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Office Tower At 1111 Travis St.


burgower4

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Can you pop down to the underground easy from the street if say a coffee shop is near by?

 

I can, and you can too.  It's more a matter of knowing how to get down there, and where to go once there, than anything else.  However, in the evening and at night the heat abates, so the street level isn't nearly as punishing as it can be at, say, 2 pm immediately after a brief rain (when the pavement is literally steaming).  I really think we ought have a giant statue of Willis H. Carrier somewhere around town, but even I will sit out on a downtown patio and enjoy a bevvie or three on a summertime evening. 

 

Back on topic - Nice pics, Nate.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I drove by the site at lunchtime and I like the fact that this building with its curved corners and angles in its footprint will break up the monotony of all of the square and rectangular shapes. I know it's unpopular to some but I think the setbacks from the curb will also allow for some interesting views that were lost in the boxy Foleys building. I can't call it Macys since they were in it a relatively short time and it was built for Foleys. It's not going to show up on the west skyline but it should interact really well with scale of the buildings surrounding it including the future Alesandra. This is going to be fun to watch as it gets up there.

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I drove by the site at lunchtime and I like the fact that this building with its curved corners and angles in its footprint will break up the monotony of all of the square and rectangular shapes. I know it's unpopular to some but I think the setbacks from the curb will also allow for some interesting views that were lost in the boxy Foleys building. I can't call it Macys since they were in it a relatively short time and it was built for Foleys. It's not going to show up on the west skyline but it should interact really well with scale of the buildings surrounding it including the future Alesandra. This is going to be fun to watch as it gets up there.

i absolutely concur bobruss!  everyone knows just how i felt.. as per what i then referred to as the (phantom menace) was first being conceptualized.. upon complete incognito fashion.  however, i cannot help but agree, that once HOTEL ALESSANDRA comes forth... this is truly going to become a special area of downtown.  nonetheless, something must now be done, as per the old sakowitz building directly across the street.  i'm praying for a dillards!

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i absolutely concur bobruss! everyone knows just how i felt.. as per what i then referred to as the (phantom menace) was first being conceptualized.. upon complete incognito fashion. however, i cannot help but agree, that once HOTEL ALESSANDRA comes forth... this is truly going to become a special area of downtown. nonetheless, something must now be done, as per the old sakowitz building directly across the street. i'm praying for a dillards!

I believe there are plans to transform the old Sakowitz building into a luxurious 260,000 sqft. flagship Bloomingdale's:

Bloomingdale's Main Street

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Bloomingdale's Main Street (Main at Dallas) is planned as one of the anchors for Mayor Parker's proposed Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. A smaller relocated Macy's will also go up along Dallas Street, as well as a third big box anchor. All three, plus additional shops, will line Dallas Street from Main to Discovery Green. An announcement will be made after Hotel Alessandra breaks ground.

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Bloomingdale's Main Street (Main at Dallas) is planned as one of the anchors for Mayor Parker's proposed Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. A smaller relocated Macy's will also go up along Dallas Street, as well as a third big box anchor. All three, plus additional shops, will line Dallas Street from Main to Discovery Green. An announcement will be made after Hotel Alessandra breaks ground.

 

love hearing that... hopefully this pans out.

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Bloomingdale's Main Street (Main at Dallas) is planned as one of the anchors for Mayor Parker's proposed Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. A smaller relocated Macy's will also go up along Dallas Street, as well as a third big box anchor. All three, plus additional shops, will line Dallas Street from Main to Discovery Green. An announcement will be made after Hotel Alessandra breaks ground.

Yeah ...a Bloomingdales next to that ghetto-ass convenience store, where bums congregate and piss/throw up on the sidewalk? Even as huge proponent of Downtown revitalization, I'll believe it when I see it. I work next door at 1000 Main and that is one stretch of block I absolutely hate to walk. You can literally smell the piss inbetween the corner store and the Sakowitz garage. The smell is so bad, I'd rather walk in the Southbound lane of Main if I have to go to Pavilions.

http://youtu.be/LPYGSa2mHFY

However, there'll be 8000 sq ft of retail space at 1111 Travis so I can see a smaller Macy's there.

Edited by tigereye
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Bloomingdale's Main Street (Main at Dallas) is planned as one of the anchors for Mayor Parker's proposed Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. A smaller relocated Macy's will also go up along Dallas Street, as well as a third big box anchor. All three, plus additional shops, will line Dallas Street from Main to Discovery Green. An announcement will be made after Hotel Alessandra breaks ground.

