Project Green: Mixed-Use Development On Allen Parkway By Hines

[editor]

-National Museum of Funeral History - Houston (good for the Goth kids)

On a just-barely-related note: Many people know that Service Corporation International, the world's largest funeral home company, is headquartered in Houston.

What most people don't know is that there is a cafeteria in the basement of their building.

Even fewer people know its nickname is "The Coffin Cafe."

[wxman]

They have begun demolition on the old KHOU studios. Sort of sad to see a legacy stations building that's been there since the 50s come down because of Harvey. It's amazing how many scares are still all over Houston.

[wilcal]

Do we know what is going up there?

[HoustonMidtown]

[ChannelTwoNews]

On 5/23/2018 at 4:45 PM, wxman said:

They have begun demolition on the old KHOU studios. Sort of sad to see a legacy stations building that's been there since the 50s come down because of Harvey. It's amazing how many scares are still all over Houston.

 

Harvey was the final straw. 

 

The building had flooded in the past, notably prior to this with Allison, though that wasn't nearly on the scale of the more recent storm.

 

IIRC, after Allison it was proposed to the then-owners (Belo) that a floodgate or similar preventative system could be installed to mitigate the risks but cost was a factor and thus it never happened. The current owners (TEGNA, formerly Gannett) pretty much saw all that needed to be seen and decided to invest in a location further away.

 

FWIW, I think all I will miss from that location is the tower & signage. Always liked that they actually kept the 1991-era logo for over a decade after they stopped using it on-air. And seeing the "H-O" blinking during the holidays was a nice touch.

[Elseed]

Anyone know what the land is gonna be used for next? Condos, townhomes, building...

[UtterlyUrban]

19 hours ago, Elseed said:

Anyone know what the land is gonna be used for next? Condos, townhomes, building...

Whatever will be built there, if the city allows the first floor or any of the parking or other infrastructure to be a thing less and 20’ above grade, the City should be held to task.

[Highrise Tower]

Had a good conversation with the security guard next door. He didn’t think a tower would be built here. Said the city would need to control the flooding first.

 

Took photos but they’re not the best 

[TylerHerman13]

Crane up at old KHOU site. 

[Highrise Tower]

Thanks for the picture.

Edited April 20, 2019 by ekdrm2d1

[hindesky]

Saw them about to build the AT luffer on my way home after my bicycle ride. I stopped to take a pic and one of the guys came up to me and said they were going to fly up a 40,000 lbs chiller on top of the Service Corporation International building. 8 hrs to build the crane out, 30 minutes to do the job and 8 hours to take the crane apart. Expensive job but who wants to work in a building without air conditioning?

 

[LBC2HTX]

Did service Corp also purchase this land?

[hindesky]

58 minutes ago, LBC2HTX said:

Did service Corp also purchase this land?

Yes

[htownbro]

so what is being built here?

[Urbannizer]

merged with the existing

[hindesky]

On 4/22/2019 at 3:00 PM, htownbro said:

so what is being built here?

High rise catacombs?😎

[Specwriter]

13 hours ago, hindesky said:

High rise catacombs?😎

I had a studio instructor in architecture school who thought it would be a great idea to turn the old rice silos along Allen Parkway into a columbarium for cremains. I don't think he envisioned individual urns but to just pour ashes into the silos much like the grain had been stored. Novel or bizarre, or both? 🤔

[hindesky]

While riding through the Heights several months ago I happened to talk to a guy that worked for SCI. He mentioned that they had plans to build their new HQ's here. He wasn't involved in the planning and didn't know about a timeline. Lots of surveyors stakes all around.

 

Edited May 5, 2022 by hindesky

[apendido]

I hope their caskets can float. 

[thedistrict84]

8 minutes ago, apendido said:

I hope their caskets can float. 

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

[hindesky]

13 minutes ago, apendido said:

I hope their caskets can float. 

This will be new offices, no dead bodies allowed.

[thatguysly]

14 minutes ago, thedistrict84 said:

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

I always assumed they were in the import/export business. Felt like a company George would have made up.

[hindesky]

Service Corporation International is an American provider of funeral goods and services as well as cemetery property and services. It is headquartered in Neartown, Houston, Texas. SCI operates more than 1500 funeral homes and 400 cemeteries in 43 states, eight Canadian provinces, and Puerto Rico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Corporation_International

[H-Town Man]

19 minutes ago, thedistrict84 said:

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

When you think about it though, that is pretty much the word for what they do - a service.

"Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me."

[freundb]

1 hour ago, thatguysly said:

I always assumed they were in the import/export business. Felt like a company George would have made up.

Yeah, Art Vandelay works there. He's thinking about giving up the exporting and just focusing on the importing.

[Montrose1100]

Assume they will be selling their current land/building? The KHOU lot is pretty small. Would imagine with a big garage under a building of similar size to the 2 they have now, would be significant. 

Do they also own the lot to the west?

 

 

 

 

[mollusk]

On 12/9/2021 at 11:37 AM, thatguysly said:

I always assumed they were in the import/export business.

In a sense, they are.

[hindesky]

The guy I talked with in the Heights who works at SCI told me they would demo the old office once the new was complete, wild guess but I assume the old building could be for a future parking garage. Yes, they bought the old KHOU site. The new build will be much taller than the old building and again I assume they will have it built on much higher piers to account for any future flooding.

