Houston19514 Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 ^^^Quoted from duplicate thread.Finger very much wanted a Whole Foods, Central Market, or something else along those same lines. But the last time I heard about the project from a reliable source was at least 6 to 8 months ago. I don't know how it panned out for them, but I'm keeping my optimism in check. Downtown is an expensive place to locate and still doesn't have a very high nighttime population; the greater barrier, though, is that parking is scarce and/or expensive, and could be a frequent disruptor of business when there are sporting events, concerts, or conventions nearby. A confirmation from anyone in the know would be very welcomed. Eastwood yuppies frequently complain about the drive to Whole Foods, and anything like this would turn the steady flow of yuppies into an uncontrollable torrent...or at least elevate land values in the area. $$$ > $$$ It would have to be a prety miniature version of Whole Foods or Central Market.... There is only 21,800 square feet TOTAL available for retail, and that is in two sections. The larger section is 18,800 square feet (and has been reserved for a specialty "gourmet grocery market" and wine merchant). Is he hoping to convince one of those companies to develop an entirely new concept? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 It would have to be a prety miniature version of Whole Foods or Central Market.... There is only 21,800 square feet TOTAL available for retail, and that is in two sections. The larger section is 18,800 square feet (and has been reserved for a specialty "gourmet grocery market" and wine merchant). Is he hoping to convince one of those companies to develop an entirely new concept?Yep, it would either have to be miniaturized or require significant structural modifications to the plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeleduc Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 You have a source for that?, I'd be interested to know if they are truley going to make another one.They are really nice inside.i'd actually be surprised if it was not a whole foods. they've been looking for a downtown houston location for a few years, and a few of their other metropolitan downtown stores are at the bottom of high rises. whole foods rules!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Yep, it would either have to be miniaturized or require significant structural modifications to the plan.I think a small one would suffice, but for some of the staples. a limited selection of Bread, Rice, meats, fish, flour, etc, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Note merged two similar topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 i'd actually be surprised if it was not a whole foods. they've been looking for a downtown houston location for a few years, and a few of their other metropolitan downtown stores are at the bottom of high rises. whole foods rules!!!I'd love a Whole Foods there, but they'd be stretching a few of their guidelines as posted on their website;If you have a retail location you think would make a good site for Whole Foods Market, Inc., please review the following guidelines carefully for consideration:200,000 people or more in a 20 minute drive time 40,000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Well, then, at least have a small grocer in the store at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tierwestah Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Just spoke with the guy by dialing the # on the website: 713-864-3313. He states that the project will break ground this week and will be open for occupancy in 2 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethanra Posted February 10, 2007 Share Posted February 10, 2007 Their are 3 or 4 bull dozers at the sight today loading up a line of dump trucks with dirt! Good News? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Their are 3 or 4 bull dozers at the sight today loading up a line of dump trucks with dirt! Good News? Nah, they're just getting ready for spring planting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Finger Cos. will officially break ground in March on the first new ground-up apartment tower to be built in this area in decades with the pouring of its slab, but construction trucks were set to be on-site by today, according to Houston developer Marvy Finger.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4542550.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 Great news! This is going to be a great addition to downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonfella Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Finger Cos. will officially break ground in March on the first new ground-up apartment tower to be built in this area in decades with the pouring of its slab, but construction trucks were set to be on-site by today, according to Houston developer Marvy Finger.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4542550.html Marvy Finger ... could it be mahvelous finger??? At any rate, I am glad to see Houston's downtown finally get itself together and pour the damned concrete and put up the glass & steel structures. Let's give the middle finger to the folks who thought it wouldn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Marvy Finger ... could it be mahvelous finger??? At any rate, I am glad to see Houston's downtown finally get itself together and pour the damned concrete and put up the glass & steel structures. Let's give the middle finger to the folks who thought it wouldn't happen. As someone who grew up in the Northeast spending many, many days in NYC, Philly and D.C.... I am also happy to see Downtown finally coming along. It's VERY tough to get downtowns like ours going in a way that makes them more urban and 24/7ish like we would