OkieEric

Nothing all that new here, but mentions breaking ground ("hopefully") by the end of the year and possible completion by 2020:

http://www.ibtimes.com/oil-crisis-prices-plunge-houston-launches-2-billion-plan-become-third-coast-biotech-2309343

The only surface parking I can tell has been lost from those renderings is in front of Baker St (former) / 55 / etc.  As it is there are just a handful of spots there now, anyway

That strip where Chico's is looks like it more or less has the same parking configuration as it currently does.  Actually, if you look at the google satellite view of that building you see no parking spots available along the street, but plenty of spots on the roof.  It really makes you wonder if people even realize that parking on the roof is an option:

This forum as a whole really ought to stop acknowledging him, and maybe his incessant troll act will finally stop.

He's an interesting character - this may sound weird, but I'm honestly not sure if he's even aware that he's trolling

I am totally for UT building a research hub here, but I can definitely understand UH rejecting a spot on the task force.  If they were to say yes, it would suddenly give McRaven's plan (whatever it is) a bit more validation.  

Anyway, the task force list seems like a pretty impressive and diverse bunch, and includes TMC's CEO - it's a bit unclear how or if this impact TMC3, but if both get going then it will really be something.  I just don't understand what the heck all of these people will be researching

It does sound pretty great - they must have made a killing on the sale of the current land

The description is vague enough, but sounds oddly specific in some instances.  I couldn't help but grin at this part:

 

 

...a small indoor Farmer’s Market featuring fresh produce and eggs, as well as Certified Grassfed Beef from the Lazy A Ranch, from both British White and Akaushi cattle. Cooking demonstrations and activities will be offered.

If they've got these details ironed out, surely there is a rendering floating around out there somewhere!  lol

From the Saint Nicholas School FB page -

SAINT NICHOLAS III 

DEVELOPMENT 
Taeken, Ltd. is purchasing a 46.82 Acre tract on South Main next to the Menninger Clinic for the purpose of developing a new campus for Saint Nicholas School, in the midst of a nature related multi-use and multi-generational community. It is a wooded tract with a planned lake and nature theme. Nature trails, biking, and golf cart paths are planned, according to Margot Heard, General Partner. CDA Architects, Ray A. Duerer, President, are the architects for the project.
THE SCHOOL
The anchor school site will be developed on 25 acres with a planned building of 38,000 sf, including a gym and chapel. The classrooms will have individual courtyards. The planned enrollment is 375 students through middle school. The school is designed to be small for personal attention and quality of teaching. 
The main school garden will be based on the 18th century English gardens, a ferme ornee, or “ornamented farm”. This farm concept is classical from Roman times and Thomas Jefferson took these ideas from English gardens to Montecello.
The school will have fields for elementary and middle school students for soccer, baseball, softball, lacrosse, track and field, and cross-country. The gym will provide space for basketball, ballet, tennis, and martial arts. Facilities can be made available to other private schools and homeschool groups. 
The chapel will seat 250 and will be designed to support a Choir School of students and faculty in the English tradition. Daily sung services will be available to the community. A pipe organ is being designed and built for the chapel by Fritz Noack in Andover, Massachusetts. The organ will have a glassed interior wall with walk-through space for students, organists, and visitors to see the working parts of the organ. Only one other organ in the world, located in the Netherlands, is known to have this feature.
CONDOMINIUM AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
A developer will offer mid-rise Condominium space with valet parking, package handling, and other personal services. Single family townhomes will offer garden layouts, playgrounds, pools, and a pet park.
MULTI-USE SPACE
Multi-use space will be available for restaurants, professional offices, retail, and multi-family. Included will be a small indoor Farmer’s Market featuring fresh produce and eggs, as well as Certified Grassfed Beef from the Lazy A Ranch, from both British White and Akaushi cattle. Cooking demonstrations and activities will be offered. 
Currently in design, the project is scheduled to open the new Saint Nicholas School campus on or before December, 2018. Saint Nicholas School currently operates at 1920 N. Braeswood in the Texas Medical Center. Information about the school is available at SNSchools.com.

Sounds like the school is definitely moving, and will be part of some unknown (?) new mixed-use development further down South Main

Underground storage facility? This guy is nuts. They really don't know what to do with the Dome and Ed Emmett is to prideful to admit it.Shame on him.

