Camden Post Oak: Multifamily At 1200 Post Oak Blvd.

[gallerialiving]

It is clear by now that many developers are focusing rennovating the strip of Post Oak from Westheimer to San Felipe. What about the areas between San Felipe and 610 (towards uptown Park?)

The only building that fits the neighborhood is 1200 Post Oak Blvd. (apt. complex across from the McDonalds.) Everything else is old (i.e., Inverness and Winhall condos and dreadful 111 Post Oak Apts.). Those developments stick out like a sore thumb when looking at the beuaty and architecture of Uptown Park, Montebello, Villa D'este, and 1200 Post Oak, etc).

Are there any plans to do massive reconstruction for those areas to better align with the rest of the proposed projects on Post Oak Blvd?

Lastly, what is the "Great Room"? (the "tent" building by the Bently dealership)

[The Great Hizzy!]

Those developments stick out like a sore thumb when looking at the beuaty and architecture of Uptown Park, Montebello, Villa D'este, and 1200 Post Oak, etc).

Now see this is interesting because a lot of people on this site think that Uptown Park's design is cheesy and uninspired. Some would also say that the Montebello and other new residential highrises are kind of blah as well. Some would also tell you that some of the older developments have more character.

Funny how tastes differ so completely from person to person.

[WesternGulf]

OK. Uptown Park is a mess, but is Montebello and its shorter twin all that bad? What makes it so ugly is the bad design. If these were in an urban setting with a base focused on retail, it would not be as bad. The towers are not just jaw dropping but they are respectable. The design from an urbanist standpoint is horrible though.

[bcnet]

Lastly, what is the "Great Room"? (the "tent" building by the Bently dealership)

The Great Room is a party room/ banquet hall owned by a division of Landry's. I believe they own the whole block of land with the Great Room, the dealership, then their building which is next door.

See link to the Great Room

[bcnet]

I would agree that the design at Uptown is a nice concept, but certainly uninspiring. If the shopping center was more enclosed without the parking lots I think it would be a better design. But i will say that overall U.P. is a nice place and people seem to frequent the "hot spots" (like Sushi, Belvedere, and Starbucks).

Montebello and Villa D'Estes are also "respectable" buildings, but certainly not striking. Seems as though the approach for uptown park was very "classic conservatism". I can accept that.

The Great Hizzy: I agree that some of the older buildings (i.e. Winhall which was built in the 60's) has lots of character. But the Inverness and 1111 Post Oak are just TERRIBLE. 1111 Post Oak HAS TO GO!!

With 1200 Post Oak, Montebello, Cosmopolitan, Dominion, etc. it just seems as though Winhall, Inverness, and 1111 Post Oak are on borrowed time.

bcnet: Does the great room only host Landry's functions? The place seems cool and I would look forward to a "hip" happy hour.

The Great Room is available for rent to the public. I assume there will be quite a few Christmas parties there. I believe I read on another post that the Randall Davis kick-off celebration for the condos going up on the James Coney Island site around the corner was held there.

As a side note, they worked on erecting the steel frame building with a plastic/vinal skin for several weeks leading up to Hurricane Rita. On Wednesday before the storm hit, it looked like Houston would be hit directly so they tore the structure down and hauled it off in trucks. On Monday after the storm passed to the east, they had a huge crew putting it back up which only took a few days.

[citykid09]

Have any of you noticed the new bus stop waiting areas in Uptown? They sure are nice. I know they have been there awhile now, but I like them.

[YakuzaIce]

Have any of you noticed the new bus stop waiting areas in Uptown? They sure are nice. I know they have been there awhile now, but I like them.

Yeah, I think they look really good. Much better than the Downtown ones IMO. I mean I like the downtown ones, especially when you compare them to most other bus stops in Houston (namely the brown/blackish ones with the white bubble dome things on top, just not for me).

[citykid09]

I think each district should have there own style of bus stop waiting areas, and street signs. (which some of them do)

As for PostOak Blvd, I think once places like Boulevard Place and other good projects get built that many high class retailers will move to that area of Uptown. At this point I thing the Galleria will reinvent it self again. I think in the future the Galleria will become Residential/office, and outside of the mall the uptown area/PostOak will be where all of the highend retail will be. Or mabe not, we just have to see what will happen.

[gallerialiving]

the new bus stops along Post aok are very nice. hopefully that is another small step houston can continue to make in order to change the culter of the city to a more pedestrian friendly one. nice job uptown.

I would assume that once Boulevard Place gets underway (anyone know when?) as well as all the other places along post oak, high dollar residents who move in will not be pleased with the older complexes near Uptown Park. I would say that in 5-10 years the the three places mentioned in the beginning of the thread will be torn down.

