River Oaks District: Mixed-Use Development At 4444 Westheimer Rd.

[Trae]

Uptown Area: Oaks District

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/Houston_lg.jpg

Website: OliverMcMillan

PDF: Oaks District

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/ROp4_1109finlA%20Small.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/ROp1_1109finl_CORRECTEDA.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/ROp2_1109finlA%20small.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/ROp3_1109finlA.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/deve/houston/ROp5_1109finl_CORRECTEDAsmall.jpg

[Trae]

So, a W and Le Meridian appear to definitely be going in. Any word on a possible Barney's? They showed up in the old PDF (and I think some images are laying around here at HAIF somewhere).

[NewMND]

I thought this project was supposed to stretch from Westheimer to San Felipe. Are they doing it in phases maybe and those renderings are just of phase 1?

And what's going in on the empty lot next door, that's High Creek or High Park or something like that, right?

As far as Barney's, who knows, but they need it. Between this, Galleria, BLVD Place, HIghland village, and whatever you else you can think off, this area is going to need every retail store on the planet to fill up the space.

[swtsig]

I thought this project was supposed to stretch from Westheimer to San Felipe. Are they doing it in phases maybe and those renderings are just of phase 1?

And what's going in on the empty lot next door, that's High Creek or High Park or something like that, right?

As far as Barney's, who knows, but they need it. Between this, Galleria, BLVD Place, HIghland village, and whatever you else you can think off, this area is going to need every retail store on the planet to fill up the space.

yeah, dont forget West Ave. this entire area is on the cusp of a pretty major reformation. but i'm with you in regards to High Street (right?)... is that an entirely differnet project? what are the projected tennants, components, etc.? and this seems like an awful lot of retail in the uptown/river oaks area.... west ave, high street, galleria, blvd place, highland village, even regents square

[Trae]

With Houston's Inner Loop population growing, as well as the whole west side, it can be supported. 2010 is around the time all will be completed, so there will be more growth by then.

[Houston19514]

In an effort to avoid further confusion, is it possible to correct the name on this thread? The development is called "River Oaks District"

[Trae]

Done.

I wish Westheimer at a trolley/streetcar like in Portland that went from near Downtown to the Galleria. I think it would be really popular, especially with a development like this along the route.

Edited January 12, 2008 by Trae

[roadrunner]

So out of this, Regent Square, and Blvd Place, what are the odds all three of these actually get built? Call me a pessimist, but I am still not sold on it all happening. I would be thrilled if 2 actually got done.

Edited January 12, 2008 by roadrunner

[Trae]

Well, BLVD is basically already under construction, and supposedly financing is being done for this thing and construction is set for September.

[lockmat]

I'm not sure if all of these have been posted or not. Sorry for pasting them but they were too large to upload as a file.

All were taken from this pdf file Trae posted. If they've been posted, let me know and I'll delete them.

For those who don't feel like opening it, it says groundbreaking is September 2008 and opening is Sept. 2010.

Edited January 18, 2008 by lockmat

[Trae]

This thing is going to be a hit. Can't wait for construction to start. WE just need a streetcar.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Trae

[lockmat]

Looks like two of the towers are easily over 30 floors w/ one of them being closer to 40.

[ENGcons]

Looks like two of the towers are easily over 30 floors w/ one of them being closer to 40.

Currently the tallest is 36

[NewMND]

Hey, the renderings have a "W" in them now, instead of an "M".

[Trae]

Guess the W is now final.

[ENGcons]

Guess the W is now final.

Nothing is final until Contracts are signed. That has not happened yet. Like I implicated in another thread, there is so much that has to go into a project of this caliber that most here have no idea.

[Mister X]

Engcons, do you have any idea about when the official annoucement might be made about the W? I mean, just a rough guess.

[Trae]

From ChannelTwoNews in the W Hotel thread:

I'm trying to find the Westcreek/River Oaks District thread, but since this is part of the project...

It will be 34 Stories.

Gensler of Santa Monica is the design architect, BOKA Powell is the architect of record.

If I'm not mistaken, groundbreaking for the entire project is slated for this July.

Not early April fool's or anything. Just a head's up.

Edited March 28, 2008 by Trae

[ChannelTwoNews]

Thanks for finding it, Trae.

Anyway, if you're wondering, the source is connected with the project on the engineering side. I chose to post it since they informed me of the updated floorcounts & partners with the project. That info will also be updated on another structural database available to the public within a few days, so it didn't seem like a breach of privacy or anything to post it here.

Anyway, for a few more brief bits...

The Condo tower will be 32 stories and the architect will be Pappageorge/Haymes,Ltd. of Chicago

Le Meridien will be 18 stories and will have the same partners as the W Hotel.