[hindesky]

[Montrose1100]

On 12/15/2021 at 10:13 AM, hindesky said:

If they consolidate on just the KHOU property, those two huge parcels of land right on the Bayou would be ripe for something spectacular. Hopefully that's the plan, and whatever they build on the KHOU site is taller and better than what they have now.

[Paco Jones]

Project:
Project Green - Phase I

 

Address:

1900 Allen Parkway

 

Owner:

Service Corporation International

 

Developer:

HINES

 

Architect:

HOK

 

Information:

New 13-story office building (203' height).  Level 1 is lobby, 2-5 is parking garage, and 6-13 is office.  Outdoor amenity terrace at Level 6.  Total space (not including parking garage) is 245,160SF.  SCI will occupy the building and leave two floors empty for leasing space.

Site improvements include a 3-story office building (1919 Allen Parkway), a 12-story office building (1929 Allen Parkway), a 2-story residence (currently used for storage - 1904 West Walker Street) and a parking garage, totaling 6.99 acres, that will all be demo'd to make room for a new mixed-use development.

I have attached a master plan of the complete development (last image).  I have been waiting to share this until the development caught traction because of the efforts to keep this somewhat quiet.  I can tell you that the Retail is planned to go next.

 

 

 

 

[houstontexasjack]

And May the Fourth be with you as well @Paco Jones!

[freundb]

 

I hope this all happens. Let's make those future mixed use/retail buildings taller too. 

[CREguy13]

2 hours ago, freundb said:

 

I hope this all happens. Let's make those future mixed use/retail buildings taller too. 

Oh I'd feel pretty good about this.  I have no knowledge of the development, but it is Hines and they're kicking this off at beginning of a multi-year development cycle with a lead tenant for the first building.  Guarantee they secure a great hotel flag, especially now with the Thompson a few blocks away.

[hindesky]

I talked with a guy who worked for SCI back in Sept. '21 while lost on my bike looking for the Dian St. Villas apartments. He happened to walk by and asked him where it was. We talked for a while about that and then he brought up this. He knew this was going to be built but didn't have a time line. He said mixed use would be involved. When I saw the surveyor stakes here months later,  I figured something was up and that is why I stopped to take the pics. He mentioned apartments or possibly condos.

 

[houstontexasjack]

1 hour ago, CREguy13 said:

Oh I'd feel pretty good about this.  I have no knowledge of the development, but it is Hines and they're kicking this off at beginning of a multi-year development cycle with a lead tenant for the first building.  Guarantee they secure a great hotel flag, especially now with the Thompson a few blocks away.

Kimpton could use a site in Houston following the foreclosure of the Caydon development. 

[nate4l1f3]

Nice!  Slightly confused. Is 13 stories the tallest building going here?

[Paco Jones]

7 hours ago, nate4l1f3 said:

Nice!  Slightly confused. Is 13 stories the tallest building going here?

Don’t know yet (at least I don’t). The retail will be either 1 or 2 story. The rest is fairly conceptual at this point. 

[Montrose1100]

What's to become of the KHOU site? Might as well ponder that corner tiny lot on Temple & Walker too.

[ChannelTwoNews]

38 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

What's to become of the KHOU site? Might as well ponder that corner tiny lot on Temple & Walker too.

Based on the layout, the tower would be located where the station used to be. It's address was 1945 Allen Parkway, so I'm wondering if the tower will take that address as well.

[freundb]

15 hours ago, CREguy13 said:

Oh I'd feel pretty good about this.  I have no knowledge of the development, but it is Hines and they're kicking this off at beginning of a multi-year development cycle with a lead tenant for the first building.  Guarantee they secure a great hotel flag, especially now with the Thompson a few blocks away.

The tower for SCI looks like a lock for sure, but I hope the rest pans out. I'm just down the road by Waugh and I'd love for them to move forward on the Buffalo Heights District too. this area is starting to build up nicely

[Montrose1100]

5 hours ago, ChannelTwoNews said:

Based on the layout, the tower would be located where the station used to be. It's address was 1945 Allen Parkway, so I'm wondering if the tower will take that address as well.

Maybe I've just lost it. I kept thinking KHOU was briefly at 1803 Allen Parkway post Harvey.

[hindesky]

[Paco Jones]

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

[j_cuevas713]

The bayou is becoming a hotspot for development! ANOTHER MIXED USE WALKABLE PLAZA!?!? 

[editor]

That's my old parking space.

I'll have to dig up the photos I took when Air11 crashed there.  Does KHOU even have a helicopter anymore?

[hindesky]

Community Impact has a story about two new TIRZ in the city. I wonder if the city's plan to make this area a TIRZ is going to affect the plans that SCI has for the property or will it just be a way to get more taxes from them? 

 

[Houston19514]

2 hours ago, hindesky said:

Community Impact has a story about two new TIRZ in the city. I wonder if the city's plan to make this area a TIRZ is going to affect the plans that SCI has for the property or will it just be a way to get more taxes from them? 

 

 

The proposed annexation will enable improvements to pedestrian infrastructure and flood mitigation at the SCI headquarters.