Houston Center Redevelopment

[Nate99]

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

O Death in Life, the 70's escalators that are no more!

 

 

Time goes by faster than it used to, but it seems like the escalator steps and mechanicals were replaced probably 3--4 years ago all through 2HC.  That couldn't have been cheap. 

[Urbannizer]

 

 

[Urbannizer]

Here's a rendering that shows us the final design concept for The Shops at Houston Center, provided by Transwestern

 

Leasing flyer is up as well: https://s3.amazonaws.com/transwestern-property/Flyers/37331b8a-1391-e911-80f5-caa232701e1a.pdf

 

[Texasota]

In 5 years Downtown will be 90% food halls. 

...I think I'm ok with that. 

 

Also like the road diet on McKinney. And Caroline? Are they coordinating with the Downtown Management District/Redevelopment folks? And P&D and Public Works for that matter?

[Nate99]

Wow. This is seriously ambitious.  Looks like they are planning to take two lanes out of McKinney.  If it gets built out as rendered, this will attract the growing crowds around conventions/DG/GRB.  

 

I'm sure all of the retail/entertainment/restaurants are just ideas/possibilities at this point, but they do look like they are at least dedicated to framing out the new structure.

 

One nit - we're going to need awnings and fans at Swampy's Neighborhood Kitchen...

 

[H-Town Man]

3 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

Proposed Site Plan of future restaurants and retail. This is the proposed Bridge Market (possible name) replacing The Shops at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney St in downtown Houston. Brookfield Properties didn't announce this part of the project during their presser in January. This has been discussed in this thread (posts linked below).




(direct link to full size & non-compressed image)




 

The above site plans show the layout for the possibly named Bridge Market replacing The Shops at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney. This includes the proposed food hall ,  market , and beer garden or patio deck bar for the renovation of Houston Center.




(direct link)



Bridge Market consists of 49,500 SF and a 1,800 SF outdoor patio. The food hall and market includes a grocer section and a produce market (discussed briefly on page 3 of this thread), a main restaurant, several food stations or food stalls, a wine bar, and possibly two bars.

The grocer section includes several aisles of shelves, an area dedicated to oils and cheeses, takeaway sections for groceries, seafood, salami, meats, and beverages.

The site plan shows the following restaurant concepts for the food hall & market:

- a pasta and pizza concept
- a seafood concept
- a crudo concept
- a meat concept
- a gastronomy concept
- a pizza lab
- a pasta restaurant
- a dessert shop
- an ice cream stall
- a beverage stall
- a mozzarella retail shop and lab
- 

An Italian concept possibly named Cucina & Crudo
Wine Bar - possibly named Piazza
Main Bar - possibly named Bar Terra
Main restaurant with wine room - possibly named Terra Restaurant


Past posts about the possibly named Bridge Market are here and here. (this is no longer showing on BCV Architecture + Interiors' website, but the linked posts include an archive page)
 

 

Excellent write-up, Crockpot. I am indebted.

 

This is going to be pretty fantastic. They are almost completely abandoning traditional retail at Houston Center and turning it into a gastronomic wonderland. This will be larger in scale than the other downtown food halls and could be a legitimate weekend tourist destination, like Reading Terminal in Philadelphia or the grand market halls of Budapest or Florence. There will still be some trickiness in balancing the exclusivity that they need to attract office leases with the openness that will invite casual visitors, but it looks like they are on the right track.

 

[rechlin]

Wow, what a total transformation.  I'm not sure how I feel about the clashing architectural styles between old and new, but this should be great for downtown.

 

I like how they are taking away parts of the 4HC parking garage to improve street presence with GFR, and the addition of extra outdoor patios will be great.  So many times I want to eat outside, only to find that all the tables on the existing 2HC rooftop deck are taken.  I'm really liking how vast areas of useless concrete in the existing site plan are being replaced with greenery, buildings, or dining areas.  Mobility appears to be vastly improved too, with better walkways and more stairs/escalators in ideal locations.

 

Another small grocer is great for downtown, too; hopefully it can fill in gaps left by the existing Phoenicia across the street.

