Discovery West: Mixed-Use Development Downtown By Skanska

[TheSirDingle]

5 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Do we want Skanska to acquire all the land in this area? From what I can tell, the high-rises they've built in the U.S., particularly in Houston, have been on the conservative side. Having a large area developed by a single developer generally doesn't result in the most interesting combination of buildings, although it might offer certain continuities (like a line of retail shops) that are beneficial.

 

I see what you're saying, and agree with the skepticism. I honestly want to see what they have planned for the land though. I could see this going either way, they could keep it conservative like what they've done for most of their projects in Houston. They could also turn it into a special project. I would like something huge in front of the Toyota Center, but I don't know if Skanska is going to do something big with that lot (Even if they get it).

 

Overall it's a mystery what they're going to do with these lots, hopefully it's something great. Maybe Hines might be able to do something around this area in the future, or even another big developer.  

Edited October 21, 2019 by TheSirDingle

[CaptainJilliams]

1 hour ago, txtiger said:

I still wish downtown would receive some sort of an indoor, ticketed attraction, or series of attractions, like our own Nickelodeon Universe (a-la the new one opening up in NY at the Meadowlands - https://www.americandream.com ), or at a smaller scale: a Legoland Discovery Center, Crayola Experience, and/or even a KidZania ( https://kidzania.com/en - the first of which in the States is of course going to the Dallas area, instead).

How neat would a conditioned, indoor park - something like Galaxy Station, but Gulf Coast Texas-themed - be? - https://berjayatimessquarethemeparkkl.com/galaxy-station/ 

 

 

Proper attraction(s) aside… at minimum, I hope a City Target concept gets developed somewhere soon 'round there.

 

Agreed. My dream would be to have a new aquarium/amusement park complex built near Minute Maid/Discovery Green.

 

If the highway cap park ever happens in downtown, that would also be an excellent area to have it.

[Triton]

3 hours ago, txtiger said:

 

^The phrase "wrapping around the Embassy Suites…" is a key thing to acknowledge.  With that verbiage, suggests the electrical yard will be re-developed/re-incorporated elsewhere, or maybe somehow on the top of new construction?   Regardless, yes:  that's such a prime block to be wasted on ground-level utility.

No, they mean the parking lot wrapping the Embassy Suites.

[txtiger]

3 hours ago, Triton said:

No, they mean the parking lot wrapping the Embassy Suites.

Ah, gotcha.  (My mind kept adding ‘full city block’ instead of ‘parcel’ after each of those notes, in-series.)

[DrLan34]

https://bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/meet-the-new-neighbors-skanska-buys-four-parcels-near-the-houston-astros-101416

 

Not much new info, but here's the latest press release.

 

Skanska purchased four parcels, including one full city block, altogether totaling roughly 152K SF adjacent to the award-winning Discovery Green park, boarded by the Houston Rockets’ Toyota Center, the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park. Skanska’s plan is to develop a mix of office, multifamily and retail for the surrounding community. 

 

Skanska confirmed that the city block it purchased was the surface parking lot bordered by Dallas, Lamar, LaBranch and Austin streets, between the Four Seasons and Embassy Suites, with three other adjacent surface parking lots included in the deal. Those four properties were all owned by MIPS Investments and MIPS Parking, according to the Harris County Appraisal District, which values the combined parcels at $30.6M. Skanska hasn't announced any specific plans or a development timeline for the site yet.  “We are excited about this next endeavor for Skanska Commercial Development in Houston. For this project, Skanska will tap our global expertise in multi-family, office and retail development as we consider the best uses for these sites advantageously located in the city’s front yard at Discovery Green,” Skanska Executive Vice President Matt Damorsky said in a statement to Bisnow. “These prime acquisitions include a full city block, which will be transformed into sustainable, high-quality space in the urban core. We look forward to advancing the master planning process so we can begin creating this dynamic community reflecting the vibrant cultural fabric of Houston.”

 

Skanska paid $55M, which comes out to approximately $361 per SF, a hefty price for downtown real estate. Just five years ago, land in Downtown Houston was topping out at $275 per SF, according to CBRE research.   
 

By the end of the year, Downtown Houston will have 8,400 hotel rooms at 28 properties, up from 4,500 in 14 properties when Houston hosted the Super Bowl in 2004, according to Eury.

Read more at: https://bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/meet-the-new-neighbors-skanska-buys-four-parcels-near-the-houston-astros-101416?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

Edited October 23, 2019 by DrLan34

[Avossos]

I am curious how they will end up developing the land around the Embassy Suites... Seems challenging and expensive...