The Office Building will be 16 stories, Gensler is the design architect.

Edited March 28, 2008 by ChannelTwoNews

[Trae]

So four towers? A 34-story W, a 32-story condo tower, a 18-story Le Meridian Hotel, and a 16-story office tower. Nice.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Trae

[The Great Hizzy!]

So there will be a W Hotel?

[KinkaidAlum]

Thanks for finding it, Trae.

Anyway, if you're wondering, the source is connected with the project on the engineering side. I chose to post it since they informed me of the updated floorcounts & partners with the project. That info will also be updated on another structural database available to the public within a few days, so it didn't seem like a breach of privacy or anything to post it here.

Anyway, for a few more brief bits...

The Condo tower will be 32 stories and the architect will be Pappageorge/Haymes,Ltd. of Chicago

Le Meridien will be 18 stories and will have the same partners as the W Hotel.

The Office Building will be 16 stories, Gensler is the design architect.

Wow. The final floor counts are a lot higher across the board. This is an excellent project. Can't wait to see it rise.

[NewMND]

Have the Westcreek apartments been emptied out yet, or are there still people living there?

[lockmat]

Any new info on this? This thing is gonna be awesome.

[livincinco]

Any new info on this? This thing is gonna be awesome.

Houston magazine has an article this month listing that this project is scheduled to break ground next year.

"The multi-building plan includes two luxury hotels, rumored to be a W Hotel and a Le Meridien. One of the hotels is expected to be part condo, with a separate building reserved for 300 high-end apartments."

[lockmat]

I think this is a newer rendering we haven't seen yet...

http://www.sppre.com/projects/projectsheet...T_RiverOaks.pdf

[wernicke]

$629 million is a lot of cash to come up with these days, no?

[Trae]

I think this is a newer rendering we haven't seen yet...

http://www.sppre.com/projects/projectsheet...T_RiverOaks.pdf

You run the internet.

[Pumapayam]

Comparing the 2.

We lost a (1) midrise in the evolution, but gained (2) taller versions of the exiting condo and hotel.

Edited July 25, 2008 by Pumapayam

[livincinco]

Comparing the 2.

We lost a (1) midrise in the evolution, but gained (2) taller versions of the exiting condo and hotel.

A project that was upsized? That's going to be very disappointing to all the pessimists who complain that every project ends up smaller than planned.

[TheNiche]

A project that was upsized? That's going to be very disappointing to all the pessimists who complain that every project ends up smaller than planned.

Just an observation. The copyright on this is dated 2007.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Just an observation. The copyright on this is dated 2007.

Plus a couple of the buildings look like the physical model that was shown last year, before the newer renderings were released. I'm going to guess that nothing's changed thus far with the more recent version, the financing group just opted to use an older rendering of the project for their notes.

I haven't recieved any indication from the engineering firm I've talked to that it's been upsized, but I'm sure I can ask around.

[lockmat]

Here is the architects website if it hasn't been posted already: http://www.bokapowell.com/

We already know what hotels are going in there, right?

[capnmcbarnacle]

Here is the architects website if it hasn't been posted already: http://www.bokapowell.com/

We already know what hotels are going in there, right?

Thought I'd pass along some info I heard regarding this project. The story is that this project is going to go forward, but it's going to be 2 years down the road. The tenants and others lined up are ok with the delay and there is a basic problem with the financing people being able to come up with the money the had committed to providing. I also heard that BLVD place will not have the hotel or condo tower straight away either. The long term plan is to do it and the construction will allow for them to be added later, but there are some financing issues on that project as well.

Don't shoot the messenger. I think this is a good source for what it's worth.

[ENGcons]

Thought I'd pass along some info I heard regarding this project. The story is that this project is going to go forward, but it's going to be 2 years down the road. The tenants and others lined up are ok with the delay and there is a basic problem with the financing people being able to come up with the money the had committed to providing. I also heard that BLVD place will not have the hotel or condo tower straight away either. The long term plan is to do it and the construction will allow for them to be added later, but there are some financing issues on that project as well.

Don't shoot the messenger. I think this is a good source for what it's worth.

I knew the owners had procrastinated on getting their financing together and that this project may not go all at once but in phases. I have not heard that they are pushing it back for 2 years. Are you sure about that statement? Not starting any construction until 2010?

[capnmcbarnacle]

I knew the owners had procrastinated on getting their financing together and that this project may not go all at once but in phases. I have not heard that they are pushing it back for 2 years. Are you sure about that statement? Not starting any construction until 2010?

