urbanize713 Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 22 minutes ago, Reefmonkey said: I tend to agree with H-Town Man here. Even if IM Pei designed it himself with some grand vision in mind, it's a completely unremarkable looking early 80s one-story commercial building with no significant Houston history to it, and it's not an efficient use of a parcel in downtown Houston in the 21st Century. Seconded 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillip_white Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 On 5/31/2019 at 11:35 AM, Gator80 said: I’m not in any hurry to see the bank building destroyed. I.M Pei designed it to be the child of the TCB Tower which was the father and the building building next door with the parking garage was the mother. That’s how he described it. They are a trio and were designed that way. On 5/31/2019 at 5:19 AM, CrockpotandGravel said: I hope this is true, as it makes me feel a lot better about the swastika on the roof. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkultra25 Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 2 hours ago, phillip_white said: I hope this is true, as it makes me feel a lot better about the swastika on the roof. Chase must be in cahoots with Volkswagen. Occasionally, the mask slips. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-ceo/volkswagen-supervisory-board-condemns-ceos-ebit-macht-frei-remark-idUSKCN1QW2HC 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Urbannizer Posted July 4, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted July 4, 2019 Before the motor-bank (second block): 12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 Been tracking this on the map. While performing some updates, I saw that this is now "under contract". Anyone else have more info? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post CREguy13 Posted October 29, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted October 29, 2019 It looks like this site closed this month and was sold to Woodbranch - the developer of Market Square Tower. I would not be upset if there was another MST quality project here... 13 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, CREguy13 said: It looks like this site closed this month and was sold to Woodbranch - the developer of Market Square Tower. I would not be upset if there was another MST quality project here... I guess the challenges are: 1- how to incorporate this with the bayou 2- how to construct around the corner of the bayou 3- street level activity yet built to withstand certain flooding in extreme floods 4- making the structure sound with flooding and eroding banks Edited October 29, 2019 by Avossos 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbates2 Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 3 hours ago, CREguy13 said: It looks like this site closed this month and was sold to Woodbranch - the developer of Market Square Tower. I would not be upset if there was another MST quality project here... I assume that they haven't sold MST yet? That worries me slightly that they won't go very tall to preserve MST views. That said, their MST investment (and this land investment) would both benefit from development here, so I wonder if they decide to go short to protect MST or just go tall as most views are going away with the Preston anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) 19 minutes ago, kbates2 said: I assume that they haven't sold MST yet? That worries me slightly that they won't go very tall to preserve MST views. That said, their MST investment (and this land investment) would both benefit from development here, so I wonder if they decide to go short to protect MST or just go tall as most views are going away with the Preston anyway. If the land sold for what it's worth, they will have to go tall in order to make a profit. Also, say the second building is as tall as the first, the apartments in the second building will have equally good views as the first building. So what you lose on the first, you gain on the second. They could also sell the current building before they build the second. My worry is that it will have a crummy ground floor that doesn't add anything to Market Square, similar to MST. But GFR in that neighborhood is a more attractive proposition now than it was in 2014. Edited October 29, 2019 by H-Town Man 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate4l1f3 Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 Hoping they go tall (duh) because this is the next best chance to stretch the skyline. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 I don't see how they would build something substantial on this block when portions of it are directly over the bayou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 13 hours ago, hindesky said: I don't see how they would build something substantial on this block when portions of it are directly over the bayou. It would be interested to see how the parcel is platted and what kind of easement is there for the bayou. I would guess that it would be significantly more expensive to build something substantial there. I momentarily thought maybe someone could incorporate a patio or something down by the bank, but he bayou isn't particularly well suited for alfresco/waterside ambiance, to say nothing of hardening your structure/décor for flood resistance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 13 minutes ago, Nate99 said: It would be interested to see how the parcel is platted and what kind of easement is there for the bayou. I would guess that it would be significantly more expensive to build something substantial there. I momentarily thought maybe someone could incorporate a patio or something down by the bank, but he bayou isn't particularly well suited for alfresco/waterside ambiance, to say nothing of hardening your structure/décor for flood resistance. buttt.......... wouldn't it be awesome if they did make it a cool little spot? I know flooding yada yada but I just can't stop thinking about how cool it would be if we had that along the bayou 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 15 hours ago, hindesky said: I don't see how they would build something substantial on this block when portions of it are directly over the bayou. You don't need a full block of land to build something tall. Most of our taller skyscrapers are built on less than a full block. The Preston is going up on half a block. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 How much parking is in the parking garage MST inherited? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 2 hours ago, Nate99 said: It would be interested to see how the parcel is platted and what kind of easement is there for the bayou. I would guess that it would be significantly more expensive to build something substantial there. I momentarily thought maybe someone could incorporate a patio or something down by the bank, but he bayou isn't particularly well suited for alfresco/waterside ambiance, to say nothing of hardening your structure/décor for flood resistance. Have you been to the Dunlavy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 How deep has the water gotten on that property during our worst floods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbates2 Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Houston19514 said: How deep has the water gotten on that property during our worst floods? I would assume fairly deep. That should change when the white oak bypass is complete but they would need to plan for that contingency either way I would think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 4 hours ago, Nate99 said: It would be interested to see how the parcel is platted and what kind of easement is there for the bayou. I would guess that it would be significantly more expensive to build something substantial there. I momentarily thought maybe someone could incorporate a patio or something down by the bank, but he bayou isn't particularly well suited for alfresco/waterside ambiance, to say nothing of hardening your structure/décor for flood resistance. My prediction is that Woodbranch's next project will have a glass-bottom pool projecting over the bayou right above the last high water mark, so when it floods you can swim out and see the hubcaps, tree branches, and water moccasins go right underneath you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 7 hours ago, Houston19514 said: How deep has the water gotten on that property during our worst floods? Probably not at the peak of flooding during Harvey. Notice the roof of the drive throughs . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 3 hours ago, hindesky said: Probably not at the peak of flooding during Harvey. Notice the roof of the drive throughs . Pretty sure there was water lapping the curbs at the other side of Market Square at one point, so whatever the drop off is across the square, that is probably how much deeper it was. Considering how deep they dig for the basements on a highrise, adding ten feet or so for the ground floor level really isn't rocket science. I'm not worried. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted October 31, 2019 Share Posted October 31, 2019 23 hours ago, Avossos said: buttt.......... wouldn't it be awesome if they did make it a cool little spot? I know flooding yada yada but I just can't stop thinking about how cool it would be if we had that along the bayou 21 hours ago, Houston19514 said: Have you been to the Dunlavy? I think this is what I originally had in mind, but the banks of the Bayou downtown right there are really fairly steep, I don't know if there would be enough room unless... 18 hours ago, H-Town Man said: My prediction is that Woodbranch's next project will have a glass-bottom pool projecting over the bayou right above the last high water mark, so when it floods you can swim out and see the hubcaps, tree branches, and water moccasins go right underneath you. ...you did something like that. It would have a certain "charm" that couldn't be replicated elsewhere. 9 hours ago, H-Town Man said: Pretty sure there was water lapping the curbs at the other side of Market Square at one point, so whatever the drop off is across the square, that is probably how much deeper it was. Considering how deep they dig for the basements on a highrise, adding ten feet or so for the ground floor level really isn't rocket science. I'm not worried. Watching the engineering for something like that come together would be really cool in this spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CREguy13 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Woodbranch put this block back on the market today. I'm okay with this as I thought I'd heard they were planning to hold this site to keep the unobstructed views from Market Square Tower. Hopefully it gets scooped up quickly by a developer with big ambitions! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 19 hours ago, CREguy13 said: Woodbranch put this block back on the market today. I'm okay with this as I thought I'd heard they were planning to hold this site to keep the unobstructed views from Market Square Tower. Hopefully it gets scooped up quickly by a developer with big ambitions! Glad that little plan failed. Much of our development community is still stuck in a suburban mentality. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Not sure what this mini track hoe with a grapple bucket is going to do but it's not big enough to demo this. Maybe load out the demo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 Here's the listing: https://www.us.jll.com/en/investorcenter/land-development-site/212-milam-houston-tx-unitedstates 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nate4l1f3 Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Another chance to extend the skyline 🙂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rohit Khare Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 (edited) Wow, I was just visiting in tourist-mode but found this "modern relic" fascinating, only to discover in this thread it was I.M. Pei. With that clue, I found this thesis, to read later, but skimming even the illustrated history seems fascinating: https://uh-ir.tdl.org/handle/10657/6930 GHOSTING I. M. PEI: Obsolescence in Architecture and the City After the Drive Thru: a Digital Park 2019-2020 Senior Honors Theses Rabitoy, Colette Quote In 1980 I. M. Pei completed his design of the Chase Tower, a building that has still holds the title as the tallest in Houston. The project was built with funds from the late 70's Oil boom along with a surplus of other banking and office infrastructure. In 1984 Pei designed a drive-through bank as an addition to the Chase Tower, built four blocks away at Milam and Congress Street. The pinwheel one-story structure ignores its potential connection to Buffalo Bayou. Today, online banking as well as real estate pressure on a one-story full block site makes the drive-through obsolete, and the location on the bayou leaves the building vulnerable to flooding. The building is abandoned, and its lot is used for parking and loitering. This project explores obsolescence in architecture and aims to build on I. M. Pei's legacy by reimagining the future use of the drive-through bank and its connection to the sub-grade surrounding landscape. https://hdl.handle.net/10657/6930 Edited October 17, 2022 by Rohit Khare add neon tube light, still working 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rohit Khare Posted October 17, 2022 Share Posted October 17, 2022 And another breadcrumb: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/three-gentlemen-one-ghost-and-a-skyscraper/ Quote Meanwhile, I. M. Pei’s fertile imagination had recently become distracted by yet another Texas Commerce building. When Love first told Pei that the bank needed a drive-in facility, Pei’s response was “What is that?” It seems that the guru of urban architecture had never seen a drive-in bank. Love patiently explained that all Texas banks have one building for pedestrians and another for motorists, and Pei’s eyes flashed. Refusing the opportunity to look at other drive-in banks, Pei designed his own—an innovative building with circular lanes that concentrate all the automotive customers near the center of the block and feed them out on all four surrounding streets. “This will be the child building,” he said, “to go with our father and mother.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staresatmaps Posted October 18, 2022 Share Posted October 18, 2022 Maybe they are waiting for him to die to tear it down. I say we fly him in to watch the demolition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted November 1, 2022 Share Posted November 1, 2022 On 10/17/2022 at 8:06 PM, staresatmaps said: Maybe they are waiting for him to die to tear it down. I say we fly him in to watch the demolition. I.M. Pei? He died about 3 1/2 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staresatmaps Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 On 11/1/2022 at 4:32 PM, Houston19514 said: I.M. Pei? He died about 3 1/2 years ago. 😯 Oh snap. What are they waiting for then? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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