Marriott Marquis: GRB Convention Center Hotel At 1777 Walker St.

[Houston19514]

 

Cool pics!  Thanks for posting.  I have to confess I couldn't resist driving by the site on my way home tonight (not really on the way, but had to see). 

 

[ArchFan]

I'm a Houston booster, but I must confess I'm skeptical that the graphic is really comparing metro Houston with metro DFW.

 

I tried googling to get some factoids, but didn't come up with any interesting numbers right away.  But, while we're in this measuring-ourselves competition, I did stumble on to a Wikipedia page that lists the 184 largest hotels in the world. 

 

Dallas has 4 (Sheraton Dallas: 1840, Hilton Anatole: 1608, Hyatt Regency: 1120, Omni:  1001)   and Houston has 1 (Hilton Americas: 1200).  The Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston currently has 947 rooms, but I seem to recall it originally had 1001.

 

 

[ArchFan]

So, I think Ric Campo and Houston First are doing a good job for Houston in getting the Marriott Marquis built. The lack of close-in hotel rooms has really hurt us in drawing major conventions to GRB.

[H-Town Man]

I'm a Houston booster, but I must confess I'm skeptical that the graphic is really comparing metro Houston with metro DFW.

I tried googling to get some factoids, but didn't come up with any interesting numbers right away. But, while we're in this measuring-ourselves competition, I did stumble on to a Wikipedia page that lists the 184 largest hotels in the world.

Dallas has 4 (Sheraton Dallas: 1840, Hilton Anatole: 1608, Hyatt Regency: 1120, Omni: 1001) and Houston has 1 (Hilton Americas: 1200). The Hyatt Regency in downtown Houston currently has 947 rooms, but I seem to recall it originally had 1001.

My guess is that their "Dallas Market" is something smaller than DFW but something bigger than Dallas city limits. They probably have Dallas and Ft Worth as different markets, each with a conglomeration of suburbs around it.

And while past history leads one to think that Dallas (and immediate burbs) would have more hotel rooms than Houston, I wouldn't think it would have as many as Atlanta, so the list seems fairly accurate.

[ArchFan]

I remember that in the 70s, there were a number of "markets" that drew a lot of business travelers to Dallas, which in turn lead to the development of some large hotels nearby.  These were (are) places for manufacturers and wholesalers to market their wares to retailers.  IIRC, Trammell Crow's company was the original developer and was very successful with the concept.  I dunno if they developed any of the big hotels, but that seems like it would have been a good business strategy.   

 

The big one I remember was the Apparel Mart, but there was also a Furniture Mart, and eventually the World Trade Center there.  I think the latter was the one with the large atrium that was used to film the original Logan's Run movie.

 

** I think ** Crow's company developed the design center on Woodway here as kind of a branch of the Dallas operation.  

 

In any case, I've always thought there was a connection between those markets and why more high-capacity hotels were built in Dallas from the 70s on.

Edited May 20, 2014 by ArchFan

[Timoric]

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Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[Houston19514]

Looking at your pic above, it amazes me that there are above ground wooden electric wires (telephone poles) in the downtown grid, how hard and expensive would it be to make it all underground for 400 blocks or so around downtown? It looks bad. Do they have that in other big cities or just us?

 

Those overhead wires are the catenary wires for the light rail.   So, yes, any city that has light rail downtown also has such overhead wires.  The wooden pole is a temporary pole holding up the traffic signals.

 

I think all or very nearly all of downtown has the electric wires buried.  (And FWIW, yes, other cities, many other cities, have above ground electric wires strung from wooden poles.)  Houston is not at all unique in that regard.

[Timoric]

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Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[ricco67]

As I mentioned before, it will be interesting to see how they are going to get the crane and other heavy equipment over those lines.

then there is the construction issues while the line is running.

[Houston19514]

As I mentioned before, it will be interesting to see how they are going to get the crane and other heavy equipment over those lines.

then there is the construction issues while the line is running.