all like to see. You want the residents, but they want the retail / entertainment, etc... but those businesses want the people first. I believe the Houston Pavilions project will definitly help to attract more retail (e.g. American Apparel), which in turn will help attract more residents and residential projects (like the Finger Tower and hopefully a few more affordable ones)... and so on and so forth. :-) It's been my opinion for a while now that Houston Pavilions (or at least a project similar to it) was the big hurdle we needed to cross to really get things going... and now we are about to cross that hurdle. Houston Pavilions, in combination with the new park, the sports stadiums, the convention center and new hotels, the light rail line, residential projects like the Fingers Tower, and just the increasing change in attitude across the Nation of people wanting to live / work / shop / eat without getting in their car, will really help to elevate Downtown Houston into something those who live in this city aren't used to having... and things will only continue to get better! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 ^^^^I agree. The naysayers can grouse all they want, BUT it really just depends on an attitude change concerning urban living. I think too many people concentrate on an EITHER/OR mentality. Houston is either going to be strictly urban density (DT, UT, MT etc.) or a suburban sprawl. I think we can see, Houston is big enough to be BOTH. I invite anyone to look at her history. Houston has always grown in terms of population and land area developing. There is always construction occuring, whether on a massive 70's early 80's like scale which was obvious, or a more subtle growth as in the late 90's through present day. There are always jobs in this city, which means more people. That coupled with our low interest rates and very lax zoning laws, means Houston is going to continue to grow both upwards and outwards until there is no more room left for her to expand. Houston is not NY, Chicago, Seattle or SF. Those cities, out of neccesity, lack of space and the like, have developed fantastic mass transit, highly developed urban centers and all the ammenities which attract most of their inhabitants to a central hub. (of course, ALL of NYC seems to be an urban hub- but that's the exception). Houston is not LA, which continuously spreads out more than builds up. But Houston is both; with several urban centers building skyward as well as the sprawling communities surrounding it.I too hope that the Houston 2025 Vision is a success. But the beginning of this success has to be a change in attitude about urban living- both from the developers and the residents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I agree. The naysayers can grouse all they want, BUT it really just depends on an attitude change concerning urban living. I think too many people concentrate on an EITHER/OR mentality. Houston is either going to be strictly urban density (DT, UT, MT etc.) or a suburban sprawl. I think we can see, Houston is big enough to be BOTH.I agree. I couldn't care less if Houston sprawls outward with suburban development after suburban development... I don't have to live there if I don't want to. All I would like to see is for Houston to also develop a more densely populated, urban area... for those who like that type of lifestyle. Hopefully we are seeing the beginning of that occuring Downtown! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I couldn't care less if Houston sprawls outward with suburban development after suburban development... I don't have to live there if I don't want to.Just don't complain when people need more freeway space to get into town to taper off your neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Just don't complain when people need more freeway space to get into town to taper off your neighborhood.They can build all the freeways they want (not saying I think that's good for the city, though) into Downtown... it's not like they would ever build one THROUGH the middle of Downtown. Downtown is already surrounded by freeways (45, 10 and 59)... you won't ever see freeway space being built inside of this area. And trust me, people are going to learn that just b/c they need a freeway doesn't mean they are giong to get it. As areas in and around Downtown continue to develop, places where new freeways could be placed are going to become limited to non-existent. I can't imagine the city tearing down tons of new homes in Midtown, Montrose or the Heights just to put a new freeway in. If people want to live far outside the city and work in Downtown, they are going to have choose from several options... 1)sit in traffic on the already congested freeways, 2)move into the city, 3)ask the city to build a much better mass transit system like more "urban" cities already have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbaker Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Just don't complain when people need more freeway space to get into town to taper off your neighborhood.Actually, you have it backwards. You are free to buy inexpensive tract housing located 30 miles from your place of employment. However, this does not entitle you to "more freeway space" when a foreseeable increase in traffic causes your commute to become unbearable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Actually, you have it backwards. You are free to buy inexpensive tract housing located 30 miles from your place of employment. However, this does not entitle you to "more freeway space" when a foreseeable increase in traffic causes your commute to become unbearable.My point exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Actually, you have it backwards. You are free to buy inexpensive tract housing located 30 miles from your place of