Le Meridien (Melrose Building) At 1121 Walker St.

[Avossos]

I think it looks great. Looking forward to this one!!

Everyone think Menil - understated... With a retro vibe!

Edited September 11, 2015 by Avossos

[Nate99]

If something goes in on the surface lot on the western half of the block, you'll have another completely transformed area of DT right there. Just going off of what we know, it will be a gigantic improvement from the pre-BG Place days.

[Subdude]

Can I get a yaaaas? 

 

 

http://www.downtownhouston.org/development/project/le-meridien/

 

I'm not quite there on the gold paint, but it definitely speaks to my turquoise place.  Agree that the awning looks skinny or something, but in all fairness that is more accurate for the time period.

[cspwal]

I'm torn.  I like the way they did the turquoise panels and the awning - looks to go with the building.  But that color...is it going to be similar to some of the yellow stucco we've had to deal with?  It might be better for it to just be grey concrete instead of that color.  Then again, it might look better once they paint it (one can hope)

[KinkaidAlum]

#1 I love it. It's a mid-century modern gem. We have so few of those left, especially downtown. 

#2 I don't think that's gold paint. That's probably just what that material will look like after a good power washing.

#3 It's laughable that anyone would post an interior photo of another LM Hotel and say this one is inferior because they don't like the exterior.

 

I've always loved the Melrose Building and I am glad they are bringing it back without altering the living hell out of it.

[arndthwrld82]

You can't polish a turd.

 

I take it you haven't watched much Mythbusters.

 

One can most definitely polish a turd.

 

 

[Avossos]

I think the brick will look like a cleaned version of what it is now. No paint... That wouldn't be a "restoration"

[Montrose1100]

A new breath in this building. Looks refreshing. Saving a building, instead of another run of mill design. Yaaas. Slay Le Meridien, slay...

[lockmat]

A new breath in this building. Looks refreshing. Saving a building, instead of another run of mill design. Yaaas. Slay Le Meridien, slay...

 

I agree. It represents its time, a good time. Something worth saving, preserving part of Houston's history.

[Howard Huge]

Look, I'm glad they're refurbing an abandoned homeless urinal, how bout that. One less abandoned building in downtown.

[adr]

Taking a step back, this is on the next block from the Stowers/Aloft, Catty Corner from the Club Quarters, and on the next block from the Texaco housing project.  Nice little cluster of folks on this block when these projects are done.  Foot traffic after 5PM is great, and thats what these projects are going to do.  

[Moore713]

I remember all this delicate flower and moaning when the original redesign for jw was release..hell I remember when we saw the final redendeeing.and people were complaining, turns out to have been better in person than a mock up can accuracy relay. .so when it comes to redoing old building I learn to wait and see how it translate in the real world

[Urbannizer]

4Q 2015 Start Date

 

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2015-09-11/150910_Development_Map__Renders_11X17.pdf

[cloud713]

Le MERIDIEN is written down the side in signage up near the top/cut off from view of the partial rendering we saw yesterday.

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2015-09-11/150910_Development_Map__Renders_11X17.pdf

[j_cuevas713]

So glad this is happening

 

[largeTEXAS]

 

the front entry just seems so very cheaply / moderately detailed.  i see no standout luxury here at all.... nothing but barren...

not even an audi....

 

 

I love it! Looks very downtown LA to me. Modern, Minimal, and beautiful. It's about time we start celebrating some of our Modernist heritage!

[Nate99]

The front doors are open and workers are coming and going.

 

Edited October 19, 2015 by Nate99

[largeTEXAS]

There's gonna be a parking garage built next to this. 

[Nate99]

There's gonna be a parking garage built next to this. 

 

Any details?

 

I posted a few pages back pics of the soil sampling going on there, so that jives. With Texaco, Aloft and Le Meridien, I'd think there could be an opportunity there for something at the street level too.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Nate99

[Montrose1100]

 

http://zieglercooper.com/

 

 

In the picture URB posted, you can see a garage next to it. Hopefully won't take the full block.

[Nate99]

 

 

 

In the picture URB posted, you can see a garage next to it. Hopefully won't take the full block.