I hope this is not a joke.

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I believe there are plans to transform the old Sakowitz building into a luxurious 260,000 sqft. flagship Bloomingdale's:

Bloomingdale's Main Street

wait-what.jpg

htownlive, dude.. are you trying in earnest to give me a heart attack!

look, my good pal... i am now upon my flight to austin, tx to prepare for tomorrow's gridiron matchup between TEXAS vs UNT.  therefore, all i am trying to focus upon at this moment

is my HORNS.  nonetheless, did you say bloomingdales... on main street?  OMG!  i think that i shall lose my mind!

texasauthenticriddell.jpg

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Bloomingdale's Main Street (Main at Dallas) is planned as one of the anchors for Mayor Parker's proposed Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. A smaller relocated Macy's will also go up along Dallas Street, as well as a third big box anchor. All three, plus additional shops, will line Dallas Street from Main to Discovery Green. An announcement will be made after Hotel Alessandra breaks ground.

I'm confused as to where these shops and box retailers will go. Will they replace the empty lots? Highly unlikely right? Here is a pic of Dallas street from main to DG, help me understand folks...

post-12904-0-01483100-1409348094_thumb.j

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As much as I wish for htown lives post to be true, it just seems too good to be true. Obviously the city is working on something/a retail district for the area.. But bringing a Bloomingdales to Houston? In downtown...? Maybe in theGalleria, Memorial City Mall, or something of the like. A proven retail destination. Idk, I would just be reluctant to go all out betting on downtown. But I hope the city can come out with a bang on the new project and really get something going.

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As much as I wish for htown lives post to be true, it just seems too good to be true. Obviously the city is working on something/a retail district for the area.. But bringing a Bloomingdales to Houston? In downtown...? Maybe in theGalleria, Memorial City Mall, or something of the like. A proven retail destination. Idk, I would just be reluctant to go all out betting on downtown. But I hope the city can come out with a bang on the new project and really get something going.

Honestly - I agree with you that it seems overly optimistic. But at the same time... 3 big retail stores with a number of smaller stores... She is essentially creating a mall, downtown! And if it's done right, why would it be unrealistic? It's a proven concept in other major cities.

Hope it happens!

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Honestly - I agree with you that it seems overly optimistic. But at the same time... 3 big retail stores with a number of smaller stores... She is essentially creating a mall, downtown! And if it's done right, why would it be unrealistic? It's a proven concept in other major cities.

Hope it happens!

I agree.. It's just going to be a hard sale at first convincing stores they can make it in downtown. Especially for someone as exclusive as Bloomingdales, I would think. I hope the retail district happens though. They've been talking about it since like 2011, maybe even earlier. And it would be a great addition to making downtown a more all around livable/enjoyable destination/neighborhood.

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I agree.. It's just going to be a hard sale at first convincing stores they can make it in downtown. Especially for someone as exclusive as Bloomingdales, I would think. I hope the retail district happens though. They've been talking about it since like 2011, maybe even earlier. And it would be a great addition to making downtown a more all around livable/enjoyable destination/neighborhood.

Historically, Downtown Houston is a proven retail market. Before Uptown/Galleria ever existed, all the big retailers...Foley's (later Macy's), Battlestein's, Palais Royal, Neiman Marcus, Sakowitz, etc., were all Downtown. The Galleria and Northwest Mall lured them all away over the last 50 years (with the old/tired Macy's being the last and most recent to fold), but today millions more live in Houston as the city booms, especially Downtown.

It's really a no-brainer. The mayor and her Retail Task Force are smart to bring in Bloomingdale's and a relocated Macy's, and others to the Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. Her initiative is very similar to Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago. And when you factor this plus GreenStreets, it's a home run and gives Downtown Houston the world class retail it desperately needs and deserves. Houston will have world class retail Downtown and Uptown...two different exciting retail experiences.

With tens of thousands of new residents filling these luxury developments, legions of Downtown city/state/federal government workers there daily, hundreds of thousands of Fortune 500 corporate employees filling the towers every day, and an expanded convention district with numerous new hotels bringing millions more people Downtown each year, a quality retail district is imperative.

