htownproud

We went both days, and it was great.  The line for the big playground was about 10 minutes when we went (apparently they will have someone there monitoring the gates at all times).  My kids loved the sand and water feature, which I think is unique to Houston parks (bring a change of clothes and towel for the kids).  My only complaint is there are not many bathrooms, but the ones they have are very nice.  Great addition to the park.  

Does Rice own the large open lot across the street from all of this to the east?  Or is that owned by the church?  

On 12/24/2023 at 3:18 PM, houstontexasjack said:

I’d think this would have to be scaled up from the previous rendering @pacojones showed us in order to accommodate 29 residences. 

Agreed.  The prior details said it was about 9000 sqft. per full floor, so I'm guessing this would be around 10 stories.  Just a guess obviously.  

Am I crazy, or is that picture cropped somehow?  I don't see the Wells Fargo building or 1100 Louisiana.  Perhaps they are hidden by the window divider, but it seems to jump from Allen Center to Pennzoil, and One Allen Center appears to be right across from City Hall.  Maybe it's the angle . . . .

4 hours ago, kennyc05 said:

Yep it does! Even by the theater! 

 

Off topic does anyone think that the gardens will ever be expanded where the current parking lot is?

In my opinion, not unless they put in a parking deck where the current Zoo parking lot is (or if the do away with the golf course).  Neither of those seems likely in the near term, but perhaps some day.  

On 3/30/2022 at 4:52 PM, hindesky said:

Maybe a multi level parking garage in the slice of land between Main St. and Fannin with a pedestrian crossing across Fannin. When I was biking around the park police would often limit any more cars from entering on busy weekends because there was no more room.

That's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure that would work or makes sense.  It's a fairly narrow strip of land except right by the church.  And what street would would people enter on and exit to?  Also, I think it would take away from the aesthetics between Rice and the Park.  In my view, there is plenty of parking in the various hospitals nearby.  The issue is that obviously costs money, and most people want to park for free.  (Of course there is also the rail, but that's too much work for most people.)  

This looks terrible to me.  The staircases on the outside of the building!  For prime property like this, I would have liked to see something nice.    

By the look of things on the street, they are getting relatively close to completing this project.  

8 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Related? University & Greenbriar

 

 

No, the yellow sign relates to a building that a developer is seeking a variance for in the 1900 block of Dryden.  Essentially a developer has been building/buying duplexes in the area and renting them to Rice students as some sort of coop living arrangement.  He wants to combine two parcels on Dryden, and the Southgate neighborhood is against it.  I believe there are a few articles in the Rice newspaper about the developer being a bit questionable.  (There is also an issue with the flower store on that specific corner becoming a Chinese restaurant and seeking a parking variance.)

FWIW, I think the renderings look good, but in application the building is not coming out well.  In person, the tubes look like cheap plastic, and I'm not sure that is going to change when it is completed (in fact, over time I suspect they will look dingy and even cheaper).  Just my opinion, and hopefully it changes when everything is complete.  

Several big pieces of the tower crane were being delivered this morning near Sid Richardson.  

1 hour ago, jmitch94 said:

 

From what I've heard 50 stories is a threshold where price per floor drastically increases. 

At least in my building, the 51st floor is where the elevator bank for the higher floors is, so I could certainly see increased costs related to elevators (among others).  Don't know if that is universal though.  

It will be fun to through footballs between the pool at the existing apartments and the pool at the new office/condo.  

20 hours ago, X.R. said:

I was just talking to a friend about how behind Houston is when it comes to the merging of work and play spaces in their office buildings. He was complaining about his employer (a large oil company) moving their campus (hes younger) and was blaming it on the company moving to where people lived. I don't know if that is the case.

 

My thought is that these large oil and gas and startups are competing for the same workers that are looking at startups in Austin/Boston/SF where companies have already embraced the beer fridges, the lounges with ping pong tables, the huddle rooms, the on-site gyms, the yoga during lunch-times, and on-site food halls. A friend of mine does headhunting for 25-35 year old engineers/researches and they are looking for generally the same ^ stuff. They pay the premium to live downtown (close to work) and their potential office is a couple blocks away and you don't have the foresight to have a secure bike area and showers/changing room? Hard pass. I don't think the companies that left Downtown Houston will ever come back, but its good that these office spaces have recognized that they were 20 years behind the times. I just hope they don't skimp out on anything because they cant afford to anymore. 

Agreed.  At 1100 Louisiana, they are sprucing up the lobby and adding a gym, secure bike area, and dry cleaner, all in the former Massa's space across the street for all the tenants to use for free (not the dry cleaning obviously).  I just wish they had this 15 years ago!

I think white will get boring, but I agree totally flashy is not needed.  Perhaps keep all the tubes the same color, but have them change color once an hour (e.g, white from 9:00 to 10:00, blue from 10:00 to 11:00, green from 11:00 to 12:00, and so on).  

I have a hard time believing this got funding.  Something like this could work in the middle of downtown or midtown, but this location is an island without any foot traffic.  This will be less successful than Greenstreet.  

I think this is a ridiculous location and can't imagine it gets built.  That said, some other nice hotels in the area aren't in exactly prime locations either--e.g., Houstonian, St. Regis, Omni.  Granted these hotels are very different than a Hard Rock hotel.  

I went there about 10 years ago for physical therapy.  Memorial Sports Clinic (formerly the Roger Clemens Sports Clinic) directed me there, so some arm of Memorial may have been leasing it.   

I think the location is great for the WF.  They will get local folks of course, but I imagine they will get loads of people going home from work down Smith on the way to the spur.  

Another 12 years and the dream of Regent Square will be realized (or at least a significantly reduced dream).  

7 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Anyone know what the monthly maintenance fees are like in a high rise condo building? I just don’t think the math works out in Houston. Have been reading profiles such as these for 2 decades and it’s always people in their mid-50s after kids leave. And they also seem to always be realtors.

 

The only high rise that seemed to make no brainer economic sense to me based on numbers presented was that one in EaDo with the micro units. 

 

Otherwise high rise rentals here seemed to be price (relatively) affordably. Do the developers assume the building flipping to a condo down the road? Are there any examples of high rise rentals flipping to condos here?

3333 Allen Parkway (The Royalton) was originally rental units, and then switched to condos after about five years.  

The deed restriction fight could be interesting.  Doesn't seem they've been enforced since the current use of the site is not single-family use.  I wonder if they are still enforceable.  

But presumably if Hanover wanted to expand, it could buy some or all of the Regent Square land.  I think it's safe to assume that Regent Square as originally envisioned is never going to happen.