 

 

The garage to the right/north of the Le Meridien in the picture is already there and has been in continuous use even after the building was vacated. The half(ish) of the block that faces Fannin is a surface lot that had the soil samples being taken.

[Montrose1100]

The garage to the right/north of the Le Meridien in the picture is already there and has been in continuous use even after the building was vacated. The half(ish) of the block that faces Fannin is a surface lot that had the soil samples being taken.

you are just so right!

 

Such a foreign area of Downtown to me. 

 

SO the whole block will be parking garages with a tiny sliver of this building?

[Urbannizer]

 

http://www.atlanticamericanpartners.com/#!le-meridien-houston/cpz6

 

 

The Le Meridien Houston will be a full-service hotel situated in downtown Houston, Texas that will operate under Starwood’s Le Méridien brand.  Project plans include 255 guestrooms, a signature restaurant, meeting space, and a rooftop pool. 

 

The Project will feature an extensive list of amenities and first-rate finishes indicative of a full service hotel, including a state of the art reception / lobby along with onsite concierge services, a rooftop pool that opens to an outdoor sundeck, as well as a rooftop viewing area.  There will be approximately 8,000 square feet of meeting space, including a penthouse ballroom, ballroom pre-function area, and business meeting rooms.  In addition, the Project will have a signature restaurant and bar as well as a HUB lounge for hotel guests.

 

The Project will be centered around the redevelopment of Houston’s historic Melrose Building, located at 1121 Walker Street in Houston’s central business district.  Opening in 1952, the Melrose Building was Houston’s first modern-style skyscraper, and has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  As such, any redevelopment work qualifies for historic tax credits, which will provide a significant financial benefit to the Project.  The 21-story building has been vacant for 20 years. 

 

AAFF made an $15.0 million equity and subordinate debt investment in the Project, alongside a bank construction loan, State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and an equity investment made by the project's sponsor.

 

[Avossos]

I love it.

[Nate99]

They sill have the 6HC construction fence up on the lot cross San Jacinto. Way to stay positive!

[monarch]

^^^ ok, so far.. very good.  things are starting to look a bit more sophisticated in my view.  i am loving the new signage, and something just seems a bit different with the overall scale of the edifice itself.  i want this hotel to be a complete and utter success for downtown....  

[Montrose1100]

After touring almost every hotel Downtown, these smaller more upscale Hotels are great. That being said I can't wait to patron the bar once it opens!

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

I love it.

 

 

cool, I'm not the only one.  

 

this has an early 60's elegant feel to it, like it was straight out of Mad Men

[KinkaidAlum]

So damn sexy. I want to take this behind the middle school gym and get it pregnant.

[monarch]

So damn sexy. I want to take this behind the middle school gym and get it pregnant.

oh my kinkaidalum, please hurry up and kneel before him.....

[Howard Huge]

So damn sexy. I want to take this behind the middle school gym and get it pregnant.

Wtf.

[astros148]

So damn sexy. I want to take this behind the middle school gym and get it pregnant.

 

what the? lmao dude you need to get help

[BigFootsSocks]

That flew over so many heads

[corbs315]

Did no one watch 30 Rock?

[cspwal]

 

http://www.atlanticamericanpartners.com/#!le-meridien-houston/cpz6

 

 

 

 

Can they have the large sign down the side though?  I thought there was some ordinance preventing that in downtown.  

[brijonmang]

^^^ ok, so far.. very good.  things are starting to look a bit more sophisticated in my view.  i am loving the new signage, and something just seems a bit different with the overall scale of the edifice itself.  i want this hotel to be a complete and utter success for downtown....  

 

I would never try to rain on your parade or try to burst your eternally happy bubble, but to me it looks like these two renderings are unchanged save for the fact one is at dusk and the original was a bit earlier in the day.  

 

Edit: Oh yes, and we've gone from Mercedes to Toyota.

Edited October 28, 2015 by brijonmang

[DrLan34]

Can they have the large sign down the side though?  I thought there was some ordinance preventing that in downtown.  

 

My understanding is that residential and hotels are allowed signage downtown.

Someone else commented that it is a little more complicated than that, but I don't know the details. 

