HoustonIsHome

It's not an ugly building but my midtown fantasy is for Midtown to be Houston's version of Barcelona's  Eixample.

http://www.ainb.net/blog/eixample-barcelona/

Just a see of mainly midrises. Mainly residential,  very eclectic. 

Mid Main, Match etc is on the right track, but man new buildings like those two CVS buildings are just blows to my dream. 

The Hobby name is huge in Houston. 

That name in Houston is almost as big as the super philanthropists:

The Cullens,

Jesse Jones,

William Rice,

The Alkeks,

I am not big on changing names of most things. 

I hate that most of the older buildings downtown are now known by their street number. 

Let's not talk about changing street names, lol. 

With all these plants, ice cream palours, etc,  downtown and midtown seemed like it was an interesting place just a few decades ago. 

On 11/29/2016 at 8:47 PM, UtterlyUrban said:

While I agree with the sentiment, I really have little simpathy for anyone who books here without at least doing a Google street view before booking.  I think most folks know exactly what they are renting and trade the location for the price.  

 

 

In over 100 hotel stays I have probably used street view twice to scope out the neighborhood. very useful tool, and even having used it before, I rarely use it. 

Can't really be too hash on people who don't make use of it. I do agree with your second point however.  I usually sacrifice location to lower costs. The few times I have used street view, I was trying to maximize amenities while not boosting cost too much.  

With the apartments to the northern end the park looks like it will have a more urban park feel, but both the park and the apartments would have benefited from the view if the apartments were on the southern end instead.

I hope someone comes in and builds a 40 story  tower right across the street and totally ruins Campos view.

7 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

Site across from Pearl Whole Foods, 28 floors.

 

http://www.munozalbin.com/64-courtland.html

 

 

 

 

So is this south of Whole Foods? on the Saint Danes lot?

On 10/26/2016 at 7:53 PM, KinkaidAlum said:

It's all about financing. If you have it, you likely build regardless. If you don't, good luck getting it.

I think developments like these are going to be winners in the game. 

Developers who are able to finance in down periods when material is more readily available and labor isn't as hard to come by will be ahead of the game. By the time this is ready for leasing we might be in a whole other economic atmosphere.  

By the time Camden is ready to build downtown he might be facing steeper construction costs. I say start on the up swing of the cycle and deliver in the height of recovery. 

Went to vote today and the construction in just a few block radius was crazy.

609 main,  chronicle building, Market square tower, Aris,  theater square, Franklin garage.  

Was excited when I saw activity on this theater square lot but after reading the last few pages got disappointed again.

This is a horrible look for the entry into downtown

On 10/18/2016 at 1:52 PM, Avossos said:

 

Did this get approval?

Looks like it, they have already excavated a couple feet of dirt

6 hours ago, Twinsanity02 said:

HoustonIsHome, you maybe happy to know that approximately the equivalent of 20 square blocks ( by my not scientifically accurate estimate) of surface parking lots disappeared in this building "cycle".  I do not think you will hear much mourning over their loss. Just hope new ones do not pop up.

That is awesome. 

Are the lots forv the Lancaster going to be replaced by a garage or surface parking? 

I assume the Chronicle lot will be surface parking for a while. 

I think residential in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown will boost commercial development downtown. 

On 10/6/2016 at 7:23 AM, Nate99 said:

 

  to prevent their shadows from blocking out the sun as much.

 

 

Has anyone else noticed how much more pleasant it is walking along main in downtown now that it is so filled in. 

Not just the asthetic, but the shadow cast by the huge buildings combined with AC occasionally drifting out doors makes walking downtown more bearable in the summer than it used to be.

Used to hear a lot about the concrete effect, but vertical concrete seems to help with cooling. Might get miserable on cold windy days though,  as that cool air gets channeled through those man-made canyons.  

Anyway,  shade in the summer is a good thing.  Another reason why I hate surface parking.  

On 10/4/2016 at 2:17 PM, H-Town Man said:

 

Keep it simple. Park along the river. Uniform grid, no pointless curves or dead ends. All the best places are laid out simple. Simple gets better with age.

 

I disagree,  but unfortunately simple is most probably what we are going to get. 

I think it is a waste of frontage to have parking facing the bayou.

But I bet we are going to get a development like the post office site with a few buildings in the center of the property surrounded by a sea of surface parking

This cycle was awesome,  we got some nice infill. This and 609 Main are two of my favorites and both are from Hines. 

And it going up on a surface lot makes it so much better.

Can't Wait To See What Goes Up Next cycle. Its going to be tough to beat this on the residential department and even tougher to beat 609 Main in the commercial department.  

Downtown living in Houston is just not all that attractive right now.  If I could afford it I would rather live in a hi rise in a more established neighborhood like Montrose,  Museum district,  even midtown or Uptown over downtown. 

Downtown just seems too new, whitewashed,  wrapped in cellophane. 

