fernz

That actually has a real good sound to it.

Does anyone know if this new cathedral will be fully tiled or will some parts have like red velvet/burgundy carpet? I think the best thing to do is check the link and or just go park and walk up and see up front whats the status of completion.

No carpet, all stone. And it is full-size dimensional mud-set stone, no tile.

pardon the late entry...

The city's growth is not affected or limited by zoning or the lack thereof. A city will grow based on its economic growth. If jobs are being created, then new households will need new places to live - simple law of supply and demand. Look at the DC metro region, it has one of the biggest barriers of entry, yet it is one the hottest markets for RE development.

Setbacks are a big issue in Houston because (1) it's one of the few restrictions in place in the city and (2) it opposes certain neighborhoods' goals to have pedestrian-friendly, urban design. To achieve this, you need to build on the lot line, and therefore require a variance to override the setback requirement, which is in place in the entire city.

There is really no legal basis for the city to stop the development. But when you get the mayor on your side, hire a top-notch attorney to fight for you, and pay for an expensive PR campaign, you multiply the soft costs of development and marketing for the developer (who now has to get on the defensive), maybe to a point where the project is not feasible anymore...

From the HBJ, I don't have access to the whole article:

"The Four Oaks Place office complex may soon be more appropriately named Five Oaks Place.
The owner of the 1.8 million-square-foot office complex in the Galleria area is looking at spending between $100 million and $120 million to develop a new office building at 1550 Post Oak Blvd., where a 24 Hour Fitness is currently located"

Webcam:
http://oxblue.com/open/transwestern/5oaks

Renderings, and article from 10/13:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2013/10/photos-developers-break-ground-on-bhp.html

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8518/8507440817_0fefe9fa75_b.jpg

http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-40.jpg

http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-42.jpg

http://www.justintowart.com/wp-content/uploads/Towart-Work13-Arch-Illustration-43.jpg

where exactly is Shady Acres?

The bell tower has been topped off. It has a similar gold cross to the dome's.

Hines is the only local firm that has the potential to simultaneuously change the course of local development while garnering the attention of other more interesting property developers.

I think you are overlooking Hanover. If you look at what they did with lofts at post oak and seven riverway, and what they are planning on doing at boulevard place, they are taking apartments to a new level of quality. Only finger is doing something similar, but they don't have the national presence that hanover does.

Can't wait to see what this apartment tower will look like. I am holding out hope that it will have a graceful curve.

it will

The renderings that I have seen do not have any sort of ornamental top to the building on the Hines 47. It is 47 floors, thats it. And they have said it will have street level retail.

The renderings and model I saw did not have any kind of spire, it is a flat-roofed building. However, at about level 36 there is a big garden terrace that seems to take a 5 story bite out of the building, and at that point the massing of the building changes and becomes two interlocking volumes. Pretty neat looking building, at least compared to what has been built in Houston in the last ten years. Like I said, no Pennzoil, but I nice building nonetheless.

I don't mean any offense to anyone here, but I am amazed how little architectural knowledge there is among the members of this forum, especially for a forum about architecture.

Anyone who has seen this building or pictures of it and still thinks that they might add a skin to it has no understanding of the significance of what is called exposed concrete, or even better, architectural concrete.

Even though they did a terrible job with this building, the concrete on the facade, with the little holes and the defined reveals and pattern, is considered a premium finish. Yes, Hines paid a premium for this concrete. It is not raw or unfinished as suggested by some. It is a premium, architectural grade concrete wall. It will not be covered up by any skin (unless Hines holds the contractor responsible for doing such a bad job on the concrete finish and makes them cover it up)

And yes it is plain concrete, it could be much better, but is not half as bad as described previously. I for one think it is much better than that fake stone looking parking garage attached to the Commerce Towers, and better than many parking garages in the city. It is clean, modern, honest and makes no apologies. It is a parking garage than is not disguised as something else, and it reflects the true identity of the city, one that is 100% car centric.

From Fernz' description in the other topic, it sounds like this will look similar to the Houston City Centre project on the Shamrock site two blocks up. Not bad if you ask me. Both are 3/4 block projects, in this case saving wrapping around the Stowers Building. So would it be reasonable to guess parking on the quarter block on Fannin adjacent to Stowers, and the tower section on the half block along Main. This could be real nice.

I am sorry for misleading you. I did not mean angling as in the City Center project where the angle is on the elevation. I meant angling as seen in floor plan, meaning that it is not a square box. I would say the shape is "similar" to the PanAm building in NY. It is all curtain wall though, very slick, without any strong bands or patterns, as most of the buildings you can see on the architect's website (particularly this one: http://www.pickardchilton.com/pagProject.a...#39;&ID=43)

I saw a printed version of the rendering, so I apologize, I have no links or images to post. But I'll say it again, it is a nice, slick building, much better that their last tower (Calpine Center) but not another Pennzoil.

Great! I'm assuming this is the block with the West Building and Montagu Hotel that Fernz was describing here.

Montagu Hotel topic.

I bet it is. I'm surprised they are willing to go at it without a tenant; I guess they want to beat the Discovery Tower out of the ground. The rendering I saw looked pretty slick, it's an all glass tower with slightly angled walls, and a terrace garden two-thirds up the building.

Does EVERYTHING have to have a financial return.

No, sometimes real estate companies get into projects that involve huge financial risk without expecting any financial return, just for fun. Maybe they built this parking garage only to enjoy reading the comments on this forum!