But here is the question: many units in those complexes are owned by private indivduals. so how does that work? they (the home owners) would have to get a huge payoff, right? maybe i need to buy a few! lol

[NewMND]

Well with the James Coney Island on Post Oak closing soon to make way for those news condos, I wonder how much time that McDonalds has left before it's closed to make room for condos or something. I may be crazy, but the land it sits on has got to be worth more than the actual store itself, even if it is a rare two storey McDonalds.

[YakuzaIce]

I would assume that once Boulevard Place gets underway (anyone know when?) as well as all the other places along post oak, high dollar residents who move in will not be pleased with the older complexes near Uptown Park. I would say that in 5-10 years the the three places mentioned in the beginning of the thread will be torn down.

But here is the question: many units in those complexes are owned by private indivduals. so how does that work? they (the home owners) would have to get a huge payoff, right? maybe i need to buy a few! lol

That is exactly the thing, they are not going to tear down older complexes just because the new residents don't like them.

[Montrose1100]

I think it would be cool if they had Light-Rail on Post Oak Blvd. And go up to Westheimer, then head out west... And from Post Oak Blvd., head Down Memorial to Downtown. That would be wicked.

And what does this have to do with Bus Stops? I don't know...

I'm just a dreamer!

[gallerialiving]

They are going to build the momo-rail in the galleria area. I think down post oak. I was able to view some of the mono-rails future plans on the main Houston Metro site. Pretty Interesting.

Montrose1100: You are right. This thread has nothing to do with bus stops. It was an arbotrary comment off subject posted by one of the viewers. Glad we got back on track to the subject at hand!

NewMND: I would think that McDonalds has limited time as well. The "Boulevard Place" project among others along post oak will have more than enough space to house a McDonalds as a tenant (i.e Commercial building with retail/restaurant space on lower levels).

If the mcDonalds is next to go, then it would make sense that Wihnall (immeidately behind McDonalds on Four Oaks Place/Garrettson Lane) would be the first of the older condos to go as well. I think that offering the winhall residents a "reasonable offer" will be enough to have them give up the place. I checked them out. They are not bad. Winhall is def. the best of the three. They go for anywhere between 90 - 160K (roughly based on 1BR and 2BR prices). Extremely affordable for anywhere in Houston, particualry Post Oak where 400K prices and up are the norm.

Overall, Im excited to see the results of post oak over the next 5 - 10 years. i really think that the Uptown Park area will have some tricks up it's sleeve and will follow suit with the other potential developments. I still see Winhall, Inverness, and 111 Post Oak lots as residential, but it would be hard to convince me that they will not be torn down for something newer and bigger.

[YakuzaIce]

They are going to build the momo-rail in the galleria area. I think down post oak. I was able to view some of the mono-rails future plans on the main Houston Metro site. Pretty Interesting.

Are you sure? I don't believe there are any plans to put monorail down post oak. I do believe BRT will go down it, later to be light rail (I think [about the second thing] but it will be BRT when it opens).

Edited November 15, 2005 by YakuzaIce

[RedScare]

They are going to build the momo-rail in the galleria area. I think down post oak. I was able to view some of the mono-rails future plans on the main Houston Metro site. Pretty Interesting.

Not according to THIS future plan on METRO's site.

http://www.ridemetro.org/motion/solutions/phase2impplan.asp

Click on Phase 2 for the latest incarnation.

HINT: BRT means Bus Rapid Transit. Under METRO's plan, rail will be laid under the buses. This suggests no monorail. Plus, given Las Vegas' and Seattle's problems with monorail, I'd be surprised if ANY city ever tries it again.

[Montrose1100]

Plus, given Las Vegas' and Seattle's problems with monorail, I'd be surprised if ANY city ever tries it again.

Seattle's was just built for the World's Fair... Which, like Houston saw Freeways, as Transportation of the future.

Las Vegas serves NO purpose, what so ever. There are 2, one that goes from Mandalay Bay to the Luxor and then Excalibur.

Then the other line goes from MGM Grand, to The Paris/Bally's.

[YakuzaIce]

Seattle's was just built for the World's Fair... Which, like Houston saw Freeways, as Transportation of the future.

Seattle had plans to extend it. I can't remember how much, but it was alot (I want to say $12,000,000,000 but I am not totally sure). But the citizens recentally voted to stop it.

[Subdude]

Was it stopped or just cut back? It turned out it was going to cost something like twice the original estimate.

[YakuzaIce]

Was it stopped or just cut back? It turned out it was going to cost something like twice the original estimate.

I am pretty sure I read that it had been cut back, and now it has been completely cancelled. I may look for some more info tomorrow.

[Montrose1100]

Seattle had plans to extend it. I can't remember how much, but it was alot (I want to say $12,000,000,000 but I am not totally sure). But the citizens recentally voted to stop it.

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