 

What is the issue? 

[ricco67]

Ummm...The overhead power lines?

[Houston19514]

Ummm, you mean the catenary lines along one side of the construction site?  How would they be an issue?

[bobruss]

In response to the questions about rooms and the convention center there is a report that the GRB commissioned in 2011 which clearly points out how we stack up in every category and was probably the catalyst for everything going on around this area now. I tried to download it but it is too large a file.

It pictures every major convention center their capacities, sizes, hotel rooms  and much more. Its called

the George R. Brown Convention Center 2025 Master Plan. I'm not sure where I ran across this but it's over 100 pages and full of interesting info. Its 9.5MB so it wont go on here.

It is a very thorough evaluation of what we have and what we need to compete with every major convention city. I hope you can find it if interested.

 

[Naviguessor]

^^ I think that that may be on the Houston First Site.

 

[ricco67]

Ummm, you mean the catenary lines along one side of the construction site? How would they be an issue?

seeing the crane that was installing the crane this past weekemd, it seemed to me that the clearance for it to pass under the catenary power lines would be fairly tight.

not to mention bringing in all the materials needed to construct the hotel.

I'm sure they will be able to do it, but I think it will be a bit of a challenge.

[Houston19514]

seeing the crane that was installing the crane this past weekemd, it seemed to me that the clearance for it to pass under the catenary power lines would be fairly tight.

not to mention bringing in all the materials needed to construct the hotel.

I'm sure they will be able to do it, but I think it will be a bit of a challenge.

 

 

Assuming the contractor has previously constructed a building, I doubt they will find it particularly challenging to figure a way to delivery cranes and materials to this site. Thousands of buildings have been constructed on sites far more restricted than this one. 

[urban909]

^^ I think that that may be on the Houston First Site.

 

Here's the link:

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2012-01-24/111212-GRBCC-2025_Master_Plan.pdf

[Naviguessor]

99% of the materials used to build any conventionally constructed building, including mobile cranes used to construct the cranes are of standard width and height. No height than any standard truck using downtown streets everyday. A few permit loads, for HVAC, etc...may be taken to site. But these would be done overnight on the weekends.

[talltexan83]

All of those trees facing the Convention Center (in the pic from Sunday) are now gone.  Given their age (20+ years?), I guess I was hoping they could be saved.  Such is progress. 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

All construction material and cranes will arrive from the south side of the project from Walker St and up Crawford st from Walker and McKinney and Avenidas De Las Americas

 

problem solved  

[H-Town Man]

All of those trees facing the Convention Center (in the pic from Sunday) are now gone.  Given their age (20+ years?), I guess I was hoping they could be saved.  Such is progress. 

 

Wow. Guess they just branched out to much. Would have been a great asset for Avenida, and softened the hard edges around there.

[UtterlyUrban]

With the Hess parking lot blocked off and the rendering that shows a pedestrian bridge from the hotel to the new residential building, I wonder if construction is being coordinated a bit?

Will the Hess resi tower use the same lay down yard, etc?

Coordinated construction or not?

[Triton]

 

[Sky-guy]

That was faster than I expected.

[BigFootsSocks]

See how fast that is developers? Don't let these ugly surface lots deter you, they're super easy to get rid of so go ahead and go up up up. Now. 

[Triton]

In case no one noticed, they tore out of the trees. And today, I just noticed there was a new street lane that they built.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Triton

[H-Town Man]

You'd think the trees could have been transplanted somewhere else downtown, maybe along the bayou.

[BigFootsSocks]

Greens project? What greens project?

[Triton]

All of those trees facing the Convention Center (in the pic from Sunday) are now gone.  Given their age (20+ years?), I guess I was hoping they could be saved.  Such is progress. 

 Oh whoops. I missed your comment.

[HoustonIsHome]

That model on display at the ceremony looked to be lined in trees on the south and west side. Maybe the trees will come back?