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

4 hours ago, Avossos said:

I am curious how they will end up developing the land around the Embassy Suites... Seems challenging and expensive...

 

yep, but it WILL happen. Skanska is 2 for 2 including a grand slam with the BoA Tower, so they'll be back for more in Houston.

[bobruss]

4 hours ago, Avossos said:

I am curious how they will end up developing the land around the Embassy Suites... Seems challenging and expensive...

In a similar way that Hines is developing The Preston around the Hogg Palace, I would think.

Look on the bright side. Maybe they'll cover up the Embassy Suites building. 

[Luminare]

13 hours ago, bobruss said:

In a similar way that Hines is developing The Preston around the Hogg Palace, I would think.

Look on the bright side. Maybe they'll cover up the Embassy Suites building. 

 

Maybe they can put the substation across the street inside of the Embassy Suites building.

[arche_757]

14 hours ago, bobruss said:

...Maybe they'll cover up the Embassy Suites building. 

I recall the original design for that particular hotel being of higher quality than the end result.  Value engineered no doubt to its current form.

[bobruss]

Thats why when this development group announces a new project I always cringe. They have fairly decent renderings and then in comes the changes after they receive their funding and the value engineering begins. And they're the stucco kings.

[Trae]

On 10/21/2019 at 7:10 AM, dbigtex56 said:

CVS remains on my 'naughty' list because of their inflexible approach to development.
Whether it's Main & Elgin, Gray & Brazos, or Montrose & Richmond, they slap up the same cookie-cutter building regardless of its surroundings and impact on the surrounding neighborhood. 
Good riddance. Hope more of them close.

 

On 10/21/2019 at 7:32 AM, bobruss said:

I agree with you dbigtex56. They have continued to create huge parking islands wherever they build in Houston, with no regard for new directions in retail and urban planning.

 

I think it's mostly a Houston problem (setback requirements, parking minimums) than a CVS problem. CVS builds plenty of urban locations. A similar example would be the Walmart and Target in the Heights with giant parking lots. We know both big box stores build urban locations, especially Target, but City of Houston policies at the time led to what we have currently. Luckily that is all changing and pretty rapidly at that. Exciting to see what Skanska builds here. Maybe we get an urban CVS or Walgreens on a corner with this development.

[Trae]

13 hours ago, arche_757 said:

I recall the original design for that particular hotel being of higher quality than the end result.  Value engineered no doubt to its current form.

If the original design to the Embassy was built then it would be holding up well today. The current ugly ass building gets worse with time.

 

 

versus...

 

 

...

 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

the finished product looks like a minecraft building

[cougarpad]

9 hours ago, Trae said:

If the original design to the Embassy was built then it would be holding up well today. The current ugly ass building gets worse with time.

 

 

versus...

 

 

Even just putting the top and spire on the building as in the original plans would of made a difference in making the building look more complete.

[KinkaidAlum]

The lack of the subtle setback and balconies on the penthouse levels is what kills me the most. What we got is a cheap EIFS box.

[Houston19514]

Why are we beating this dead horse again?

[bobruss]

I guess because it will be affected by the new Skanska project, and vice versa. It's  relevant to its overall look and appeal of Skanska's new development.

[txtiger]

If I were Skanska, I'd try to bring back some of the spirit of the originally-proposed Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, and get some tourism-related attractions in, there along the edge of Discovery Green:

 

I'd put in a heavily-Texas-themed Flying Theater:
https://www.super78.com/flying-theaters

http://dynamicattractions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Dynamic-Flying-Theater.pdf

 

(See also Seattle's "Wings Over Washington:"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaMiqp3Y9kc )

 

 

And a put in a large/exploratory, adventure Mirror Maze, showcasing Houston's history:
http://mirrormazesint.com/mirror-mazes-international-floor-plans/#infinit1200  

(or even better, something more largely experiential like "Nat Geo's Encounter: Ocean Odyssey" in NYC:  https://natgeoencounter.com/experience )

[Texasota]

Hmmm, or maybe just an Alamo Drafthouse? Please?

[CaptainJilliams]

2 hours ago, Texasota said:

Hmmm, or maybe just an Alamo Drafthouse? Please?

 

An Alamo Drafthouse downtown would be a game changer. 

 

I honestly think if and when they rebuild the Bayou Center downtown, plugging in an Alamo Drafthouse in place of the AMC that is there currently.

[Nate99]

On 1/16/2020 at 2:16 AM, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

the finished product looks like a minecraft building

 

It is the Tesla Cybertruck of buildings.  

