42-Story High-Rise for Block 98, Behind Hess Tower

[htownproud 327]

probably not.. its on 12 stories of parking garage. plus, 2929 Weslayan is 40 stories. and that 40 story Market Square residential should hopefully be in the pipeline soon (though also on a garage)..

id be interested in a list of all the residential highrises going up or proposed for Houston.

42 story Hermann Place

40 story 2929 Weslayan

40 story Block 35)/Market Square block

38 story Block 98

38 story Texaco redevelopment

36 story Gables Post Oak

33 story Hines Market Square

30 story Hanover Montrose

30 story Uptown Park

29 story Hanover Post Oak

28 story Marquette 1400 Texas

28 story Astoria

26 story Belfiore

25 story The Southmore

25 story SkyHouse River oaks

24 story SkyHouse downtown

21 story The Sovereign

20 story Chelsea Montrose

20 story The Woodlands condo tower

18 story Azalea Court/Mid Lane Phase III

17 story Azalea Court/Mid Lane Phase II

17 story Bunker Hill mixed use development

15 story Azalea Court/Mid Lane Phase III

13 story The Kirby Collection

12 story Camden highrise Phase I

12 story Camden highrise Phase II

10 story Allied Orion Group

(sorry to get off topic.. did i miss any? thats quite an impressive list of residential highrises)

A lot of buildings planned.  It would be nice to see some above 40 floors, but I'll take it.  

[Triton 11063]

Think of this like a "before" photo

 

 

 

 

[democide 158]

Such a long but narrow lot but that's what makes it interesting at 38 stories  great before shot.

[Triton 11063]

Such a long but narrow lot but that's what makes it interesting at 38 stories  great before shot.

Thanks. It's awesome going to see how much this area changes.... especially where it's come from

 

[democide 158]

Indeed.  Downtown Houston was so undeveloped back then, and it's been a long road getting to where it is now.  That makes me feel good about what's ahead in the future

[Dakota79 643]

A lot of buildings planned. It would be nice to see some above 40 floors, but I'll take it.

Great List!

What about the 12 story Hanover in Southampton?

[mfastx 512]

Thanks. It's awesome going to see how much this area changes.... especially where it's come from

Yup. Only good thing about downtown back then was that the Days Inn wasn't abandoned yet, lol.

[H-Town Man 4440]

Thanks. It's awesome going to see how much this area changes.... especially where it's come from

 

 

Keep in mind this picture was taken right after the great car blizzard of 1982, when downtown was just blanketed in cars, a disaster from which we are still recovering.

 

Also interesting in this picture - the Medical Arts building is still standing (where 6 HC is going to be), Union Station could still receive trains, and the Annunciation Catholic Church school had not yet received its extreme 80's makeover.

 

[Montrose1100 3270]

Keep in mind this picture was taken right after the great car blizzard of 1982, when downtown was just blanketed in cars, a disaster from which we are still recovering.

 

Also interesting in this picture - the Medical Arts building is still standing (where 6 HC is going to be), Union Station could still receive trains, and the Annunciation Catholic Church school had not yet received its extreme 80's makeover.

I would assume closer to 1978.

[mollusk 2219]

I think it may even be a couple years before that.  While One and Two Houston are there, it doesn't look like South Texas College of Law had yet done its expansion to the full north half of the block that it now completely covers.   

[Subdude 1576]

The majority of vacant blocks in the picture, pretty much everything north of Dallas, were part of the land acquisition for the Houston Center project and I assume were cleared in the late 1970s as planning for that progressed. This would have been shortly before construction began on the shopping mall and convention center.  

 

 South of Dallas in through the Parking District, I would guess were just cleared by different property owners.  

 

 

 

 

the Days Inn wasn't abandoned yet

 

That was actually a Holiday Inn.

 

[Houston19514 3859]

LyondellBassel Tower was completed in 1978, so the photo was taken in 1978, at the very earliest.  And the Four Seasons Hotel was completed in 1981 and its site is a parking lot in the picture, so the picture must have been taken prior to 1980.

 

Here's a photo of the area from 1970, when Texas Eastern bought the 32 blocks of eastern downtown for their Houston Center development.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Houston19514

[HoustonIsHome 1472]

Wow, odd seeing a pic of downtown Houston with no visible surface parking lots.

[Houston19514 3859]

Wow, odd seeing a pic of downtown Houston with no visible surface parking lots.

 

That would be odd. Have you seen one?  ;-)    (There are several visible surface parking lots in the  referenced picture.)

