Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel

[Moore713]

And I certainly hope there aren't any!  They go with the building!  

 

 

As an aside, hotels I can see, but what difference should the Super Bowl make to timing of office, light rail and residential projects?  What possible difference could it make?  Talk about way overkill.

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

[Moore713]

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

[fernz]

light rail= transit= helps people visiting without cars get around

residential= helps create a vibrant downtown= makes houston more appealing= PR, basically

That's backwards logic. The Super Bowl and the city benefit from those projects, but unlike the hotels, those projects don't get a huge benefit from being complete by the Super Bowl.

[Montrose1100]

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

Wearing a suit and no smart phone?

[Subdude]

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

 

I understand the desire to market the city, but I'm not convinced that holding Super Bowls, or that imposing artificial deadlines due to Super Bowl timing, is the way to do it.  Super Bowl preparations are estimated to cost $40-$50m.  Is this well spent as marketing money?  Will Super Bowl viewers really draw much incremental business to Houston?  I think no.

[Nate99]

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

 

I'm probably missing your point, but I've been to downtown LA a couple of times for business, and while not exactly comparable to Houston, they're pretty similar and I think we've got the better of the two. 

 

Their "old historic" section is larger and sketchy as hell. Their newer skyscrapers are very comparable in look and feel. The do have hills though. 

[JJxvi]

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

 

I would have just turned and pointed a single finger silently. A helpful downtown direction giving version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

 

[Moore713]

I'm probably missing your point, but I've been to downtown LA a couple of times for business, and while not exactly comparable to Houston, they're pretty similar and I think we've got the better of the two. 

 

Their "old historic" section is larger and sketchy as hell. Their newer skyscrapers are very comparable in look and feel. The do have hills though.

yea you are .. I am not talking about DT themsevles rather the sense of it that people get( While DT L.A is similar to Houston, the feel is this is L.A something that Houston seems to lack. rather that because we lack some Identiy or were just hard to define dependes on who you ask

[Nate99]

yea you are .. I am not talking about DT themsevles rather the sense of it that people get( While DT L.A is similar to Houston, the feel is this is L.A something that Houston seems to lack. rather that because we lack some Identiy or were just hard to define dependes on who you ask

 

I see what you mean. Tough for me to say personally though, I've lived here my whole life, so to me, it feels like "default city" and everywhere else feels differently in one way or another. 

 

It will be what it will be, Other cities have much more history of being a substantial urban center than we do, I think that drives the "feel" of those cities as much as anything. 

 

LA is very unique. Huge in terms of people and area, nearly perfect climate if you're by the coast and interesting history of being big, but remote from the rest of the country's powerful cities. 

 

It takes all kinds, Houston will and should be different. As it grows, I suspect the "feel" will change, but that will be dependent upon many perceptions that were cemented in a past that was objectively worse than our present and future. 

[Nate99]

I would have just turned and pointed a single finger silently. A helpful downtown direction giving version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

 

 

Walking to the Dynamo stadium is super easy. 

 

"Head that way between the ballpark and convention center. Go under the freeway and you will be there in two blocks; you can't miss it."

 

Now telling a driver how to get to a particular freeway out of town, I could do the point and shrug. I do that by feel and intuition. 

[Urbannizer]

Houston First Garage Subdivision Plat:

 

SubdivisionPlatPDF_Houston First North Garage Addition - 51472 - 140418(1).pdf

[Luminare]

Anything on this project as of late? I just found a pic in the May 2014 update of the development plan that really got me excited. I would think by this point that the design phase would at least be coming to a close.

[Urbannizer]

 

https://www.facebook.com/GRBHouston/photos/a.220852267740.140461.50118257740/10152547508537741/?type=1&theater

 

Along with a new convention center hotel, the GRB is having some construction done on the north-end ramp. The current ramp will be rerouted to wrap under 59 to make way for a 1,900-car parking garage with office space!

 

 

[ArchFan]

Tacky, but cute in a way.  Fortunately, the GRB doesn't also have (I hope!) the smudged paint along the edges of its doors.  

[Dakota79]

That's great about the additional parking.  I have been to events at the Hilton Americas when the Rockets were playing and a convention was going on.  Absolutely not enough parking!

[Urbannizer]

6/5 by GRB FB, ramp being demolished.

[Chi-Char-Hou-Dal]

never understood the point of the ramps - always appeared to be closed with a bus sitting up there.

[bobruss]

I sat in the parking lot across the street from this yesterday and watched as the caterpillar, I'm not exactly sure what they call it destroyed the ramp while on top of it working its way down the ramp. Lots of clouds of dust. By the way, they are really making headway on the hole for the hotel. It also looked as though they were tearing down another building between 59 and the B.U.S. Probably in preparation for the Historical Building being developed with John Naus' support.

