jt16

Developers buy property all the time, yes?

Yes, in a marketplace buyers and sellers try to come together and find something buyers want to buy and sellers want to sell.  I'm pretty sure developers just don't go around buying up property because that's part of the bussines model.

How will West creek and it's neighbors affect Afton Oaks?

Its a charming neighborhood, but I wouldn't mind if it wasn't there. Its one area I wouldn't mind seeing large scale demolition of all those period homes.

I felt dirty saying that. I need a shower now.

I'm glad you're in such a rush to demolish other people's homes.  That neighborhood has been around a long time, and it's those rich folks that live there that attract all of the high end retail.  Without them, Uptown wouldn't be the same.

If it's the same skyline that has slums around town, no thanks

I think this is something separate, but I'm not sure if it's being pushed by the same folks as the Houston-Dallas line or not. First time i've heard anyone mention Oklahoma City, too.

I get a memorial area newspaper and the article today mentioned they are actually a step closer to funding. They are close to agreement with federal railroad commission. Not sure what that means but the article implied construction could start in as early as two years

Isn't re-using the same plan how they save on development costs?

And build so quickly.  It's not all bad

I'm really liking this one

What a freaking waste! The existing building is only about 20 or so years old and of all the buildings in that area, the developers knock down a decent 20-storey building. There are countless older trashy 4-5 storey buildings all up and down that street, including the one I work in a few doors up where the elevator is dead every other day. Knock that POS down.

Well, first you have to own something before you go knocking it down. I'm always baffled by posters that think this is sim city

I'm 90% sure that ROW was marked as so for the Hempstead commuter rail line they've been talking about for ages..

And Japanese as in JR railways, the company behind the Dallas to Houston high speed rail line.. I doubt they've even heard of college station, but maybe Eckles(?) is pushing for a CS stop.. Since I go to Baylor, it pains me to see college station in the discussions to get a stop without any consideration given to Waco.. I really hope there are no stops between Houston and Dallas...

Seasonal would make sense, but A&M enrollment dwarfs that of Baylor. That's all were talking about. It has nothing to do with either the cities of college station or Waco.

Go blind? Now that's a hyperbole... I wouldn't mind if this building was planned for another location but it will stick out like a sore thumb for me in that neighborhood.

It's right down the street from the Chinese consulate. It fits right in I suppose.

I always thought that was so everyone involved knew what the final result was supposed to look like so one guys not finishing out different than the plan

on a somewhat related note..

how is Shell getting out of its lease at 2 Shell Plaza before its 2025 expiration?

didnt Chevron just sign a new lease in one of the neighboring towers to house some of its new/relocated employees? if so, i wonder if Chevron can back out of that agreement similar to however Shell is getting out of 2SP.

You don't get out of a lease. You try and sublease

Well say what you want and criticize away. im just passing along the info from a very, very reliable source who is close to the negotiations. Next time, I'll keep it to myself.

Not trying to bust your chops. I like the inside info on this site. But sometimes rich people think they know everything. Here's an example both of us might appreciate. A few weeks ago a bunch of rich people swore nick Saban or job gruden were going to be head coach in Austin. ; )

Cost overruns on an Australian LNG project will make chevron want to move to the burbs? That makes zero sense. One project is many billions and another could never reach that magnitude. Sounds like your well connected friend is speculating to me.

ummm.. say what? why would a residential tower never get off the ground in a city that cant keep up with its residential demands? now will it look the same as rendered? maybe not.. unfortunately it may end up losing its twist (pure speculation), like Shasta said, "look for them to streamline the design a bit". but TEMA has owned this plot of land for a very long time with the intentions of developing it into additional residential towers..

as for "neither will several others - looks at Chevron".. i had to stop taking you serious at this point (and probably should of stopped bothering to type this reply, heh). you do realize Chevron JUST bought another block next to their downtown campus with the intentions of using that block for a staging site for construction of the new tower in 2015, before using the site for future parking when the campus is expanded..? now tell me, why would Chevron buy an additional site when they already own one vacant site in downtown (1600 Louisiana), and another half vacant block next to 1500 (thats primed for a 4th Chevron tower in the future)? Chevron is committed to downtown Houston. i wouldnt be surprised to see a corporate HQ relocation in the next decade/after the current CEO retires.