 

[bobruss 4913]

The Shell building is under construction in this image and it was completed in 1971 so this image is probably 1970 /71.

[Houston19514 3859]

The Shell building is under construction in this image and it was completed in 1971 so this image is probably 1970 /71.

 

Yeah.  That's one of the reasons I said it was from 1970.

 

[bobruss 4913]

Sorry about that. I just realized your caption stated that. I got confused with the page change.

Relax, It was my mistake.

[HoustonIsHome 1472]

That would be odd. Have you seen one? ;-) (There are several visible surface parking lots in the referenced picture.)

I see surface parking but not entire lots for parking. I don't see any

[Houston19514 3859]

I see surface parking but not entire lots for parking. I don't see any

 

I presume you mean you don't see any entire blocks for parking?  That seems to be true.  I don't think I see any entire blocks of surface parking either, but there are clearly several surface parking lots in the picture.

Sorry about that. I just realized your caption stated that. I got confused with the page change.

Relax, It was my mistake.

 

It's all good.  I'm sorry I did not include a wink in my earlier response.

[BigFootsSocks 3098]

^Yeah you just came off like a huuuuge dick   

You guys are so aggressive here

[mollusk 2219]

Much of what is now The Parking District, outside of the Houston Center assemblage, also has buildings on it that were gone less than ten years later.  I wonder what generated that demo derby?  

[HoustonIsHome 1472]

I presume you mean you don't see any entire blocks for parking? That seems to be true.

That is what I said. What is up with you today? A lot that happens to have surface parking included isn't the same thing as a surface parking lot. Just as a grocery that happens to sell milk Isnt a dairy.

I said I didn't see any SURFACE PARKING LOTS, what do you presume I meant my lot?

[H-Town Man 4440]

So do we have Texas Eastern to blame for destroying east downtown's neighborhood fabric, or was it the more organic forces of parking demand and owners not wanting structures to pay taxes on?

[Subdude 1576]

So do we have Texas Eastern to blame for destroying east downtown's neighborhood fabric, or was it the more organic forces of parking demand and owners not wanting structures to pay taxes on?

 

I suspect more the latter, and that Texas Eastern was pushing against an open door.  After all, there was much the same clearance of property in the Parking District where there was not one acquirer.  After all, until the 1960s wholesale slum clearance was considered urban improvement, not destruction of neighborhood fabric. 

[Urbannizer 42213]

New design:

[cloud713 3873]

dammit i liked the old one better.. this design looks more like a skinnier/taller sovereign.

[Avossos 1907]

what material is the brown? Brick or concrete?

[Urbannizer 42213]

I think I like the new design more. Construction begins the first quarter of 2015.

[H-Town Man 4440]

This might be the most architecturally distinguished of the new downtown residential buildings, although Hines Market Square certainly wins on the lower floors.

 

[lockmat 2213]

I hope this not the new design, I like the first one better as it was much more sleek. I'm curious to know if it will have a pool. Can you make a multifamily development these day w/o one?

[Avossos 1907]

Honestly, I don't mind it. I think the materials and the nuances will make it good or just average. Most of these residential are starting to all look the same. I'd love to see something more original in the future - but that doesn't mean thus is bad

[ClutchCity 218]

The first design looked more generic so it's nice to see a change up. The first rendering looked like 1400 Texas and Hines' Market Square(as well as Hanover Montrose and the Southmore).It's nice to see Downtown getting all the variety of architectural styles! Also looks like a double height amenity deck above the garage so there might be room for a pool. Is it odd that there what looks like a sky bridge to the new convention center hotel? They going to link the garages with Hess for increased capacity?

[Naviguessor 2017]

Maybe the sky bridge so that the residents can use the pool/river at the Marriott? For a price... Of course.

[lockmat 2213]

I hope this not the new design, I like the first one better as it was much more sleek. I'm curious to know if it will have a pool. Can you make a multifamily development these day w/o one?

 

I'm sorry you guys, when thinking of the "old rendering" I was actually thinking of the one two blocks from MMP. That said, I still like the old one better, even if it did look like Hines' Market Square park project. If we're gonna continue to build a bunch of buildings that look alike, this style is worth copying.

[j_cuevas713 2461]

If their projected start date is the first quarter of 2015, then I'm sure there will be another render change.

[jmosele 254]

I'm still amazed by how narrow it is. I think it's skinnier than Mercer West even

[LTAWACS 113]

Reminds me of that proposed tower fir Denver. E really tall and skinny one.

