Catalyst: Residential High-Rise At 1475 Texas Ave.

[swtsig]

are any of these new restaurants projected to be high-rises?

 

not unless they're trying to be the largest restaurant in the world.

[cloud713]

not unless they're trying to be the largest restaurant in the world.

haha.. alright, alright. the joke was kind of lame. it seems so many of us (myself included) only tend to care about downtown developments if they are high-rises. the restaurant boom will obviously be much less exciting, filling in the available GFR spots in buildings currently going up/planned. but it will be a much needed boom none the less, and all the new downtown residents will surely be grateful. and hopefully many new restaurants will have moved in by 2017 for the 10 day Super Bowl party in downtown.

so a wave of restaurant developments is predicted, followed by retail..?

[Avossos]

haha.. alright, alright. the joke was kind of lame. it seems so many of us (myself included) only tend to care about downtown developments if they are high-rises. the restaurant boom will obviously be much less exciting, filling in the available GFR spots in buildings currently going up/planned. but it will be a much needed boom none the less, and all the new downtown residents will surely be grateful. and hopefully many new restaurants will have moved in by 2017 for the 10 day Super Bowl party in downtown.

so a wave of restaurant developments is predicted, followed by retail..?

 

I think we are already seeing a wave starting for restaurants going downtown. Ive heard of a few recently moving downtown from other parts of town.

[cloud713]

I think we are already seeing a wave starting for restaurants going downtown. Ive heard of a few recently moving downtown from other parts of town.

good point.. when i was trying to think if there were any tex mex restaurants downtown yet i remembered El Big Bad or something made an announcement that it was moving (or opening a second location?) downtown around Market Square a little while back..

[Avossos]

good point.. when i was trying to think if there were any tex mex restaurants downtown yet i remembered El Big Bad or something made an announcement that it was moving (or opening a second location?) downtown around Market Square a little while back..

 

Once the people are there, its going to make such a difference. I would love to see little shops open up for specialty clothing stores and such. those are the best.

[kbates2]

good point.. when i was trying to think if there were any tex mex restaurants downtown yet i remembered El Big Bad or something made an announcement that it was moving (or opening a second location?) downtown around Market Square a little while back..

 

El Big Bad is a good place.  Irma's is one of the better Tex-Mex places in town.  Guadalajara in Greenstreet, Fusion Taco (kind of Tex-Mex), crappy chain Ninfa's if you want food poisoning, the queso and tamales at Pastry War, and the taco stand across from the old courthouse are some of the others there.

[Houston19514]

Not to mention Pappasitos

[Houston19514]

I think we are already seeing a wave starting for restaurants going downtown. Ive heard of a few recently moving downtown from other parts of town.

 

Quite right.  The last year or two have been pretty active for new restaurants downtown.  

 

By the way, this is veering a bit off-topic, but does anyone know what is going in the restaurant space at the southwest corner of Texas and Main (across the street to the south of Chipotle)?

[por favor gracias]

Would love to get Lupe Tortilla downtown

[Nate99]

I would love to have a good traditional lowbrow eating place like LC Cafeteria was.

 

I'm telling you, a Waffle House would kill it if you could keep the bumstink out.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

El Big Bad is already at Market Square

[toxtethogrady]

Can Razzoo's be far behind?

[downtownian]

Nothing new in the article but glad to see ground has officially broke:

 

http://www.multihousingnews.com/news/work-begins-on-downtown-houston-apartments/1004110159.html

 

 

[UtterlyUrban]

Nothing new in the article but glad to see ground has officially broke:

http://www.multihousingnews.com/news/work-begins-on-downtown-houston-apartments/1004110159.html

I am troubled by one thing...... No this building per se but generally......

It seems to me that increasingly these resi buildings are saying that they have GFR "ground floor retail" when, if fact, what they mean to say is "ground floor restaurants".....

While that is good, having a bunch of eateries and pubs will not make downtown inherently more livable. Having actual dry goods (or grocery) retail will.

I certainly understand the pressures these buildings face.... OPP has about 3k feet of space that has never been leased in 5 years.... Faces the park but, perhaps, no retail suitor....... Still......

We need retail more than dining at this point.

[H-Town Man]

I am troubled by one thing...... No this building per se but generally......

It seems to me that increasingly these resi buildings are saying that they have GFR "ground floor retail" when, if fact, what they mean to say is "ground floor restaurants".....

While that is good, having a bunch of eateries and pubs will not make downtown inherently more livable. Having actual dry goods (or grocery) retail will.

