ricco67 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I just ran across this: Culture Map Basically, they are pondering giving the building over to the city of Houston. Would this be a good thing or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I just ran across this:Culture MapBasically, they are pondering giving the building over to the city of Houston. Would this be a good thing or not?BTW: Can mods move this to an appropriate place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 It doesn't say that they are considering it, just that the possibility of it is a rumor, and this journo has been off-base in the past. I would maintain a healthy skepticism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simbha Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Seems we have two threads on the same subject - same poster (Ricco). Probably a case of nervous twitching while hitting Confirm. Probably want to merge these threads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Broadfoot Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If true would be good news for the city. They could sell it and pay down the Astrodome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 It doesn't say that they are considering it, just that the possibility of it is a rumor, and this journo has been off-base in the past. I would maintain a healthy skepticism.Agreed. Also, it seems pretty unlikely that the city would be interested in it for city offices. Personally, I hope they turn it residential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 My nightmare is that they would vacate the skyscraper, there would be no immediate use for it, and it would sit vacant for decades like the Melrose Building, Sheraton, or downtown Holiday Inn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Closed duplicate topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Long-term vacancy and neglect seem unlikely. Those other abandoned highrises got that way through a combination of the oil bust, the S&L crisis, and/or subsequent absentee owners that picked up the buildings for a song and a dream during that period and that otherwise had no business owning real estate. None of these factors are going to be at play with the Exxon building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Agreed. Also, it seems pretty unlikely that the city would be interested in it for city offices. Personally, I hope they turn it residential.If possible, I think HPD could use it. Their downtown offices (not the station) are waaaay old and pretty sad. Not sure about the current lease on it though and how that would work out. But if HPD left their current building, it would probably go the way of the Holiday Inn or those other buildings. It's gotta be a Class C building at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 If possible, I think HPD could use it. Their downtown offices (not the station) are waaaay old and pretty sad. Not sure about the current lease on it though and how that would work out. But if HPD left their current building, it would probably go the way of the Holiday Inn or those other buildings. It's gotta be a Class C building at best.?? The city owns the HPD HQ building downtown. The HQ just moved there 15 years ago, after the city completed a full renovation of the building. I don't know why you would categorize it as "pretty sad". Anyway, HPD HQ is VERY unlikely to be moving in the foreseeable future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 ?? The city owns the HPD HQ building downtown. The HQ just moved there 15 years ago, after the city completed a full renovation of the building. I don't know why you would categorize it as "pretty sad". Anyway, HPD HQ is VERY unlikely to be moving in the foreseeable future.I say it's sad b/c I've been in there and it's very Class Cish. I mean, it's a city building so I guess it's not a big deal. The Exxon building I'm sure would be a huge upgrade if it was given to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 ?? The city owns the HPD HQ building downtown. The HQ just moved there 15 years ago, after the city completed a full renovation of the building. I don't know why you would categorize it as "pretty sad". Anyway, HPD HQ is VERY unlikely to be moving in the foreseeable future.All of HPDs facilities can be categorized as "pretty sad," but I think that it mostly just has to do with a dearth of attractive women on-site. Most office buildings house a great deal more eye candy.It'd be great if the HPD facilities and municipal courts fronting Houston Ave. were to move into the Exxon Building...or pretty much anywhere else, actually. That'd free up a lot of prime land for redevelopment and take the bail bondsmen out of Old 6th Ward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleak Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 So we would have all the bail bondsmen move to that end of downtown?Why not move it all to other end of dt where all the other cour buildings are and keep all the bail bondsmen in one place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 The other end of downtown is all county offices, so the city would have a hard time finding space to put their courts and offices. It would be pretty impressive to move the municipal courts into Exxon, but that is a lot of space just for the courts and staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I think it could happen. After all, Public Works is in the old HL&P building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinite_jim Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 ^Could this be the writing on the wall for 411 Walker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 The idea that Exxon would consider donating the building to the city makes me think that they realize that the resale value of the property is so low that the tax write-off from donation would be better for them economically. Does the city even need this much space, especially in an expensive-to-maintain skyscraper? Not to mention the costs taxpayers would have to bear of moving and retrofit. My spidey sense tells me that Exxon may be thinking that the best way to get rid of a white elephant would be to unload it on taxpayers. Again, I can easily see this building sitting vacant for decades, like the nearby Holiday Inn. There just doesn't seem to be any strong market demand for skyscrapers in that part of downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 My spidey sense tells me that this is little more than a silly rumor. There may of course be a kernel of truth buried in there from which the rumor spun out. Best guess: Exxon has talked to the city about possibilities for dealing with the old building. My hope, as I have partially expressed before, is that Exxon will be generous and arrange for/cooperate with the building being converted to residential or perhaps residential/hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Both previous posters admittedly have spidey senses. Wonder if one of them was the spiderman dressed villain in the woodlands that made the news?How likely is it that it will become residential? And what would the conversion costs be? What would potential profit be?i hope a residential conversion is what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 How comfortable is the parking situation there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 There's a garage on the block to the SW of the building that's pretty large. I would assume it comes with the building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 The Exxon building has always screamed "Residential" to me. Huge windows, very apartment-like design. This could be a very successful conversion project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I think it is either 47 or 49 floors. I'm sure someone has the stats handy, but if that were all converted to residential, I'd think you would be adding a significant percentage to the square footage downtown.From my uninformed armchair, that seems like it would cost way more than it would ever be worth, unless Exxon gave it to the city and the city gave it to a developer. Even then, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Perhaps other city departments are looking for additional space, or maybe the city wants to consolidate space held by some departments together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I think it is either 47 or 49 floors. Isn't the Petroleum Club on the top floors? They occupy the 43rd and 44th floors. Wonder what's going to become of the Club once Exxon vacates the building. If it's converted to residential, that space could make one hell of a penthouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specwriter Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 44 floors. The top two are the Petroleum Club. I attended a fund raiser there one evening and there was a marvelous storm to the east, probably Anahuac or even further, but the lightening show was fantastic. This was in about 2000 but it felt like the mid-1960s. I don't think the decor had ever been changed since it opened. Kinda cool really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pleak Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 They should keep the Petroleum Club as it is and rent it out. Would make a really nifty lounge setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Work a deal with the petroleum club to provide room service and catering to the apartment dwellers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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