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Office Tower At 1111 Travis St.


burgower4

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I was thinking that high up in the Centerpoint building would work, maybe First City.

I actually have a large group of people who are wanting to go see this...will Centerpoint building even be open?

 

 

Edit: Ok, so checking Google Maps, it looks like the Greenstreet parking garage will be the best view? Any chances that will be blocked off from the public? Read a few posts back that some people thought that was still too close.

Edited by Triton
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I actually have a large group of people who are wanting to go see this...will Centerpoint building even be open?

 

 

Edit: Ok, so checking Google Maps, it looks like the Greenstreet parking garage will be the best view? Any chances that will be blocked off from the public? Read a few posts back that some people thought that was still too close.

 

Article on Swamplot regarding viewing options...

 

Fire Department release:   "[T]here will be no ‘safe viewing site lines’ to observe the implosion."

 

http://swamplot.com/you-can-watch-the-macys-implosion-but-you-cant-stand-here/2013-09-19/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+swamplot+%28Swamplot%3A+Houston%27s+Real+Estate+Landscape%29

Edited by HoustonMidtown
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Article on Swamplot regarding viewing options...

 

Fire Department release:   "[T]here will be no ‘safe viewing site lines’ to observe the implosion."

 

http://swamplot.com/you-can-watch-the-macys-implosion-but-you-cant-stand-here/2013-09-19/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+swamplot+%28Swamplot%3A+Houston%27s+Real+Estate+Landscape%29

 

HA!  The fire department thinks they know my definition of "safe viewing"??  You can tell them to watch for me...  I'll be the guy BASE jumping with a GoPro.

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I have heard they are not going to be letting people in the Green Street parking garage on Sunday.  Not sure if it's in the restricted access zone or if that's just a building management decision.  Any other ideas??- unfortunately you almost have to be in one of the buildings around there to see it!

 

Check out ParkWhiz http://www.parkwhiz.com/p/houston-parking/1301-main-st/.  At least right now you can reserve a parking space from 6 am...  $12.00

 

Based on Google satellite it looks as if we'd be able to see at least one corner of ex-Macy's.

 

I'd be delighted to join a group going - I'm a newbie to this whole process, though.  Please contact me at liz (dot) biss (at) gmail (dot) com.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

~L

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Who told you they will have the parking garage closed? I seriously have a big party of people who already have it planned to get on top of that parking garage. Any skyscrapers accessible to the public at the time?

 

I heard the demolition company was telling the neighboring building managers that the Green Street parking garage was going to be closed.  Maybe it's a safety thing?  Supposedly there is a lot of coordination going on with many of the buildings around there.  I work a couple blocks away, outside the restricted area, and our entire building got a memo from management alerting us that the event was going on this weekend, and that we should avoid downtown on Sunday morning if possible.

 

Unfortunately, we are low in our building and look the wrong direction :-(  That's why I've been asking around about other ideas too... 

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R.I.P. Foleys, "the largest department store in the Southwest".  (That's quoting a billboard they had on 288 North, the main road from Angleton into Houston years ago.)

 

That store occupies a prominent place in my childhood memories for a number of reasons.  Will Houston ever have another 10-story department store (1 basement + 9 floors above ground)?  It was a vestige of an era in which downtown was the premier shopping district of Houston (as in other cities).

 

Despite the convenience of shopping online or at smaller branch stores, it was fun to have an excursion to the downtown Foley's, which often included lunch at the snack bar in the basement.  As a kid, I was partial to their hot dogs ... which I admit, weren't as good as those at James Coney Island.  And, maybe after walking through the tunnel back to the parking garage, an occasional visit to the Foley's "gourmet" store next door. 

 

 

Edited by ArchFan
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This plot of land would be a great spot to do a hotel/office/residential combo, perhaps leading to a 1,000+ footer.  There's not a better time to do it, given the hotel, housing and office markets in Houston.  The city should pony up some huge tax incentives for this, since it's such a high profile site in the heart of downtown and at the most visible stop on the rail line.  Get it done Annise.

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R.I.P. Foleys, "the largest department store in the Southwest". (That's quoting a billboard they had on 288 North, the main road from Angleton into Houston years ago.)

That store occupies a prominent place in my childhood memories for a number of reasons. Will Houston ever have another 10-story department store (1 basement + 9 floors above ground)? It was a vestige of an era in which downtown was the premier shopping district of Houston (as in other cities).

I doubt that anyone in the US will build another department store of that size. Those days are gone.

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This plot of land would be a great spot to do a hotel/office/residential combo, perhaps leading to a 1,000+ footer. There's not a better time to do it, given the hotel, housing and office markets in Houston. The city should pony up some huge tax incentives for this, since it's such a high profile site in the heart of downtown and at the most visible stop on the rail line. Get it done Annise.

Sounds great, but haven't they most likely already decided what their plans are?

The worst use is probably a single use office tower. But with them choosing Dallas as the spine of the retail district makes me think it will at least have retail. If it included residential that would just be awesome.

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Sounds great, but haven't they most likely already decided what their plans are?

The worst use is probably a single use office tower. But with them choosing Dallas as the spine of the retail district makes me think it will at least have retail. If it included residential that would just be awesome.

 

Agreed.  I was just dreaming a bit.

