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talltexan83

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Everything posted by talltexan83

  1. talltexan83
    The way Rice has been slowly using up the parking lot on the other side of the stadium - new tennis courts, continuing studies building, opera house?- makes me think this parcel is still critical to their long-term plans. I do wonder what the market price would be for a large tract like that though.....
  2. talltexan83
    All of those trees facing the Convention Center (in the pic from Sunday) are now gone. Given their age (20+ years?), I guess I was hoping they could be saved. Such is progress.
  3. talltexan83
    That article that quoted mr Blackmon was just filler.....this judge needs to make his decision already so we can see how the legal experts battle it out
  4. talltexan83
    It looks like there was some kind of drilling (soil samples?) being done on this site today. Block was closed to parking. Any idea if this is related to the high rise or part of the Convention Center hotel construction across the street?
  5. talltexan83
    I believe there will be a garage component to the Opera house plan. Net parking spaces should be unchanged.
  6. talltexan83
    They were setting up a big party tent on the lot this afternoon. Workers are already on site doing some surveying. I'm guessing we'll get the ceremony tomorrow as planned. Glad to see this moving along.
  7. talltexan83
    Ironically, I still think they could flip this lot for a very healthly return right now. Some well funded builder could put up 20 single family homes (probably a gated drive down the middle?) at $1.5+ million each. But I think for this property to just end up as another gated enclave would be shame.
  8. talltexan83
    Wow. That looks fantastic. I hope this spurs more activity along Dallas as well. Forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere, but will they be demolishing the existing structure down to the ground? Or simply adding to the top?
  9. talltexan83
    took a photo of the front lobby today. Looks to have a lot of potential. Can't wait to see how it ends up.
  10. talltexan83
    Yep. Walked by during lunch today and crews were removing all of the Central Parking signs, lamps, and attendant house. Very exciting.
  11. talltexan83
    A bit off topic, but I still have some hotel envy for Dallas (and this is coming from a die-hard Houstonian). I think we could more than justify some new 5* hotels downtown, especially with the hotel & residences model that is so popular these days. Ritz Carlton, Waldorf, Fairmount.......bring it!
  12. talltexan83
    I still believe the primary tactic of the residents is to delay this project until legal fees, shift in capital markets, shift in demand, etc force Buckhead to take another route. I know Buckhead has very publicly stated they will fight this as far as it can go (Supreme Court?), but the costs they're incurring have to be getting outrageous? Do you think they'll eventually sue to recoup those expenses? I'm also betting they can sell the parcel for a very healthy profit (not bad for a "worse case scenario"). I did have another general question: Hines vs Buckhead: In a project like this, how much does the relative profile/experience of the firm come into play when we're talking about securing financing or quality contractors? Has Buckhead completed a project like this before? Does that even matter?
  13. talltexan83
    http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2013/12/jury-sides-with-residents-in-ashby-case/?cmpid=bna
  14. talltexan83
    For what's its worth, I did walk by the site yesterday and see 20+ trucks in the parking lot (next to the building, adjacent to big hole in the ground). People are doing something inside the building so I think we'll start seeing more apparent signs of activity
  15. talltexan83
    Poe Elem is a really fantastic school (I'm biased) and has been for decades. For many of the reasons Kinkaid outlines above, the unique location of the neighborhood attracts professionals from all different sectors. Poe is also zoned to the some lower income housing on the other side of 59. I hope that is not what turned you off? West U Elem is also great, but each school has a very distinct culture.
  16. talltexan83
    Post wouldn't let them walk without a high degree of confidence that a new tenant could quickly fill that space? Right?
  17. talltexan83
    Hanover has earned some goodwill from the neighborhood/Rice Village community on Phase 1. It's a quality project that should age well. The hope is that Phase II continues with that theme. It will also be interesting to see if this tower beats the Ashby High Rise to market. I'm guessing they will be in direct competition for a number of tenants.
