bachanon

In a way we have done a skinny tower but its not considered a "super-tall". The Mercer is a great example, look at the picture below, it has so much room around it but they only built on that small property and yea I know it kind of goes off topic but my point is, what's the problem of building a skinny super-tall if you can do it to a high-rise? nothing at all. Dubai does it all the time with super-talls and high-rises and they did't even have much of a skyline when they started building all those towers. Whether there are any logical reasons to build a skinny super-tall or not, it really comes down to the developer and FAA. Also It doesn't have to take up a small constraint of amount of land, it could have a pedestal on the bottom. Just my opinion though.

.........not considered "super-tall", but is considered "super-ugly".

are skinny super-tall structures more expensive to engineer/build?  i'm guessing, yes.  if i'm correct, i can't see houston getting one.  i do like that hines rendering posted earlier!  amazing.

@ livincinco:

 

My point is that the 'damage' that a really ugly attention grabbing decorative crown on a very tall downtown building could make the downtown Houston skyline less beautiful and also that not all crowns are beautiful. Some are beautiful. If downtown Houston gets lucky enough to get a another beautiful one I will be very happy. But don't assume that just any building with a decorative crown is automatically going to be better than a boring flat roofed box. A bad over the top design is way worse than a little too simple boring design -IMO. At least people don't notice boring buildings as much and its boringness is usually just confined to itself. But something that commands undesirable attention is way worse. It hurts everything around it because it draws the eye to it.

 

I never said or suggested that an ugly crown would hurt business or new construction. This is simply about aesthetics and of course it is personal taste. BTW, just about every post on this thread is about personal taste - and making sure that everyone is thoroughly aware of his or her opinion. Remember all those posts from the same people about how boring the new Chevron tower is going to be? There are a lot.

 

I don't care about the Memorial area, they can build as many hideous, pointy crowns as they want out there. I was only using it as an example to make my point. They don't have a world class skyline to protect, like downtown Houston does. 

agreed......and it took awhile, but i just got your name.  i was thinking, i agree with this "stone" guy.  i had a neighbor named hugh once.....and then ohhhhhhhh.  i'm a little slow.

There are many homes in Panorama over that price, and none have been updated with modern amenities:

$329K built 1980 http://www.har.com/29517984

$285+K built 1968 http://www.har.com/HomeValue/29-Winged-Foot-Dr-Conroe-77304-M82739513.htm (my favorite).

 

If you think Panorama has hills, go father west on League Line to Camellia. Many ultra-steep hillside lots currently for sale: http://search.har.com/engine/doSearch.cfm?ZIP_CODE=77304&CLASS=3&SUBDIVISION=CAMELLIA

Street View: http://ow.ly/nf5hf

i went to school on longmire road from 1973 until 1983.  there are some interesting houses built in the early eighties in willowridge estates, down jake pearson road.  one home has a pool in the middle of it, inside, there is a very long ranch house nearby i used to dream of owning.  this was before i knew of frank lloyd wright or mackie and kamrath.  the builder must have known something of these styles.

29 winged foot is beautiful!  there is a house on the golf course at 830.  looking at the map, i think it's on billandrea.  it looks like it could have been designed by mackie & kamrath.  do you know the house?  it's one of my favorites in panorama.  http://goo.gl/maps/GUaxA

That memorial city plaza plan is so pie-in-the-sky it's absurd. That will never happen under MetroNational's watch.... Not while we're alive at least.

darn you, realists!

kidding aside, i do wonder if the area will become a "downtown" unto itself, not memorial city specifically.  the retail in the area is very fragmented though.....my mind must be wondering in the sky pie.