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Historically, Downtown Houston is a proven retail market. Before Uptown/Galleria ever existed, all the big retailers...Foley's (later Macy's), Battlestein's, Palais Royal, Neiman Marcus, Sakowitz, etc., were all Downtown. The Galleria and Northwest Mall lured them all away over the last 50 years (with the old/tired Macy's being the last and most recent to fold), but today millions more live in Houston as the city booms, especially Downtown.

It's really a no-brainer. The mayor and her Retail Task Force are smart to bring in Bloomingdale's and a relocated Macy's, and others to the Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project. Her initiative is very similar to Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago. And when you factor this plus GreenStreets, it's a home run and gives Downtown Houston the world class retail it desperately needs and deserves. Houston will have world class retail Downtown and Uptown...two different exciting retail experiences.

With tens of thousands of new residents filling these luxury developments, legions of Downtown city/state/federal government workers there daily, hundreds of thousands of Fortune 500 corporate employees filling the towers every day, and an expanded convention district with numerous new hotels bringing millions more people Downtown each year, a quality retail district is imperative.

  

Yeah that will be amazing if they are able to pull it off. I like the sound of what you are saying.. I hope it turns out to be reality.

Walking downtown in the summer really isnt as horrible under the covered sidewalks. Why don't they building more of those

Yeah.. I always figured they could/should probably implement horizontal roman shades over Dallas Ave (and the pedestrian mall portion of Main, and maybe areas around Market Square) for this new district to enhance pedestrian activity in those areas..

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=AwrTcXLr5gRUmS4A5cOJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTIyMHQ3djBtBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1nBG9pZAM2YWQ1NWZkNzg3MjllYzBmZmQ5N2YxYTRhYzZjODJjOQRncG9zAzMEaXQDYmluZw--?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dhorizontal%2Broman%2Bshades%26fr%3Diphone%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D3&w=650&h=488&imgurl=morancanvas.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2FThe-Grand-Del-Mar-Horizontal-Roman-Shades.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmorancanvas.com%2Fcommercial-portfolio%2F&size=69.7KB&name=The-Grand-Del-Mar---+%3Cb%3EHorizontal-Roman-Shades%3C%2Fb%3E&p=horizontal+roman+shades&oid=6ad55fd78729ec0ffd97f1a4ac6c82c9&fr2=piv-web&fr=iphone&tt=The-Grand-Del-Mar---+%3Cb%3EHorizontal-Roman-Shades%3C%2Fb%3E&b=0∋=21&no=3&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=11cc0vkmn&sigb=13dh3o55b&sigi=12o33ii33&sigt=11j7q8ptq&sign=11j7q8ptq&.crumb=QoUi0WUGkzy&fr=iphone&fr2=piv-web

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hundreds of thousands of Fortune 500 corporate employees filling the towers every day........

I appreciate the spirit of your post. This statement is false however.

There are about 150,000 office workers downtown. Less than "hundreds of thousands" and of the 150,000, not all of them work for Fortune 500's...... For instance, there are a BUNCH of government workers (federal, state, and city) as well as more lawyers than you can count. There are accountants and consultants. None of those are "Fortune 500" employees. Except for the plethora of government workers, They earn good money (the spirit of your post) but they are not "Fortune 500" workers

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2013-06-03/Retail_Brochure_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

Edited by UtterlyUrban
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I appreciate the spirit of your post. This statement is false however.

There are about 150,000 office workers downtown. Less than "hundreds of thousands" and of the 150,000, not all of them work for Fortune 500's...... For instance, there are a BUNCH of government workers (federal, state, and city) as well as more lawyers than you can count. There are accountants and consultants. None of those are "Fortune 500" employees. Except for the plethora of government workers, They earn good money (the spirit of your post) but they are not "Fortune 500" workers

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2013-06-03/Retail_Brochure_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

I appreciate the spirit of your post. This statement is false however.

There are about 150,000 office workers downtown. Less than "hundreds of thousands" and of the 150,000, not all of them work for Fortune 500's...... For instance, there are a BUNCH of government workers (federal, state, and city) as well as more lawyers than you can count. There are accountants and consultants. None of those are "Fortune 500" employees. Except for the plethora of government workers, They earn good money (the spirit of your post) but they are not "Fortune 500" workers

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2013-06-03/Retail_Brochure_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

I appreciate the spirit of your post. This statement is false however.