[Montrose1100 3270]

It reminds me more of the infill you see on the east coast.

[cloud713 3873]

New design:

is it just me or does that look like GFR? its definitely not a garage entrance, and seems way too big (and has two separate locations) for a residential entrance or a leasing office. and speaking of garage entrances.. i dont see an entrance for the garage. unless its on the north side which would be kind of weird because thats where the LRT is going. i guess they may end up linking garages like someone suggested.

[Urbannizer 42213]

Of the six projects proposed, three have been approved for the incentive program, and agreements are pending on the others. Those approved include a 33-story tower planned near Market Square Park, a 38-story building by Discovery Green, and a 10-story structure on the southern end of downtown.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Downtown-views-call-to-many-suburbanites-5332897.php

[Timoric 1510]

-

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[Sellanious Caesar 207]

I wonder how many blocks compose downtown, how many are occupied with buildings and how many are parking lots? Then we can get a sense of how much is filling up etc and how much growth can occur...of course you can tear down old stuff too.

Downtown has 119 buildings over 10 stories. Uptown west of 610 has 103.

Downtown has 99 surface parking lots. To me defined as complete parking or partial parking for strip malls or a lot where more than 10% of the space is parking lot. I like to be extra strict on the definition, it'll make Houston's infill look better.

Then there's an additional 19 lots north of the bayou and south of I-10 with grass on it or former industrial.

Downtown is scheduled to annihilate 28 surface lots in total. -28% surface parking.

[Montrose1100 3270]

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Downtown-views-call-to-many-suburbanites-5332897.php

The Top floor features will play nicely with Hess. Glad to see this weird small strip was left for development. Also very glad it wasn't turned into just retail.

[lockmat 2213]

Downtown has 119 buildings over 10 stories. Uptown west of 610 has 103.

Downtown has 99 surface parking lots. To me defined as complete parking or partial parking for strip malls or a lot where more than 10% of the space is parking lot. I like to be extra strict on the definition, it'll make Houston's infill look better.

Then there's an additional 19 lots north of the bayou and south of I-10 with grass on it or former industrial.

Downtown is scheduled to annihilate 28 surface lots in total. -28% surface parking.

If/when downtown fills up, where will the office high rises go, midtown?

[H-Town Man 4440]

If/when downtown fills up, where will the office high rises go, midtown?

 

It will never fill up; Chicago's Loop isn't even full. And they can always tear down old stuff and build taller, just like they're trying to do in Midtown Manhattan right now with the rezoning around Grand Central.

[cloud713 3873]

If/when downtown fills up, where will the office high rises go, midtown?

ive read somewhere that the Energy Corridor is supposed to overtake downtown in a few decades, in terms of office sq footage.. not sure if thats true/will happen or not, but who knows.

i suppose Midtown/4th Ward is a possibility/spilling over across Pierce (or maybe Pierce will be gone by then, heh) from downtown.

or they will just pull a Houston and start tearing down the last remaining old/"insignificant" buildings in downtown to build more towers. by the time downtown fills up some of these buildings will be well over 100 years old..

[lockmat 2213]

It will never fill up; Chicago's Loop isn't even full. And they can always tear down old stuff and build taller, just like they're trying to do in Midtown Manhattan right now with the rezoning around Grand Central.

Isn't Downtown Chicago area like five times bigger though?

[H-Town Man 4440]

Isn't Downtown Chicago area like five times bigger though?

Not talking about all of downtown, just the Loop.

[HoustonIsHome 1472]

ive read somewhere that the Energy Corridor is supposed to overtake downtown in a few decades, in terms of office sq footage.. not sure if thats true/will happen or not, but who knows.

i suppose Midtown/4th Ward is a possibility/spilling over across Pierce (or maybe Pierce will be gone by then, heh) from downtown.

or they will just pull a Houston and start tearing down the last remaining old/"insignificant" buildings in downtown to build more towers. by the time downtown fills up some of these buildings will be well over 100 years old..

You can't really compare the 50 mile energy corridor or the 55 sq mile uptown to the 2 sq mile downtown.

Closest competition in terms of square feet of building to square mile area is TMC and downtown is still leagues ahead of TMC. When all buildings are considered its over 40M sq feet for TMC and over 60M for downtown.

Uptown is near 30M and the EC is over 20M

[talltexan83 96]

It looks like there was some kind of drilling (soil samples?) being done on this site today.  Block was closed to parking.  Any idea if this is related to the high rise or part of the Convention Center hotel construction across the street?