HoustonIsHome

That sucks. It was an interesting looking building but I didn't know about the smell. Never went inside.

As for the homeless, they will move along. It's the circle of life. An extreme form of gentrification.

Jax, the street scape will certainly be prettier than what was there but undoubtedly less urban.

To answer your question, yes the floor facing main will have retail while the business entrance to the building will be on the opposite side.

The set backs however will be much larger than the Macys building. So in terms of the urban look, this one will look more like an uptown (business park) building from a pedestrian point of view than what was there before.

For some reason I think the demise of a building in this fashion seems more humane than the instant execution by implosion.

You would think the slow death would be more sad, but its the opposite for me. Seems like a more graceful goodbye

There are usually festivities on weekends right outside the coffee building and on the other side of the main street bridge.

It really is a scenic area.

The area on the other side is even more scenic, the area from the old pump building offers interesting views but the jail is right there and Hobos still sleep on that side of the bayou. I have nearly tripped over so many hobos sleeping next to the train tracks under UHD or just near the jail

That's different.

Something I would expect from a booming young city.

All that brown cut into that lush green is so sad.

Especially knowing that there are still acres and acres of empty land within the core of the city

Projects don't have to front the rail to be along it. Done developers market their business as being a few blocks from the rail. I remember back in the day landlords on Montrose would do that.

So it doesn't have to be on Main to be along the rail. Just has to be within a few blocks of a train stop. HCC isnt on the line like UHD is but you would have to be dense as less to think HCC distance is not along the rail.

Yep. Those two blocks would host a real aquarium.

Well what has gone in from the late 90s is phenomenal. I just hope the development continues.

I don't mind towers like Hess and OPP (That one in particular adds a lot with Phoenicia) but it would be nice if the commercial buildings stayed out, and the residential buildings were clustered just outside the district and leave the district to hotels, entertainment, conventions, shopping. Kinda like a downtown in downtown.

But again, I would take a Hess over an embassy suites anyday. Hess makes for great pictures from DG. After the hotels go up to the North DG will have urban Canyon views from almost all sides.

As for the lots in front on Toyota, that's where I really wish the Aquarium had gone in. That would tie the area in so nicely. You can go to the Aquarium then walk across to the park. Catch a ball game then dinner at the Aquarium.

The combination of Discovery Green, The ball parks, Green street and the mall with an aquarium just makes everything seem more packaged.

You kidding me? Just the life in midtown alone os a drastic change.

It feels so much different.

That and I haven't been accosted and propositioned by a 13 year old male runaway prostitute in midtown in almost ten years.

Midtown has changed a lot. The northwest area is unrecognizable and the central area is becoming that way too. Joining the Calais, Ventana, 203 Alabama, 2222 Smith and others will be a bunch of new complexes

I want a supertall smack in the middle of afton oaks

It would be nice if the convention district was bookended by residential neighborhoods ( north of Texas and South of Bell) but between Texas and Bell it would be nice if that area was packed with more amenities- hotels, retail, live entertainment, bars, museums... just a more cohesive entertainment area for both Houstonians and hotel visitors.

In terms of enhancing the skyline, the Macys site would be my ultimate spot.

In terms of attracting development my favorite area would be north of Texas and East of Austin.

In terms of least likely spot, in my opinion that is south of Leeland, east of Main.

Ritz and Embassy Suites wrapped around each other on a block? Not likely. I see the Ritz closer to Greenstreet than Embassy Suites

If lamar was less curly as it approached Crawford an L shaped building would easily go in there. Is it really that expensive to slightly rotate the piece along lamar slighly?

It looks like a harsh curve from satellite view but on Google earth it didn't really look that bad

When I say the block is small, I didn't mean it is smaller than the rest. I have just noticed that a lot of these new super tall building's come with clusters of smaller buildings plus plaza/ courtyard.

Was just thinking that a new supertall would do something similar and take up a couple of blocks.

As for parking, jesus how many spots would be needed for that behemoth?

Subdude I'm thinking that that block would be too small although that would be where it would fit in best in downtown.

I am thinking north of MMP or on those lots next to Exxon on Bell would be good.

Doubt a developer would find the SE attractive since it would be around all those apartments.

North of MMP would be new territory and choose to the hotel district.

The north maybe the most interesting view but my favorite view has long been from the south east.

Love that view from UH. The density really shows from there.

I also like the view from midtown.

My least favorite view is the one the show constantly on the news and on commercials- the view from the west/ ET park.

That side is like a wall of six or seven tall buildings and it looks like there is nothing in between makes Houston look like Lincoln Nebraska.

I like the views coming in from 288 too. From as far back as the beltway.

^ that would be nice especially since they are planing to silt the bayou and try to return it to a more natural form.

What about the area they are planing to divert the water to help mitigate food damage. That would be a nice area for condos. It would be a practically new development area kinda like the new developments that are occurring in san Antonio with the extention of the river walk

That assumes that there is demand for a more efficient use of the land that is being used for parking. Downtown has had a large amount of surface parking for years because the demand wasn't there. Government regulation had nothing to do with it.

I don't think that is the whole picture. Some of those lots had buildings on them. Also, paying taxes on a vacant building makes less sense than generating income from a surface lot.

So demand is part of the picture but so is finances. You have to look at the market, demand, cost of land downtown etc etc

Government-mandated parking is unnecessary and leads to poor urban outcomes and decreased affordability.

Totally agree.

Been saying this for years

I read a study that gave this very reason as one of three reasons why midtown's boom after the rail went in wasn't as fast as everyone expected. The other two being speculators sitting on properties and the cost associated with building up rather than town homes.

But yes, I keep hearing on this site that developers know what they are doing and we should let them do their do, but why don't we allow them to make their own decisions on parking.

In TMC the UT school of public health has a green roof. I wonder how that has come along. About 10 years ago there was talk of other buildings following suit, but I don't think it ever caught on.

This is Houston, a couple scenarios from the best case is what we are gonna get.

Really good but don't wet those panties just yet.

Even our city's tallest came under some of its proposed heights.

"If you needed this billboard to tell you about downtown, then downtown is likely not for you."

Downtown residential is doing quite well, especially the rental market. Plenty of people seem to know about downtown and the new bars and restaurants all seem to be doing quite well.

Have you ever considered that the downtown market is going well because units have been coming online at a snails pace. Maybe 300units every two or three years.

When in the history of downtown have we ever gotten 5000 units in a two- three year span

With that type of inventory coming online in a few years wouldn't it be prudent to advertise? Austin furiously did for theirs and now they have the largest downtown in terms of population while being the smallest of the big four. Austin had constantly exciting stuff to advertise though. Ours is not constantly entertaining.

Keep in mind the numbers again. Downtown currently has only ~2400 units. We are not just adding a PP, we are not just converting a Rice Hotel, we are adding 5000 units of residential awesomeness.

He will have less than zero interest in the AmREIT property.

Irony would be RD purchasing ot tomorrow