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George R. Brown Convention Center Hotel: East Of Highway 59


lockmat

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^^^Perhaps the single greatest exchange in HAIF history.^^^

I know, I know... You're laughing about the Tang. Any time anybody mentions the word "Tang", whether capitalized or otherwise, a jumbled series of laughter and pig-like snorts inevitably follows. But you'll have to excuse me for being poor at present and having to cover up the flavor of tap water that tastes like the Neches River for the first several hours (that is, until it's had the opportunity to off-gas, at which point it tastes decent).

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No, no, no. I am laughing at the entire exchange between you and awac. It just cracked me up, though admittedly, adding a reference to Tang made it all the better, since it is virtually unheard of these days. Remember, I grew up during the moon landings. Tang was huge back then. Today, I never see it.

Anyway, I still appreciated the exchange.

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  • 1 year later...

A Mr. Nip wants to build a 1000 room hotel directly across the 59 from the George R. Brown. The financing will be coming from wealthy Chinese who, by investing at least $500K, will receive green cards. It would be much cheaper to just swim the river but that method has been overdone... :P

http://www.globalcenturydev.com/Investment.html (powerpoint by clicking "Conceptual Project Plans".

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/02/11/houston-backs-downtown-convention-hotel.html

Sounds pretty ambitious but apparently the mayor is backing the idea and Lee Brown is working for the group. The rendering shows 15 contiguous blocks that Mr. Nip owns and it proposes a pedestrian bridge connecting the hotel with the Conv. Center.

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The financing will be coming from wealthy Chinese who, by investing at least $500K, will receive green cards. It would be much cheaper to just swim the river but that method has been overdone... :P

Please elaborate. Not sure I understand your point.

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No, no, no. I am laughing at the entire exchange between you and awac. It just cracked me up, though admittedly, adding a reference to Tang made it all the better, since it is virtually unheard of these days. Remember, I grew up during the moon landings. Tang was huge back then. Today, I never see it.

Anyway, I still appreciated the exchange.

Whatever happened to Florence Henderson? She was a hella good gal, and an accomplished actor.

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Please elaborate. Not sure I understand your point.

Not much to elaborate on, it was simply a relatively weak attempt at humor...paying 500K for a green card when they could just cross illegally like "normal people", but there's no green card with that method. Better to invest big bucks for good return plus get green card (I think I read that on a fortune cookie once).

And I see this already had its own topic. Next time I'll do a search first. And I misstated about Nip owning the 15 blocks according to The Niche. OK, anything else, people? :rolleyes:

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Wow, so one of our long-shot online found renderings actually has some breathe to it?! LOL

And if all those blocks are developed, it seems like the proposed pedestrian corridor would be a really good idea considering it's location in which there is no through way b/c of the convention center.

Should we also be taking their other listed projects serious, too?

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This will be great for the area. Downtown sorely needs more hotels plus this is another step in the right direction for east downtown.

There was another old thread on this that had street-level views of this same proposal, a more asian-themed hotel. I really loved those renders in that thread....

Ive searched both East End, Going Up, and Downtown forums but cant seem to locate the old thread.

Anyone recall this?

If found, please repost!

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Not exactly a new proposal, was discussed about 2 years ago with some crazy renders. Topic's alive again...

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/20203-convention-center-hotel-east-of-59/page__gopid__380124#entry380124

Posted this on the other thread in Going Up....

There was another old thread on this that had street-level views of this same proposal, a more asian-themed hotel. I really loved those renders in that thread....

Ive searched both East End, Going Up, and Downtown forums but cant seem to locate the old thread.

Anyone recall this?

If found, please repost!

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I've been reading HAIF for well over 3 years now, long time reader, first time poster. I don't like to post very often and when I do, it's only on something I find exceptionally interesting. The redevelopment of East End/East Downtown (I wont ever call it that horrid name EaDo) is possibly one of my main interests in Houston, alongside with Regent Square, Jennings Island Towers, & Snow Mountain Texas Indoor Ski Resort/Earth Quest Adventures.

Now I haven't ever seen the renderings to Dan Nip's developments before, but I am hoping for something original. He's been trying to redevelop "Old Chinatown" for so long now and I like where his ideas are headed, to make it seem more authentic and not so bland and un cultural.

April 18th, 2009: The meeting to discuss their visions of where East End/East Downtown should be headed: http://www.houstonlwsforum.org/designCompetition/Urban%20Redevelopment/TIRZ15Perspective.pdf

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One more question to consider:

How does this "suddenly alive" proposed Convention Center Hotel impact the city's plans for yet another convention center hotel directly across Disco Green from Hilton America's?!? Lets not forget that the city put Hilton America's up for sale in order to subsidize construction of the new hotel.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5700711.html

And as if that isnt enough, it looks like The East End hotel people are planning for construction of the 2nd Downtown GRB hotel ....see render below. (from their updated PDF) What's that building across Disco Green from Hilton America's?

ru9i.jpg

EDIT: This isnt the first time the 2nd Convention Center Hotel has been seen. (Remember this thread?!?) But interestingly enough, both renders (above & below) illustrate virtually the same exact building, right down to the placement of the pool in the hotel....

aerial_southcam.jpg

aerial_northcam.jpg

Edited by tigereye
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And as if that isnt enough, it looks like The East End hotel people are planning for construction of the 2nd Downtown GRB hotel ....see render below. (from their updated PDF) What's that building across Disco Green from Hilton America's?

Looks like you answered your own question, or am I not understanding it correctly?

----------------------------> EDIT: This isnt the first time the 2nd Convention Center Hotel has been seen. (Remember this thread?!?) But interestingly enough, both renders (above & below) illustrate virtually the same exact building, right down to the placement of the pool in the hotel....

aerial_southcam.jpg

I would guess the COH would still want to build their convention center. People are always saying downtown doesn't have enough hotel space for bigger conventions. My thought is that the COH would think their new hotel would be a building block to getting those bigger ones.

I wish we knew what those other builders were. I'm pretty sure those next to Hess tower are proposed condo towers. I don't think that's conjecture either, I thought I read that somewhere.

In my opinion, I think the way I've labeled the blocks is the order they'll be built on. My guess is blocks 2 and 3 are hotels.

gallery_723_64_155247.jpg

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