I don't see why this is so crazy.  It seems that they are going to want to raise the floor up, regardless, so might as well make it useful.  If you want to bulldoze the whole thing and create yet more acres and acres of parking you are probably on the wrong forum

Currently the HLSR stores all sorts of portable buildings and whatever else on the former Astroworld site.  As aesthetically pleasing as that is from 610, I'd certainly prefer them to store that crap somewhere hidden away (if that is indeed the intent).  An underground parking garage would be nice but there is obviously no shortage of parking around NRG

If Emmett's plan is to introduce modestly incremental uses for the dome, at low (?) cost, then I'm all for it.  Start with parking/storage/whatever, which gives a more useful floor space for other events.  I don't see any demand for 6 floors of retail at that spot but I don't think it would take much to at least improve the appearance of the dome.  I'll take a powerwashed dome over another parking lot any day

Edit:

I just had to add this pic - yep, this is Kirby and 610, not some shot of the Gatorfest (no offense, I had fun there) or any other festival aftermath, this is seriously what it looks like all of the time.  UT is paying $200 million for 300 acres of land less prime than this.  I don't know what's more irritating, the fact that HLSR has so much money that they can use this land to just throw their extra crap, or that they have made absolutely no attempt (through, I dunno, trees, vines, shrubbery, anything) to hide this mess:

Looking at the elevations again (which are back on the planning commission), they still show 38 floors. I believe the article only counted to the highest residential level

You're right, the elevations look unchanged (near 413' on the apartments).  Same deal with the hotel, which was announced as 21 floors (but elevation shows 22 including the parapet).  I suspect most of us only care about the total height, anyway!

They have a graph at the bottom of page 25 that isn't labeled, but clearly shows a decline in every type of energy happening well before 2040. I can't get into Photobucket to post it.

 

It doesn't say if this is global or just China, and it doesn't seem to match the data provided on page 28, which shows a negligible increase in energy demand between 2025 and 2040 of 0.5%, unless that slight increase is completely front end loaded. 

It's an area chart, and the types of energy are cumulative - that's a decline in coal, not oil (or any of the other categories).  Overall energy usage is expected to decline somewhat, but not as much as the decrease in coal.  Thus, the other types of energy are relatively flat or growing (like nuclear) over the same time period

PR out this morning

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greystar-and-medistar-announce-plans-for-high-rise-apartment-tower-in-texas-medical-center-300211943.html

"Ascent Med Center" name confirmed, 35 stories, construction by March 31st.  That rooftop terrace is going to have an awesome view

Energy is not the same as oil. The ExxonMobil study projects China's consumption of oil will continue to grow through 2040 (the end point of the study projections).

Exactly.  Most of the energy "reduction" comes from coal

The clearest picture of the total view is table on pg. 28.  They are certainly forecasting slower oil demand growth from 2025-2040 for both China and the world, but no peak

In February 2017, 609 Main should still have cranes over it along with this apartment tower, perhaps the hotel next door, Texas Children's expansion tower, Fertitta's tower on the west loop and God only knows what other projects will be coming out of the ground at that point. What other projects will still be UC at that time?

Just within relative proximity to NRG you will have:

Texas Children's expansion

Medistar Hotel / Greystar apartments

HCC new building on Pressler

New Residence Inn on Kirby (if it ever breaks ground)

Baylor College of Medicine Expansion

As well as Memorial Hermann and Methodist expansions within TMC - I don't know as much about those and they aren't as visible from outside TMC (just yet).

I'm guessing 7200 Main (or Main Place @ Greenbriar or whatever it is named) won't have anything going on by that time, but I certainly hope so

Walked through the Village over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised that they were re-doing that section of street, as well.  At this snail's pace they should be able to wrap up everything within the next decade or so

I was also reminded how terrible the sidewalks are throughout a lot of the older sections - virtually nothing is ADA-compliant, so going through with a stroller was a real pain (yes, woe is me) 

It looks like the exterior has changed slightly, but is it me or is the grayed out building behind it (presumably the "Ascent Med Center") now shorter?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2016/01/exclusive-peek-inside-a-luxury-hotel-in-the-texas.html

Great news...  Even though they've been doing the utility work for a few months I was starting to lose hope.  Some more good news:

 

 

Restaurants will occupy the hotel's first floor.

You guys are right - 16 stories.  I just realized how small that pic was so here is a bigger version showing the double floors.  At least it's not all beige?

I drove by yesterday and didn't see any activity to speak of on this one yet.  There is a Moody National banner on the fence regarding the project but it's been there a while

That pool looks tiny for a place with 500 units.  Is that the only one?

So anyway, at least one local university president is open to UT's plans:

http://www.chron.com/local/education/campus-chronicles/article/TSU-president-open-to-working-with-UT-on-Houston-6738438.php

No more Baker St - per the news article Trademark elected not to renew.  A sign of things to come?  Always seemed to have a decent crowd though I haven't been in a couple of years

http://www.chron.com/entertainment/restaurants-bars/article/Baker-St-Pub-in-Rice-Village-closes-6735936.php

Guessing this is taking the place of the dirt parking lot between Cambridge and Ringess? I don't really have a problem with this, it's probably needed for VA patients/relatives, and it's not as if Hilton Garden Inns are known for their stunning beauty.

I think you are right - I noticed they were doing some dirt work there over the weekend and thought maybe they were going to pave the parking lot.  They may have already started on this

Edit:  Looking at the rendering again and considering this is just "off" Holcombe, it might actually be that lot on Almeda near Holcombe.  The white buildings in the background of the rendering appear to match up with existing buildings in that location

They are quietly making progress on this one...  

Crane is up