Jump to content

JW Marriott At 806 Main St. & Expansion Into Battlestein’s - 812 Main St.


Houston19514

Recommended Posts

I was in Miami a few months ago and we stayed at a Kimpton. The guy working the front desk, upon seeing my license, said they were opening a downtown Houston hotel in the near future to join the one in Dallas already open.

It's been rumored that this is the location. I hope it's true because the Kimpton brand is top notch. I've stayed in Kimptons in NY, LA, and Miami and all were very well run, fun, quasi-hip places.

http://www.houstontx.gov/housing/publiclegal/806main.pdf

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

There is a large dumpster on the sidewalk. Looks like some serious interior demolition work going on. Hopefully, they have finally gotten back to work on the conversion to a hotel.

They had the doors open on Rusk when I walked by today. I grabbed a quick shot. It looks like the whole street level is gutted with lots of activity going on.

2m5m9du.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't guess I knew, or remembered, that this 100+ year old building was Houston's first skyscraper office building. Good to see it being saved (and revealed). I went in there one time to get a watch battery from some jeweler. It was kind of funky and reminded me of the old Cody's/Skybar building on Montrose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was a low rent gym on like the seventh or ninth floor of the building that I actually wanted to join, but the owner told me about the building's pending bankruptcy and how they were going to have to shut down. That was the only time I ever went in there. From the neglected tenant directory in the lobby, it looked like a pretty rag-tag list of folks in there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://www.downtownh...tion_Part_1.pdf

It say the hotel will be a JW Marriott brand

That would be good. Marriott has apparently been getting more and more into the downtown market in recent years. Courtyard and Residence Inn followed by adding Hotel Icon to their Autograph Collection. Don't be surprised if the new convention center hotel ends up with a Marriott badge (e.g. Marriott Marquis)

But we still need Kimpton downtown (and one Uptown as well)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a very narrow vacant ~10 story office building that is immediately south of 806 Main. The main entrance to it was open one day a few months back when I walked by, couldn't make out what was going on inside apart from the ground floor being a fairly open floor plan. I have heard exactly nothing about it, and it has been empty as long as I've been walking past it.

With the refurb of 806, it makes you wonder if a structure like this is a more attractive option to renovate or if it is basically doomed to sit empty since you can't tear it down. Maybe if the hotel does well enough, they could take it too and add rooms or meeting space.

EDIT - it was the Battlestein's department store building.

Edited by Nate99
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, lots of work underway. I was going to snap a pic today, but didn't have time. Maybe after work.

The other day I could see a bundle of large pressurized gas cylinders hoding what I preumed to be some kind of welding/cutting torch gas. Possible it could have been some kind of construction phase fire protection/extinguisher system.

They're definitely busy, but I can't imagine how long a full refurb on an old building like this would take. How long did the Inn at The Ballpark take?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was told once that the original facade was more or less intact under the newer facade panels. It will be interesting to see how true this is, and how much restoration treatment will be necessary.

Once 806 Main is restored, the disco glass facade on the Kirby Building will be one of the last remaining traces of the great wave of Main Street "modernization".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...