MarathonMan

40 minutes ago, Vy65 said:

I've been working down here for two, and I really haven't noticed that much. Granted, I'm up in the theatre district where there is some stuff planned, but not a lot going on. 

 

I hear you on the restaurants/bars. They're better than nothing. But they're also fairly underwhelming, in my opinion. You might not be saying this, but I don't really see much urbanism (I think it's still pretty desolate) and, more importantly, development/progress towards something that will deliver an urban experience. Which is to be expected in a city that wrote the handbook on suburban sprawl.

True.  Houston isn’t downtown New York or Chicago.  But it has come a loooooong way in the past few years! It’s got the Convention District, Toyota Center, MMP, Theater District, Historic District, Buffalo Bayou Park.  The two things it’s still lacking are residents and retail.  But people are moving into downtown.  And as more folks see all that it has to offer, more will continue to move here.  The people will draw retail and the retail will draw more people.  And so on and so on.  Downtown will become an indisputable point of pride for the city and a true destination that visitors flock to.

There was only one guy out there working the backhoe this morning.  Definitely not a full crew.  It makes me wonder what's actually going on here.

1 hour ago, hindesky said:

I still say they are on the last floor on this part of the building, this from Westheimer and Bagby.

Yes.  This is, indeed, the top floor.

1 hour ago, Naviguessor said:

It's a "District".  There will be plenty of opportunity Modern, New and Edgy with other buildings.  This structure will make the rest look that much more Modern, New and Edgy.  Plus, I imagine that the Sears will be significantly enhanced. 

I hope so.  Time will tell what kind of cohesive, show-stopping final “district” grows from this starting point.  I REALLY hope something spectacular happens, but Houston developers have such a track record of turning grand visions into mediocrity.

16 minutes ago, wilcal said:

Cmon everyone, lets have a little faith here. It's been covered up for decades. They're going to tweak it for sure. 

 

I'm sure the first rendering will turn some of you back from wanting to flatten it. 

I do hope you’re right.  As it stands, though, I just don’t see that the architects/designers have much To work with. 

I’m no expert, but it seems like these downtown units are filling up FAST!  The Catalyst is a really well-done property.  This whole neighborhood has done a stunning turnaround in three short years.  I can’t imagine that other developers won’t take notice.

On a side note, I can only hope they relocate the nearby jail at Caroline and Capitol sometime soon!

When the “unveiling” began, I got a glimpse of some of the tile accents on this building and was excited to see more.  But as the metal cladding continued to come down, I must admit I became a little disappointed.  IMHO this is not living up to the hype.  It’s kind of blah, actually.  Reminds me of an outdated Sears department store.  As the cornerstone for an innovation hub, I’d rather see something modern, new and edgy.  Knock it down and start fresh, in true Houston fashion!

23 hours ago, Dakota79 said:

Could that ramp look more tired? Geez. Get some paint or powerwash it.  It's not Sharpstown!

The Galleria has never much cared about exterior aesthetics, which I don’t understood.  Simple cleaning can’t be THAT expensive...

Milwaukee.  These were built within two years of each other.  Circa 2004-2006.  Yes, these are two buildings, separated by mere feet and no offset.  And, yes, they look awkward together with plenty of open air all around!

Of course there are high rises in similarly close proximity in downtown areas.  Land is at a premium, so you have to cram y’all buildings together.  I think what mattyt36 is getting at is that two buildings this close to one another in an area with no other high rises nearby will look awkward. I agree.

The drawings show only one more residential level to go.  Four total over the market and two levels of parking.

Perimeter barricades and fencing are up around 3/4 of the block.  Hopefully some excavating equipment pops up this week, too.

Drove by this site over the weekend.  Didn’t get a picture, but construction is under way.  They’re moving a lot of dirt!

This is shaping up nicely, but it’s progressing SOOOOOOOO slowly!

The TCH pedestrian skywalk came after Enron’s.  Circa 2011.  I think it was done as part of the Women’s Pavilion addition.

Sharp building.

Nice lines.  Classic.  A quality building.  But forgettable.

5 hours ago, Triton said:

 

Is Caydon going to pull out a spire at the last minute? 

If Caydon comes through with The District I and 2, this and the current Caydon project will both be dwarfed!

7 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Is The Rustic going up on the future expansion area for the GRB?  I suppose that's not on the horizon for the foreseeable future?

Yes, it’s directly ly south of the GRB.  Odd location in my view.  No visibility at all.  It’s “boxed out” of the Discovery Green/Avenida Houston traffic zone by the GRB to the north and the parking garage to the west.  Then, it’s cut off from Eado to the east by US 59.  With surface parking to the south, it’s pretty much isolated from everything!

No brown tones!  I like it!!!

2 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

 

It looks like it’s going to be a fountain of some sort.  

11 minutes ago, Reporter said:

So far, this is doing nothing for me.

I agree.  Underwhelming.  But most development in Houston skews safe, unassuming and unrisky.