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Market Square Tower: 40-Story High-Rise For Downtown


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Which garage? Kim Son? The Chronicle garage is for sale...

Edit. Just had a thought. Is Preston used very heavily for traffic coming into downtown from Washington? I wonder how many cars take that stretch south of Market Square. If they closed Preston in front of the park and bought the International Tower land they could have a 2 block wide park (it would appease the concerns that Market Square isn't big enough for all the residents coming), and allow 2 different developments to front the park (both the full block the Chron owns to the south, and the half block garage to the west of the IT block).

Edited by cloud713
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Which garage? Kim Son? The Chronicle garage is for sale...

Edit. Just had a thought. Is Preston used very heavily for traffic coming into downtown from Washington? I wonder how many cars take that stretch south of Market Square. If they closed Preston in front of the park and bought the International Tower land they could have a 2 block wide park (it would appease the concerns that Market Square isn't big enough for all the residents coming), and allow 2 different developments to front the park (both the full block the Chron owns to the south, and the half block garage to the west of the IT block).

I dunno. Going down Milam I am talking about the garages north and south of this development.

Preston doesn't seem like a very busy street to me. It has been handling narrowing to two lanes for the Hines market square development. I don't know if it would be an easy sell. Many people like the regular grid of downtown and hate closing off streets. If it was up to me I would close both Preston and Congress and narrow both Milam and Travis then I woulds get my square finally

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Yeah. Kim Son is the garage north, and the Chron is the garage south.

You are absolutely right about people not wanting the downtown grid to be messed up. It functions well. We don't want to screw that up (though I question the total number of cars going past Market Square on Preston. Like you said, Preston is handling the lane closures just fine).. So how about a Midway-GreenStreet esque mid-block cross walk to connect the two blocks of park? You would still get all the benefits of expanded park space for all the new residents, to having park frontage on 3 more blocks (instead of just 1) for better development opportunities. Idk, it was an early morning idea since nothing is going on with International Tower.

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I dunno. Going down Milam I am talking about the garages north and south of this development.

Preston doesn't seem like a very busy street to me. It has been handling narrowing to two lanes for the Hines market square development. I don't know if it would be an easy sell. Many people like the regular grid of downtown and hate closing off streets. If it was up to me I would close both Preston and Congress and narrow both Milam and Travis then I woulds get my square finally

 

 

Yeah. Kim Son is the garage north, and the Chron is the garage south.

You are absolutely right about people not wanting the downtown grid to be messed up. It functions well. We don't want to screw that up (though I question the total number of cars going past Market Square on Preston. Like you said, Preston is handling the lane closures just fine).. So how about a Midway-GreenStreet esque mid-block cross walk to connect the two blocks of park? You would still get all the benefits of expanded park space for all the new residents, to having park frontage on 3 more blocks (instead of just 1) for better development opportunities. Idk, it was an early morning idea since nothing is going on with International Tower.

 

Don't mess with the grid. Buffalo Bayou Park will be that asset for downtown. When the downtown portion is complete, residents downtown, especially ones close to Market Square, will be walking distance to one of the biggest and most expansive parks in the region. 

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i agree not to mess with the grid. thats one of the most vital/effective parts of downtowns infrastructure. i was just thinking how crowded Market Square will be when 1,000 new residents move in next door, but yeah i guess they can make the 3/4 mile walk to Buffalo Bayou Park. i was looking at things more from a development standpoint for the surrounding properties.

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I had a similar thought but without closing the street. Just turn the IT block into another green block. Turn HC garage into another resedential building and it makes that area that much better. The cherry on top would be the IT on the block where the HC building is now. If only I had the money and clout to make it happen.

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i agree not to mess with the grid. thats one of the most vital/effective parts of downtowns infrastructure. i was just thinking how crowded Market Square will be when 1,000 new residents move in next door, but yeah i guess they can make the 3/4 mile walk to Buffalo Bayou Park. i was looking at things more from a development standpoint for the surrounding properties.

 

3/4 mile?

 

This building is going in a block from the bayou, and new trails are currently being built on the south side. 

Sesquicentennial Park is two blocks away. 

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3/4 mile?

 

This building is going in a block from the bayou, and new trails are currently being built on the south side. 

Sesquicentennial Park is two blocks away.

 

 

Don't mess with the grid. Buffalo Bayou Park will be that asset for downtown.

Buffalo Bayou Park (the park he referenced, where pretty much all of the amenities along the bayou are) is 3/4's of a mile away.. not trying to argue semantics here, just saying. sure they can walk to the Bayou trail a block away.. but whats down there?

this?

16352260070_3df90446fe_c.jpg

don't get me wrong. I'm so excited for the downtown residents that they are focusing their efforts on connecting the trail system through (part of) downtown. but its going to be a ways to walk before you get to anything noteworthy..