[Luminare]

6 minutes ago, Nate99 said:

 

It is the Tesla Cybertruck of buildings.  

 

Blasphemy! Bring forth the Paul Verhoven future of abstract geometry vehicles!

[X.R.]

2 hours ago, CaptainJilliams said:

 

An Alamo Drafthouse downtown would be a game changer. 

 

I honestly think if and when they rebuild the Bayou Center downtown, plugging in an Alamo Drafthouse in place of the AMC that is there currently.

 

My god, I haven't thought about Bayou Center in years. Remember when they would run all those lame clubs out of there? 

 

I agree, an Alamo Drafthouse downtown within a 10-15 min walk from the light-rail would destroy worlds. The market would be downtown/midtown/third ward/second ward/east downtown residents, your 100k downtown workers some of whom may want to catch a date/movie at Alamo before going home, and the constant influx of people at those hotels. The potential reminds me of the sawyer heights Target, where you go there on a Wednesday night at 8pm and you're like how are they out of dove soap (actually happened to me before). Just mind-boggingly busy.

[Trae]

3 hours ago, CaptainJilliams said:

 

An Alamo Drafthouse downtown would be a game changer. 

 

I honestly think if and when they rebuild the Bayou Center downtown, plugging in an Alamo Drafthouse in place of the AMC that is there currently.

 

They opened a location in Downtown Los Angeles that is probably the nicest theater they have. Very clean, modern, and right about LA's busiest subway system. It also had only one giant restroom that was completely gender neutral. First time I've ever seen something like that. This would be better than the current AMC downtown.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Trae

[Naviguessor]

...in ADDITION to the AMC theater. 

[zaphod]

My stance has always been that the Embassy Suites is the sort of forgettable urban building that will get imploded before its 40th birthday for something bigger. Like the Crown Plaza in the Med Center. It's just filler and welcome investment at a time when downtown really needed it.

Edited January 18, 2020 by zaphod

[mattyt36]

FWIW, the Embassy Suites itself is one of the best ones I've ever stayed in, and I've stayed in plenty.

[Urbannizer]

https://www.downtownhouston.org/news/article/repurposed-and-revitalized/

 

Skanska Commercial owns the parcel of land that sits directly east of the Four Seasons Hotel, a full city block. It also owns two neighboring properties, a large portion of site to the hotel’s south, and the parcel that surrounds the Embassy Suites Hotel that fronts Discovery Green Park. “We looked at those sites for a long time,” said Matt Damborsky, an executive vice president with the company.

 

From a development standpoint, Skanska loved that the pieces of land were in such an active part of the city. Since the completion of the park, Discovery Green has become a hub of city life, hosting everything from flea markets to concerts to the annual Ice at Discovery Green. And all of that made Damborsky and his colleagues see a lot of potential in their purchase.

 

“Currently, we’re just scratching the surface on what do there, but we’re discussing multi family, an office component and street level retail,” he says. “Retail is important to the city, and it offers a great experience for people walking around the building. It’s intriguing to control three adjacent sites and determine how they work together.”

 

Having spaces that complement each other is important to the development of the three lots, Damborsky says, because it means his company can develop concepts that not only build on the current energy in the city center, but also provide tenants and clients with engaging spaces.

 

“We can mix the uses of each site,“ he says. “And allow the adjacencies to actually benefit the other sites. For example, one might have a certain mix of retail that augments a different mix of retail in another site. We’re thinking of how all of these properties can interconnect.”

 

Geographically, the space is a sweet spot. Discovery Green is basically its front door. But so is Phoenicia, the upscale grocery store and café. Toyota Center and the George R. Brown Convention Center are within very short walking distance. Xochi, Brasserie du Parc, Grotto and The Grove offer places for business lunches, but also dinner dates, whether Skanska chooses to construct a high-rise residential tower or a new office space. The built-in amenities of that section of Downtown mean that Skanska can market its properties on many levels, pointing to the vibrancy of the area as proof it’s a place people want to be.

 

“Tenants want to be close to activities, retail and programs,” says Damborsky. “It’s really about the customer; that’s a huge part of our business.”

 

He says he expects the company to finish its master plans for the sites by April, after which it will determine which project to begin first, and how the concept should move forward. He’s also excited for the changes he says he’s seen in how Downtown has developed over the last decade.

[nate4l1f3]

Probably unreasonable but I would have liked to hear buzz words like “landmark” or “game changer”. I’m sure whatever is built will be nice, but my personal expectations are high because I’ve waited soo long for a couple of those lots to be developed.