 

The site plans show 8 rooms in the Entertainment area marked as "theaters".  They are relatively small, though, with only a couple dozen seats per theater -- I wonder if this is going to be some kind of small upscale niche movie theater like iPic?

 

My only real disappointment is the dominance of "concepts" and "laboratories" in the food hall.  People downtown don't want "concepts" (which to me implies something that's not fully thought out and probably will close in a few months), they want consistent, reliable places to eat, especially where they can get something quick and cheap (there's no shortage of fancier places).  Seems like there's no room for a place like Doozo anymore, which is far more than just a concept, and instead just a very popular place for affordable food.

[urbanize713]

Awesome, thank you for all of the details! One questions though, Pappa's Bros Steakhouse, are they relocating elsewhere in downtown? I would hate to be relegated back to one location in the Galleria. 

[Luminare]

The biggest changes that I like are to 4 Houston Center. Especially the exterior. At least Houston Center 2 has a unique aesthetic that hearkens back to a particular modernist ideal that was interesting (this idea of a city on top of a city or platform cities), but Houston Center 4 is just a giant blob of nothing. Its such a harsh area around the Houston Center area as well. Going with a pure white look will really fresh this area up and give it a nice glow for it to stand out. All the blacks and bland colors just push people away or ask them to walk pass it. The changes just make this space feel more personal and open. I'm wondering if they will actually keep the current atrium glass dome. While walking this area multiple times it looks like its in pretty rough shape. So many buildings from that era that applied that glazing atrium technique could never really got the flashing right to prevent water damage. I personally think they should just rip it off and put in something a lot more contemporary. Hopefully in a few years they will get to replacing the whole facade all the way around and up. That brick is just too monolithic and bare.

 

As far as Houston Center 2 @rechlin I can see you point, but honestly I think the contrast of black and white will actually assist in the Houston Center 2's idea of being this floating tower above the city grid. I think it will actually enhance that platform city feel. It even seems with these redesigns they aren't looking to take away that idea, but instead are enhancing it and updating it to current trends and tastes. We are essentially trying these platform cities again today except they aren't separated from the street grid, but instead work within it. 

Edited June 18, 2019 by Luminare

[Nate99]

Part of the "entertainment" is coming along nicely - terror slides!

 

 

Dude looked straight at me while I was taking this pic. If you recognize yourself and want me to, I can post the original, but you don't look nearly as happy. I couldn't figure out a good way to crop him out, I don't like posting obvious pictures of people on the internet without their consent. 

 

 

[j_cuevas713]

Wow! And now that Post HTX is about to break ground, downtown is about to go to another level in terms of pedestrian activity and energy. 

Edited June 18, 2019 by j_cuevas713

[Luminare]

4 hours ago, Nate99 said:

Part of the "entertainment" is coming along nicely - terror slides!

 

 

Dude looked straight at me while I was taking this pic. If you recognize yourself and want me to, I can post the original, but you don't look nearly as happy. I couldn't figure out a good way to crop him out, I don't like posting obvious pictures of people on the internet without their consent. 

 

 

 

That second photo really freaked me out! I was like...cool first photo...second...wait what? ....third photo.

[Nate99]

1 minute ago, Luminare said:

 

That second photo really freaked me out! I was like...cool first photo...second...wait what? ....third photo.

 

Sorry about that. I first tried to crop it, but that cut out the length of the block being barricaded, then I just blacked out his face, which seemed overly negative, so I added a smiley, which in retrospect is probably more creepy than upbeat. 

 

If I were better with the internetting, I'd replace him with Katrina Looter Man or Harambe's ghost or something, but I'm just not. 

 

 

[Luminare]

10 hours ago, Nate99 said:

Wow. This is seriously ambitious.  Looks like they are planning to take two lanes out of McKinney.  If it gets built out as rendered, this will attract the growing crowds around conventions/DG/GRB.  

 

I'm sure all of the retail/entertainment/restaurants are just ideas/possibilities at this point, but they do look like they are at least dedicated to framing out the new structure.