[Luminare]

Do we have any individual renderings of the hotel? All of them so far have the hotel in the background.

[bachanon]

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/25891-marriott-marquis-new-grb-convention-center-hotel-retail/

 

searching for marriott marquis in going up!/titles only would have produced the result.

[HoustonMidtown]

Im not sure if this is the correct place for this pic, but work is continuing on demolition of the ramp behind the Convention Center

 

[Triton]

I'm not sure why the GRB Facebook page didn't include that the new ramps are already starting to be built!

 

2014-06-07 19.22.00 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-07 19.21.52 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-07 19.23.02 by marclongoria, on Flickr

2014-06-07 19.21.48 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-07 19.22.06 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

 

[Houston19514]

never understood the point of the ramps - always appeared to be closed with a bus sitting up there.

 

They provide access to the 3rd floor loading docks.

[Mab]

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[fatesdisastr]

I really like it. I hope it comes out looking something like that.

[Triton]

There's that building again in the background.

[Luminare]

There's that building again in the background.

 

Thanks goes to the sane person with the bike! Once again do we have any individual renderings of that hotelish building in the background?

[Sky-guy]

The original renderings looked better.

[sdotwill84]

The original renderings looked better.

 

agreed. This version is extremely watered down. . . as is my excitement level now.

[Moore713]

I am just hoping it a poor quality rendering

[nativehoustonion]

I don't know how old you are.  I think Houston will be a Global City in 10 years.  Two International airports, the port Houston is ready for the Panama construction to be completed and Houston is the 12th largest port in the world.  The largest medical center in the world.  And more companies will move here.

[mollusk]

I don't know how old you are.  I think Houston will be a Global City in 10 years.  Two International airports, the port Houston is ready for the Panama construction to be completed and Houston is the 12th largest port in the world.  The largest medical center in the world.  And more companies will move here.

 

^ (SFX:  Confused Scooby Doo noise)

[Subdude]

The original renderings looked better.

 

Well the original renderings were more focused on rendering razzle-dazze, eg spectacular rainbow light effects, Jeff Koons art and Anna Wintour sitting on the sidewalk outside.  Also, they managed to obscure Avenida de la Americas running along the GRB in front.  I think those were made more to make the project look glamorous and sell the city on pumping out more money.  The newer renderings are I assume more realistic.

[Luminare]

If I remember correctly the original renderings were meant to convey what the area would look like during large conventions or festivals when the road would be blocked for pedestrians. This is more of an everyday rendering. I think it's just fine. Seriously....lets just play it cool.

[monarch]

imo HAIF mates.. we that constantly peruse this wonderful forum, have all become more than accustomed to the evolution of "renderings".  to some degree, i shall stand with luminare, upon his approach that the original renderings were prepared to convey just what would transpire during a large populace descending upon downtown as per a superbowl, festival, concert, you name it.  however, since we all are keenly aware that this city is now under serious preparations as per the forthcoming SUPERBOWL 17... we should bare in mind that the renderings / depictions as per the GRB, shall be evolving as well.

 

it has been stated beforehand, that there shall be an edifice located at the top of the now under construction GRB GARAGE.  to my knowledge, it has not as of yet been hereby determined just what has been decided upon the overall concept. BOUTIQUE HOTEL vs OFFICE BUILDING.. or maybe even a bit of both.  thus far, all that we have become aware of... and i am most certain that you all shall agree, is that they shall need to move rapidly upon this decision.  this shall be in lieu of the constraints of time.  SUPERBOWL 17, is now upon it's way.  therefore, the element of time, is certainly of the essence.  i strongly suspect that city of houston officials, are working diligently, trying in earnest to come forth with the ultimate plan(s) that shall satisfy most everyone in regards to this particular area.  with the backdrop as per SUPERBOWL 17 looming forward, we simply have no choice.  success, along this front, shall go a long way upon houston's future convention standings.        

Edited June 10, 2014 by monarch

[tigereye]

imo HAIF mates.. we that constantly peruse this wonderful forum, have all become more than accustomed to the evolution of "renderings". to some degree, i shall stand with luminare, upon his approach that the original renderings were prepared to convey just what would transpire during a large populace descending upon downtown as per a superbowl, festival, concert, you name it. however, since we all are keenly aware that this city is now under serious preparations as per the forthcoming SUPERBOWL 17... we should bare in mind that the renderings / depictions as per the GRB, shall be evolving as well.

it has been stated beforehand, that there shall be an edifice located at the top of the now under construction GRB GARAGE. to my knowledge, it has not as of yet been hereby determined just what has been decided upon the overall concept. BOUTIQUE HOTEL vs OFFICE BUILDING.. or maybe even a bit of both. thus far, all that we have become aware of... and i am most certain that you all shall agree, is that they shall need to move rapidly upon this decision. this shall be in lieu of the constraints of time. SUPERBOWL 17, is now upon it's way. therefore, the element of time, is certainly of the essence. i strongly suspect that city of houston officials, are working diligently, trying in earnest to come forth with the ultimate plan(s) that shall satisfy most everyone in regards to this particular area. with the backdrop as per SUPERBOWL 17 looming forward, we simply have no choice. success, along this front, shall go a long way upon houston's future convention standings.

