downtownian

Woah nelly, she's hot.

 

http://zieglercooper.com/camden-downtown/

 

 

 

 

If this could get a Bork next to the Zuri, this would be my all-time favorite project of this cycle.

Absolutely.  

I visited for the first time on Friday and really enjoyed it - especially the historical detail. Nice job man.

Still, it will open before Block 334

What will happen first: Block 334 is completed or making jokes about Block 334 gets old?

September 22 development map. Looks like the only update is Holiday Inn is now Q4 2015 completion instead of unavailable.

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2015-09-22/150922_Development_Map__Renders_11X17.pdf

The Houston Downtown Management District and Weingarten Art Group are seeking submissions for temporary art installations above the dollar store on Main and Walker. The space is 40x60 feet. This seems to be the first of many public art projects to be launched before the NCAA tournament and super bowl. Should be beneficial to the corner but not as beneficial as actually getting rid of the dollar store.

http://weingartenartgroup.com/request-for-submissions-artwork-designs-for-main-street-marquee-in-houston-texas/

The fate inspectors are out in full force these past few days. I talked to one of them asking if they're gonna double stack the trams for the Purple Line. He said he'd talk to a rail attendant, but they're gonna have to do an investigation into how many people are paying.

Obviously, I understand he's not a key figure in deciding these things, but it's good to know that he listened and didn't just brush me off.

"Fate inspectors being out in full force" sounds like a dystopian science fiction novel in which all of humanity rides the light rail and are randomly selected to participate in a Thunderdome-esque competition (Red, Purple and Green enter, one man leaves).

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/docs_pdfs/hahc/Application_Materials/Sept_MATERIALS/820_Fannin_Materials.pdf

Did we know that there would be a fire pit?

"A new roof patio is proposed with a pool, bar and fire pit. A shallow concrete pool (max depth 4 feet) and overall dimensions of 30ˈ x 18ˈ is proposed for the center of the roof. Installation of the pool will require cutting a hole in the roof structure."

There are some cool historic photos of the building in this doc. Also there is a floor plan of the roof deck and pictures of the view - it looks sweet with views of the JW, 609 Main, 1111 Rusk and Niels Esperson. Nice job by Hines and Pickard / Kendall / Heaton in leaving this building in place when constructing BG Group Place.

Can I get a yaaaas? 

 

 

http://www.downtownhouston.org/development/project/le-meridien/

I'll give you a yaaaaah. With this, the upcoming Aloft, the JW, Capitol Lofts, upcoming 1111 Rusk Apartments, Kirby Lofts, the Saint Germain, Commerce Towers, BG Group Place and 609 Main all within 2 two blocks, the Dollar / Food store at Main and Walker seems increasingly out of place. The Main Street corridor is going to be awesome and will be the bridge linking south Downtown, Market Square Park and the new Ballpark district - not to mention areas outside of Downtown via the light rail.

Mia Bella on Main is closed due to substantial water damage. Unfortunate because of the historic nature of the building. No news on when it may reopen.

http://houston.eater.com/2015/9/1/9239793/mia-bella-downtown-sues-landlord

Let's not forget that there is an urban CVS two blocks from this site downtown where residents can get all of their toiletry needs 

 

I'll stop by the CVS on my walk home from work when I need things urgently but generally I just use Amazon Prime. I've gotten really good at bulk ordering and I always have two day lead time for items. I only travel outside of downtown for clothing (need to ensure fit) and books / vinyl records (like to support local book / record stores). Everything else ("necessities", electronics, food - Instacart or Favor app), I get delivered.

According to a Marlowe ad in the July 2015 issue of Local magazine, the building is 20% sold.

See my previous post from June 30 quoted above - if they are still 20% sold as of September, it means: a) they have made almost no progress in sales over the past few months; b ) their marketing materials from June are misleading; c) some combination of a) & b ). 

They are open. When by there after the Astros game. They will have their full menu available on Tuesday. There was a great crowd there.

I was there tonight enjoying a burger and a Lawnmower. Great sportsbar and the outdoor patio w/ fountain will be a nice spot.

On September 16th I will be leaving Houston and moving to Germany for Grad School! Why am I even saying this? Well I have plenty of things I want to see and visit, but I'm looking for anything else that is a "must see" while I'm in Germany or in the general region. I'll be there for a minimum of 2 years, so I'll have plenty of time to visit a lot of places If you have any ideas of stuff to see or even events I should look out for, I would really appreciate it!

