BigFootsSocks Posted October 18, 2015 Share Posted October 18, 2015 I wasn't gonna be the one today it but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Walked by there yesterday, it did look like they were cleaning out all of the junk that they had sitting down in the hole. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Would that extra segment have come into contact with 609 Main cranes during its early stages of construction? Otherwise, it looks like this was added to extend the frame to the northwest corner of the block. That seems unnecessary for just a garage right? Here's a shot standing on the Texaco corner of Capitol and Fannin. It doesn't look like 609's would have gone completely over the intersection, but maybe. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Foundations for something... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Those would be for the garage, which should eventually have a tower built on top of it, similar to the Capitol Tower garage 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 (edited) Those would be for the garage, which should eventually have a tower built on top of it, similar to the Capitol Tower garage Right, I knew about the garage, but still curious how it is all going to come together. Looks like they're not going to completely [re]excavate the hole based on these pilings/foundations. Should be interesting to see how they do it . Edited November 2, 2015 by Nate99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well if they want a basement level for the parking garage, they don't have much work to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Right, I knew about the garage, but still curious how it is all going to come together. Looks like they're not going to completely [re]excavate the hole based on these pilings/foundations. Should be interesting to see how they do it . Or not... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I guess the hole wasn't deep enough 0.o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 they arent even close to being ready. looks like another 9 months atleast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Would that extra segment have come into contact with 609 Main cranes during its early stages of constructionNah, shouldn't ever happen.When a lot of tower cranes are working in close proximity to eachother, they will always be at offset heights so as to make a collision impossible. (See any single construction site with multiple hammerheads, they are never the same height)The only mishap that can occur when you have two or more cranes within jibs reach of eachother is the load lines from either crane getting tangled up in the other cranes jib by swinging over/under it.This however is mitigated by all the crane operators and riggers in the area (even the tower cranes across the street) all being in constant communication with eachother.Also when you're in the seat of the crane, you can see all the other cranes around you so, not really gonna happen barring some extreme operator error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Move-ins will begin 2Q 2016 http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2015-11-11/Downtown_Real_Estate_Update_2015_3Q.pdf 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 700 spots for a 300 unit building - I suspect the tower is still at least in their long term plans 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 yeah right, move ins arent happening in for another 6-9 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 yeah right, move ins arent happening in for another 6-9 months.It's hard to see, but the building on the right has dry wall, light fixtures and cabinets in the bottom levels on the side facing Rusk. It's the other building that I'm curious how can be finished in 9 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Another 6 months minimum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 It looks like the interior units will have balconies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Cmon lol those arent real balconys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Based on what we can see now, I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure how they are integrating the building with the garage. I'm interested to see what else happens to the foundation of the garage portion. I'd bet that will tell whether or not they planned for the tower design. A plausible (and completely fabricated) scenario exists that the cycle of this project went something like this: 1. Incentives and superheated Houston economy provokes ambitious tower concept 2. Project design works out work needed to restore old side a work commences 3. Project design works out particulars of new tower construction right about the time the economy cools 4. Designers sent back to the drawing board to slash a few million off the garage/tower design. 5. Tower option removed completely in favor of a structure that will support the garage and no more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Sadly that is probably the case. However, the current building is still quite tall, and if what we get is just a block that is all that tall (instead of a giant hole) right next to the Metro rail transfer station(s) I'll be happy. Just glad that the Texaco building survived and wasn't leveled for Skyhouse Rusk or something 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Sadly that is probably the case. However, the current building is still quite tall, and if what we get is just a block that is all that tall (instead of a giant hole) right next to the Metro rail transfer station(s) I'll be happy. Just glad that the Texaco building survived and wasn't leveled for Skyhouse Rusk or something Indeed. I think I found this forum initially when I walked by that hole for the first time and started poking around the internet to find out why there was a giant crater in the middle of downtown. Just based on what is actively being built/restored right now, the transformation of that area will be as good of an outcome as one could reasonably expect in terms of renewal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 Soon this will be known as "The Star". http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/docs_pdfs/hahc/Application_Materials/December_MATERIALS/1111_Rusk_MATERIALS.pdf 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rechlin Posted December 5, 2015 Share Posted December 5, 2015 From that PDF, it looks like the future tower isn't completely dead, because it's still referenced on the floor plan on page 9. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 Soon this will be known as "The Star". http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/docs_pdfs/hahc/Application_Materials/December_MATERIALS/1111_Rusk_MATERIALS.pdf Oh no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted December 8, 2015 Share Posted December 8, 2015 ^^^ a cool and modern day tribute to the TEXACO star. THE STAR, out of the box thinking.. with a cool modern day touch.... cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 Bad light hole picture... better light brick (real brick) picture... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 17, 2015 Share Posted December 17, 2015 (edited) Edited December 17, 2015 by Nate99 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 ^^^ great job nate99! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbleweed_Tx Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 They're filling in that hole? Why WAS that hole there, anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 They're filling in that hole? Why WAS that hole there, anyway?The last structure there was a parking garage for Texaco. They tore it down to make room for some kind of development that never happened. It has been a crater for probably 15 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 The last structure there was a parking garage for Texaco. They tore it down to make room for some kind of development that never happened. It has been a crater for probably 15 years. It was the Gibraltar Savings / Texaco Annex, a small office building. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 It was the Gibraltar Savings / Texaco Annex, a small office building. Cool, had not seen those. I was going off of the door that s up against Capitol down in the hole labeled "GARAGE". They are chipping out a bunch of foundation. It is fairly extensive work going pretty deep. Makes me wonder if they are working to keep the tower option alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Cool, had not seen those. I was going off of the door that s up against Capitol down in the hole labeled "GARAGE". They are chipping out a bunch of foundation. It is fairly extensive work going pretty deep. Makes me wonder if they are working to keep the tower option alive. Methinks that the "GARAGE" door opens to a tunnel to the garage across Capitol, which appears to be of similar vintage to the now departed annex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Methinks that the "GARAGE" door opens to a tunnel to the garage across Capitol, which appears to be of similar vintage to the now departed annex. That would make more sense given which side of the door the label is on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 It was the Gibraltar Savings / Texaco Annex, a small office building. Cool pictures of the building. I think I had seen some old B&W photos of it at one point, but it looks like it was a nice small office building - similar in style to the HCC office building in midtown Drove by here yesterday and it looked like the newer tower (west tower) had interior walls or at least fittings of some kind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nate99 Posted January 4, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted January 4, 2016 Windows... 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 ^^^ quite nice. props nate99... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Methinks that the "GARAGE" door opens to a tunnel to the garage across Capitol, which appears to be of similar vintage to the now departed annex. That is correct. I had sort of assumed that they would rebuild the tunnel through the Gibraltar Savings parcel to reconnect to the garage and Magnolia Hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 That is correct. I had sort of assumed that they would rebuild the tunnel through the Gibraltar Savings parcel to reconnect to the garage and Magnolia Hotel. Why would either party (Texaco building apartments or Magnolia Hotel) would be interested in paying for a tunnel connection between the two? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Windows... Can someone who is familiar with the multi-family industry explain to me why an historical apartment building wouldn't have windows that open? I don't mean to argue, I'm just genuinely curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Can someone who is familiar with the multi-family industry explain to me why an historical apartment building wouldn't have windows that open? I don't mean to argue, I'm just genuinely curious. They actually pivot open from a point in the center, unless they did something to seal them off recently I can't recall if I've seen them open in the last few months, but I took a picture some time ago. Edited January 5, 2016 by Nate99 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 That seems like a good way to make it look like a garfield window cling is climbing up the building Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 It looked like they might be finishing out some units on that corner. I swear I saw some blinds hung up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Is the hole shallower? Or is that an optical illusion with the new dirt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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