 

If Houston were to ever get a supertall again, I would suspect that there would need to be some government intervention -- e.g., massive tax benefits, coordination with hotel, residential incentives, etc.  Somewhat similar to how San Francisco is working with Hines on their new supertall -- the Transbay Tower.  

 

With the high profile visibility of this site, proximity to the rail, convention center, major employers, this would be a fantastic place to do it.  It could also create some excitement around convention goers over and above what "similar cities" could offer (Dallas, Atlanta) that could provide Houston a competitive advantage there.

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This plot of land would be a great spot to do a hotel/office/residential combo, perhaps leading to a 1,000+ footer.  There's not a better time to do it, given the hotel, housing and office markets in Houston.  The city should pony up some huge tax incentives for this, since it's such a high profile site in the heart of downtown and at the most visible stop on the rail line.  Get it done Annise.

That's actually not a bad idea. What better time to build a mixed use super tall with all the hotels and residences going up downtown. Someone should write to the city and make them think about it. There's no better plot for such a tower anywhere! Hopefully they realize the potential.

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Sounds great, but haven't they most likely already decided what their plans are?

The worst use is probably a single use office tower. But with them choosing Dallas as the spine of the retail district makes me think it will at least have retail. If it included residential that would just be awesome.

Agreed. I was just dreaming a bit.

If Houston were to ever get a supertall again, I would suspect that there would need to be some government intervention -- e.g., massive tax benefits, coordination with hotel, residential incentives, etc. Somewhat similar to how San Francisco is working with Hines on their new supertall -- the Transbay Tower.

With the high profile visibility of this site, proximity to the rail, convention center, major employers, this would be a fantastic place to do it. It could also create some excitement around convention goers over and above what "similar cities" could offer (Dallas, Atlanta) that could provide Houston a competitive advantage there.

The list of richest people in America just came out and Hillebrand was one of the tops in Houston. Here's hoping it is reflected in this building.

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Sounds great, but haven't they most likely already decided what their plans are?

The worst use is probably a single use office tower. But with them choosing Dallas as the spine of the retail district makes me think it will at least have retail. If it included residential that would just be awesome.

i thought they said there would be ground floor retail in the new office tower?

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Whither the tunnels underneath the building? Will they remain closed until the new complex opens?

 

There aren't really any tunnels underneath the building.  There are only 2 tunnels connecting to the basement of the building.  One to 1000 Main and one to the Macy's parking garage.  There will be no use for those tunnels until the new complex opens, so yes, I would imagine they will remain closed.

 

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Y'all aren't going to believe the video I'm going to get from my new vantage point....muahahaha!

For those of us not as lucky at Tumbleweed.....you can watch on Channel 13 or at ABC13.com 

 

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9257218

 

I can hear the helicopter hovering right now....

 

FOX 26 will also have live coverage

 

Live stream here:  http://www.chron.com/homes/commercial/gallery/Houston-implosions-through-the-decades-53545.php

 

 

Edited by HoustonMidtown
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Yea the Fox coverage alluded to retail and even some residential for the site. It's my understanding that Hilcorp got some tax incentives to include retail in their project to help anchor that retail district they want to make downtown. Doesn't seem like they could fit residential in it if it is only 23 stories though.

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You were so lucky to get on that parking garage! They closed it off when I got there so I had to watch it from Main and Polk. I noticed some people were on top of the skyscrapers man... I can't even imagine the view.

Edited by Triton
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the view from inside the old Books A Million... they decided we were too close, so they moved us up (some of the people with us ended up on top of the SkyBar, where they were going to build the outdoor part... I'll find out how their view was on Monday)

 

9872252516_884737d5be_b.jpg

 

 

Edited by Tumbleweed_Tx
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ok, here we go!!!

 

y'all get my evening, which started with a punk ska band at work... they're like a Panteon Rococco for white people (PR is my favorite latin ska band)... no pics of that... 

so... you saw the vantage we got moved from... here's the rest of the morning.

 

this is Annie.. .she was hanging out.

 

9880222205_26af42837e_c.jpgpoint

 

 

 

 

spraying water to minimize dust... it didn't help as you can tell from Infinite Jim's KILLER smoke photo...

 

9880341683_2766d0c2ec_b.jpg

 

 

 

 

this dude was on the old Humble Oil building... he was joined by 30 people, a cop went and chased them off...

 

9880230256_2ea2217266_z.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

This picture is called Salute... it's one of the last pictures taken of the building as part of the Houston skyline...

 

9880341483_e738101389_z.jpg

 

 

 

 

The mountain of rubble... Look closely, there's two guys in orange safety jackets on top of the mountain!

 

9880234866_e85105bf6d_c.jpg

 

 

 

 

awesome!!!!

 

 

 

my friends and I screwed around a little...

 

9880341523_efefbf3d68_c.jpg

 

 

and if you see this anywhere on the interwebs (it was photographed a LOT), keep in mind I'm the smart-ass who wrote it... LOL

 

9880234976_3a220edb17_c.jpg

 

and then there was mimosas  :)

 

 

I have video of the implosion, it's AWESOME, and my friend Eric's video is HILARIOUS! How do I post videos from facebook (his), and flikr (mine?)

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  • 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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