[KinkaidAlum]

Did no one watch 30 Rock?

 

Finally. Loved that show and Tracy Morgan.

[swtsig]

Le Meridien is my biological father!

[nate4l1f3]

Le Meridien is my biological father!

Brother??

[rsb320]

Can they have the large sign down the side though?  I thought there was some ordinance preventing that in downtown.  

 Does not apply to Hotels.

[monarch]

Le Meridien is my biological father!

^^^ ahhhhh, so now we understand....

[BigFootsSocks]

I was wondering what would bring swt out. Guess we need to post more 30 Rock.

[cloud713]

I would never try to rain on your parade or try to burst your eternally happy bubble, but to me it looks like these two renderings are unchanged save for the fact one is at dusk and the original was a bit earlier in the day.  

 

Edit: Oh yes, and we've gone from Mercedes to Toyota.

no, you are right.. the first rendering is the exact same rendering that we originally saw. not sure what Monarch sees different but oh well.. definitely wouldn't be the first time someone suddenly loved something that hadn't changed a bit after talking about how bad it looked. heh..

[Nate99]

The demolition contractor's crew that I saw coming and going is gone, no activity at the moment. I'd guess they were doing some bid work and/or initial scoping. They had a fairly large trailer sized generator parked on the sidewalk while they were in there. There's got to be 20 years worth of dank cooped up in there.

[Urbannizer]

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Le-Meridien-luxury-hotel-planned-for-downtown-6665226.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop

 

Building permits have been obtained for a luxury hotel to be developed in the long-abandoned Melrose building at 1121 Walker.

 

The Beck Group, a Dallas-based construction and architecture firm, acquired the permits for the project. On planning and development documents, the owner/occupant is listed as Le Meridien.

[hindesky]

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Le-Meridien-luxury-hotel-planned-for-downtown-6665226.php

 

Building permits have been obtained for a luxury hotel to be developed in the long-abandoned Melrose building at 1121 Walker.

The Beck Group, a Dallas-based construction and architecture firm, acquired the permits for the project. On planning and development documents, the owner/occupant is listed as Le Meridien.

A rendering of the hotel is posted on the Downtown Houston Management District's website, which reports the completion date of the 225-room project as third-quarter 2017.

 

The project is also featured on the website of Atlantic American Opportunities Fund, a Tampa-based company that provides financing for real estate developments using the federal EB-5 visa program.

According to the website:

The Le Meridien Houston will be a full-service hotel situated in downtown Houston, Texas that will operate under Starwood's Le Méridien brand. Project plans include 255 guestrooms, a signature restaurant, meeting space, and a rooftop pool.

The Project will feature an extensive list of amenities and first-rate finishes indicative of a full service hotel, including a state of the art reception / lobby along with onsite concierge services, a rooftop pool that opens to an outdoor sundeck, as well as a rooftop viewing area. There will be approximately 8,000 square feet of meeting space, including a penthouse ballroom, ballroom pre-function area, and business meeting rooms. In addition, the Project will have a signature restaurant and bar as well as a HUB lounge for hotel guests.

The Project will be centered around the redevelopment of Houston's historic Melrose Building, located at 1121 Walker Street in Houston's central business district. Opening in 1952, the Melrose Building was Houston's first modern-style skyscraper, and has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places. As such, any redevelopment work qualifies for historic tax credits, which will provide a significant financial benefit to the Project. The 21-story building has been vacant for 20 years.

AAFF made an $15.0 million equity and subordinate debt investment in the Project, alongside a bank construction loan, State and Federal Historic Tax Credits and an equity investment made by the project's sponsor.

[Subdude]

Note duplicate topics merged.

 

[Nole23]

Here's an old photo of the Melrose building. Does anyone know what the building on the right is and when it was demolished? Looks like they could have been turned into nice apartments about now, but now its a parking lot waiting for Houston Center if that ever gets built... 

 

Edited December 1, 2015 by Nole23

[Subdude]

That was the Medical Arts building.  It was demolished I believe in the late 1970s/early 1980s.  I read that it had structural problems and pieces were falling of, so it might have been considered a hazard.