I certainly understand the pressures these buildings face.... OPP has about 3k feet of space that has never been leased in 5 years.... Faces the park but, perhaps, no retail suitor....... Still......

We need retail more than dining at this point.

 

Perhaps some restaurant spaces could be converted to retail if there is enough demand down the road? At least the space is there, and there's something to work with. Unlike BG Group Place where you deaden a whole block of Main Street with little chance of ever having retail barring major surgery to the building.

 

What bothers me more about this development is the big curb cut in the middle of the block facing Texas and the port cochere set back on the west side of the block (with mature trees taken out). That half of the block looks like it would be a good design for Woodway or San Felipe rather than a key downtown street with pedestrian traffic. But I've mentioned these things before on this thread.

 

Still a net positive for this part of downtown. I'm excited about tomorrow.

[Howard Huge]

I certainly understand the pressures these buildings face.... OPP has about 3k feet of space that has never been leased in 5 years.... Faces the park but, perhaps, no retail suitor...

I can tell you exactly why. New downtown Houston construction does their "ground floor retail all wrong. Its all about presentation, street level/sidewalk presence to the passer by, driver by, pedestrian.

Look at New York ground floor retail in Manhattan...

Note the:

- all glass facades

- see through stores

- window displays

- high visibility, vibrant, large, colorful, eye-catching signage

- inviting, luring store fronts

Now look at the "ground floor retail space at One Park Place (and alot of other Houston buildings that jave built out their gfr similarly)

See the difference?

Now you might say "well duh, theres no signage because theres no tenant", to which I would say, even if there was a tenant, for one, OPP or downtown Houston, one or the other wouldn't allow any brilliant signage anyway, and two, it wouldnt even matter, because look at the store front. You cant even tell there is one, its just pure brick wall at the street level with little castle windows in between. You cant even tell there is retail space available in OPP, it doesnt look like it.

This is the problem.

And this happens over and over with new construction in Houston, they design the buildings gfr to look invisible, like its just a part of the building as a whole. It should not be bricked off with tiny windows, it should be all glass and completely see through.

[Texasota]

It will be interesting to see how fast the GFR in Mid-Main (which seems to be much more thoughtfully designed) fills up.

[cloud713]

Now look at the "ground floor retail space at One Park Place (and alot of other Houston buildings that jave built out their gfr similarly)

See the difference?

Now you might say "well duh, theres no signage because theres no tenant", to which I would say, even if there was a tenant, for one, OPP or downtown Houston, one or the other wouldn't allow any brilliant signage anyway, and two, it wouldnt even matter, because look at the store front. You cant even tell there is one, its just pure brick wall at the street level with little castle windows in between. You cant even tell there is retail space available in OPP, it doesnt look like it.

This is the problem.

And this happens over and over with new construction in Houston, they design the buildings gfr to look invisible, like its just a part of the building as a whole. It should not be bricked off with tiny windows, it should be all glass and completely see through.

WOW.. that ground floor retail BLOWS. what the hell were they thinking? is there even any other doorways/entrances in any of the window looking cut outs on the ground floor? that central entrance looks like a private residential entrance. i wouldnt be inclined to venture in there looking for retail.

fortunately it seems like most of the new high-rises going up have much better retail that fronts the streets and interacts with pedestrians.

edit. i just noticed the little doorway tucked in the nook to the left. What. The. ****. seriously? youre going to tuck the entrance to this GFR retail in a 10 foot setback, away from the sidewalk..? no wonder it hasnt been leased. were probably the only group of people who knows it exists..

Edited November 5, 2014 by cloud713

[Howard Huge]

WOW.. that ground floor retail BLOWS. what the hell were they thinking? is there even any other doorways/entrances in any of the window looking cut outs on the ground floor? that central entrance looks like a private residential entrance. i wouldnt be inclined to venture in there looking for retail.

fortunately it seems like most of the new high-rises going up have much better retail that fronts the streets and interacts with pedestrians.

edit. i just noticed the little doorway tucked in the nook to the left. What. The. ****. seriously? youre going to tuck the entrance to this GFR retail in a 10 foot setback, away from the sidewalk..? no wonder it hasnt been leased. were probably the only group of people who knows it exists..

EXACTLY!!!!!

If I was a retailer I would lease a spot in a Lyons ave strip mall in 5th Ward before I EVER considered leasing that space.

I mean, seriously, WHAT THE **** WERE THEY THINKING??!!

Same with the new 40 story Market Square tower, more brick walls and little castle windows...