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Are there specific amenities you're thinking of? Something that the combined proximity of Market Square, Sesquicentennial Park, Allen's Landing, and the bayou trails doesnt address or there should be more of?

amenities like what Market Square currently has (and then some.. a playground and what not). a dog park, a green space for outdoor gathering, a stage, etc. the original point was whenever another 1,000 people come to the two towers going up around Market Square, they will be adding a lot more people into the mix, and I'm not sure the one block of green space alone is enough to handle it. my latter point was that if in fact Market Square isn't sufficient for the amount of residents coming to the area, that if they wanted to walk to an equivalent amenities that they would have to go quite a ways down the bayou to find them.. which lets be honest. unless you're "hiking/biking", a lot of people aren't going to want to casually walk that far in Houston.

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Well, but don't forget that Jones Plaza, Tranquility Park and Herman Square are pretty close by too, and it seems like they are likely to get some work done soon.

 

I guess my point is that, if there's an issue, it's not about a lack of park or park-like space nearby, but rather a lack of programming within that space.

Sesquicentennial Park, Jones Plaza, and Tranquility Park could all be *much* more useful and successful if redesigned.

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you're right.. and it definitely won't be about "lack of green space". just lack of large enough amenities at said green spaces to host big events without having to break them up into several smaller events for each individual park. but alas, my desire was more so to do with incentivizing the development of the block and a half of Chronicle property that abuts 2 sides of the IT block, while getting rid of the surface parking lot.

Edited by cloud713
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really? it was all overgrown and filled with homeless people last time i was down there. if its changed in a couple months thats good to hear! anyways I've sidetracked this thread enough.. lets get back to Market Square Tower.

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Well, but don't forget that Jones Plaza, Tranquility Park and Herman Square are pretty close by too, and it seems like they are likely to get some work done soon.

 

I guess my point is that, if there's an issue, it's not about a lack of park or park-like space nearby, but rather a lack of programming within that space.

Sesquicentennial Park, Jones Plaza, and Tranquility Park could all be *much* more useful and successful if redesigned.

 

Tranquility Park has a vibrant and thriving following among urban camping enthusiasts. 

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2. Market Square Tower

slide-904--1429212383-large.jpg
 

Developer: Woodbranch Investments

Landscape Architect: Kudela & Weinheimer

Building Architect: Jackson & Ryan

Delivered: Under construction now, with estimated completion in early 2017

One of Market Square Tower’s two pools will be a heart-stopper—40 floors up, it cantilevers over the edge of the tower. Three sides are glass enclosures, and there will be three window panes so bold swimmers can peer down to the street from the bottom of the pool. The deck will be top-quality, all granite on pedestal pavers. Kudela & Weinheimer (which released this new rendering for us) tells us it’s been particularly challenging meeting hurricane requirements on the 40th floor.

 

https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/multifamily/10-sexiest-pool-decks-in-houston-44975

 

 

Yikes! That's a long fall if you're in the pool and the glass breaks below you.

 

Edited by PeopleAreStrange
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It's interesting that this project is as far along as it is and we only have basic line art renderings to go by. Meanwhile the Hines building across the way has plenty of sexy renderings that came out before the building even broke ground. I would assume these are essential marketing aids. 

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Yeah, I'd agree with that.

Yeah, especially with that pool right?

I mean, I remember every time we've had a major hurricane downtown, the first thing to go was all the glass windows in the buildings.

Well, that pool must be made out of some kind of 12 inch thick gorilla glass or something.

Edit: Maybe it's this metallic glass thats stronger than steel

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=toughest+glass+in+the+world&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.technologyreview.com%2Fnews%2F422345%2Fglass-thats-stronger-than-steel%2F&ei=vvhdVdvsGoHBsQWnoYDQDQ&usg=AFQjCNGZeVpyyzLJHieX_RtnfSuv6Jm_FQ&sig2=dTbefeXXxX8-c_ni0coL-Q

Edited by Howard Huge
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I don't think it's the strength of the glass, it's the seal. Hurricanes are low pressure systems. If the pressure outside the building drops then the pressure inside the building is going to pop out window panes. Since the pool will have an open top instead of sealed, then atmospheric pressure isn't going to be a big deal on the glass

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I don't think it's the strength of the glass, it's the seal. Hurricanes are low pressure systems. If the pressure outside the building drops then the pressure inside the building is going to pop out window panes. Since the pool will have an open top instead of sealed, then atmospheric pressure isn't going to be a big deal on the glass

Not talking about pressure busting windows in a hurricane, I'm talking about the flying projectile debris.

As Ron White once put it, "It's not THAT the wind is blowing, it's WHAT the wind is blowing." :lol:

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Man if That proposal for the theater district goes thu ..Houston Downtown could finally start to live up to it potential

 

I would love that proposal to go through, but dont get your hopes up. Right now that is very much a pie in the sky. I am sure with time and some revisions, the plan might get some legs.

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I would love that proposal to go through, but dont get your hopes up. Right now that is very much a pie in the sky. I am sure with time and some revisions, the plan might get some legs.

Err.. What the heck are you taking about? The theater district master plan is Houston First's next focus after the convention district redevelopment wraps up next year.. Sure some things will probably change in the finalization process, but rest assured they are serious about this.

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