Lowbrow

June 8, 2005, 6:15AM

INNOVATION

Developer gambles on residential hotel

Granduca designed for high-end guests on extended visits

By NANCY SARNOFF

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Giorgio Borlenghi, the real estate developer that created an upscale housing and shopping community just off the West Loop, is taking his chances on a new project for the city: a luxury extended-stay hotel.

map

The new hotel, called Granduca, is being built on the grounds of Uptown Park where Borlenghi has developed two condominium towers and an outdoor retail center that he sold last week for $69 million.

With six stories and 132 rooms, the hotel will be small compared to other properties in the area. And there won't be a restaurant or any huge ballrooms there. Borlenghi said that's to give the guests more privacy.

Italian-born Borlenghi, head of Houston-based Interfin Cos., said the model for Granduca is based on a common European concept called a "residential hotel" where guests typically stay a week or longer.

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Chron Article

Houston's AmReit buys Uptown Park

Chron Article

That's a good question. I usually play either Ruds, Gingerman or McElroys. None are spectacular.

The Pig used to be the best darts scene in houston. I think I was 18 the first time I went there, so that would be umm yeah about 18 years ago.. hehe.

But they have free WiFi now.

I'll quote myself from the "A Bike Ride Though Houston, Photos!" thread:

The lofts in the 3rd picture of your second album are called the Rushmore Lofts. Like you said in the caption they are being built by the same people and are very similar to the Elgin/Crawford lofts (Midtown Park Lofts). The two main differences to me is that while the park lofts are open floorplans and have a northeast view of downtown, the rushmore will be closed floorplan with a southeast view of 59.

I think everyone went to jail that was associated with the last bout of bum-fights.

Kinkos, Starbucks and Chilis. Replace Chilis with a Taco Bell, put a brewpub in back and you'd have my entire graduate career in one building.

^^That makes me very sad.

Still wondering if someone has access to a rendering of this project.

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I looked around the sites I knew where connected to this project and couldnt find anything, Gary. Sorry.

they are not helping our cause.

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Which cause is that? Uptown growth detracting from downtown growth?

Redstone is proposed for just a block or two north of the Hanover site.

^^^ Yaga, I think your mistaken. Thats the Redstone. Same area. Different project. Afaik.

http://www.theredstone.com/index2.htm#

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho....1fc767358.html

Thieves park and pilfer at Park 'N Ride lot

08:51 AM CDT on Thursday, April 21, 2005

By Jeff McShan / 11 News

More than a dozen angry commuters could be found among the shattered glass and broken car locks at a Park 'N Ride lot at the Addicks location on Old Katy Road in the far west side of Houston.

As each bus pulled into the lot, more and more passengers, like Noelle Stewart, immediately reached for their cell phones.

"I said whoever did this job over here, they was having party with the cars for a long time. There wasn't no police, no security, no nothing," says one victim.

All of the victims were surprised by the lack of security. There are cameras and security tower, but no one was inside.

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Probably

"CVS Megastore ... will replace the Greyhound station at Main and Grey."

jk.

I don't think so. I do regular internet searches on them and have seen nothing.

Almeda has always been more of a industrial park to me. It runs a bit too far to the east of the med center, barely reaches midtown and doesnt actually reach downtown at all. I wish it was different. I love the brick intersections in the BINZ area. Many of the building along that stretch are beautiful.

Being from Pearland I also view it as a rural highway. I've always liked those big steel train depots that run along almeda down along the tracks. What were they for? Oil?

Yeah I was looking at another property in midtown. A bit bigger, no pool, and no insurance for $210/mo. I liked this place alot more and decided the extra $150 a month would be ok.

$367 a month does make a $160k house feel like a $210k house though when it hits your pocket each month. The thing is to me it is a $210k value.

My maintenence fees are $367/mo., the one bedrooms were like $240-290 and the big 3 bedrooms were about $575.

That includes all the external maintenence, insurance up to the sheetrock, water and sewage, electric gates and they maintain a nice carry-over balance in leiu of assessment fees for any major work to be done. It seems well managed. I made sure to look through the last few years budgets and minutes for the last couple association meetings.

Thanks All.

It is full condo as far as I know. A few of the units are investment properties for some people I talked with and have been rented out.

.. and No, definately not going to be missing pearland.

edit: oh yeah now I'm eating my words that I didnt care if some big name architect designed the montrose/59 bridge..... ack!

I closed on my 1220 sf 2/1.5 1985 era condo yesterday. It's a nice faux-mod/art-deco style that will lend itself nicely to lots of renovation. It is at 4004 Montrose, The Court at Museum's Gate. Right next to the Black Lab. We could go back and forth about it being montrose or museum district but it doesnt matter to me its mine!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/lowbrow909/hr1441070-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/lowbrow909/hr1441070-15.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/lowbrow909/hr1441070-6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/lowbrow909/IMG_0074.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/lowbrow909/IMG_0075.jpg

Now that is information.

It is down for maintenance for a few more months. I know its been down since at least last september.

Yay!! I was just wondering the other day how things were going there for you. Excellent. I wish I could make it to the open house but I'm taking my daughter up to my dads ranch for some horseback riding.... the kind of stuff you just can't even think about trying to get out of.

I should be closing on my mod-style condo here in the next two weeks and plans abound.

I think its a bit nicer than Hotel Derek.