Jax Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Does that mean there is most likely engineering and design work to be done before construction starts, or are they collecting data to be used during the construction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonranger Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Does nobody here know for sure just what the deal is here?This is an important development for this part of DT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Does that mean there is most likely engineering and design work to be done before construction starts, or are they collecting data to be used during the construction?Engineering and design goes into specifications for piling depth and foundation characteristics. Since I've never seen a building that gets built from the top-down--only the other way around--these bits of knowledge would seem to be important prerequisites to starting construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I guess you didn't really understand my question. I know that soil data is an important prerequisite to starting construction.I was wondering if anybody knew whether soil data was something that is generally collected immediately before construction starts, or does it generally take months/years of analysis/design work using this type of data before construction starts. Since they also collected soil samples a year ago, I fear that this does not mean construction is imminent. I guess we'll know soon though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chenevert Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I would say we are still months away from construction starting.Samples provide data to be used in design and review... that means the final design has not been signed off on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I would say we are still months away from construction starting.Samples provide data to be used in design and review... that means the final design has not been signed off on.Concur. Possibly many months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWW Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Terracon are environmental consultants. They probably conducted Phase I and/or Phase II environmental studies last year to satisfy lender requirements, ....Question about Phase I and Phase II - what other stakeholders TYPICALLY or ROUTINELY require the first or both in a development? (permitting, lending, etc. ) I will repost this in the Development and Real Estate thread if anyone can answer there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWW Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 I guess you didn't really understand my question. I know that soil data is an important prerequisite to starting construction.I was wondering if anybody knew whether soil data was something that is generally collected immediately before construction starts, or does it generally take months/years of analysis/design work using this type of data before construction starts. Since they also collected soil samples a year ago, I fear that this does not mean construction is imminent. I guess we'll know soon though.Jax, I'd like to know the same thing, so hopefully we can get an answer from someone in the field on this. I would presume this would be used a few months before construction starts, but who knows. Is there anyone who has knowledge/experience with mid/high rise development that can give an overview of the soil-testing process?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) Hotel could get a tax dealHouston is poised to provide a $9.6 million tax subsidy for an Embassy Suites downtown, part of a raft of public-private hotel development that has sprung up since the completion of Discovery Green.City Council today is expected to consider the deal, which would provide the hotel developer up to $1.4 million a year for seven years if it agrees to set aside at least 70 percent of the planned hotel Edited April 22, 2009 by musicman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Michael D. Oden, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin who has studied economic development subsidies, said an important question is why private investment will not suffice if there is such a strong convention market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wernicke Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I thought they had already agreed to subsidize this development.Dallas is voting on a ban of public financing for a convention hotel next week... the anti-government intervention folks are rabid up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I thought they had already agreed to subsidize this development.Dallas is voting on a ban of public financing for a convention hotel next week... the anti-government intervention folks are rabid up there.I think they always planned to subsidize a new convention center hotel, but that's not this one. That project is on hold until banking stabilizes. I think it's interesting that we just voted for subsidizing private convention hotel development last October and Dallas is to vote on banning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian0123 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Impatience is costly and perhaps foolhardy, as Houston Pavilions should have taught us.HP just happened to come online at the wrong time. If we were in a positive economic environment, impatience would have been a genius move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 HP just happened to come online at the wrong time. If we were in a positive economic environment, impatience would have been a genius move.I'm not talking about the tenants. The facility is unimpressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChannelTwoNews Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) I noticed that the estimates for construction have changed from around $55M in earlier articles to $34.5M in the most recent one. Is that a reasonable figure based on declining prices related to construction or is it just wrong? Edited April 23, 2009 by ChannelTwoNews Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I noticed that the estimates for construction have changed from around $55M in earlier articles to $34.5M in the most recent one. Is that a reasonable figure based on declining prices related to construction or is it just wrong?It certainly doesn't have anything to do with construction price deflation. My bet is that the costs were quoted differently, one figure reflecting only hard costs, while the others include the soft costs and/or land price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWW Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 I noticed that the estimates for construction have changed from around $55M in earlier articles to $34.5M in the most recent one. Is that a reasonable figure based on declining prices related to construction or is it just wrong?It certainly doesn't have anything to do with construction price deflation. My bet is that the costs were quoted differently, one figure reflecting only hard costs, while the others include the soft costs and/or land price.Can anyone find out the story? I am a little panicked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Any activity on the site as of late? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonranger Posted May 4, 2009 Share Posted May 4, 2009 In the chron last week there was an article that there was going to be a vote in City Hall or wherever on whether to approve this hotel to get the tax incentives that presumably it needed to get started.Does anyone know what happened with this Council meeting / vote on the proposed hotel last week?Hopefully there was a positive outcome and this thing will break ground soon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonfella Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Embassy SuitesYay. Embassy Suites has begun construction! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonranger Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Embassy SuitesYay. Embassy Suites has begun construction!Great news!!!Wonder how many stories, there was a little back and forth on that. Still, glad this is getting done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jax Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Rock on! I am almost surprised it happened so soon in this economy. Have they broken ground? Anybody got any photos? I was there 2 weeks ago and didn't see anything going on. I like the fact that it will have a street level cafe near the park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 This is good news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatesdisastr Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Rock on! I am almost surprised it happened so soon in this economy. i agree! Im surprised as well but totally excited =] DG looked bare when OPP was goin up, now that DT is goin up and now ES...im liking it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ENGcons Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Who is the Contractor that is doing the work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Amazing!!!!! Of all things.... a hotel starting construction in an economy where tourism is on the skidz... good job for Houston and the financiers! I'm glad that people recognize how much the hotel rooms are needed in downtown. We've got a very low hotel capacity (within the CBD) when compared to other cities of similar size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Great news!! First One Park Place was going up... and as that finished up Hess Tower went up and now this hotel... that area is being totally transformed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Awesome Im not surprised that ES has started construction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hell yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Thought I should bring the rendering to this page. Will it still look like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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