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largeTEXAS

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Everything posted by largeTEXAS

  1. largeTEXAS
    This is the way all strip centers should look in Houston! Glad to see this. Hope it actually gets built this way.
  2. largeTEXAS
    Another bar by the funeral bars folks
  3. largeTEXAS
    Always loved this building. Could be really cool with some tlc.
  4. largeTEXAS
    If I remember correctly, Gus Wortham is about 140-150 acres.
  5. largeTEXAS
    I agree with HoustonIsHome, Howard Huge, and the last few posters about affordable housing being desperately needed. Welcome to likely the biggest issue facing Houston for at least the next generation. "Affordable housing" is a hot-button topic in just about every major city in the world. The denser and more attractive Houston's core becomes, the more expensive. People who aren't rich are forced to the fringes. Many cities have programs such as 80-20, where developers are forced to include 20% "affordable" units in their developments. Developers, of course, fight this tooth and nail. Section 8 is another program. For all the negatives of sprawl, Houston has long enjoyed cheap housing all over town because demand was fairly displaced and not everyone wanted to live inside the Loop. Things have changed, though. This is a new era for Houston, It's exciting that we're building like crazy, but market-driven cheap housing is a thing of the past. Maybe after the Downtown District gets its fill of all these "luxury" apartments, it'll start seeing just how desperately needed a mix of unit types is and work up an incentive program for affordable units! Wishful thinking I'm sure...
  6. largeTEXAS
    Not yet, but exciting things are about to happen to the Stowers building.
  7. largeTEXAS
    Good to hear. I'm still bummed that Diller Scofidio + Renfro weren't chosen to design the project. I'm hoping HSPVA pushes Gensler to design a more interesting building than they likely would otherwise.
  8. largeTEXAS
    I'm sure the Downtown District has visions of grandeur not unlike most developers when envisioning what could be - Apple, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, etc. But, you're probably right that more basic retail is more likely right now. The Sakowitz building was built for large scale retail, even if it's currently a parking garage. To me, that's the one opportunity to get a big anchor retailer such as H&M, Target, or something of the sort. If the new building where Foley's was has ground floor retail (and it better!), that corner should be the center of the retail action, at least early on.
  9. largeTEXAS
    Good point. Destination retail is always great, if you can get them downtown. But, to build a truly sustainable retail district, all kinds of retail is necessary.
  10. largeTEXAS
    This is not about attracting "suburbanites" to shop downtown. While they might make up part of the mix of shoppers, this is about providing a district in the heart of the city for the growing number of people who live, work, and visit downtown. Ground floor retail and retail that is open on the weekends is sorely lacking downtown. As the new (and not even announced yet) residential towers and mid-rises get built, as the rail lines are completed, as the new hotels are completed, as the convention center expands and new and bigger conventions are added, as the East End and Midtown fill in, as Buffalo Bayou continues to be transformed and becomes even more of an attraction, etc, there will be more and more reasons for downtown to need retail. In its current state, downtown will not be able to meet that need. A little planning for current and future needs would go a long way. Just look at Market Square's revival. Most people seemed to write it off as dead forever just a few months ago. Then the little park that many said would always just be a homeless hangout was rebuilt. Things change, cities change; Houston is finally starting to change in ways that many of us probably hoped it would a long time ago.
  11. largeTEXAS
    $125 psf is probably about right.
  12. largeTEXAS
    There will be, Berry St.
  13. largeTEXAS
    Thank you, Urbannizer, for posting! They've been working on this project for many, many years and it sounds like it's close to actually happening. We'll see!
  14. largeTEXAS
    It's serious. The developer owns the block(s) to the south where Continental Club, etc are located. He's a big fan of Austin and wanted to bring a lot of that feel to Houston. I'm not crazy about street abandonment, but this looks like a decent project..
  15. largeTEXAS
    I'm shocked/ elated/ skeptical about the potential of one of these scenarios happening. It almost seems like Houston us waking up to some planning! Imagine downtown seamlessly merging with Midtown, Montrose, and even, the East End!
  16. largeTEXAS
    Agree about Dallas St. I'm glad the task force at least chose the right street, though; now I hope the incentives actually help lure tenants. It did with Tipping Point, so we'll see. EaDo should be a bar/restaurant/entertainment district with design and furniture shops mixed in, I think. The warehouses are perfect for that. I could see it feeling a lot like early 2000's Deep Ellum or the late 90's/early 2000's Meatpacking District. It's gritty, but in a good way for those uses. Mid-/high rise residential will probably follow.
  17. largeTEXAS
    I'm curious how this will compete with the GRB. Aren't the depicted events such as OTC and FanZone currently held in the GRB? And, for the SuperBowl, it seems the focus might shift from downtown and Discovery Green to the Astrodome if major events such as FanZone are relocated to the Astrodome. Hope I'm wrong, but just seems odd that we'd be expanding the GRB, adding hotels and retail around it, then shift some of its biggest events to another location.
  18. largeTEXAS
    The current Glassell building will be torn down and in its place will be a new courtyard for the new building which will be built in the current parking lot to the north and east of the current building. The new Glassell building's design currently has a sloped green roof that connects to the sculpture garden. That could all change with cost, but it's pretty freakin' awesome looking.
  19. largeTEXAS
    There will be multiple buildings, one of which will be on top of the existing parking garage. Steven Holl is not the architect of that building. The architect should be announced soon...hint, grocery store. Holl's buildings will be on the north side of Bissonnet/Binz, replacing the surface lot and the current Glassell building. I can just say that these buildings will be breathtaking.
  20. largeTEXAS
    Steven Holl did a presentation to the staff a couple of months ago and showed a bunch of (amazing) renderings for the new contemporary building, the new Glassell, new underground walkways and performance spaces, and new plazas. We should see more refined images soon, as well as the announcement of a new building on top of the existing museum parking garage.
  21. largeTEXAS
    P.S. From what I hear, the Westheimer Montrose site is going to be fairly dense mixed use. Maybe 2 stories of retail overlooking a decent-size plaza. Buildings might be 12+ stories (possibly up to 20+).
  22. largeTEXAS
    Yes, there will be access to the tunnels. From what I hear, the entrance to the tunnels will be very public and accessible from the street (almost).
  23. largeTEXAS
    Here's another rendering: http://images0.estately.net/25_6191428_0_1371681794_636x435.jpg
  24. largeTEXAS
    What a bland, disappointing development
  25. largeTEXAS
    Current plans I've seen show the building will have a decent amount of retail on the ground floors - 2 stories with large restaurant balconies overlooking the park on the 2nd - a small plaza, and a significant entrance from Market Square to the tunnels. It seems there are efforts being made to tie it into the park and neighborhood as much as possible while also creating a signature tower. Could be interesting if current plans are developed.
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