I have over 15yrs of experience in the manufacturing/production field and 7 yrs of managerial experience unfortunately no degrees currently. But I'm willing to learn new things, I also thought about getting my CDL...

http://www.manpower.us/en/Offices/default.htm?&service-lob=s&preferred-language=en&preferred-country=us&hcmid=fsos-tx039&

houston has many manufacturing jobs in the industrial sector.  check with manpower or other industrial employment services.  assimilating to houston can take a year or so and with a large family, you'll have many things to consider.  haifers are really helpful when it comes time to buy or lease, many have extensive knowledge of school districts and neighborhoods.  if you get the job plan nailed down and it looks like you're headed our way, don't hesitate to start a thread.  haifers love to answer questions and give opinions.  best of luck!

70s contemporary is due to become the "it" house to renovate, but people in the woodlands flock to things they understand.  on the other hand, consider that some buyers in the woodlands are looking specifically for lifeforms or similar open floor plans.  panorama is much further out and the typical buyer may feel it's dated from the get go; there are some interesting townhomes in panorama near i-45 i salivated over as a youth: split level/split staircases, open floor plan.  i wonder how the value of those homes are doing and other contemporary homes in panorama.

there is a 70's modern house in river plantation i saw recently and was surprised to see it listed at $250K+.

my concern would be that a potential buyer would assume your property is as old as the design.  that being said, if you like it and are willing to go the extra mile marketing the house when the time comes, go for it.

one more thing that's nice about panorama is that it has hills.

Sorry. Failed attempt at sarcasm.

no worries.  i make the same mistake, thinking everyone should know the tone of voice in my head.

i too wondered if the 50 foot buffer was lost because of the 50 foot clearance for the pipeline........

Sorry, I thought I had put this in the downtown forum.

Initially, it was not based on chron and swamplot commenters. It was from a guy who works for a company that makes bids to do work on high rises. He said it was just planned but they had not yet made a bid on it yet.

you did.  someone else thought it might get more attention in going up and possibly bring out someone "in the know".  i moved it.  

Thanks for the link Urban.  Knowing the height restrictions really helps you visualize how this place will look going down 45 or the GP. 

 

It's amazing to watch the next energy corridor being created. 

 

Question for anyone:  Do you think this place could become a tourist destination?

not springwoods specifically.  as development densifies around the spring creek greenway project, outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, nature walks, and more will increase between 59 and tomball along the spring creek corridor.  the woodlands already has a tourist base, but why they come other than to shop, see a concert, and walk around, i have no idea.  springwoods will have less for tourists to do than the woodlands.  springwoods' nature trails will be connected to the spring creek greenway project, as are trails that connect grogan's mill, indian springs and creekside in the woodlands.  i think the recreational space connecting tomball, the woodlands, springwoods, and neighborhoods east toward 59 will become a tourist draw.

http://www.springcreekgreenway.org/Spring%20Creek%20Greenway%20-%20Gateway%20Map%2002-2011.pdf

You mean the 50-foot swath they just cut down for the pipeline?

no

You mean like this decorative crown? Would you really want city council members making design by committee decisions on aesthetics on high profile buildings in downtown Houston? Yes make it better, but better to who? The guy who approved this beauty...? Careful what you wish for. At least what Chevron is currently proposing won't hurt downtown. When you see the effects of high profile ugly it makes you realize that there are worse things than boring.

 

makes one a little sick to see it up close like that.  what the hell is it?  it's so stupid looking.

It is mind blowing how much Houston is expanding... The only thing I wish for the Northern Suburbs & Exurbs is that they keep and/or replant trees. Those Pines are about the only natural beauty that area has. I hope they follow the Woodlands' example.

the camp strake buyer is required to maintain a 50 ft natural buffer by the city of conroe.  

nativehoustonian's post also mentions Trump...Not sure if it means anything but there were rumors that he planned to build a tower in Dallas, but nothing new since 2007.

trump builds some butt-ugly buildings..............

the article about the sale to johnson states that residential is only 50 percent of the 2100 acres.

http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/the-woodlands/new-projects-signal-need-for-more-hotels/

impact news reporting that the 300+ room luxury hotel at waterway square to deliver by 2015.

http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/the-woodlands/new-projects-signal-need-for-more-hotels/

impact news reporting that the hughes landing 175 room hotel catering should deliver by 2015.

bump!  vote haifers!  