i agree we are overbuilding in the office submarket (unfortunately i have come to the realization International Tower will probably never see the light of day :/ at least not this go round.. maybe in the next cycle of office construction a few years down the road), but the Chevron tower will be taken up entirely by Chevron. its not a speculative tower like other projects around town, fighting for tenants.

how is the energy sector retreating? maybe youre getting it twisted because the Houston economy is diversifying and isnt dominated by oil and gas like it once was? and you do realize these energy/oil&gas companies are some of the largest in the world, meaning they have some of the largest capital in the world? you dont think they will use that capital when the time comes (they already are..) to focus on alternate sources of energy? companies like Exxon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ect arent going to just fade away when the next major source of energy comes around.. they are going to adapt. yes fracking is making oil cheaper, but its also creating one of the biggest booms in the oil industry since the early 1900s.. that can only mean good things for the oil & gas companies around Houston.

what forcasters are predicting this doomsday prophecy for Houston?

I've not seen one doomsday forecast for the houston economy. If anything it's the opposite. The "next" energy source is most likely gas. And it's becoming a global commodity. And that will be another economic boon for the houston economy. I would hate to be invested heavily in biofuels right now.

Looks really nice. There will probably only be about 1/5th of the people in the renderings actually walking around, but still... nice.

Ever been to city center? It's almost too packed with people walking around.

there's another apartment development slated right next door on the corner of TC Jester and Washington - potential mixed-use but don't quote me on that.

NE or NW side to Washington? One side is a wrecker shop and the other a TYCO office/warehouse

At the rate we're going, we'll have 10 million people in the metro area by 2040. I agree with both of you, and I would add that Houston really needs to build a mid-high speed subway/train system (at least around the inner loop area and out to the airports).

Subway in Houston? You must be new to the conversation.

Why do you think you have the right to tell me, or anybody else how or where we should live? Why are you so important that you get to decide these things for everyone?

When I was shopping for apartments last summer and asked about all of the new construction, I was told it will make no dent in apartment rent rates as demand is so high all of the new projects will simply fill existing/future demand. If anything, prices will continue to rise.

Told by who? Someone trying to rent you an apartment long term?

Without injunctive relief, the project would just move forward anyway and the developer would appeal or settle the jury award.

I actually saw what looked like a truck doing soil samples at the DT site last week. Could be nothing but would be weird to acquire lots of DT real estate only to build a large XOM style campus in the woodlands.

It's on the original location according to the video. Great for them and they provide a wonderful and needed set of services for the community. I'm not sure how this doesn't fit the "community." I think alot of new people in midtown/Montrose don't fit the community and should return to the suburbs with their exclusionary mentalities.

Or maybe the poster was trying to point out it's not close to the people it seeks to serve. But don't let me get in the way of the insults. Exclusionary? You just put huge amounts of people (suburbanites into one of your tiny boxes).

Haha. I'd like to think so, but Sowanome is killing it.

I follow CFB very closely. Big props to sowaname. You've earned the right to trash talk me. I'm getting worked over.

I have been to over 50 countries, I've been to hundreds of cities, Houston is the only place where residents act like homeless are some novel, alien creatures.

I got drunk and lost in Seattle but some homeless people have me awesome directions to my hotel. I would have been wandering around in the rain if it wasn't for the neighborhood hobos.

In Cork, Ireland one of the people buying rounds of beers to welcome us to the city was a homeless girl. Didn't know she was homeless till after. She was just a person who didn't have an indoor home.

I think many people like to feel themselves victims and ashamed to say no. Many of these homeless people are really friendly. Yeah some do commit crimes, but most are harmless.

People keep saying midtown won't improve because of the homeless, but hey I was asked for money right down the street from Buckingham Palace (well closer to Kensington).

Homeless are everywhere people. Its not a Houston thing. They stay where they get fed.

The greyhound station is a dropoff point on your way back from prison. There are undesirable people in the area, not just homeless.

But the entire West Side is going away, isn't it?

After next season (2014 season) there will be a complete teardown and rebuild of the west side.