employment. However, this does not entitle you to "more freeway space" when a foreseeable increase in traffic causes your commute to become unbearable.Sorry for getting off topic but this is Texas. Although 288 has evolved to be a highway that is needed it was layed down to cater to the burbs. Guess what was there before? More congestion in Texas does not mean you look for alternatives such as commuter rail, but freeway expansions or the "progressive approach", for Texas standards, HOV lanes.Great news about the tower by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 I agree. I couldn't care less if Houston sprawls outward with suburban development after suburban development... I don't have to live there if I don't want to. All I would like to see is for Houston to also develop a more densely populated, urban area... for those who like that type of lifestyle. Hopefully we are seeing the beginning of that occuring Downtown!Unfortunately that goes against basic market forces. As long as inexpensive housing keeps sprwaling further out, the prices for housing in the inner core will be on the high end of the choices. If development was forbidden outside (for example) of the grand parkway - not that this would ever happen - as was done in Portland, the cheap exurban housing would no longer be an option and developers would have to build in the city. As long as the cheap option is available, people will take it, even if it means longer commute times. Besides, because Houston has no zoning, there's nothing stopping developpers to keep building employement centers on the outskirts, which means commute times don't necesserilly have to climb. There is no market or regulatory incentive for developers to build dense urban areas, there is only a niche market for them and that's why so little is being built.Finally, for those who think it doesn't matter because they choose to live in the city, what do you think happens as the city annexes all that new development? Who do you think pays for all those services? The less compact a city is, the more expensive the services per capita are. And why do you think the city's public transportation is so inneficient? It's too expensive to serve such a large area. The city, county and state prefer to spend tax dollars by building more freeway lanes and adding even more loops, rather than a transit system that is underused and can never catch up with the sprawl. So even if you choose to live in the city, you are still paying a premium for a city living experience that is sub-par.It's sad, but that's what's happening in Houston... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Unfortunately that goes against basic market forces. As long as inexpensive housing keeps sprwaling further out, the prices for housing in the inner core will be on the high end of the choices. If development was forbidden outside (for example) of the grand parkway - not that this would ever happen - as was done in Portland, the cheap exurban housing would no longer be an option and developers would have to build in the city. As long as the cheap option is available, people will take it, even if it means longer commute times. Besides, because Houston has no zoning, there's nothing stopping developpers to keep building employement centers on the outskirts, which means commute times don't necesserilly have to climb. There is no market or regulatory incentive for developers to build dense urban areas, there is only a niche market for them and that's why so little is being built.Oh I agree there will always be people who want to live far outside the city where everything is cheaper... and there will also be developers looking to build homes for those people. But, there are also people, including me, who would rather pay more for a smaller home in or right around Downtown.. and developers know that, too. There is, in fact, a market for developers to build dense, urban areas... if there wasn't we would not see things being built in and around downtown that we are seeing. Of course, the market in Houston might not be huge... but it's getting bigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Well, going back on topic, I just drove by the site 30 minutes ago and they seem to be hacking at the ground with a passion.For some reason, the block seems quite small for an office building though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 Well, going back on topic, I just drove by the site 30 minutes ago and they seem to be hacking at the ground with a passion.For some reason, the block seems quite small for an office building though.Office building? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 sorry, misspoke/typed.Residential Hi-rise. I was thinking of that OTHER project when I was typing this. But it still applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 sorry, misspoke/typed.Residential Hi-rise. I was thinking of that OTHER project when I was typing this. But it still applies.It's a standard-sized downtown block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 12, 2007 Share Posted February 12, 2007 It's a standard-sized downtown block. Well, I realize that. I'm just saying that to me it looks small for a hi-rise. Maybe I just don't have the imagination to envision something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethanra Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Their are bull dozers and trucks working away on the block. Couple lanes are block off surrounding it also. A trailer is on the south side of the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 There is also a chain of trucks that are constantly coming into and out of this lot. I guess they're trying to make up for any lost time because of the crappy weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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