houstontexasjack

On 2/28/2023 at 11:54 AM, Triton said:

It's hilarious how much this forum hates this development but I will say, so many within the Asian community are talking about this place in a positive light. Bori is quite famous in Spring Branch, so to be able to attend a major event in the city and then come here afterwards or beforehand is something that a lot of foodies and people who know the Bori name are excited for.

Bori is a go-to for Korean bbq for me. I’m excited to not have to make the long drive.

21 minutes ago, hindesky said:

So this will be Museum District's version of the Holiday Inn/Days Inn/Heaven On Earth Inn.

🥶

Looks like Hoar filed a lien affidavit claiming they are owed almost $16.5 Million:

I did not find any outstanding deeds of trust of record (2021 deed of trust was released). So, no apparent lenders to step in and finish things.

There have been a boatload of lien affidavits filed by subcontractors in the last month, many of which have 7-figure claims.

What a clustercuss

2 hours ago, CREguy13 said:

Parkway has acquired Post Oak Central and CityWestPlace in an all cash deal (wonder which billionaire 👀👀) and Midway will oversee the Redevelopments.  This is an amazing transaction and I'd heard there was big money behind it because of the opportunity with POC. Truly, anything less than several towers with incredible retail/walkability offerings would be a major disappointment. 

This is the size of River Oaks District right on Post Oak Blvd. Cheers to potentially the next mega development in Houston 🍾🥂

“Post Oak Central and CityWestPlace are both significant Houston assets that continue to perform, though Post Oak Central has been underappreciated in the market for some time,” said Brad Freels, Chairman and CEO of Midway and Co-Executive Chairman of Parkway, together with Jim Heistand. Regarding Post Oak Central, Freels said, “We see incredible potential in the iconic property. This deal activates and accelerates our plans, and we look forward to reimagining Post Oak Central for the next generation.”

https://www.midway.team/blog-posts/parkway-closes-on-two-significant-houston-office-assets-in-one-of-the-largest-u-s-real-estate-transactions-year-to-date

The parking on the site has GFR, I think, but is kind of low density for a parking garage. I wonder if they might consolidate that a bit into a larger/taller garage to allow for another tower or towers.

28 minutes ago, LosFeliz said:

I'd MUCH rather have a surface parking lot than an exposed towering parking garage that kills street life. 

A surface parking lot has future potential. This is going to age like hot milk.

 

The first floor on this one has retail space planned. And, if the sidewalks around Boone Manor nearby are an indication, the updated sidewalks around this will be a substantial improvement.

The exposed garage is not attractive but there is at least the potential for a mural on it (developer indicated they were going to do that).

1 hour ago, Triton said:

This is an architecture forum that has a focus on design and I'd rather take a neighborhood park over this eyesore. 

But it wouldn’t be a neighborhood park. The site was previously a parking lot. 
 

Getting good architecture, in my view, is a lot like panning for gold and separating it from the sand. You need lots infill to motivate folks to stand out from the crowd.

1 hour ago, Houston19514 said:

Yeah, it's bigger than a downtown block.

That’s what she said.

10 hours ago, jhjones74 said:

Probably just put Austin in his portfolio thinking that’s a more recognizable city internationally. Even though Houston has probably 3x the number of highrises. 
 

Uneducated guess, it’ll be a year before this breaks ground, if they get the construction financing.

SLC’s press release referenced groundbreaking in “Spring 2024.” My thought was “May 2024 at the earliest.”

https://southernland.com/luxury-high-rise-development-planned-for-northeast-corner-of-kirby-drive-and-kipling-street-in-houstons-upper-kirby-district/

2 hours ago, hindesky said:

So many vacant lots and shuttered businesses around here.

Indeed. The very tall residential tower was a dream, but I was actually hopeful the hotel component would have been financeable. Maybe Dr. Mann can re-visit the hotel concept with the 2028 Republican convention having been awarded to Houston as another “tentpole” event.

Looks like Us Living got some sort of prelim financing for this site. Note amount is not enough for vertical construction, but might be related to site work:

3 hours ago, BigFootsSocks said:

Curious what these other perversions are

I invoke Rule 34.

A new trailer was getting put in on this site today to replace the old one. 

11 hours ago, Geoff8201 said:

Honestly when I saw digging I figured it was more soil testing or utility marking, or other pre-construction site checks. But that they were going to be ongoing. I didn’t figure they would dig holes just to cover them back up and hightail it out of there. Could have just been a dog burying a bone.

It might’ve been sleep-deprived delirium seeing this, but I thought I saw a rig taking soil samples when I drove by the other day.

6 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I agree. A simple facade update and maybe some more elements around the building dedicated to the Rockets would be cool. A Rockets village would be nice. 

With the practice facility getting moved, there should be space to add some glass to get more natural light into that concourse. Make it more like the Summit in that regard. 

On 6/7/2023 at 3:50 PM, texan said:

The Hermann Park master plan shows no changes to it. But I don't think it would be unreasonable to consolidate the parking from it into the planned garage under the playground where the zoo/amphitheater lot is currently.

👆This

The temporary injunction hearing on this one should be fun. TI hearings are the closest thing we lawyers get to “TV trial” where there are surprise witnesses and revelations on the stand. 🍿

2 hours ago, __nevii said:

What you are describing is most likely the execution as-per the Houston Climate Action Plan guideline (released in 2020): market-based efforts extending first to the Inner Loop, before moving into the Beltway 8 zone in the mid 2020s, and then total elimination city-wide as per the noted 2030 deadline.

But you might as well go for a full YIMBY approach and eliminate the minimums on the spot, soon as possible. Several upcoming mayoral candidates have been involved with city council and/or METRO transit, so there's some foundation — however SJL is probably the most well-known name in the race, so hopefully she isn't NIMBY.

Starting with the Inner Loop seems more politically feasible. My experience is that many laypeople think “market parking” means “no parking” would get built with new developments, when that’s not the case (look at Texas Tower, Brava, et al in Downtown). Starting with the Inner Loop helps drive that point home.

5 hours ago, __nevii said:

That, and non-exempt areas elsewhere across the city influenced the observed so-called "market-demand" within the exempt areas.

Hence, as mentioned prior, the true experiment will come with killing parking-mandates city-wide (yes, even for territories like Kingwood and Clear Lake City).

Let’s start with market-based parking throughout the Inner Loop.

7 hours ago, ChannelTwoNews said:

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/05/24/ion-district-houston-jan-odegard.html

@ChannelTwoNews or @CREguy13 - would either of y’all be able to quote snippets from the article?  It’s paywalled.

3 hours ago, hindesky said:

All 3 of the Vero Sade/Us Living new projects in Houston are no longer on their construction web site. 😧

https://verosade.com/construction/

I wouldn’t expect construction to be imminent given the monster pullback in multi-family lending we’ve seen. A website update at least requires some sort of background action.

17 hours ago, texan said:

These will both complement the inevitable Buffalo Bayou Park canyon that'll be the granddaddy of them all so nicely!

Think of the Grand Canyon with its tributary canyons.

1 hour ago, Texasota said:

Just keep marching them south on Kirby until you hit the village. 

Get a parallel canyon going down Montrose.

28 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I'll take a street lined with mid/high-rises all day. Hopefully more properties along Kirby will continue to redevelop, I'm personally waiting for HEB to make a move

H-E-B on the ground floor topped with a “super midrise” form factor. Develop Kirby into an urban canyon.

This site has been on the market for awhile now.