The front of the GRB garage will be an office building for Houston First's offices. All that's being built on top of the garage is a pad site for a future hotel.

[tigereye]

The original renderings looked better.

The design hasn't changed in the original renderings. Like others have said, the original renderings depict a festival/larger convention atmosphere. Also, the original renderings were more up close shots of the new glass facade at the center of GRB. This new renderings shows a more overall view of the entire RGB facade with the new glass facade in the center.

What could really help Houston First & GRB with its festival promenade boulevard effort for Avenida de las Americas is if they were to move most of the festivals that take place at City Hall & Tranquility Park to Avenida de las Americas as block parties. ADLA & Discovery Green offers plenty of room to handle these events and could provide the entertainment angle GRB/Houston First seeks to attract conventions to book here. And for the public & traffic, East End rail offers a train stop 2 blocks north.

Edited June 11, 2014 by tigereye

[bobruss]

I think that this is what they had in mind when they came up with the overall plan. I know they talked about creating some kind of an art space also at one point during the conversations, to help create more of a walkable area around the convention center to capture some of that market. Obviously once those sort of venues appear, they'll attract more retail and one will feed off the other. That's also why they are building the Nau history museum in that area. This area will continue to become more of a magnet with Toyota Center, Minute Maid, BBVA Compass stadium, Discovery Green, and the convention center. I'm surprised one of the oil companies hasn't put in a really nice convenience store and gas station yet. Surely there is a need and plenty of cars in the area to make it work. I know when we lived in the Wagon Works building a few years back there was nothing in the area. They were just breaking ground on Enron Stadium.

Edited June 11, 2014 by bobruss

[Urbannizer]

[Triton]

Looks like they have changed the design from the master plan:

Screenshot 2014-06-17 21.19.32 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

They ramp is now going along the path of this red line:

Screenshot 2014-06-17 22.02.20 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-17 19.00.47 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-17 19.00.51 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-17 19.01.46 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

2014-06-17 19.44.49 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

 

Ramp is now coming below 59:

2014-06-17 19.46.08 by marclongoria, on Flickr

 

Noticed this little guy on the tracks while I was taking these photos:

2014-06-17 19.42.59 by marclongoria, on Flickr

[UtterlyUrban]

In the images directly above, the second design makes more sense to me. I like where the ramp is going.

Two things:

1) what are the two towers and pool? A hotel? I thought that the city was building the parking garage with a pad for a potential hotel on top of it. Are they saying 3 hotels now?

2) what was that cute little chugga-bug red vehicle doing?

[Houston19514]

In the images directly above, the second design makes more sense to me. I like where the ramp is going.

Two things:

1) what are the two towers and pool? A hotel? I thought that the city was building the parking garage with a pad for a potential hotel on top of it. Are they saying 3 hotels now?

 

 

The two towers and pool is a conceptual rendering of a residential development.

[UtterlyUrban]

The two towers and pool is a conceptual rendering of a residential development.

Wow! That's great!

[HoustonIsHome]

Directing the ramp away from the convention garage makes a lot of counterintuitive sense. It opens the way for more pedestrian interaction and will be more aesthetically pleasing.

[mollusk]

what was that cute little chugga-bug red vehicle doing?

 

I believe that is a test mule they use to do clearance checking along the rail lines (notice the little outriggers on the sides).

[houstontexasjack]

I haven't seen anything on the following link. This Southern Downtown Public Realm plan (that sounds like something out of 'Game of Thrones' by the way), indicates possible convention center expansion southward by 2025, plus improved pedestrian ability to cross the future I-69 into EaDo.

 

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2014-06-18/Southern_Downtown_Public_Realm_Plan_Final_For_Web_Compressed.pdf

 

[Triton]

I haven't seen anything on the following link. This Southern Downtown Public Realm plan (that sounds like something out of 'Game of Thrones' by the way), indicates possible convention center expansion southward by 2025, plus improved pedestrian ability to cross the future I-69 into EaDo.

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2014-06-18/Southern_Downtown_Public_Realm_Plan_Final_For_Web_Compressed.pdf

Well, someone said I was blasting that Realm Plan all over the Going Up forum. Haha.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/30549-southern-downtown-public-realm-plan/#entry465263

[houstontexasjack]

^Ah, well that figures. Consider this forum blasted as well. ;-)

[Urbannizer]

http://www.houstontx.gov/council/1/bfacommittee/20140708/hfc-ghcvb.pdf