  18. talltexan83
    I know "walking distance" is a loosely defined term in Houston......but let's call it 1/2 a mile for the sake of argument......then the new or proposed residential/hotel projects within walking distance of the light rail is remarkable right now. 1000's of new units. I know there are many other contributing factors to this building boom, but this is certainly a welcome validation for the light rail and its long term benefit to the city.
  19. talltexan83
    Nothing new to report unfortunately. Just a general impression of the 1100 block of Main St. on the lightrail and across from the soon-to-be demolished Macy's. The current tenants - Main Food Store, a beauty supply store, and the 1st floor of a parking garage - seem to be a real impediment to growth and a quality pedestrian experience along the Main St. corridor. Walking through the Houston Pavilions today was actually pleasant in spite of the heat and there are pockets of improvement all around downtown, but this block was full of pigeons, homeless, and lots of litter. It just struck me a such a shame for an otherwise well shaded and central location. Too many female office workers (walking alone) would simply take an alternate route. Given that many pedestrians were being approached by homeless or flying birds, it’s hard to blame them. Do the owners of the Main Food Store have a lease that cannot be altered? Are there any plans to bring in a new series of tenants along that block? It may be simple minded, but I truly think that a revitilization of that one side of one block would help so much in terms of the continuity of Main St. It would also feed nicely into planned upgrades to the Houston Pavilions and eventual development of the Macy's site.
  20. talltexan83
    There is a 24 hour security guard now living on the site in a small trailer. Behind a locked gate. It is all very bizarre, but I'm looking forward to a chron/houstonpress profile on the guy sometime soon..... With the tenants gone (and their cashflow) and the loan secured, project timing would seem to be critical on this one going forward. The economic decision of letting the vacant buildings sit there for another four months without any activity is curious. The market is booming now and new competitors seems to be moving quicker (see Hanover)
  21. talltexan83
    I know it may have been addressed in other topics, but is the parking lot in front of Embassy Suites (facing Discovery Green) a seperate parcel not owned by the hotel? Hopefully it will be developed into something in the near future and lessen the visual impact of the ES.
  22. talltexan83
    I was at the Ginger Man this past weekend in the Rice Village and noticed that the Blue Leaf design store on the corner of Morningside and Times Blvd. was empty. I've long hoped for this space to be used as a bar/restaurant - an extension of "patio row" on that block - anyone have details on what is going in next?
  23. talltexan83
    I drove by the lot with the JE Dunn trailers this morning (across from Teala's on W. Dallas) and they were in the midst of some serious apartment demolitions on the lot immediately behind the trailers. I'm not sure if it's related to the Regent Square development, but this was the first I'd heard of any pending demolitions.
  24. talltexan83
    I think the decision to relocate to the suburbs is largely the result of perspective. I'm in my late 20s, working in oil and gas, and grew up inside the 610 loop. I am also starting a family and looking towards buying my first home in the near future. Even if it means renting a while longer or living in a smaller home, I can't imagine ever moving to the Woodlands or an outlying suburb. It would seem like quite a sacrifice to move away from a base of family and friends just to be closer to the office. But for those new to Houston or moving here because of work with a large family, I can see how establishing a base in the Woodlands would be just as good as anywhere else. My point is that the decision to move to the suburbs is more about the environment you are most familiar in than the internal tendancy of "young engineers". I am biased in favor of the inner loop, because all I know is the inner loop. An Exxon employee could wear either one of these hats and still have a successful and enjoyable career at the new campus in Spring. One choice just involves a bit more time spent in the car.
  25. talltexan83
    I was surprised that its been so long since there have been any updates posted on the Asia House. I happened to drive by yesterday and was amazed by the progress. I've heard of a spring 2012 opening, but much of the structure is already complete. If anyone in the area can upload a few current photos (I did not have a camera on me), I think HAIFers would be excited to see an update. This building will become an architectural landmark in the city. And in a great location that continues to get better. Now if only we could build a few new restaurants in the museum district.....
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