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The RO: Mixed-Use Development At West Alabama And Buffalo Spdwy.


YakuzaIce

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http://swamplot.com/new-owner-of-exxons-buffalo-spdwy-research-campus-knocking-out-exterior-defenses-this-week/2017-02-28/

 

New Owner of Exxon’s Buffalo Spdwy. Research Campus Knocking Out Exterior Defenses This Week

 

PIECES OF THE fencing surrounding the MacKie and Kamrath-designedExxonMobil Upstream Research facility on Buffalo Spdwy. were spotted sprawled out on the grass yesterday along the campus perimeter after being plucked from their stations; more barriers are getting yanked up this morning, as seen in the second shot above. The property (which appears to have been transferred to the nonprofit Exxon Foundation in 2015 after the oil giant’s plans to offload the site were announced) was  sold this month to an entity directing its mail to real estate investment and development firm Spear Street Capital. A couple of readers report that other major shuffling around and cleaning out appear to have been going on at the facility for at least the last few weeks, with vehicles bearing the Precision Demolition logo making periodic guest appearances on the scene.

 

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2 hours ago, ArtNsf said:

and so we say "good riddance" to another bit of history, not necessarily all that great of a history IMHO...

You didn't like the building, or you didn't like the former owner? The building was blah to me, but the research done there, as told to me by people in the know was pretty amazing.

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1 hour ago, LBC2HTX said:

Solid design. Looks like that's at the corner of Buffalo Speedway and W Alabama. Maybe that's a parking garage north west side? Given how large this property is, there's definitely more to it than this. The shaded structures to the south are probably TBD. 

 

This was my thinking as well. The perspective indicates that this phase will start on Buffalo Speedway and W Alabama. The project as it looks now definitely makes it one the more interesting developments in this town right next to Gillette. 

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I'm guessing that "The RO" stands for "The River Oaks". 

 

While Greenway Plaza doesn't have official boundaries, I consider this apart of it. What's more is that Greenway Plaza and Upper Kirby are increasingly merging into each other due to all these developments. 

 

A mixed use use with multiple high rises at the intersection of 59/Kirby will go a long way in blending the two clusters together. Hopefully the plans for that site are still there to eventually happen. 

Edited by Sellanious Caesar
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Parkway does not include Twenty Greenway Plaza as apart of the Greenway campus. I'm always confused.  Where are buildings 13 - 19?  CBRE has Twenty Greenway Plaza, is that why Parkway does not mention it?

http://www.greenwayplaza.com/

http://www.greenwayplaza.pky.com/property-info-greenway

 

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I'd also personally include the newly built 3737 Buffalo Speedway.  It's a Class-A office building down the street from the campus.

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I do like this rendering. Maybe I'm too picky but the single word "apart" means separate or different from as in "Keep those two dogs apart; they do not get along." If Twitter1 is asking if the development is a part (a constituent of) Greenway Plaza I would say no. It is interesting that Twitter1 put quotes around "apart." Maybe he or she was just baiting someone like me, a grammar obsessive/compulsive. :)

 

I also share confusion about which buildings are and are not a part of Greenway Plaza. The residential towers west of Timmons have the 77046 zip code and I was told at one time that Phoenix tower was not a part of GP but was apart from it. :huh:

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22 minutes ago, SkylineView said:

Other GWP buildings (when originally numbered) include(d) the two condo's, the Koch building, and stuff all the way down to Wesleyan @ 59.

 

LINK

 Thanks for posting that link, Skyline. I do remember that map. The Kock building was known as Innova at one time. I know that there have been different property managers of GWP over the years and perhaps a sale or two. Maybe that is what accounts for some buildings no longer being included in the development. At any rate, the proposed development at Alabama and Buffalo Speedway looks really great. I hope it is realized much the way it appears in the rendering.

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On 2/24/2018 at 1:39 PM, Specwriter said:

I do like this rendering. Maybe I'm too picky but the single word "apart" means separate or different from as in "Keep those two dogs apart; they do not get along." If Twitter1 is asking if the development is a part (a constituent of) Greenway Plaza I would say no. It is interesting that Twitter1 put quotes around "apart." Maybe he or she was just baiting someone like me, a grammar obsessive/compulsive. :)

 

I also share confusion about which buildings are and are not a part of Greenway Plaza. The residential towers west of Timmons have the 77046 zip code and I was told at one time that Phoenix tower was not a part of GP but was apart from it. :huh:

 

Maybe the best answer is that it's in the Greenway area.

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To break ground in 2019, Per HBJ Article this morning:

 

When California-based Spear Street Capital, a commercial real estate investment and development firm, came into the Houston market in 2017, it set off a flurry of office investment activity in the Bayou City. The company has since bought office towers in downtown, Uptown and west Houston, as well as a joint venture with Houston-based Transwestern Development Co. at the site of an old Exxon campus on Buffalo Speedway.

The project with Transwestern will be a mixed-use development known as The Ro, which will break ground in 2019, according to marketing materials from Transwestern and Spear Street. Transwestern confirmed the information but declined to comment further. The Ro will be built on 16.88 acres at 3120 Buffalo Speedway, just half a block away from Greenway Plaza and a few blocks away from River Oaks.

Tranwestern and Spear Street bought the tract in a partnership in March 2017. Later that month, Spear Street's John Grassi shared more details on the project with the Houston Business Journal.

"You can imagine some nice retail users, some nice multifamily users," Grassi said in March 2017. "Even in these tough times, you can imagine a nice office use as well — something a little more creative in appearance and something more boutique-y that would fit with the neighborhood demographics."

Grassi also said at the time that the project's development could take a while. Spear Street didn't return requests for comment.

The old Exxon campus was comprised of a six-story, 450,000-square-foot, single-tenant office building, a 100,000-square-foot training center, 13 auxiliary buildings and a large parking structure.

In January 2017, Spear Street bought the three aforementioned Houston office properties: 5 Houston Center, Energy Center I and 515 Post Oak Boulevard. The 1.2 million-square-foot deal was valued at $272 million, according to a release from seller Atlanta-based Columbia Property Trust Inc. (NYSE: CXP). Spear Street has since begun renovating 5 Houston Center.

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This Week's Houston Deal Sheet

EXECS

Quote

Steve Kilcrease was promoted to the national director of planning and construction at Transwestern Development Co. He will oversee planning, design and construction management for the firm’s office, multifamily and mixed-use projects nationwide. Previously completed jobs include the Gulf States Toyota headquarters, a 475K SF corporate build-to-suit; BHP Billiton Tower, a 600K SF, 30-story office building; and The RO, a $750M mixed-use project.

https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/deal-sheet/this-weeks-houston-deal-sheet-92013?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

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Coolio, I always drive by the site and was waiting to hear an update since the banners still show a 2019 groundbreaking.

 

Man, this project could be massive if all phases are built out! So it looks like we are still going to get 3 towers in Phase I according to the packet.

Edited by CaptainJilliams
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Two thoughts:

 

1.) The slow march of the eventual merging of Upper Kirby, Greenway, Highland Village, ROD, and finally the Galleria  keeps progressing

2.) The AT&T building's (or at least its large parking lot) days are numbered.  

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4 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Brochure reveals retail component and more of The RO Phase I:

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/transwestern-property/Flyers/91c990da-f48d-e911-80f5-caa232701e1a.pdf

 

- 644 residential units

- 310,000 office building

- 200 hotel keys 

- 65,000 sq ft of retail

 

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Cha-Ching! Gamechanger! Looks like I get to update that large map at some point.

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  • The title was changed to Land On Kirby Dr.

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