Now look at Hines Market Square, at least theres more glass in between all the bricks, but wait, wheres the ****ing doors???

One place in downtown/midtown that got the ground floor retail right is Post midtown on Gray, they did everything perfect, great signage, awnings, shade trees, wiiide sidewalks, patio seating, glass facades etc, good job...

[SMF]

What a waste.

[Howard Huge]

Honestly, I dont care because this building is so sexy, but, just an observation, looks like Marvy did the same kind of retail under the minute maid park apartments, brick columns with small windows in between.

I wonder why they all do it like this? I mean, I would think it would actually be cheaper to do all glass on the ground floor, right? Seeing as to how you dont have to pay for all that extra brick, bricklaying, etc..

Am I right?

[H-Town Man]

In defense of OPP (yeah you know me), it may be that they were going for a more exclusive feel with their GFR, something that would cater mainly to building residents and those in the know.

 

I definitely agree that GFR must be visible, although something big and gaping would look awful if it were vacant, hence the more cautious approach. I think Hines Quarters gets it right and errs a bit on the side of risk, like any great development.

 

 

[bobruss]

Isn't this partially on the architects to know what happens to GFR if it isn't handled properly or are area  firms working in Houston not knowledgeable of these results.

I know the client has the last say, but if they agree to gfr shouldn't someone in the know be pointing them in the right direction. This thread just seemed to analyze the problem in about four entries.

[monarch]

well let's please remember that PHOENICIA MARKET is also (in the rear entry) of OPP.  this particular retail establishment is definitely well known throughout the CBD.  however, i am thinking that the small retail concept may be exclusive to the tenants as per OPP itself....

[jt16]

well let's please remember that PHOENICIA MARKET is also (in the rear entry) of OPP.  this particular retail establishment is definitely well known throughout the CBD.  however, i am thinking that the small retail concept may be exclusive to the tenants as per OPP itself....

 

I'm not saying the visibility is great, but that picture of OPP doesn't really tell the story.  You showed the side where there isn't an entrance to the gfr.  Should have a picture of the other side of OPP to get the true identity.

[monarch]

I'm not saying the visibility is great, but that picture of OPP doesn't really tell the story.  You showed the side where there isn't an entrance to the gfr.  Should have a picture of the other side of OPP to get the true identity.

i a concurring with you completely!  another one of our stalwarts submitted the illustration.  from what i have personally witnessed, OPP does not harbor any difficulties as per retail traffic.  i am always shopping at phoenicia market... i love it there.  once they finally open the alternate retail establishment... i am most certain that it shall become successful as well.

[JoninATX]

So did it break ground today?

[Houston19514]

I was looking at it earlier on the 609 Main webcam.  It looked as though they were having a formal ground-breaking ceremony.

[Howard Huge]

I'm not saying the visibility is great, but that picture of OPP doesn't really tell the story. You showed the side where there isn't an entrance to the gfr. Should have a picture of the other side of OPP to get the true identity.

Because we werent talking about Phoenicia, we were talking about the gfr facing the park that has been empty since OPP opened.

Read the post I first quoted.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Howard Huge

[Mab]

 

 

The Chicago developer planning a 28-story luxury residential tower near downtown’s Minute Maid Park read the definition of “catalyst” at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.

 

“A catalyst is something that enables a reaction to create change at a faster rate of speed than would otherwise be possible,” Darren Sloniger said under a white tent and over the din of construction noise coming from another apartment complex under way on the next block. ”We really believe that’s whats happening here today.”

The word is significant because it’s the name of Sloniger’s new development. Catalyst Houston is set to rise from a downtown block along Texas Avenue between Austin and LaBranch.

Slongier, president of the Chicago-based Marquette Cos., was joined at the ceremony by downtown officials and real estate professionals involved in the project.

“The building is coming at a time when people are changing their lifestyle patterns,” said architect Scott Ziegler of Ziegler Cooper, which designed the aluminum and glass clad tower. See renderings of the project here.

A strong economy, increased traffic and a population influx has driven high-density residential development across the inner city.

“It’s explosive what’s happening inside the Loop right now,” Ziegler said.

The new project will receive a $15,000-per unit tax rebate through the city’s Downtown Living Initiative program.

A dozen projects, including 3,900 units, have been approved through the program, which is capped at 5,000 units.

The city’s Chief Development Officer Andy Icken said many people have been surprised at how successful the program has become.

“We are creating a critical mass in downtown,” he said.

 

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/11/downtown-high-rise-breaks-ground/#28179101=10