DrLan34

I met the guy the other day. Apparently it is from the owners of Prospect Park, at least that is what he told me.

Those who comment at the meetings can sway the meetings themselves. Sometimes you have a lot of people speaking on one side of the topic, so it seems overwhelmingly clear what public opinion is. Then, you have someone speak up who is in the minority, and you get a lot of others to finally speak up who feel the same way... A lot of times, these meetings have very vocal people who don't want something to happen. So if you personally want this to go through without delay, I would attend and have your voice heard. It will support others to speak up who feel the same way. I'm not saying the people who are concerned about how this development will move forward are wrong in any way, but if you are for this development, it's helpful to go and have your voice heard (just like those who want a delay will likely have a high turnout).

https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/economic-development/can-houston-repeat-the-buffalo-bayou-magic-on-its-long-neglected-east-side-101537 Unveiled to fanfare this past weekend, the Partnership’s vision includes 40 miles of new and improved waterfront trails and bikeways, 200 acres of parks and unique public spaces, seven new boat landings and seven new pedestrian bridges. During the past 15 years, the organization has invested or leveraged more than $144M to compile a 70-acre patchwork of public spaces along the eastern waterfront.

https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/lovett-commercial-makes-three-way-deal-with-hanover-for-mixed-use-parcel-and-separate-non-profit-facility-101468 Two of Houston's most high-profile local developers have cut a three-way deal to develop a mixed-use project along the Buffalo Bayou and a nonprofit mixed-use development in Houston's East End. Lovett Commercial, behind projects like Post HTX, sold a 5.8-acre property in Houston’s rapidly developing East End neighborhood to The Center for Pursuit, Houston’s largest not-for-profit organization serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The deal frees up The Center for Pursuit to move from its current home at the corner of Shepherd Drive and Allen Parkway, which it is selling to Hanover Co. so the Houston-based developer can pursue a mixed-use project at the site in River Oaks. The official closing was on Oct. 11 with terms and conditions undisclosed. The Center for Pursuit will build a new facility for residential and day programs for its clients in the East End. Hanover has closed on the first parcel of this two-parcel sale and is scheduled to close on the second one in late 2020. What exactly Hanover is planning at the current home of The Center for Pursuit hasn’t been released. The developer has been active in the area, piecing together various parcels for a project dubbed Hanover Buffalo Bayou. Last year Hanover paid $30.6M to the city of Houston for a 4.5-acre site at 3540 West Dallas, just across Marston Street from the Center's current home. Altogether the parcels will likely total 13.6 acres, based on a variance request for the site submitted by Hanover to the city. Those early plans show a hotel, a residential component, an office building with coworking space, retail and plenty of green areas along the bayou.

https://bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/meet-the-new-neighbors-skanska-buys-four-parcels-near-the-houston-astros-101416 Not much new info, but here's the latest press release. Skanska purchased four parcels, including one full city block, altogether totaling roughly 152K SF adjacent to the award-winning Discovery Green park, boarded by the Houston Rockets’ Toyota Center, the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park. Skanska’s plan is to develop a mix of office, multifamily and retail for the surrounding community. Skanska confirmed that the city block it purchased was the surface parking lot bordered by Dallas, Lamar, LaBranch and Austin streets, between the Four Seasons and Embassy Suites, with three other adjacent surface parking lots included in the deal. Those four properties were all owned by MIPS Investments and MIPS Parking, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, which values the combined parcels at $30.6M. Skanska hasn't announced any specific plans or a development timeline for the site yet. “We are excited about this next endeavor for Skanska Commercial Development in Houston. For this project, Skanska will tap our global expertise in multi-family, office and retail development as we consider the best uses for these sites advantageously located in the city’s front yard at Discovery Green,” Skanska Executive Vice President Matt Damorsky said in a statement to Bisnow. “These prime acquisitions include a full city block, which will be transformed into sustainable, high-quality space in the urban core. We look forward to advancing the master planning process so we can begin creating this dynamic community reflecting the vibrant cultural fabric of Houston.” Skanska paid $55M, which comes out to approximately $361 per SF, a hefty price for downtown real estate. Just five years ago, land in Downtown Houston was topping out at $275 per SF, according to CBRE research. By the end of the year, Downtown Houston will have 8,400 hotel rooms at 28 properties, up from 4,500 in 14 properties when Houston hosted the Super Bowl in 2004, according to Eury.Read more at: https://bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/meet-the-new-neighbors-skanska-buys-four-parcels-near-the-houston-astros-101416?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

Glad to have you back and I'm sorry this happened.

What a great looking building.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/10/18/bank-of-america-tower-developer-buys-downtown.html?iana=hpmvp_hstn_news_headline Skanska paid $55 million in total for the properties, which were sold by a private citizen, according to an Oct. 17 press release. The parcels total around 3.5 acres, and Skanska plans to develop a mix of office, multifamily and retail on the land. The press release does not identify where exactly the parcels are located, but a spokesperson for Skanska confirmed that one of the parcels is a full city block bordered by Dallas, Lamar, LaBranch and Austin streets, with another just to the south and a third just to the east, wrapping around the Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston Downtown. There's also a small parcel in another adjacent block. Those four properties are all parking lots owned by MIPS Investments LLC and MIPS Parking LLC, according to the Harris County Appraisal District. Combined, they have an appraised value of nearly $30.06 million and span about 3.48 acres, according to HCAD. Skanska plans to begin the master planning process for the sites by the end of the year, which will help determine a development timeline and more details about the project, a spokesperson confirmed.

It said it will open at 8AM on November 7th. Looks like they waited to do an official press release until exactly 1 month before. https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Midtown-Whole-Foods-sets-opening-date-Nov-2019-14497915.php "The high-end grocer will launch at 515 Elgin Street at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7, according to a Monday release."

Great momentum downtown!

I saw on Instagram that the Whole Foods has a November 7th opening date.

Yes, it definitely should! I don’t know how it ended up in this thread. My mistake.

Updated downtown development map. https://www.downtownhouston.org/media/uploads/attachments/2019-07-29/190729_Development_Map__Renders_11X17.pdf

Just for reference, Market Square Tower is a seven minute walk to POST. Lyric Market is a five minute walk.

It’s something new and I appreciate that. I will definitely attend and support Houston’s version of a Grand Central Market.