Highway6

...because it is so far from the rendering....

You sadden me.

I just don't see the point in b1tchin at the final product. Mediocre buildings get put up all the time in houston, and there are plenty of mediocre buildings downtown.

It seems to me that most Haifers think that if a building gets highlighted with its own thread, its should be and will be spectacular. We're spoiled.

Reality check - It's just a chain hotel guys, one that was hardly slated to be spectacular to begin with. I'm sure there are countless economic reasons why it had to be scaled back.

Pros - Removed a surface lot that so many haifers like to complain about.

Increased hotel rooms downtown

Provided work for an architecture firm, a contractor, engineers, and countless Houstonians when that's hard to come by these days

Cons - It's mediocre.

Move on.

We used to have a Ritz.. Had it for what, 10 years at least?

Why did it leave the Houston market in the first place?

Not only is the back of the building facing the park, but also the crown where the lighted E is supposed to go. The renderings made it look like it was going to be a light on both sides.

I mean if you're going to incentivize building something right on the CBD's most attractive feature, you should be able to demand a certain level of quality in design...

Oh snap... Have either of you two called the Architecture Police yet ?!?! I believe "Not matching renderings" is a Class C Felony now.

Actually, if you're a property owner, you did spend $ to help build the Embassy Suites. The E.S. received upwards of $5 million in tax breaks and incentives to build in that location.

Changes nothing.....

I agree with you Jax! My great disappointment with this building is that they got us all excited with the rendering that was initially released only to drastically delete it's most aesthetic features. In essence they over-promised & under-delivered! Imagine getting promised a Lexus (or at least a fully loaded Toyota Avalon) and end up only getting a base-model Corolla. Now there's nothing wrong with a brand new Corolla, it's just less what we expected lol

As I've stated before, had they simply put out the true rendering & built this Embassy Suites as is, then I dont think we'd have half the complaints and "ugly" comments as we're having here. Truth be told, the final product is in line with a typical Embassy Suites and not any uglier. So whoever is comparing this to that Sheraton in DT Dallas is going way overboard.

Guess what... You aren't buying the Corolla or Lexus here.. You (The People) aren't buying anything.

Changes always happen in the design process for any number of reasons. Renderings take time, Time is money. Clients don't give a hoot about updating the renderings months and months down the line to update and appease the masses.

Renderings are not contracts with the people. Haifers put way too much stock in renderings.

Most renderings happen very early in the design process for the purpose of getting a client and investors excited, and to come up with a rough idea of what the finished product will look like. 6-12 months down the line when you're dealing with code issues, permitting issues, details, and getting construction documents out the door.. nobody cares about making sure the renderings are updated.

Haifers should accept the fact that changes are guaranteed to happen and that 99% of finished projects will never match the renderings you see when a project is announced.

It's not about whether they'll be just fine. It's that they could do better.

You're the expert... Do you actually think that location would be detrimental to leasing?

Say the bldg moved 1 mile west to Shepherd... Better freeway access in exchange for worse freeway visibility and less walkable location. And this isn't I-10 past 8 where 99% of the traffic comes by freeway... its the heart of the city where people can come from every direction.

There are several offices of comparable height near Richmond and Montrose and they do just fine with the freeway access.

No Montrose exit doesn't equate to terrible freeway access. It's 3 min from the Shepherd exit and less from the Spur/Richmond exit.

They'll be fine there.

I've never heard of this firm... I didn't think it would be Houston based with a name like that. I was wrong. Most of their projects are in Europe and are rather nice.

I think y'all are right about the NE corner based on that rendering. There is nothing over 3-4 levels along the submerged stretch of 59.. This is going to really stand out.

Not to split hairs.....

Yeah. It is.

Museum District instead of Montrose sounds more prestigious and if you are marketing class A office space, it makes sense.

Didn't realize they had clearance issues .. gotcha.

Additionally, I picked up some news:

Metro is leaning towards going with a LRT only overpass, and they are undecided on what to do at the rail tunnel at Dowling. They are pondering going over or under depending on what's cheaper. Personally, I hope they go over. The view would be awesome.

Thanks for the photos..

Are you talking 2 different places here?

LRT only overpass - is this over the tracks between Altic and Wayside .... I thought this was the only place needing an overpass, I'm glad to see they are so far sticking with it.

I'm not following what you are saying about Dowling. Harrisburg already goes under the tracks. Why wouldnt the rail follow suit?

i actually do recall a chron article about hurricane damage taking out several buildings exterior lights.... could have been Ike.

That being said... Ike may have taken some out, but it seems more likely the recession is keeping them out.

I'm wrong about the viewing area at the ends of the corridor. It appears that the corridor will be windowless and that the two end units will indeed be suites, splitting that center curved window on the narrow end.

Renderings are not contracts with the people. Haifers put way too much stock in renderings.

Most renderings happen very early in the design process for the purpose of getting a client and investors excited, and to come up with a rough idea of what the finished product will look like. 6-12 months down the line when you're dealing with code issues, permitting issues, details, and getting construction documents out the door.. nobody cares about making sure the renderings are updated.

Haifers should accept the fact that changes are guaranteed to happen and that 99% of finished projects will never match the renderings you see when a project is announced.

What's with the lack of windows? The narrow ends seem to have more cladding than glass! And of course, the thing does not have the "top tier", as someone discussed above. IDK, but this thing might be giving the Mercer some competition as one of the ugliest new buildings in town...

Looking at the photo, each floor plate is your standard double loaded corridor. They don't have the floor plate size to get fancy.

The hallway is running parallel to La Branch and Main with rooms on each side running parallel to Polk and Dallas. On the narrow end of the building, you are seeing the end of the corridor plus the long sides of the two end rooms.

Think of the typical hotel room.. It's a long narrow rectangle. Your door is on one short end, your windows on the other. On the two long sides are all your furniture.

This isn't a luxury hotel.. No corner suites with windows on 2 sides.

Also, On the opposite side of the building facing the park, One of the matching flat window-less sides is going to be your emergency stairwell, which is typically found at the corners.

This building will be boring and still 100x better than the Mercer.

Actually, on the narrow side of the building, it appears the middle 1/3 will be glass. Obviously hallways arent that wide. I'm guessing the corridor will balloon out at the ends to give an expanded viewing area... which will be nice. It could be a lot worse.

Jensen at Burnett.

Yeah.. had just found it myself

Google street view

Dedicated photographer... he had to have been pulled over in the emergency lane on the Eastex to get that shot.

Thanks for updating us with Photolitherland's shots... they're always great.

What and where is this building in the foreground? It's NE of downtown, but I'm just not finding it on googlemaps.

Anyone ?

Chevy commercial. Saw this on ESPN - MLB just now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTXHTtAmW04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTXHTtAmW04

There's little shade .....

Too bad nobody thought to line Kirby Dr with Oak Trees 20-30 years ago........

{{citation needed}}

Citation Not Needed.

If I could have remembered where I read that tidbit, I wouldn't have needed to include the "accuracy of its truthiness" and the (I forget).

Take it or Leave it Ricco! I don't give a damn.

Interesting Trivia that I have no clue to the accuracy of its truthiness:

The Astroworld Bridge over 610 is the only instance in either the state or country (I forget) where a privately owned bridge was allowed over an Interstate.

Citizen4rmptown... Excellent Photo !! That shot gives Trey a run for the money !!

Edit: Also, I haven't thought of a way to take photos without people thinking I'm a creeper taking pictures of people working out.

Work out wearing this...

<fade out> Imperial Death March... </fade out>

I've never seen a place that has the fries inside the gyro.. Where in town are they like that ?

I've never considered the fries instrumental to the gyro..