Texaco Building (now The Star) At 1111 Rusk Street

[Montrose1100]

I can't wait to see an interior rendering! As well as floor plans and layouts of the apartments. Does anyone know the floor to ceiling height on each floor?

[Nate99]

Sounds good, but I'll believe it when I see it.  This building has been through so many renovation proposals I've lost count.  Shame, too, since it is such a nice property.

 

Agreed.

 

Hope it happens though, this thing has been a weed infested urine soaked eyesore of a crater for as long as I can recall.

[por favor gracias]

"...weed infested urine soaked eyesore of a crater of bird s___ ..."

 

FIFY.

[H-Town Man]

 

 

Anyone else pissed that they're moving our Texaco Building to downtown Atlanta? A stronger approach to city planning would not have allowed this. We need REGULATIONS, dammit!

[ricco67]

Tell you one thing, construction could be a bit of a challenge. Two of the strees will have light rail tracks.

Any theories on how they will handle it?

[Houstonian4Life]

From Houston BizJournal:

 

Update: The developer is about three months into the design process on the second, taller, tower — a phase two of the project that can be seen in the rendering on the opposite side of the building. Provident does not have an official height yet, however, Platt says the tower will be at least 20 stories above the nine-story garage.

[Houston19514]

^   Cool.  Good catch.

[sevfiv]

An update on the Texaco Building redevelopment - looks like it will start within a month:

 

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2013/08/old-texaco-building-getting-a-new-life/

[cloud713]

So that square on the roof of the garage rendering is where the tower will go? I hope they don't shorten it from the 38 story plan

Edited August 30, 2013 by cloud713

[j_cuevas713]

Wow wow wow greatest news all day!!!!! Damn near every building is getting renovated downtown!!!

I wonder what downtown will be like during the SB? So different from 2004!!!

[jt16]

So that square on the roof of the garage rendering is where the tower will go? I hope they don't shorten it from the 38 story plan

At this point, just the old Texaco building reno is a big win. The additional tower is icing on the cake. I don't think anyone here would have put money on that building surviving five years ago.

[mfastx]

This is huge IMO.  Great building and I'm glad it's being restored instead of torn down. 

 

So from what I gather, the new parking garage will be located where that "hole" is on the north side of the block?  And the tower will eventually sit on top of that? 

[Howard Huge]

This is huge IMO. Great building and I'm glad it's being restored instead of torn down.

So from what I gather, the new parking garage will be located where that "hole" is on the north side of the block? And the tower will eventually sit on top of that?

It IS huge.

>Adding hundreds of residents to downtown proper

>Renovating a beautiful historical structure instead of tearing it down

>Adding an additional building to our skyline

>Bridging the gap between DG life and Main st/light rail life

On top of all that, the renderings look badass.

This is a win-win-win situation.

[TowerSpotter]

It IS huge.

>Adding hundreds of residents to downtown proper

>Renovating a beautiful historical structure instead of tearing it down

>Adding an additional building to our skyline

>Bridging the gap between DG life and Main st/light rail life

On top of all that, the renderings look badass.

This is a win-win-win situation.

 

How could I disagree with that much enthusiasm. Great times for this city, also all these buildings are just one of many waves to come.

Edited August 31, 2013 by TowerSpotter

[LarryDierker]

How could disagree with that much enthusiasm. Great times for this city, also all these buildings are just one of many waves to come.

 

By How, did you mean Thurston?

And why would he disagree?

 

[Subdude]

Note merged Texaco Building topics merged

 

 

[Urbannizer]

The parking garage will be nine-floors, and the high-rise portion is 31 floors if the plan isn't revised. So it would be 40-floors?

 

[brijonmang]

The parking garage will be nine-floors, and the high-rise portion is 31 floors if the plan isn't revised. So it would be 40-floors?

 

 

I recently talked with my friend who was the person who first told me about this tower.  They said the 38 story tower is still a go.  Didn't say anything about 40 stories but...I'd say that it's safe to keep the enthusiasm train on track.  

[cloud713]

At the bottom of one of the articles linked recently the page was updated and said the developers were 3 months into the design process of the new tower so it sounds like it will happen sooner than later.

[clark030]

Looks Like H&M might open a location there.

 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/09-03-13-historic-downtown-building-set-for-luxury-condos-and-an-hm-too/

[fernz]

Looks Like H&M might open a location there.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/09-03-13-historic-downtown-building-set-for-luxury-condos-and-an-hm-too/

I bet that is just a sign that the architect's renderer put in to show there could be retail. That's an old rendering; tenants are never signed up at the time the architect does the design rendering.

[TowerSpotter]

So I knew they were condominiums.

Edited September 8, 2013 by TowerSpotter

[fernz]

So I knew they were condominiums.

They are not. A few lines below calling it condominiums, the article says:

"... with plans to convert it into 309 high-end rental units in a $95 million project."

[TowerSpotter]

They are not. A few lines below calling it condominiums, the article says:

"... with plans to convert it into 309 high-end rental units in a $95 million project."

I am not talking about the renovation on 1111 rusk, I am talking about the new tower. Edited September 8, 2013 by TowerSpotter

[cloud713]

i havent heard anything about ground floor retail with this besides that sketched in H&M in the rendering, but according to the swamplot article this will have 8,000 sq ft of retail. i wonder if all of that will be in the new garage or if they will implement some of it into the south facing side of the building so there is retail along both light rail tracks.

[Nate99]

Dudes working on the exterior...

 

 

 

[H-Town Man]

Dudes working on the exterior...

 

 

Thank you for this.

[Nate99]

Thank you for this.

 

I almost missed it. They sort of blended in with the light rail construction and work going on across the street in the parking garage. There were at least two guys on top of the covered walkway moving a ladder around. It's not much, but it is evidence of work being done, so that's good.

[ZKB9]

Its happening!

[aarosurf]

It's great that this building is being saved & restored. A little history (courtesy of http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/fs/FS_oil_bldgs.pdf )

 

Texas Company Building

The oldest of these existing structures is the Texas Company 

Building, which opened in 1915 at the corner of San Jacinto 

Street and Rusk Avenue. The 13-story building was entirely 

occupied by Texas Co. employees—an indication of the fastgrowing industry in the Houston area. It was designed by 

the New York architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore, 

the creator of New York’s Grand Central Station, as well as 

Houston’s Union Station (1910).

The building’s architectural style is described as modern 

Italian Renaissance, although it also displays elements of the 

Beaux Arts styling. Bedford limestone, terra cotta and brick 

were the primary materials used in the construction. Perhaps 

the most unique aspect of the building is the arcade covering 

the sidewalks on both San Jacinto and Rusk. Tuscan columns 

of limestone on granite bases support the arcade, vaulted with 

Guastavino tiles. Each column has a bronze bumper guard 

bearing what would become known as the “Texaco star.” 

Between 1936 and 1975, three additions were built to expand 

operations.