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Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel


Mab

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hey gang, does anyone know upon whether or not, if the HILTON AMERICAS plans to undergo some form of a renovation / upgrade, in lieu of the forthcoming super bowl in 2017?  HILTON management, is going to have to perform some form of an upgrade (exterior / interior) in order to half way keep up with the new MARRIOT MARQUIS.  once completed, the MARRIOT shall become an iconic showplace.    

 

I don't know about you, but the exterior looks good to me. Not everything has to be updated or upgraded for the Super Bowl. Leave it be. It's a very nice hotel. I think you are getting a little over excited.

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I don't know about you, but the exterior looks good to me. Not everything has to be updated or upgraded for the Super Bowl. Leave it be. It's a very nice hotel. I think you are getting a little over excited.

"a little over excited?"  nah, i think that it's more along the lines of thinking like a professional businessman.  upon my most personal view, the HILTON AMERICAS, has got to be one of the biggest, dullest, non inspirational hotel properties throughout the state of texas.  if it wasn't for being connected via skywalk to the GRB.. you wouldn't even know that it was there.

 

i recall, as i was once employed as per the EL PASO CORP downtown, i used to walk all the way over to the PARK SHOPS during my lunch hour.  i would venture out unto the outdoor patio, have a seat, and just watch as the HILTON AMERICAS was being constructed.  i used to think of all the possibilities of this burgeoning property.  upon my view, this hotel was a bit ill conceived.  if they could just provide a bit more resources, better landscaping, state of the art LED lighting effects, better signage, something / anything, to bring some much needed life to this particular property... i would be so very happy.  as i certainly want it to remain as successful as possible. 

 

however, something must be done.  or otherwise it's HILTON, we have a problem...

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Monarch, it's interesting (as usual) to hear your opinion although perhaps we disagree a bit.  For me, the Hilton Americas is the only fairly new hotel in Houston that reminds me of other large convention hotels that I've stayed at in other cities.  That doesn't mean that I don't agree it could be better ... it just means that I was glad we finally got a place in that class.  (Tho' I think that the bar on top closed, which I'm sorry about because it was a nice touch.)  

Edited by ArchFan
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Monarch, it's interesting (as usual) to hear your opinion although perhaps we disagree a bit.  For me, the Hilton Americas is the only fairly new hotel in Houston that reminds me of other large convention hotels that I've stayed at in other cities.  That doesn't mean that I don't agree it could be better ... it just means that I was glad we finally got a place in that class.  (Tho' I think that the bar on top closed, which I'm sorry about because it was a nice touch.)  

The Bar up top is reserved for private parties. It was a great view but the glass is so extremely reflective you can't really capture a good picture or see very well. The outdoor Pool view is a lot better.

 

I have to agree with what most of you are saying. The Hilton is actually very nice. Giant glass chandeliers, amazing mix of colors between the busy marble floors/columns, ornate light fixtures, and simple furnishings, someone put a lot of thought into it. Usually those color choices are not my cup of tea but they work, and I appreciate that they do. The Bar in the Lobby is also very nice. The Pappasito's is pleasantly done as well. It's not gimmicky with Cacti hanging from the walls and ceilings. Their outdoor patio space is very enjoyable. The sitting areas have a nice friendly view of the trees across the street.

 

The basket weave exterior doesn't excite or bore me. 

 

Anyways, sorry for drifting off topic. I'm excited to see any interior renderings of the hotel going above office building. Will be interesting to see how they accomplish both lobbies. 

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"Additionally, some of the retail space will be included in an office building Houston First Corp. is developing at the north end of the GRB. The approximately 30,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space will front Avenida de las Americas, and venues will range in size from approximately 1,500 square feet to more than 10,000 square feet.

Houston First, which manages the GRB, is working with Wulfe and Griffin in the development process. Private-sector development is a critical part of growth in the area and the convention center's master plan, Houston First Chairman Ric Campo said in the statement.

"These people places will be major amenities for the Avenida de las Americas, the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel, Discovery Green, the new Marriott Marquis and the new offices and parking garage included in the master plan," Campo said in the statement."

