.

I thought Randall Davis had tried and failed to buy that site. Did he finally get it, or is this an old proposal that is not happening?

well yes guys, i was of course thinking that it has to be the unfortunate angles of the camera. however, i have viewed countless pics of this wonderful addition to our city (now under construction), and so many of pics have the tower itself leaning. i cannot even name the number of pics that i have viewed as per the williams tower, and it is never ever leaning upon such a strange way. oh well... who knows.

It's called perspective. There are special camera lenses designed to correct it, otherwise pictures of buildings (especially tall ones and/or if taken up close) will always angle towards the vanishing point.

Interesting. How much of a setback is required?

IIRC it's 10 feet, but I'm not positive. Unfortunately I have no longer access to building codes so I can't confirm.

This tower is turning out to be one of those rare cases where the building looks better than the rendering!

I would imagine that the deal with McDonalds also included some air rights or height restriction easements. Otherwise, you risk having a tower 10ft away from your expensive condo windows. If I was going to purchase a unit there, I would make sure some agreement of the sort is in place.

I don't think there's any setback planned above the parking garage levels.

Just looked at the pictures of the model. There is a small setback. On top of that, the widows could be recessed to allow for the openings to be further back from the property line. You can get away with small setbacks as long as you limit the percentage of non-rated openings. But you cannot have any openings at all on the property line (unless they are 2hr rated, which makes them both ugly and expensive).

This is from the building codes, and the city would never give exemptions to this since it's a safety issue.

Can someone educate me.....

Why does this building not have a required setback from the surface parking lot? Are setbacks required in Houston? How big are they required to be?

You are allowed to build up to the property line, no setbacks required, as long as you have a 2hr fire rated wall- which means no windows. If you want windows you need a setback.

My guess is the parking garage will be a block wall along the parking lot, and then the building will set back to allow for windows for the condos.

We need someone like the Duncans, The Lesters, and the Arnolds, the Wyatts, the Cullens, to name a few, to come together and do something special for the city that helped them achieve their wealth as a civic gesture. Now wouldn't that be nice.

Right, because they haven't given back to the city yet...

Why was it not viable? Something about the building or just the market at the time?

A little bit of both. But I think mostly there wasn't much demand at the time.

I worked with a developer back in 2000 who was looking at converting those buildings into condos. It just wasn't viable back then.

The buildings don't seem like much, but the interior spaces have lots of potential for cool redevelopment.

Glad to see more residential coming to this part of DT though.

Well, this is Houston after all. So the only opinion that counts is that of the property owners' who need to make a return on their investment. In order to do that, they need to upscale, and bring in national chains who can afford higher rents. Some of us will miss the charm and stop going there, but a larger number of people will like the convenience and patronize the Restoration Haresres, Sprinkles and Apple stores.

My interpretation of this that I posted in the convention center hotel thread a few weeks ago is that this shows me that the Hess folks are "coordinating construction" with the Marriott folks. The two projects are to be linked by a sky bridge. It seems to me that the schedules will be coordinated in such a way as to make this connection installed at the least overall cost.

I would expect the trailers to move at some point (again, coordinated) when the Hess project starts. The "combined headquarters" will likely be moved onto the lot that will hold the convention center parking garage.

They will probably move into one of the lower floors of the marriott building. It's common to build temporary offices once the structure comes out of the ground.

I've pretty much lost all interest in this project. I don't care either way if it's built or not. Kinda tired of hearing about it. Anybody else feel that way?

Totally agree!

Weren't these the guys calling their development "pro-urban vs proforma"? Yeah, right!

I doubt this is all that unusual. Relax, everyone.

According to the article in the chronicle (consider the source), the developers are asking the city for changes in land-use restrictions. Considering there are generally no land-use restrictions in Houston, I would say this is a highly unusual case.

For the office tower...when is the multi family going up?

Not crazy about the design, but I don't think the previous one was that great either.

Maybe they should name the Ford Theater.

Well said HTown!

I lived in DC for a few years, in a very up and coming neighborhood, with Whole Foods down the street and a bunch of high end condos all around. On my 3/4 block walk to whole foods, I had to walk past a church with a homeless encampment on its front stairs, and a hardware store that served as day-laborers pickup location.

And guess what, the neighborhood was all the better for it, quite lively and diverse. My wife walked that block with our infant baby every day without ever feeling threatened.

Let's stop pretending that the homeless are such a nuisance and undeserving of living amongst us.

Nothing is being built there soon though. There is a coming soon sign for Persian rug store on the old Ninfa's building, I'll try to take a picture.

Bissonnet at University Place

ROFLMAO!