mls1202

Looking at the old vs. new renders, it looks as if the pavilion-looking structure on the right side has been changed in favor of a more standard glass box.  Could just be a cropping issue, but I kinda liked the older look better.

45 minutes ago, samagon said:

right? we deserve less!

Careful...this has yet to be value-engineered.  We may yet get what we deserve!

rgarza, do you know what material the curved ceilings are made of?  In some pics it looks like fabric sails (with what looks like grommets along the edge), while others look like plaster.

"

These are the two "highlights" the article chose to emphasize....🤪

4 hours ago, MidCenturyMoldy said:

 

Eventually, that corner (assuming you were referring to the North East corner with the AT&T store) WILL be developed, and it will have to be something tall to justify the cost.  Anyone buying an east-facing view in Aspire had better beware...what comes around goes around!

Went down the Google-hole on Allen Parkway Village and discovered that this area used to be Houston's official red-light district--The Reservation!

40 minutes ago, Texasota said:

That's better than pushing affordable housing out into the middle of nowhere though. I'd rather see affordable housing next door to luxury towers. Besides, there are plenty of market-rate two and three story townhouses in the immediate area as well. 

I'm actually all in favor of mixed-income development, but I would prefer to see them more integrated.  The way these developments (i.e. ROD, The Allen, Regent Square, etc) are created, they exist as mini-cities unto themselves with boundaries that often ignore the neighborhood around them. There is nothing that ties The Allen into the apartments next door, not even an entrance on the east side (at least from what I can tell).

I'm sure this is going to have a best-in-class view of downtown, but man...nothing says "look at me in my ivory tower" than hanging out at your luxury pool while looking across the rooftops of a government-subsidized project...

Interesting paragraph in the link to the Bellaire Civic Club website:

"Old time Bellaire residents recall that part of the 1975 agreement with Prudential Insurance, the original owner of the AT&T building, included a promise to provide a parkland area at the corner of Bissonnet and Loop 610.  However the document or documents, if any, and the site development plans regarding any agreement, seem to have been misfiled or lost.  View the original Prudential Insurance ordinance here."

Maybe I watch too much tv, but that's got some House of Cards scheming going on to make those documents "disappear".

15 hours ago, clutchcity94 said:

How has this development affected property values nearby?

Well, it looks like the rent to park a shopping cart and set up a sleeping bag have gone up well above market value now...

Now that you show this view from above, the origin of the "spiderweb" pattern mystery seems so obvious, but damn it if I never considered that the tubes were open on top and would require some sort of covering.

What I want to know is what happens when a pigeon lands on top and sh*!ts through the grating, leaving a nice streak on the inside of these tubes...

Ironic plot twist fantasy...Amazon funds a startup out of Ion or pays for naming rights...all so I can see a former Sears building rebranded as Amazon.

20 hours ago, asubrt said:

Sadly I’m moving so this is the last photo I’ll be able to post from this vantage point. It’s been a joy getting to watch this one rise, along with several others completed ones in this photo over the last few years. 

I honestly had to do a double-take on what forum I was in when I looked at this photo.  The density of buildings in the frame (especially in the left side) almost made me think we were in an Asian city (KL, Bangkok, etc.).

And then I noticed that (1) those were clouds and not smog and (2) good'ol Randall Davis' Astoria which anchored me back in Houston!

Wow, I came to this forum to make an inquiry on the exact same address when I saw that you beat me to it...4 years ago.

I debated even posting something as this is a person's private home as opposed to a business, and now that I see the sad backstory regarding the family, I feel even worse for pointing it out. Wishing this family all the best.

1 hour ago, thatguysly said:

I haven't been to that location yet but heard negative feedback from those that have. Said it was bad compared to other Ninfa's locations and terribly slow service. Hopefully, it was just new restaurant issues that work out. It is super close to my office so I plan on going.

I tend to go on these weird food benders where I will eat the same thing for a week. I did one on Ninfa’s at both the Navigation location and the Uptown spot before corona wrecked 2020. Honestly...I didn’t notice a difference as I ate my way through the menu. As it’s usually just me on these glutinous journeys, I usually sit at the bar and haven’t had any issue with service. 

The two construction workers hanging off the rebar are probably only 18 feet off the ground, but it's enough to make my palms sweat as if they were 50 stories up!

I clearly am not suitable for that line of work!

Apologies if this has been already covered, but what (if anything) is happening to the empty land north of RO? From Google Maps, it shows what looks like overflow parking for St. John, but I have to imagine this land is going to be super-valuable...

2 hours ago, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

ok, place your bets... I have $5 on Randall Davis buying the plot at the NW corner of Post Oak and San Felipe and building something ugly and tall just to block Aspire's views of downtown.

I'll build off of that bet and guess that he will build a massive 30 story building comprised of a 20 story parking garage pedestal made of cinder blocks...

On 8/30/2020 at 1:37 PM, clutchcity94 said:

I can't find a rendering showing how this side of the building is supposed to look, but are those vertical bars supports for an additional facade, or is it the final design?

33 minutes ago, gene said:

It's not mine but i mean it probably is 1/2 price currently...if you click the link you will see the HAR for sale listing

 

I have a friend in one of the upper level units at the Cosmopolitan who is fortunate enough that their property is on the eastern-most side, adjacent to Post Oak.  Their view down Post Oak will remain clear of the new tower, but just barely.  I feel for the ones like the listing above that will be completely in its shadow.  I can't imagine anyone paying north of $400K to stare at the a$$-end of this construction. 

On 8/25/2020 at 10:57 AM, Montrose1100 said:

How much are you investing?

Zero.  

I'm not evaluating the value of this contribution based on it's absolute value.  I'm basing it on what a company the size of Microsoft donates to other causes.  Per their website, Microsoft has donated last year alone 1.4B towards non-profit causes such as this focused on providing access to technologies and services.  My point is that this seems more like the minimum, obligatory investment MS is making rather than a full-throated endorsement of the innovation district Houston is trying to build.

As a comparison, MS donated $1M to Puget Sound's COVID-19 relieve fund.

On 8/26/2020 at 4:04 PM, dbigtex56 said:

I agree. IIRC the original renderings placed more emphasis on the relationship between the existing building and the additions. 
Granted, some features of the existing building were more appealing than others (the south facade with its loading docks was pretty Plain-Jane).  But these views make it appear that someone stuck a little piece of an historic facade onto what is essentially a new building. Where's the rest of it?

At least the historic side that they have kept faces the planned pedestrian plaza on the north side of the project.