 

I'm really excited to see what Houston will look like when I get back!

Congrats and good luck, Luminare!

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2015/06/houston-chronicle-building-sale-in-the-works/#21137101=0

Looks as though Hines is moving toward purchasing the Chronicle site Downtown. This holds potential for either commercial or residential. Would love something taller than the Chase tower here.

Hines is confirmed:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Hines-to-own-another-prime-piece-of-downtown-6479478.php

"John Mooz, senior managing director of Hines, confirmed the company's plans to acquire the property late Tuesday but would not expand on what it plans for the site or provide any other details."

David says that his team has immediately launched work refurbishing the exterior—power washing and welding crews are out there this morning (when David took this photo for us) to bring the building back to its former glory and tells us he's replicating its original awnings and windows to a T. He's working with the historic department to line up tax credits, and is trying to get historic landmark protected status. David hasn't decided yet what they'll do with the interior—he tells us he'd really like to do a state-of-the-art boutique hotel, but they're also considering doing event space or creative offices there. David may not know what the building will be, but he's got a grand opening date in mind already—in 2017, exactly 100 years after the Cheek Neal Coffee Co Building first opened.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/mixed-use/historic-eado-building-to-be-redeveloped-48377?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

A boutique hotel would be amazing. Could be our equivalent of the Wythe Hotel:

http://wythehotel.com/

According to a Marlowe ad in the July 2015 issue of Local magazine, the building is 20% sold.

Thank you for pointing this out. This building is much older than one might think. Many of the recent changes were done about 20 years ago, but Bayou place has been around since the 1960s. Bayou Place btw was Downtowns original convention center until GRB was built. It was a novel idea at the time, but it has not aged very well and is the most awkward of buildings as it sort of just slumps its entire mass across several blocks and butts up against the Bayou. It has almost zero street interaction with the rest of the district and simply does not fit with the rest of the districts aims and goals. It was the perfect building for its time, but has out lived its usefulness and purpose. Its also not like its some architectural gem or anything. Its a pretty standard modern building. If you look at the theater districts presentation and look at the examples of inspiration for blocks "1" "2" and "3" holy crap they are really looking at expanding Houston's architectural palette! I'm seeing a great diversification in architecture which is refreshing and bold. This is also a wonderful chance to really bind the whole district together as one cohesive whole instead of random assortment of theater buildings that happen to be close to one another. This is a fantastic idea overall and is just another look into just how far this city is moving along and the renaissance downtown is entering.

As a downtown resident, I actually really appreciate Bayou Place. I often walk to Sundance Cinema for movies and I've been to four concerts at the music venue over the past year. Plus I frequently get take-out from Blue Fish. Agree that it breaks up the Theatre District but I hope that anything that takes it place has at least the same functionality for downtown residents. 

Really?

Drat!

If true, then this one may be forced to the wrecking ball.

Here is the thread on the Hogan-Allnoch building (the 4-story downtown building for sale). The thread mentions the

auction on April 15.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/29510-hogan-allnoch-building-texas-and-austin/

Poll: Pierce Skypark or Demolish Pierce Elevated?

Marlowe Man's Chrome Cadillac:

Anyone have information on this?

NOTE* This property is to be sold by Harris County by Sealed-Bid Auction upon receipt of a Letter of Intent for the Minimum Bid or more. Minimum Bid is $2,443,000. Any brokerage commission to be paid by the Buyer.

http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=19186875&SRID=5624391794&StepID=101&jli=y

What's most disturbing about the facelift is the corruption of modernist design. The prior design was elegant, unitary in form and the structural components of the building dictated the design (the now covered windows of the lower floors expressed the distribution of gravity loads). The facelift blends two styles and the result is a jumbled postmodernism: modernist - the facelift retains the visual depiction of the distribution of gravity loads by gradually narrowing the slits and everything above the facelift is still modernist; some sort of neoclassical impulse - adding a podium.

Of note: Block 334 and SkyHouse Main are both scheduled for completion Q1 of 2016.

I actually laughed out loud.

http://meetmarlowe.com

 

Marlowe Price Sheet .jpg

Think this is going to be a tough sell. Prices of $465 - $600 / sq foot downtown are unheard of. Current market seems to be $200 / sq foot for condos and historic lofts. Even if one prefers a brand new condo with tons of amenities, it's hard to bring oneself to paying 2x - 3x current market prices.