 

One nit - we're going to need awnings and fans at Swampy's Neighborhood Kitchen...

 

 

Looks likes from the plans and then going to streetview on google, the lanes that they want to take away are more or on street parking lanes. If you look closer at the site plan there does seem to still be some spots for on street parking or dropoff areas, but want to flair out the corners of each intersection to meet at the 2 lanes where actual car traffic goes through, which is not only part of Houston's Complete Streets agenda, but is an approach that works to create a more pedestrian friendly environment at street level. Now whether they get approval for this remains to be seen, but the fact that they desire this is a step in the right direction.

[mattyt36]

15 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said:

Proposed Site Plan of future restaurants and retail. This is the proposed Bridge Market (possible name) replacing The Shops at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney St in downtown Houston. Brookfield Properties didn't announce this part of the project during their presser in January. This has been discussed in this thread (posts linked below).




(direct link to full size & non-compressed image)




 

The above site plans show the layout for the possibly named Bridge Market replacing The Shops at Houston Center at 1200 McKinney. This includes the proposed food hall ,  market , and beer garden or patio deck bar for the renovation of Houston Center.




(direct link)



Bridge Market consists of 49,500 SF and a 1,800 SF outdoor patio. The food hall and market includes a grocer section and a produce market (discussed briefly on page 3 of this thread), a main restaurant, several food stations or food stalls, a wine bar, and possibly two bars.

The grocer section includes several aisles of shelves, an area dedicated to oils and cheeses, takeaway sections for groceries, seafood, salami, meats, and beverages.

The site plan shows the following restaurant concepts for the food hall & market:

- a pasta and pizza concept
- a seafood concept
- a crudo concept
- a meat concept
- a gastronomy concept
- a pizza lab
- a pasta restaurant
- a dessert shop
- an ice cream stall
- a beverage stall
- a mozzarella retail shop and lab
- 

An Italian concept possibly named Cucina & Crudo
Wine Bar - possibly named Piazza
Main Bar - possibly named Bar Terra
Main restaurant with wine room - possibly named Terra Restaurant


Past posts about the possibly named Bridge Market are here and here. (this is no longer showing on BCV Architecture + Interiors' website, but the linked posts include an archive page)
 

 

CrockpotandGravel I must say sometimes I want to call you CrackpotandGrovel, but I very much appreciate everything you bring to the forum. The amount of time you invest and the diligence with every post, it’s just amazing! Thanks for putting all of the above information into an easily digestible format for people like me who wouldn’t see it otherwise. 

[mkultra25]

9 hours ago, Nate99 said:

Part of the "entertainment" is coming along nicely - terror slides!

 

 

 

Next up: Terror Slides, Phase 2. Also known as "woodchippers".

[rechlin]

Figured I'd take some photos of the carnage inside, too, because everything so far has been from street level.

 

 

 

 

[hindesky]

[jermh]

More demo shots from walking by last week.

Edited July 13, 2019 by jermh

[HoustonMidtown]

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

[Nate99]

[X.R.]

I was just talking to a friend about how behind Houston is when it comes to the merging of work and play spaces in their office buildings. He was complaining about his employer (a large oil company) moving their campus (hes younger) and was blaming it on the company moving to where people lived. I don't know if that is the case.

 

My thought is that these large oil and gas and startups are competing for the same workers that are looking at startups in Austin/Boston/SF where companies have already embraced the beer fridges, the lounges with ping pong tables, the huddle rooms, the on-site gyms, the yoga during lunch-times, and on-site food halls. A friend of mine does headhunting for 25-35 year old engineers/researches and they are looking for generally the same ^ stuff. They pay the premium to live downtown (close to work) and their potential office is a couple blocks away and you don't have the foresight to have a secure bike area and showers/changing room? Hard pass. I don't think the companies that left Downtown Houston will ever come back, but its good that these office spaces have recognized that they were 20 years behind the times. I just hope they don't skimp out on anything because they cant afford to anymore. 

