Park 8 (Not Park 8ight, or the warehouse complex at beltway 8 & I-45)

[ArchitecturalPRGirl]

Near downtown Houston?

No it's not at all. It's like at the Beltway in new Chinatown. I don't know why our project description sheet says that.

[Gary]

No it's not at all. It's like at the Beltway in new Chinatown. I don't know why our project description sheet says that.

Probably written by someone who's never been to the site, or the city.

[Saddleman]

I'd also question the 'beautiful' part.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Subjective. It is what it is. I don't find much about Manhattan beautiful either but again... subjective.

However, the "near" downtown part is hilarious. I suppose if you wanted to assume that Westchase was DT Houston, then yeah...

[ChannelTwoNews]

The large crane on the site caught my eye as I was driving into town this morning... thought I'd take a few pics and share.

[strickn]

Neat dragonfly in the first picture.

The website lists them as three 26-storey towers, if I recollect correctly. If it was 23 before, then maybe sales are strong.

[lockmat]

...

[ricco67]

The large crane on the site caught my eye as I was driving into town this morning... thought I'd take a few pics and share.

That dragonfly must have been huge!

[ChannelTwoNews]

That dragonfly must have been huge!

You don't even know the half of it!

[ChannelTwoNews]

Per the marketing office that is involved with the project, they are building the retail component and one condo tower & parking garage at the moment.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Here are two shots of the large model of the site in their sales office. I was told the 50% of the first tower's units had already been sold. Also had a brief discussion with the President of the project.

One thing that seems to never be mentioned is the fact that University General wants to build a 9-story hospital as a component of the project, but then most times we only see the view of the model from the west.

I was shown a 3D tour of the site on DVD, which they will begin mass producing for interested parties within the upcoming months. After a bit of hunting, I found it here as well.

They also gave me a few of their marketing mags and such, the majority of which are in chinese. Pretty pictures though! A long article portrays the residential component as somewhat of a senior-oriented development in conjunction with the hospital. Kinda caught my attention.

[Captain Impossible]

This looks like the eighties.

[The Great Hizzy!]

The project's a lot more ambitious than I thought.

[strickn]

This looks like the eighties.

When one goes overseas, even to cutting-edge countries outside the English-speaking world (my experience has been Italy), designed media production values (like TV stations and so forth) are astonishingly 80s - even when the real-life merchandise and retail spaces are present-day.

[lockmat]

The video shows a lot of the detail. Looks good.

However, some of those units are staring right into the parking garage.

[Trae]

When I was i Westchase last weekend, it felt like I was in Asia. Didn't feel like Houston at all.

[Jeebus]

When I was i Westchase last weekend, it felt like I was in Asia. Didn't feel like Houston at all.

What do you mean? Where in Westchase were you?

[Trae]

We drove down Bellaire. The areas in Chinatown didn't feel like Houston. I guess since I haven't been in that area in so long.

[NewMND]

What is the song singing? Do I love my mother?

[dmoneybangbang]

We drove down Bellaire. The areas in Chinatown didn't feel like Houston. I guess since I haven't been in that area in so long.

I don't think that Bellaire is considered Westchase. However, I kow what you mean. I've lived at Beltway @ W. Airport (Basically Beltway @ 59S) and it's amazing at how diverse the area has become.

[Trae]

Bellaire is Westchase. Just a small part of it.

[Jeebus]

Bellaire is Westchase. Just a small part of it.

None of the Chinese or Vietnamese businesses are in Westchase. The Westchase Development District extended it's southern border to include Halliburton, which only covers one block west of the Beltway, along Bellaire. Here's a link to the Westchase District's website showing the land use. The City of Houston recognizes an even smaller land area as Westchase.

[Trae]

We were just outside of Westchase. I just say Westchase to define the general area.

[lockmat]

New Chron article talking about this:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headli...iz/5403060.html

[Gary]

Thanks for the article. I was wondering what was going on seeing that they've done NOTHING since putting the first crane up 5 months ago. I drive by the site a couple of times a week and there's been zero activity.

[wildthangjim]

I drive by this site every day as well, and I still don't see any progress. Their sign facing the freeway is now faded and mostly illegible. That crane has been there since August and I wonder every day how much that's costing someone to leave it there without activity.

[Trae]

Yeah, I have seen that, too. Is this thing happening?

[The Great Hizzy!]

I wonder if they're held up because the probect is located so close to Art Storey Park, which is undergoing serious upgrades/construction as its associated with the Sims/Brays/etc restoration projects?

[Gary]

I wonder if they're held up because the probect is located so close to Art Storey Park, which is undergoing serious upgrades/construction as its associated with the Sims/Brays/etc restoration projects?

Drove by Wednesday and there is still no movement with the construction site.

[jgriff]

The crane has been up at this site for at least 8 months now with no progress. I can see this thing from my building and it hasn't moved a bit. This has got to be one of the worst examples of construction scheduling I've ever seen. I wonder how much it costs to rent a crane like that for 8 months.