It does not have that comfort of home feeling yet

Nice pic Ellen.  The skyline in the background is awesome. Downtown looks like a beast. It's laughable when people compare uptown to downtown.  The density of buildings is just not there.

It might be similar Tiger,  but 600 J is a less attractive Pig than 811 L.

The interior of that place has been a mess for well over a year.  They took out the escalates and replaced it with stairs (like anyone is going to use it) they ripped out (or rather have been ripping out) the beige tile and replacing it with grey tile. But it looks like they have made very little progress in all this time.

 I overheard the firefighters say that they don't really work around business hours; doing very little in the evenings and weekends but almost completely hindering access. He said sometimes they block off the elevators to certain floors, so if you are going from 6 to 2, you would have to take it all the way down to one then walk to the garage and take the elevators there up to 2, then do the reverse to get back to work.

Sometimes the entire front of the building is blocked off so you have to enter through the garage go up some, find a concorse, cross over to the main building then find the elevators to your appropriate floor. 

Continental folks must sure be happy they are leaving. 

Update:

Looks like the building has been pressure washed and the see through glass is being replaced with a darkly tinted glass. 

It is lipstick on a pig but it is a nice shade of lipstick. 

The gates on 3 sides were open today. The air coming from the opening on the west side smelled like air trapped in a tomb for 1000 years. The side facing the south is covered in Human excrement. Giant rats roam the outside of the property.  The stench around the building is unbelievable.  Even the surface parking reads of homelessness even though there might not be one homeless person in site. 

I am usually with my pom poms in the air when it comes to preservation, but this one they can blow up and I would not bat an eyelash.

That tree has been up there forever. 

On 8/28/2016 at 9:07 AM, nativehoustonion said:

That will be Hines next supertall in the future.  

I could do without another really tall building on the north and west side of Downtown.  The Chevron lot would balance things off. 

The block bounded by Rusk, Caroline,  walker and San Jacinto is another good candidate.  It would stretch the height east without sticking out too much as that monkey wrench building is only about 2 blocks away, and 609 Main is nearby too. This block is also on the rail, about a half stop from the east bound central station. Is this the future Houston Center 6 block? If so it would be nice to get showing more spectacular on the rail. 

Rusk, Labranch, Austin and walker would make a good mixed use building.  It would be near the other new residential buildings to the north, on the fringe of the convention district and it's hotels to the east and south, and all the commercial buildings to the west. A fancy hotel with a residential and commercial space would be great for that area.

There are about 6 lots between discovery green and Root square that are ripe for development.  This is where I always dreamed a Ritz hotel would pop up. It would ruin the view from the Hilton pool deck, but that's life. Those 6 blocks, 4 of which front Dallas could develop into something that gives pedestrian life to downtown. It's on the proposed retail strip, it is near Green Street, it is Near Hilton, 4 seasons, Alessandra,  embassy suites, park place, Marlowe, Future Camden development,  and Of course book ended by DG and Root Square.

Finally,  there is still the Bank of the SW tower site. There are tall buildings all around which would make a super tall not stick out like a sore thumb.  

So,  the Hines chronicle site I am not really  concerned about a super tall going up there.  Give me some more buildings like Aris on that Block and on the neighboring International tower block and I will be happy.

Lots of potential on the East side of town. Houston has been a tall city for decades, i am loving the residential and retail initiatives and the interest in parks, art and out door uses. 

Texas, Louisiana,  Mckinney,  Lamar, are all closer to that dream than Main.

Texas street is built on both sides except for a little sliver of a lot across from minute made.

Mckinney and Louisiana is plagued by the same block, the most density ruining block downtown,  the Block that was supposed to house our crown jewel, the famed bank of the SW tower.

Lamar is developed from 45 to 59 except for that lot across from the 4 seasons.

I think main has like 4 whole blocks and 3 half blocks to work on. I guess that just gives more to look forward too.

On 9/1/2016 at 10:12 AM, Montrose1100 said:

What kind of tour lasts 13 1/2 hours? I'll know next week if I can go. Otherwise we'll have to rely on those two to take pictures...

That reminded me of Gilligan's island. 

Might get lost in that building

I'm surprised that there have not been  even more hotel and residential construction in TMC since the 2008 economic recession. I know there have been a lot near Hermann Park, but in my nitpicking mind I call that cluster Museum District do in my mind They don't count. Same with those around Rice Village and the Southern Edge of Montrose. 

Seemed like a perfect time for growth in those sectors. Does the relative lack of development in those areas due to stipulations in the TMC mission?

When I worked in TMC a lot of my coworkers commuted  from Pearland.  Another huge chunk took PT from south main or the Montrose area.

Let's hope that this leads to more residential and hotel in the area. It's crazy how much foot traffic happens during the day in TMC. 

I like the hodgepodge of colors.

I like that what ever is on the ground floor does not look like a fortress guarding against perceived ills of society. 

It looks like a friendly building. 

The buildings with bare walls or covered in living walls should be on Eldredge parkway. 

It looks like it would be easily converted to GFR if the opportunity arises.