[htownproud]

20 hours ago, X.R. said:

I was just talking to a friend about how behind Houston is when it comes to the merging of work and play spaces in their office buildings. He was complaining about his employer (a large oil company) moving their campus (hes younger) and was blaming it on the company moving to where people lived. I don't know if that is the case.

 

My thought is that these large oil and gas and startups are competing for the same workers that are looking at startups in Austin/Boston/SF where companies have already embraced the beer fridges, the lounges with ping pong tables, the huddle rooms, the on-site gyms, the yoga during lunch-times, and on-site food halls. A friend of mine does headhunting for 25-35 year old engineers/researches and they are looking for generally the same ^ stuff. They pay the premium to live downtown (close to work) and their potential office is a couple blocks away and you don't have the foresight to have a secure bike area and showers/changing room? Hard pass. I don't think the companies that left Downtown Houston will ever come back, but its good that these office spaces have recognized that they were 20 years behind the times. I just hope they don't skimp out on anything because they cant afford to anymore. 

Agreed.  At 1100 Louisiana, they are sprucing up the lobby and adding a gym, secure bike area, and dry cleaner, all in the former Massa's space across the street for all the tenants to use for free (not the dry cleaning obviously).  I just wish they had this 15 years ago!

[hindesky]

[Nate99]

 

[HoustonMidtown]

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

[bobruss]

This is going to look so much better. I'm not going to miss the old facade at all. It looks so dated and heavy sitting next to the renovation work.

[quietstorm]

On 8/7/2019 at 2:56 PM, X.R. said:

I was just talking to a friend about how behind Houston is when it comes to the merging of work and play spaces in their office buildings. He was complaining about his employer (a large oil company) moving their campus (hes younger) and was blaming it on the company moving to where people lived. I don't know if that is the case.

 

My thought is that these large oil and gas and startups are competing for the same workers that are looking at startups in Austin/Boston/SF where companies have already embraced the beer fridges, the lounges with ping pong tables, the huddle rooms, the on-site gyms, the yoga during lunch-times, and on-site food halls. A friend of mine does headhunting for 25-35 year old engineers/researches and they are looking for generally the same ^ stuff. They pay the premium to live downtown (close to work) and their potential office is a couple blocks away and you don't have the foresight to have a secure bike area and showers/changing room? Hard pass. I don't think the companies that left Downtown Houston will ever come back, but its good that these office spaces have recognized that they were 20 years behind the times. I just hope they don't skimp out on anything because they cant afford to anymore. 

On 8/7/2019 at 10:50 AM, CrockpotandGravel said:

More on Brookfield Properties' Houston Center renovations in downtown Houston.

From Houston Business Journal in late July:
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/07/25/first-look-more-renderings-of-houston-centers.html

 

 

The lobbies of LyondellBasell Tower and 2 Houston Center will feature tenant lounges, which will be flanked by these conference facilities:
 

LyondellBasell Tower: six bookable tenant conference rooms with A/V capabilities — three of which are scalable for a combined seating capacity for up to 231 people — situated around a social staircase – an architectural feature to encourage employees to sit, relax and congregate, per the release.

2 Houston Center: two boardroom-style meeting rooms with A/V capabilities; two huddle rooms for more informal break-out meetings, which seat six to 14 people per room; plus "ample public seating areas for tenants to collaborate," the release states.

The fitness center will be located in LyondellBasell Tower and will be open to all Houston Center tenants. It will feature floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the new central plaza greenspace below, fitness equipment, locker rooms with towel service, a secluded space for private workouts and access to on-demand virtual fitness classes, per the release.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/07/25/first-look-more-renderings-of-houston-centers.html

You make a great point.  Both my kids are 20-something engineers, and while their workplaces are considered among Forbes' "best companies to work for" with onsite amenities to combine work and play, the hours that they put in working leaves little time for play.  So much so that burnout and turnover among the young engineers is very high.  I almost wonder if the amenities are more of a ploy to just keep you at work longer.  It reminds me of a modern take on company towns like Hershey, PA where the workers lived, worked and played in the town, which also kept their earnings going back to the company's bottom line. 

[Highrise Tower]

[EllenOlenska]

Water and "Harvey"; how fitting.