There are about 150,000 office workers downtown. Less than "hundreds of thousands" and of the 150,000, not all of them work for Fortune 500's...... For instance, there are a BUNCH of government workers (federal, state, and city) as well as more lawyers than you can count. There are accountants and consultants. None of those are "Fortune 500" employees. Except for the plethora of government workers, They earn good money (the spirit of your post) but they are not "Fortune 500" workers

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2013-06-03/Retail_Brochure_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

I appreciate the spirit of your post. This statement is false however.

There are about 150,000 office workers downtown. Less than "hundreds of thousands" and of the 150,000, not all of them work for Fortune 500's...... For instance, there are a BUNCH of government workers (federal, state, and city) as well as more lawyers than you can count. There are accountants and consultants. None of those are "Fortune 500" employees. Except for the plethora of government workers, They earn good money (the spirit of your post) but they are not "Fortune 500" workers

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2013-06-03/Retail_Brochure_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

Perhaps, but that's just semantics...150K/250K...you say potato, I say potato. To the contrary, many Downtown employees ARE Fortune 500 employees (rank-and-file, executive and highly-paid) as many Fortune 500 corporations have their world headquarters in Downtown Houston. Moreover, it gets busier by the day.

At the end of the day, the market is there...it's clear what they're trying to do with this project, and Houston's CBD can definitely support it. Downtown needs it...let's hope they're successful.

Edited by HTOWN LIVE
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I certainly think the Task Force's effort and vision are great, but I have to remain skeptical of any sort of plan to create a pedestrian-oriented environment that doesn't identify the ridiculous surface parking lot problem as its primary obstacle. Few large U.S. cities have as pervasive an issue with vacant downtown lots as Houston. These are just enormous blank spaces in an otherwise urban environment that do a damn good job at killing any sort of pedestrian vitality. There's a reason why the Market Square area and Midtown are redeveloping at faster rates than the southern side of the Convention District and the entire southeast quadrant of Downtown. Unless some serious infill occurs - even if the buildings are only one or two stories tall - those parking lots will present an enormous roadblock to creating a comprehensive urban shopping district.

 

GreenStreet is nice, but you're not getting much of an urban experience in a complex bounded by office buildings, parking garages and surface lots. Creating a shopping environment in this area is still going to be difficult, even with the presence of some retail. Forming organic street life is an immense challenge.

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The photos are actually confusing. In the renderings you can see retail on both sides of Dallas street (looks to be on the ground level while keeping the parking garage?) but in the legend map it doesn't label that side as retail, just parking.

post-12904-0-60112000-1409638304_thumb.j

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The photos are actually confusing. In the renderings you can see retail on both sides of Dallas street (looks to be on the ground level while keeping the parking garage?) but in the legend map it doesn't label that side as retail, just parking.

Apologies! It's correctly labeled as existing retail.

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I certainly think the Task Force's effort and vision are great, but I have to remain skeptical of any sort of plan to create a pedestrian-oriented environment that doesn't identify the ridiculous surface parking lot problem as its primary obstacle. Few large U.S. cities have as pervasive an issue with vacant downtown lots as Houston. These are just enormous blank spaces in an otherwise urban environment that do a damn good job at killing any sort of pedestrian vitality. There's a reason why the Market Square area and Midtown are redeveloping at faster rates than the southern side of the Convention District and the entire southeast quadrant of Downtown. Unless some serious infill occurs - even if the buildings are only one or two stories tall - those parking lots will present an enormous roadblock to creating a comprehensive urban shopping district.

 

GreenStreet is nice, but you're not getting much of an urban experience in a complex bounded by office buildings, parking garages and surface lots. Creating a shopping environment in this area is still going to be difficult, even with the presence of some retail. Forming organic street life is an immense challenge.

 

Surface parking lots in Downtown Houston are quickly vanishing. Most major metros have too many CBD surface lots. The difference is that no other city is booming like Houston, and our lots are going bye-bye very fast. 50 years ago, pedestrian vitality and Downtown's comprehensive retail scene was booming...all the great retailers were there. The mayor's Dallas Street Retail Corridor Project is neither difficult nor a challenge, rather a masterful plan...a plan to restore world class retail to Downtown Houston, again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • The title was changed to Office Tower In Downtown At 1111 Travis St.
  • The title was changed to Office Tower At 1111 Travis St.

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