That's what I heard and confirmed a couple of times. I heard that the tenants are still a go and that they were very confident this thing would get done, just that it needed to get pushed back. Heard that the size of the project made it hard to get financing through one or two major players and that it was a simple of function of having to go to 8 or 10 people to get financed instead of 1 or 2. The negotiations get slowed way down and closings get put off, etc. Once you are almost there someone who promised $100,000,000 will balk and say they can give you 50, and then you have to start again with a new party to make up the difference. But, on the good side, they were confident that the market here is solid and will continue to be. It's just a liquidity thing. I also heard, for what it's worth, that some retail tenants have put a freeze on new locations until this thing passes. They are planning on filling this place with "ultra-ultra high end" stuff and while these retailers want a Houston presence asap, they want to wait until the big picture settles a little bit before they do anything anywhere. I got the impression that everyone involved kind of agreed to take a deep breath. Like one of those scheduled holds on a Shuttle launch.

He was also excited about the High Street project, even though it wasn't his. He thinks the two together will be incredible.

[roadrunner]

That's what I heard and confirmed a couple of times. I heard that the tenants are still a go and that they were very confident this thing would get done, just that it needed to get pushed back. Heard that the size of the project made it hard to get financing through one or two major players and that it was a simple of function of having to go to 8 or 10 people to get financed instead of 1 or 2. The negotiations get slowed way down and closings get put off, etc. Once you are almost there someone who promised $100,000,000 will balk and say they can give you 50, and then you have to start again with a new party to make up the difference. But, on the good side, they were confident that the market here is solid and will continue to be. It's just a liquidity thing. I also heard, for what it's worth, that some retail tenants have put a freeze on new locations until this thing passes. They are planning on filling this place with "ultra-ultra high end" stuff and while these retailers want a Houston presence asap, they want to wait until the big picture settles a little bit before they do anything anywhere. I got the impression that everyone involved kind of agreed to take a deep breath. Like one of those scheduled holds on a Shuttle launch.

He was also excited about the High Street project, even though it wasn't his. He thinks the two together will be incredible.

This is unfortunate, but expected. Oh well, at least it's still on the board.

[BigSky]

This bodes well for Houston Pavilions. With the delay being almost 2 years+another 2 years for the thing to get built, will give HP some time to mature, grow and develop as well as attract and prove the concept that Downtown Houston can be a draw for entertainment, shopping and retail. These are some fascinating times we live in, I also believed that some of these projects were going to die anyway. It was way too progressive to have all of this development in and around the loop without adding a significant amount of residential to the mix.

[Trae]

Thought I'd pass along some info I heard regarding this project. The story is that this project is going to go forward, but it's going to be 2 years down the road. The tenants and others lined up are ok with the delay and there is a basic problem with the financing people being able to come up with the money the had committed to providing. I also heard that BLVD place will not have the hotel or condo tower straight away either. The long term plan is to do it and the construction will allow for them to be added later, but there are some financing issues on that project as well.

Don't shoot the messenger. I think this is a good source for what it's worth.

Disappointed but not surprised. Do you have any word on what kind of tenants are expected?

[capnmcbarnacle]

Disappointed but not surprised. Do you have any word on what kind of tenants are expected?

I heard the hotel was still a go -- was this W or Ritz? I forgot. As for retail, I heard "ultra-ultra high end." So I figure that means the inner loop will be getting a sorely needed Orange Julius.

[dmoneybangbang]

I believe it was the W.

Edited October 16, 2008 by dmoneybangbang

[lockmat]

Nothing we really don't already know. Just information and link to the company dealing with the hotels:

At its perimeter, the project will feature a mid-rise retail flagship building and four high-rise towers that will contain 300 rental apartments, 200,000sf of Class A office space, a luxury hotel and residences, and a four-star, business-oriented hotel.

Keen Partners is co-developing the two hotel sites in partnership with OliverMcMillan. Hotel Site A is designed to be Houston

[citizen4rmptown]

well the pdf. was dated 2008, at the time where all of this was being thought of.....

so no current updates for the project i assume?

[TheNiche]

so no current updates for the project i assume?

On hold.

[citykid09]

Anything new?

[CandacitaBonita]

I see no one has said anything about this in a while. Just wondering if anyone has new information.

[lockmat]

not our best rendering, but a different/new one to us none the less...

[Urbannizer]

Hey, where did you find that?

[lockmat]

http://www.pappageorgehaymes.com/high-rise/the-river-oaks.php

[sargento03]

I searched and searched for this but did not find anything. This appears to be a mixed-use project (200,000 SF of retail space plus "hotels, condo, apartments, and office space). Given its location, at first I thought it was the high street project, but it appears to be different. There is a ton of info on the following websites. I'll let the experts extract renderings and/or confirm/delete/merge.

http://www.gensler.com/#projects/222

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/deve/houston/index.htm