downtownian

18 hours ago, HoustonMidtown said:

Work has slowed down - haven't seen much in a couple weeks

 

Untitled by Houston Midtown, on Flickr

 

 

the site is listed for sale on loop net

23 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I hate this development. I was trying to stay positive but I hate it. 

I’ll take Chipotle over anything named Corky’s any day. 

With all the other options in a 2 block radius, I don't think i would ever eat at that chipotle.

6 hours ago, HOU_huckster said:

Peeking through.

 

Also, is this Houston's best angle?

I was just walking that path for the first time today and thinking the same thing... but at dusk 

12 hours ago, Fortune said:

All of that parking lot . . . ridiculous!

If it wasn’t for the garden on top, I would have guessed that was a mall with the taller building in front an anchor department store. 

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

 "But wait! What about electric cars?!" If electric cars really do take off and replace a significant share of gas-powered vehicles, then the energy demand simply shifts from gasoline to electric power, which translates to a boom in natural gas... again benefiting the oil industry.

The primary concern is the combination of electric cars and increased renewables. The technology for renewables and battery storage are not there to displace fossil fuels today but technological change is rapid and unknowable. In the future, fossil fuels will not be extensively used - the big question is does this occur in the year 2500, the year 2100, 2050 or sooner. 

18 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

 

I understand the logic but I think if you dove deeper into Detroit's postwar economic statistics through the 1970s you would see they were way less diverse, plus tremendously large factories shuttered, each employing tens of thousands of working class people.  With the deep racial tension, it was a powderkeg.

 

In the Midwest I think a better corollary is Chicago . . . Chicago really hasn't recovered fully from the 1970s itself but has always had a very active business community and stable urban neighborhoods that people don't want to leave.  Of course I hope Houston never becomes as fragmented (understatement) or fiscally challenged as Chicago.  

 

Otherwise I do think Houston is just increasingly Miami and Los Angeles, so there may be some growing pains.  

I hope so.

Very concerned that there is a Detroit dynamic at work - a single, concentrated and powerful industry crowds out all others. When times are good in that industry, the city flourishes and when times are bad...

I understand that it appears we are more diversified now then the past but a lot of these jobs are tied to energy. This article although a little dated, explains the dynamic. There are 550,000 “base jobs” tied to energy and manufacturing that bring in money to the Houston area and then there are 2.5 million jobs that support those base jobs like real estate and retail. 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.houstonchronicle.com/business/economy/amp/The-deceptive-diversity-of-Houston-beyond-oil-8325303.php

Frank's pizza is staying open. Just frank's backyard is closing. Hard Rock Cafe downtown is closing too:

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2020/04/01/hard-rock-cafe-to-close-downtown-houston-location.html

I guess they didn't get the memo that it's East River. Definitely not a bayou

1 hour ago, JBTX said:

 

 

I know BBP plans to expand the park over there, but there isn't a whole lot over there (aside from Finca).

El Segundo Swim club, bumpy pickle, if that brewery ever gets built 

East End coffee plant sells for $10 million as plans continue for Buffalo Bayou redevelopment

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.chron.com/business/real-estate/amp/East-End-coffee-plant-sells-for-10-million-15027128.php

2 hours ago, BeerNut said:

East End is roiled as mixed-income housing plans advance

 

 

It wouldn't bother me if this also put 5,000 units in river oaks.

You can’t get a certificate of occupancy or health department sign off to open without bathrooms, fully functional bar etc. which takes a long time. 

2 hours ago, Twinsanity02 said:

 

This is one of the best videos on you tube showing downtown Houston. For those in a hurry check out 7:45 to 8:45. It's from Fritzphoto.

I like how they pick up bits of everyday life like someone doing an instagram photo shoot on top of Market Square Tower at 9:00 and a tow truck taking away a car at 9:20.

On 1/18/2020 at 10:12 AM, mattyt36 said:

 

Well that's great news . . . new concepts and renders always bode well.  I mean developers always restrain the bold, imaginative, and fanciful until a budget is involved.  🙄

 

Not a fan of giving huge subsidies to outdated and out of fashion corporate hotel chains. W's had a cultural moment 10-15 years ago but don't seem relevant anymore. Wish it was a boutique by a well respected hotelier or giving tax breaks to local small businesses. 

3 hours ago, Mr.Clean19 said:

 

 

Virtual overlay and tour of the site! Gets into some good details. 

I would reverse Stage 4 and Stage 5 (do stage 5 first because it is bayou adjacent while Stage 4 does not front water).

Think some of the interior renderings in this article are new:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/home/design/article/The-Preston-will-bring-progressive-modern-design-14826099.php

Was hoping they would go with a Houston architect and Schaum / Shieh who were a finalist. I really like their Transart Foundation building on Alabama.

17 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

 

I know Esperson's been done in the past 20 years. I don't really want Pennzoil to be renovated. It's perfect as it is, with that modernist solemnity. I get nervous when people start trying to add little splashes of new to things.

 

Agree - Pennzoil is beautiful. Little disheartening to see the vacancy so high. 

There’s a fair amount of upscale bars already in the area that coexist with the more lively bars. 

Upscale cocktail bars that are relaxed

Spare Key

Public services

tongue cut sparrow

Upscale cocktail bars that are crowded 

bad news bar

pastry war 

3 hours ago, TheSirDingle said:

Any updates on the market? Can't find anything myself,  for some reason http://www.downtowndistrict.org/  hasn't updated their reports since June. Hopefully a 3Q report will be out soon.

The reports are quarterly. The next quarter ends Sept-30 and then it takes them a while to write up the report so mid/late October.

According to page 12 of the below, Mia Bella is opening at the Star. Hope it’s not the beautiful space that Benjamin’s would have taken:

http://www.downtowndistrict.org/static/media/uploads/attachments/downtown_market_update_2019_q2.pdf

Q2 downtown report is up. Highlights:

-residential occupancy of 90.3% up from 86.8% at beginning of quarter. Increase due to strong seasonal demand. Houston average is 90.2%

-average rent of $2.03/sf compared to Houston average of $1.18

-Bank of America Tower is 88% leased 

http://www.downtowndistrict.org/static/media/uploads/attachments/downtown_market_update_2019_q2.pdf

22 minutes ago, mattyt36 said:

 

The SpringHill Suites actually WERE apartments for a good 15+ years though, right?

Yeah, think it was Humble Tower Apartments with 82 units