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CREguy13

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  1. CREguy13
    New Microsoft accelerator program for the Ion. From HBJ: Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) is launching an accelerator aimed at growing the use of smart city technology in Houston. The computing giant is partnering with local nonprofit accelerator Station Houston and nonprofit makerspace TX/RX Labs to create the Ion Smart Cities Accelerator program. The program will eventually be based in The Ion — the 270,000-square-foot former Sears building in Midtown that's being converted into Houston's innovation hub — when renovations are completed in late 2020. For the time being, the accelerator will be housed in Station Houston. The accelerator will feature six months of pilot programs for companies developing smart city technology. It's a broad tech sector aimed at using data to solve problems that plague cities, like reducing traffic and congestion or improving flood mitigation. Station Houston CEO Gabriella Rowe said that the program will launch in May with the first cohort of smart city tech firms to launch in August, and will include companies with products ready for pilot testing. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the partnership on April 16 at the Microsoft IoT in Action Solution Builder Conference, but told the audience that the relationship with the tech giant formed over a year ago. Turner has become a champion of using technology to improve the city's resiliency — he formed a Smart City Advisory Council in early March to bring together community members, local government, industry leaders and academic institutions to speed up the adoption of smart city technology. Last year, Houston joined the 2018 Smart Cities Collaborative, a program with 22 cities that will meet to discuss transportation problems and solutions. The Microsoft Ion Smart Cities Accelerator is the latest such program to become affiliated with Station Houston. In February, BBL Ventures launched its oil-and-gas-focused accelerator, dubbed BBL Labs, which is based in Station Houston. Outside of Station Houston, accelerator programs are growing in number throughout the Bayou City. In January, another new venture capital group with an accelerator program for oil and gas startups launched in Houston. Eunike Ventures formed an alliance with major energy firms to identify promising startups in the oil and gas industry. Later in January, Boston-based nonprofit MassChallenge, a network of zero-equity startup accelerators, announced its expansion to Houston. MassChallenge will run its accelerator out of GreenStreet, the downtown complex owned by Houston-based Midway.
  2. CREguy13
    They are going to be extremely careful in taking this down, so zero chance for an implosion. I believe it is separated from Hogg Place by a few inches.
  3. CREguy13
    Crane may be going up this weekend. Drove by and saw all the crane sections on-site.
  4. CREguy13
    Definitely some activity here. There is now construction equipment on-site. Also, looks like several trees have been taken out in the past few days. I guess we'll know more if the existing building comes down soon... really looking forward to this project.
  5. CREguy13
    Hopefully this is real and not old and expired. I can't imagine the transformation of the Texas Medical Center if this project, TMC3 and just one of mixed use projects were all U/C at the same time. The TMC is truly becoming more of an international marvel, what an exciting time to be in Houston.
  6. CREguy13
    I hate to sound like a downer, but I am not looking forward to the new design... I imagine it will be seriously value-engineered, similar to the way they reduced the glass exterior at Arabella. Especially with all the recent bad news surrounding the EB-5 program, which is how DC finances its projects. I hope I'm wrong, but I really have a hard time thinking this design will be equal to or better than the original.
  7. CREguy13
    Bisnow's National Healthcare South event is at the Intercontinental on Wednesday, February 27th. Looking at the agenda there is a big segment where executives of the different hospital partners, along with Bill Mckeon, talk about the Design, Innovation and Impact of TMC3. There is also a segment where they talk about Development and investment including Major mixed-use campuses with speakers from Medistar and Trammell Crow and Medistar, among others. I am guessing we will have a LOT of great info. to discuss after this event.
  8. CREguy13
    Eight-story Apartment project (293 units) plan to break ground in 6-8 months. Ground floor retail. HBJ Article: A nearly 2-acre plot of land where an old elementary school once stood could soon be the site of a new eight-story apartment building with a floor of retail below. Illinois-based Marquette Cos. is under contract on the tract near the corner of Navigation Boulevard and Canal Street, east of the Houston Maritime Museum, said Darren Sloniger, president and CIO. Marquette is asking the city planning commission for reduced building lines on both Canal and Navigation to “create a more interesting pedestrian experience,” the Feb. 14 agenda stated. Sloniger plans to break ground within the next six to eight months, pending city approval. He anticipates an 18-month construction timeline. Marquette’s Catalyst project downtown near Minute Maid Park officially opened in April. Sloniger said the company wanted to develop on Navigation Boulevard for some time. “I think with its proximity to downtown, it’s a really attractive place for people to live,” Sloniger said. “Navigation Boulevard is a very romantic, walkable neighborhood. We really love the area.” Along with 293 apartment units, the project will likely have an anchor restaurant and a sidewalk cafe on the ground floor from local restaurateurs, Sloniger said. Average unit size will be about 890 square feet, with mostly one-bedroom options along with some two-bedroom floorplans. Interiors will feature a lot of wood, and plumbing fixtures will be matte black. Exteriors will have more of a rusted panel look. “It’ll be unique to Houston,” Sloniger said of the project. He compared the look to its Fulton Station development in downtown Chicago that has an urban yet vintage aesthetic. Marquette selected Chicago-based Brininstool + Lynch as its design firm but has not yet selected a contractor. Sloniger said the company is still finalizing a construction loan.