I thought you said ground floor retail doesn't work in Houston Mr Campo? :rolleyes:

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This is going to be great with residential near by as well this can either be good for greenstreet or it might be bad depending on the type of retail they add to this area overall i think this will be good for this area period and i just mention it might be good for greenstreet since it is within walking distance it might be bad because most might consider going to this area instead of greenstreet depending on what it is added to the convention center.

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This is going to be great with residential near by as well this can either be good for greenstreet or it might be bad depending on the type of retail they add to this area overall i think this will be good for this area period and i just mention it might be good for greenstreet since it is within walking distance it might be bad because most might consider going to this area instead of greenstreet depending on what it is added to the convention center.

 

Holy run-on sentence Batman!

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From the Houston First FB Page:

 

10993102_861077377283464_491715879768188

 

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, the cement foundation will be poured for the new 10-story office tower (and a 400-room hotel that subsequently will be built on top of it) on the north end of George R. Brown Convention Center. Approximately 500 cement mixers and five pumping trucks will be employed in the job. Work is expected to be completed by 8 a.m. Saturday and no lane closures will be required. This photo shows where the big pour will take place!
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If you had the money right now, where would you buy land in Houston?

Downtown of course.

Do you realize what downtown is going to look like in 5 years, when all the new buildings and thousands of new apartments come online?

It is going to start a chain reaction that is going to suck in more apartments, more retail, more parks, etc etc.

With the shrinking number of parking lots, the value of land is just going to keep rising up up and away....

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Downtown of course.

Do you realize what downtown is going to look like in 5 years, when all the new buildings and thousands of new apartments come online?

It is going to start a chain reaction that is going to suck in more apartments, more retail, more parks, etc etc.

With the shrinking number of parking lots, the value of land is just going to keep rising up up and away....

 

Couldn't agree more and I'm really excited for it, however, I hope they don't forget to build a couple of large-scale parking garages to account for the lack of parking lots there will be in the future.

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Downtown of course.

Do you realize what downtown is going to look like in 5 years, when all the new buildings and thousands of new apartments come online?

It is going to start a chain reaction that is going to suck in more apartments, more retail, more parks, etc etc.

With the shrinking number of parking lots, the value of land is just going to keep rising up up and away....

 

I agree. The problem is, where do you buy? Every recent project or proposal has been for rental units outside of Randall Davis' Marlowe. 

 

My sister lives in One Park Place. She'd love to buy downtown but there's nothing comparable for sale. Downtown needs a couple of brand new, ground-up condo buildings to stabilize the area. 

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I was thinking more of doing this:

For example, a couple and another couple I know bought a 100 year old town house in a crime-infested neighborhood near Capitol Hill and spent about a year renovating it on weekends together to rent for several years and finally sell as the neighborhood gentrified.

The roads were so bad, they used to sit on the porch and watch cars speed through, hit a particularly bad bump, fly and spark bottom as they threw back a few beers after working on the old place.

He even showed me a shirt he got with either a bullet hole or knife cut through the collar he picked up at a thrift store nearby.

Where can you buy a house or apartment now in Houston to be ahead of the curve? There must be tons of places.

In Five Years Neighborhood X

In Ten Years Neighborhood Y

Unfortunately, as someone hit on earlier, you've missed the bus on the east end and third ward, even small plots of land with a 90 year old shotgun house on it is gonna run you $100,000 plus.

When you said "where would you buy land" I took you literally, thats why I said downtown. If I had a couple million Id buy one of the few remaining surface lots and then hold out until some developer came along and offered me meal ticket.

And while I was waiting I would just convert the lot to surface parking and charge extravagant rates to park there for work, ball games etc...

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I've formulated some interesting (to me at least) equations that could tell us a quite accurate answer.

 

I'm not sure of your formula, but I'd put money on a variable that is highly dependent on the creation of a commuter rail station and perhaps light rail. What does your crystal ball predict?

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Courtesy of The Houston Chronicle, contract negotiations between Houston Arts Alliance and sculptor Ed Wilson are back on.  

 

http://www.chron.com/entertainment/arts-theater/article/GRB-sculpture-contract-back-where-it-began-6129243.php

 

Wilson's work would fill the 90 x 90 x 40 foot atrium.  Here is the proposal pic from Ed Wilson:

 

wilson-piece-2-484x620.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • The title was changed to Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel

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