As a Texan and a Houstonian, I appreciate Texas/Houston culture.  In the burbs of Houston however, country music and ignorant beer swilling hicks ruled the day in the 70's and most of the 80's.  These weren't real Texas cowboys who loved nature, respected their papas, and woke up at 4am to do farm chores; they were drugstore cowboys who dipped chew, drank 'til they puked, and chased preppy boys who used big words through town with baseball bats.  Country music was their rallying call and beer was necessary for all social interaction.  If they made it to graduation or got their GED, they worked at a bottling company, in security, joined the police force or worked for Daddy.  These guys wouldn't miss the rodEO or a pasture party.  I consoled myself by imagining they had little or no internal dialogue.  These guys represented Texas "culture" to me for most of my life.

When I go to an event with loud obnoxious country folk, beer held high, sangin' along with their favorite country song, I get a little sick to my stomach.  When I see an amusement park in New Caney with a Texas (read COUNTRY) theme, I cringe.

I do not see Texas "culture" as an all positive thing.

When I went to Israel at 15, reruns of Dallas ran every single day on the television with Hebrew and Sanskrit subititles.  My house parents treated me like a second class citizen because they thought everyone from Texas was either spoiled and ungrateful or uneducated, fat, and poor.  Each time I spoke I could see the walls go up.  They had no interest in getting to know the kid from Texas.  Texas "culture" reared its ugly head again.

I have family who are "country" but they are kind.  I have friends who have farms and raise horses, real Texans; they too are genuine people.  In my experience, it seems that certain Texas subcultures, some who MOST exhuberantly embrace the images of Texas culture, represent the good things of Texas the least.

Actually, simply writing the above memories, sheds some light on my disdain for "Texas" themes.  It isn't the themes I dislike, it's the people wearing those themes as a banner for bad behavior and this is true of any subculture or subgroup.

Even though my dislike of certain aspects of Texas culture is somewhat unfounded, displaced frustration I guess, isn't a Texas "theme" tired?  How many Texas stars on people's fireplaces until someone says ENOUGH!  Do we really need more children learning english with a twang to preserve our Texas heritage?  Is a choo choo train, petting zoo, beer, fried stuff, and barns the best we can come up with?  I think there is more to us than that.

DOH!!!!   

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/camp-strake-to-become-next-market-street-whispers-of-an/article_68a5253f-48a2-5346-a8f7-195987aab7c0.html

Despite rumors of another oil & gas company campus, Conroe officials have confirmed that the Camp Strake site will be home to a commercial/residential development and possibly a minor league baseball field.

DOH!!!!    

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/camp-strake-to-become-next-market-street-whispers-of-an/article_68a5253f-48a2-5346-a8f7-195987aab7c0.html

Despite rumors of another oil & gas company campus, Conroe officials have confirmed that the Camp Strake site will be home to a commercial/residential development and possibly a minor league baseball field.

i thought the same thing, only i know of commercial real estate people who have very few posts on haif but are big time lurkers.  maybe tone2002 is full of it or maybe he/she just couldn't take it anymore!     

I've heard the same thing, a third tower for Anadarko at Woodloch Forest and Timberloch, but didn't know if it was public info. Two unrelated sources is good news.

Awesome idea for a thread!

you keep throwing shell and chevron out there but i have heard nothing to substantiate those rumors - which isn't to say it isn't true but i find it unlikely given the status of their Houston facilities.this isn't to say that a very large o&g firm isn't kicking tires on a very substantial office in/near the woodlands, though (allegedly).

rumors are just ......rumors. I wouldn't post it unless it was from a source usually in the know. if another haifer heard the same rumor from a different source, only then would there be reason for some level of expectation. Chevron's announcement, Shell's progress, and lack of additional chatter makes me think there could be other oil & gas companies. Time will tell. Baseball would be quite nice however...