  9. CREguy13
    It will be helpful to receive more clarity on this project after the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. While the ownership appears to be Midway, the plans originated from Marquette Companies - the developer of the Catalyst. It would be great news if they are investing in this neighborhood. Perhaps part of the reason there has been little movement on their plans to develop that partial lot north of MMP is because they've been pursing this opportunity? Looking forward to learning more about this. Imagine if they put another Catalyst in this area...
  10. CREguy13
    So I'm not 100%, but I believe it is going at Main/Texas and there is another concept that will be joining Mendocino on that corner.
  11. CREguy13
    I know there is an existing forum for the Medistar office project, but Wow. This would have a huge impact. Houston-based Medistar Corp. is expected to begin construction on its next tower in the Texas Medical Center area around the end of the third quarter of 2019, according to a press release from Houston-based Transwestern. Transwestern Executive Vice President Justin Brasell and Senior Vice President Lisa Bovermann are handling health care leasing for the project, dubbed Innovation Tower, per the release. Plans for the medical tower first emerged in November 2017. However, as expected, much has changed since then. Phase 1 of Innovation Tower will contain 476,500 square feet of medical and life science office space above a 1,700-vehicle parking garage, per the release. There will also be retail space and a penthouse-level restaurant and lounge. The building is outside the bounds of the Texas Medical Center, which restricts for-profit businesses from operating in nonprofit hospital complexes, Medistar CEO Monzer Hourani told the Houston Business Journal in 2017. The development of Innovation Tower's second phase will depend on market demands. Phase 2 could include 410 luxury high-rise residential units or additional medical, biomedical and life science office space, per the Transwestern release. Eventually, the tower is expected to be 48 stories and 1.6 million square feet, per the release. Innovation Tower will be built at 6700 Main St., the site of a SureStay Plus Hotel by Best Western that Medistar bought around 2006 or so, Hourani told HBJ previously. The tower will be connected via a skybridge to Medistar's joint hotel-multifamily development across the street. The Intercontinental Houston Medical Center at 6750 Main St. opened earlier this year, and the attached Greystar apartment development, dubbed Latitude Med Center, at 1850 Old Main St. welcomed its first residents last summer. “Once completed, Innovation Tower will be the first Class AA tower in the Texas Medical Center offering world-class building amenities to create a distinct live/work/play environment,” Transwestern’s Brasell said in the release. “Innovation Tower will be an iconic building and great complement to the Texas Medical Center." Information about the architecture firm and general contractor were not immediately available.
  12. CREguy13
    Considering there is a Walmart 2 miles away and its the only one inside the loop, I'd say the chances are 0%.
  13. CREguy13
    The cars in that garage are likely on month-to-month contracts, if not daily parking. Realistically, this thing could be down in a month. My understanding was that Hines wanted both Block 42 and Block 58 to deliver around the same time, with B42 actually delivering first. I imagine this garage will be gone within 30 - 60 days.
  14. CREguy13
    So to be clear, they are renovating the Southwestern Bell building to be apartments?
  15. CREguy13
    I believe Hanover is also working to acquire the 3550 West Dallas site as well.
  16. CREguy13
    This will be the biggest Hanover Houston project by a wide margin. Multiple towers of different asset classes, This would redefine the area and seeing these Variance requests is probably a good sign...
  17. CREguy13
    While we can probably assume this will be value-engineered from the initial renderings, I hope RD does something elegant and fitting of the neighborhood.
  18. CREguy13
    Looking forward to this announcement. This is approx. a $100m investment by Brookfield into Houston Center.
  19. CREguy13
    While, I am a huge fan of this project. I lean optimistic that the sentiment of Houston developers you've detailed, is changing. The amount of product put out by Hanover, Hines and others that have enhanced the skyline over these past few years has been great. Point being, I am hopeful that financing will continue to get smarter with the spotlight on Houston investment becoming brighter, which is happening ie more investors coming to town. Flash renderings that inevitably become redrawn completely is getting old and DC/RD is starting to get a reputation for this. I'll withhold opinion until I see the renderings, but I'm confident that this stereotype is changing as Houston becomes more attractive to global investors.
  20. CREguy13
    Waste Management relocating into 284,000 SF at Capitol Tower. https://m.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Waste-Management-to-relocate-to-downtown-13384139.php?ipid=mobbiz
  21. CREguy13
    Greater Houston Partnership has the 'State of the Texas Medical Center' on Thursday with Bill McKeon as the keynote. I imagine there will be updates on TMC3 progress.
  22. CREguy13
    I was wrong, I drove by this tonight and it looks really really good. The scaffolding on the South end has started to come down and you can see the facade. This WF will be a huge catalyst for midtown.
  23. CREguy13
    Does anyone know how this is coming along or if it seems to be progressing? Just an observation, but this seems to be moving at a snails pace.. the HEB Buffalo Heights project is blowing past this. It also started several months after and is much larger.
  24. CREguy13
    Wow that's a lot of units, has to be a high-rise right? I'm not sure how a high-rise fits in with this area.
  25. CREguy13
    From what I am hearing, Hanover is planning a project that is close to the scale of Regent Square. We shall see, but certainly adds pressure to GID.
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