Hines has two projects in the works, the second one is indeed the Shamrock site. They will not move forward on both at the same time. They need large tenants to pre-lease before thay start. Given recent developments at the Monatgue, I would assume they are ready to move froward on that one first. I do happen to have seen drawings for that one so I can confirm it is an all-glass facade, 40-50 story office building (thereare even talks of a garden terrace at the 30+ story level, with tress visible from the street)

I have not seen anything on the Shamrock site, there is a lot of speculation on this forum about that being the "City Centre" project - I don't know. What I do know is that Hines is working on something there.

I can't say what my source is, but I can tell you it is very reliable.

I just read this post for the first time and have a few things to add, or repeat:

-Violet, I'm sorry, you ended up with the short stick on this one.

-Yes, it is very disappointing to see Hines do this. Little by little, they are abandoning the philosophy their founder, Gerald Hines.

-For those who said that Hines should somehow be responsible for their deceit, I am sorry to inform you that it's not possible. Under our no zoning laws, their promises were always empty promises. They cannot be held accountable for not delivering on them.

-However, zoning is no guarantee that this could have been stopped. If parking garages were allowed in downtown by-right in a zoning ordinance (which is likely), the parking would only need to meet safety codes to get a permit. Zoning only helps when the developer is requesting a variance/rezoning/site plan approval/PUD or whatever you want to call the process that goes beyond by-right development and therefore triggers public hearings.

-Stop bashing Niche, he is giving constructive ideas on how to get this resolved. You can choose to ignore him if you want, or disprove his logic if you think he's wrong.

-Bad PR does help. It has not stopped McDonald's or KFC, but it has caused them to add healthful chioces to their menus and to eliminate trans-fats. A well organized PR campaign showcasing Hines lies and self of interest for their hometown would get those executives worried about investors/tenants backlash, at least locally. It won't stop any Pennzol building employee from parking in the garage, but in a couple of years when there are three or four office building under construction in Downtown fighting for tenants, Hines will not want any bad PR. True, Hines will only break ground once they sign a big pre-lease, but they will still be 40-50% vacant and will be fighting for tenants with Crescent, Trammell and Brookfields if they all move forward with current plans.

-Violet, you have another option, albeit an expensive one. Sue Hines. Not for lying, not for building blight in Downtown, but for infringing on your rights - actually, only your lower level neighbors could get away with this. Under the property right laws in this country, you are allowed to certain rights. I am no attorney but I think you can at very least claim that the light is a nuisance on your property which denies you "enjoyment" of your property, one of the four rights you have as a real property owner.

If anyone has any pictures please post for those of us that don't live in Houston.

There is an article from the HBJ somewhere in this forum that talks about the development on this block. It is a Hines development, and they will tear down everything except the the white building in the corner that was converted to office condos recently (can't remember the name). It is very uncommon for a developer to go hard on a contract unless they are ready to go, although with Hines' deep pockets it might be different.

Hines' plans for that block are a 40-50 story building, all curtain wall. It's no Pennzoil, but it is definitely better that the Calpine building they did at 717 Texas. I hope they get started on it soon, although they are waiting to get a major tenant.

Does anyone have an update on this? Is it dead?

June 22, 2007, 8:02AM

Plan offered to save 2 city icons

Panel suggests listing endangered River Oaks and Alabama sites as landmarks

By MIKE SNYDER

Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4911051.html

I am a fool for thinking that Weingarten will take this into consideration, but I can still hope so.

It would just be disgusting and sick if they tore down these landmarks or OSW, etc...

The article is no longer in the Chronicle website. Can anyone tell me what the proposal was?

A while back I read an article about a proposal from White to grant a city tax waiver to buildings designated as historic landmarks. This was above and beyond the 15 year tax abatement for renovation oh historic properties; this was a "no property taxes for historic buildings" waiver, except for single family houses. The idea was that it would create an incentive to preserve the buildings.

Does anyone have any current info on this? Was it ever debated at City Council?

You're kidding right? Shamrock is dead and THIS is going to go up?

Anyone have any additional info? I'm about ready to do a happy dance.

There is a post somewhere in this forum about Hines having two projects in the works in Downtown, and my understanding is that this one is second in line; so who knows how long it will take for this block to be developed. Also, there is no evidence that "this" is Hines project. Who knows how old this rendering is, it might as well be from a study done before the Shamrock. Hines is usually very good at not revealing what they are working on, and I would be surprised if they authorized their architects to post their building online. However, ANYTHING Hines does will be much better than the Shamrock.

No, I thought the Shamrock site was closer to the inner-core of the city.

Nope. That's it right there. On Main Street, across the street from the Chase parking garage and catty corner from the Rice Hotel.

From SSP:

Kobi Karp has updated the site map layouts that were dead links for the renderings..

That's the Shamrock site! That block is supposedly being developed by Hines.

You have to PAY to be considered for your design ? WTF ? Another revenue genrator for the city. I hope the money will at least go to some charity ?

Every serious design competition has an entry fee, and it is usually a lot more that $20. People on this forum are always complaining that there is no great design in Houston, but then complain when a design competition dares ask for a measly $20 entry fee!

I forgot ther is a link for progress and updates:

http://www.diogh.org/cocathedral/tour/index.htm

And here's teh link to the ABC newscast. There are two videos and a slide show.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=...amp;id=5391309#

On the news last night they showed the big stained glass windows ready to be installed.

Can't wait until the do the tower

Do you remember which news?

Here are some recent pics....