6 hours ago, cspwal said:

 

There's a rooftop bar at the Marriott?

I think the post is referring to the bar at the Marriott pool and lazy river. The pool deck and bar is only accessible with a wristband and if you are a guest of the hotel. 

Just broker speculation but thought I would share:

Grocery stores will soon have little choice but to breach the downtown market, which has a large-enough mass of residents to support a grocery store, Gaines said. He's skeptical of Randall's, Kroger or Walmart taking the risk of building an urban, multistory grocery store in downtown Houston.

"I think H-E-B definitely will," Gaines said. "Whole Foods will."

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/11/01/broker-downtown-houston-has-enough-residents-to.html

I'm glad that 1111 rusk got done. If an ugly parking garage for a portion of the block is the price, so be it. 

21 minutes ago, Triton said:

Per a Lovett Commercial request, the info and renderings have been removed from public viewing.

Why? They're still available on swamplot. If they're public, they're public.

http://swamplot.com/rem-koolhaas-and-omas-big-plans-to-remake-houstons-central-post-office-into-a-major-downtown-farming-shopping-eating-and-3-d-printing-hub/2017-10-04/

20 minutes ago, Triton said:

Per a Lovett Commercial request, the info and renderings have been removed from public viewing.

Why? They're still available on swamplot. If they're public, they're public.

http://swamplot.com/rem-koolhaas-and-omas-big-plans-to-remake-houstons-central-post-office-into-a-major-downtown-farming-shopping-eating-and-3-d-printing-hub/2017-10-04/

13 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

And another... Theodore Rex opens tomorrow.  

Went on Monday. It's like a more casual oxheart (not tasting menu style) but with the same incredible attention to detail. Menu is a little bit more approachable and it's less veggie-centric. It cost about half as much as Oxheart as well.

Penzoil is closed through Sept 1

Power is out for most of downtown north of the Rice Hotel / Lofts (and including the Rice Hotel). It is creepy looking north on Main Street into darkness. Aris and Market Square tower have power

13 hours ago, UtterlyUrban said:

You live downtown and you have rented a hotel room at the Marquis for a vacation?

Yes, for the pool. I walked over, had brunch at Xochi and then went to the pool. It would have been worth it if not for the kids. 

11 hours ago, cloud713 said:

Mark me down for someone else trying to (finally) plan a staycation at the Marquis. Just a matter of coordinating a weekend between mine and my girlfriends schedules, and avoiding any busy holiday weekends (i.e. Labor Day) when a bunch of families might be there with little kids running and screaming all over the pool deck. Hopefully we get to experience the Marquis soon enough..
 

I guess they're finally doing a more permanent fix to the concrete uplifting problem that I posted pictures of back before the Super Bowl? I wonder how long the repairs will take..

I've done two staycations at the Marquis and both times there were tons of kids on the pool deck so I haven't gone back.

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

This seems like something that should have happened 10 or 20 years ago. One would think by now that downtown is at a point where it doesn't need visionary plans to encourage development. As far as suggesting development guidelines, it is for the most part too late to save Texas Avenue from driveways and curb cuts, or Main Street from being lined with parking garages. But maybe it will do some good?

 

There was a plan (and it was implemented pretty successfully) developed 13 years ago called the "Houston Downtown Development Framework." It called for increased public space and additional residents and aided in the development of Discovery Green and the Downtown Living Initiative (subsidies for 5,000 apartment units).

I'm hopeful that this plan will call for and achieve additional parks and public spaces and integrate some of the various patches of downtown. Also hopeful it will have the city partner with private developers to develop a grocery store and more residential. 

"KHOU 11 met with the owners on Tuesday. They didn’t want to go on camera, but did say they have nearly completed an $85 million dollar hotel renovation plan.

However, they said they are still trying to get financing."

http://www.khou.com/news/future-remains-uncertain-for-dangerous-downtown-building/456267629

47 minutes ago, rechlin said:

 

Goro and Gun is still around.  They just rebranded as Moving Sidewalk and got rid of the food.

That's really pushing the Ship of Theseus 

1 hour ago, Nole23 said:

 

Yea I believe that's going to be a restaurant or other retail.

Went I went on the 609 Main tour, they indicated it would be a restaurant space by the owners of B&B Butchers.

The Star is officially open. First tenants moved in last month.

"Units are between about 730 to 1,730 square feet. There are 207 one-bedroom, one-bath units and 79 two-bedroom, two-bath units. The building's first tenants moved in late last month."

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/02/14/photos-luxury-downtown-apartment-debuts-in-former.html

1 minute ago, CREguy13 said:

True, but this really doesn't bother me considering this was to jump start residential living in downtown.  Now in a few years we will have a couple thousand residents living in the CBD, and new businesses catering to those residents.  Then multi-family developers will build without incentives, which is the way it should be.  Plus, it helps assure more quality development rather than some B player that wants to take advantage of a generous tax credit.

Added emphasis to your post in bold. There are currently 3,991 residents in downtown Houston already and 3,722 units under construction / development. We'll have close to 10k residents in a few years. See page 4 of the below:

https://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2016-12-01/Downtown_at_a_Glance_120116.pdf

19 minutes ago, Ctaf said:

does anyone know about the incentives? do those expire?

The Downtown District has the right to cancel the incentives if:

1) the owner has not submitted construction plans within one year of project approval

OR

2) project has not received certificate of occupancy within 3 years of project approval

Page A-5 of the below:

https://www.houstontx.gov/ecodev/380/houstondowntown.pdf

This is the reason a lot of people are upset with the project. The project used ~550 of the 5,000 approved units under the incentives (>10%) and may never use the incentives or begin construction. These incentives could have been put to much better use.

14 hours ago, UtterlyUrban said:

This restaurant is open.  Went there today.  Extremely good, casual French cuisine.  I recommend.  Hopefully they are a great success!  

Went there for dinner last Wednesday and for brunch on Sunday. Agree - extremely good. As soon as Discovery Green removes its fences, the patio views will be top tier.

12 hours ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Looking at this photo I am glad that the plan for the fancy light rail station didn't go through. Less is more.

 

Agree that the 5 story light rail station would have been too much but I really liked the rain funnel station design (Snohetta) and thought it was understated. Would have integrated well with 609 main too.

http://architangent.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SNOHETTA_01_resized-1024x579.jpg

Went to Xochi last night and it was packed. Surprising for opening night considering they press released it mid-afternoon yesterday as well. Completely smooth opening with no hiccups and food is on par with Hugo's and Caracol. Going to be the best restaurant downtown once oxheart closes.

2 hours ago, Ross said:

Why build a single 100+ story building when you can build several 50 story buildings for less money. Going higher costs more per floor. And, Houston hasn't hit the density that makes su per tall buildings economic

Not only that but I would rather have five 20 story buildings that take out five parking lot blocks than one 100 story that takes out one block

Now leasing:

http://realestate.marthaturner.com/Sites/MTP/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=30931744#_self

Congrats to Downtown for winning swamplot's 2016 neighborhood of the year. Downtown also won in 2014 (Swamplot did not do neighborhood of the year in 2015). The neighborhood has come a long way with residential, bars, restaurants, lodging, convention center improvements and office and 2017 will finally show it all off with the Super Bowl. 

http://swamplot.com/the-swamplot-awards-for-houston-real-estate-2016-the-winners/2016-12-30/

15 hours ago, hindesky said:

 

Drove by at 10pm last night and it was packed with people taking photos/selfies. The Wings could be Houston's equivalent of Chicago's bean. Only issue is the kinetics don't show up in a still picture.