Urbannizer Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 The last two levels are within the crown; can't be used as office space. So 47 usable floors, 49 total. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 The last two levels are within the crown; can't be used as office space. So 47 usable floors, 49 total. Setting the record straight. Thanks! Wonder why the development map has that typo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 (edited) AWE INSPIRING! can you just imagine the opulence vs glamour.. that shall be incorporated throughout texas avenue once this edifice officially arrives, as per all of it's conceptual splendor. Edited May 17, 2014 by monarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nativehoustonion Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 A really fabulous building. I cannot wait when the cranes come up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 The last two levels are within the crown; can't be used as office space. So 47 usable floors, 49 total.Urbannizer, is it true this building will have LED's in the crown and on the sides? I thought I remembered reading that somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Based on the vantage point of this rendering it's difficult to get a good idea about the actual height. To me it looks to be the same height as BG Group Place (although speculation has told us it is taller). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 i thought it was like 757' according to some plans that were leaked?and HoustonTexasJack, the article when the tower broke ground/was officially announced did in fact mention LED lighting up the sides and in the crown. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonenadazilch Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 so it's basically identical in height to Heritage Plaza. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 i thought it was like 757' according to some plans that were leaked?and HoustonTexasJack, the article when the tower broke ground/was officially announced did in fact mention LED lighting up the sides and in the crown.Fist pump! The view from the Juice Box will be all the better for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I like it a lot. Very neat to see the rendering with the actual street incorporated. Needs more Audis though... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 I really like that the tower is on the south side of the lot. This allows us to now have a view of the Magnolia Hotel - which was blocked by the old tower before. The views from the Magnolia also got a lot better! The greenscape roof of the garage and the tower on the South side preserves views of downtown from that side! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonMidtown Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/05/hines-office-tower-designed-to-wow.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 The views from the Magnolia also got a lot better! Likewise Magnolia rooftop poolside sunbathing will not be for the attention averse. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClutchCity Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Nate if you don't mind could you get a couple pictures of the site this week? I drove by earlier this morning, but was running some errands so I didn't have time to run up to the top of the garage to get a good view. From what I could see they made some good progress digging and were hard at work as usual. The dang webcam is so high up its hard to get a good look at what's going on on the site. Thanks in advance Nate! :] Edited May 21, 2014 by ClutchCity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 After the foundation is poured what I'm curious to see are the tunnel connections. We know it will connect across Main to the Chase Center, but will there be any eastward extension to the Magnolia or Texaco blocks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Nate if you don't mind could you get a couple pictures of the site this week? I drove by earlier this morning, but was running some errands so I didn't have time to run up to the top of the garage to get a good view. From what I could see they made some good progress digging and were hard at work as usual. The dang webcam is so high up its hard to get a good look at what's going on on the site. Thanks in advance Nate! :] After the foundation is poured what I'm curious to see are the tunnel connections. We know it will connect across Main to the Chase Center, but will there be any eastward extension to the Magnolia or Texaco blocks? Funny you should mention that. It is hard to see, but if you look in the picture here, just beside the Bobcat in the shadow on the left, there is a cut in to what used to be the basement wall of the Texas Tower pointed directly at the Magnolia, so there could be something there. You can also see where they are chipping away at another basement foundation that is to the South of the now former Texas Tower that belonged to a building that must have been demolished a long time ago, like Pre-McDonalds. Some more: I also saw on Swamplot where someone else had the same idea of getting a pic of the Gulf Building while it was temporarily fully visible from that angle. Edited May 21, 2014 by Nate99 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdueenginerd Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Driven concrete piles... its gonna be nice and loud on those city blocks for the next few days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Driven concrete piles... its gonna be nice and loud on those city blocks for the next few days. You can't hear much apart from the construction noise anywhere around the block these days. The big excavator mounted jackhammers were doing their thing on the old foundations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Funny you should mention that. It is hard to see, but if you look in the picture here, just beside the Bobcat in the shadow on the left, there is a cut in to what used to be the basement wall of the Texas Tower pointed directly at the Magnolia, so there could be something there. There was indeed at one time a tunnel connecting the Post-Dispatch Building (now Magnolia Hotel) with the Sterling Building (recently known as Texas Tower). In fact, it was one of the very first tunnels (probably the very first) in downtown Houston, having been built in the 1920s. Of course, that tells us nothing about the future intentions of the current owners of either the Magnolia or 609 Main. I'm not sure how important it is for a hotel to be attached to the tunnel system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I'm not sure how important it is for a hotel to be attached to the tunnel system. I would think it would be considered an amenity. The Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Doubletree all are connected to the tunnels and/or the gerbil tubes, and the JW Marriott at 806 Main will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 There was indeed at one time a tunnel connecting the Post-Dispatch Building (now Magnolia Hotel) with the Sterling Building (recently known as Texas Tower). In fact, it was one of the very first tunnels (probably the very first) in downtown Houston, having been built in the 1920s. Of course, that tells us nothing about the future intentions of the current owners of either the Magnolia or 609 Main. I'm not sure how important it is for a hotel to be attached to the tunnel system. I didn't know that but that is interesting. There was also a tunnel connecting the parking garage adjacent to the Magnolia Hotel with the Gibraltar Savings building across Capitol (now demolished). You can still see the door in the foundation pit. So it would make sense to link 609 Main via the Magnolia and the garage to the eventual Texaco highrise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) I would think it would be considered an amenity. The Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Doubletree all are connected to the tunnels and/or the gerbil tubes, and the JW Marriott at 806 Main will be. Might be. On the other hand, none of the Lancaster, Sam Houston, Icon, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Hilton Americas, Westin, Magnolia (currently) or Embassy Suites are connected; and none of the Holiday Inn, Hotel Allesandra, Springwoods Suites, Hampton Inn, or Homewood Suites will be (and I'm skeptical about the Marriott Marquis being hooked into the tunnel system). Their disconnection might be an accident of location, but the 3 connected hotels' being connected might be nothing more than an accident of location as well. Will be interesting to see if Magnolia gets connected (and even more interesting to know who pays for it, if they indeed get connected). Edited May 21, 2014 by Houston19514 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I didn't know that but that is interesting. There was also a tunnel connecting the parking garage adjacent to the Magnolia Hotel with the Gibraltar Savings building across Capitol (now demolished). You can still see the door in the foundation pit. So it would make sense to link 609 Main via the Magnolia and the garage to the eventual Texaco highrise. Also interesting. And the Texaco developer did say last year that they would be connected to BG Group Place and to another high rise being developed to the north (obviously 609 Main). Perhaps it will take the route you suggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 ^ The disconnected hotels you name are generally more than a block away from the tunnels, except for the Lancaster which simply predates them by a few decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brijonmang Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 These are awesome. Thanks for making them Triton. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 It may happen that workers wanting to go to the west side of the CBD, instead of hiking a loop under Texaco and BG Group Place, will just walk outside and take the street! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Money Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 These are so great. It really demonstrates a whole lot more than a picture can, and it's nice for those of us who aren't in Houston to be able to appreciate the dynamism of the worksite! Thanks!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 It may happen that workers wanting to go to the west side of the CBD, instead of hiking a loop under Texaco and BG Group Place, will just walk outside and take the street! What is this "outside" of which you speak? True mole people would never do such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted May 23, 2014 Share Posted May 23, 2014 "cockoftherock.gif" Uhhhh what? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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