Houston2010

If the tenant you are referring to begins with the letter after 'G'....I think that ship sailed a long time ago. So long ago in fact, that Discovery Tower is currently making changes to their building to accomodate the tenant that begins with the letter after 'G'.

Its dead.

I'll say it again. DEAD.

This project is D-E-A-D. The large tenant in the market that was their saving grace is not going to this building. Maybe next cycle...

Clearly - this guy either works for Crescent or the architect or another part of the team that brought forth yet another 90 degree version of the same 20-30 story box. In the past, he's obviously bought into the Crescent continued "We're about to break ground guys!" marketing pitch, despite the real message from Crescent being loud and clear (i.e. "are you crazy? we're not doing this building until a tenant comes along that takes up the whole thing!").

But now, rumors are swirling that they landed a big tenant who loves the mid rise box. And now Crescent will say "I told you we were breaking ground!"

I think what most people have been saying, me included, is that 6HC will not get built 100% spec, like what Cresent has been saying. If a tenant comes along thats big enough and thinks Houston Center is where they want to be...then yes, 6HC will get built. But the story Cresent has been throwing out there of "we're going, regardless of leasing" is total hogwash.

And 5 Allen Center is going to break ground in 2Q09. Its a decent sized building too, but its so far away from anything, I don't understand how it changes the downtown landscape. Its practically in midtown.

How about 2 MainPlace's?

Not until they work out a tunnel / skybridge connection.

Its a 100% speculative office building on a "tweener" site being built during a national credit crisis by Morgan Stanley (Crescent) who is trying to sell off the real estate company. Pick one.

Ground breaking delayed again until early May...I've got $5 that says we'll see another delay in May. This building has been on the ropes for a while now.

Any broker in town will tell you that a building not on the tunnel system is not Class A, and therefore, Class A tenants will not sign leases in the building until it is Class A. For years, the Heritage building (yes, it was a recession, but there was another equally large factor at play) was empty partly due to not having any tunnel access.

I don't think not having a skywalk is a big deal, it just means that they have to hit a different elevator button and walk an extra 100 feet (or so) to get across the street.

But I have to admit, it would be nice if they included that.

Heard a little rumor that the sky bridge connection is off the table....ever heard the story of the "See Through" tower (i.e. Heritage Plaza, or whatever it was called when it was first built)?

Anyone find it interesting that despite having an elaborate ground breaking ceremony, there isn't a lick of work going on at their site?

Deleted out of respect.

By no means am I implying that Discovery Tower doesn't get built...I truly believe its going. However, the multiple redesigns of the building, the delays on ground breaking due to very basic error on their part, as well as the other issues with this building point to a very junior crew trying to get this thing built and designed without it being a suburban box in the CBD.

Rumor on the street says ground breaking has been delayed until sometime next month. Combined with 6HC's continual delaying on ground breaking. Not a great start for the two projects.

Hines didn't plop down a garage on Main Street. Sunbelt, the owner of Pennzoil Place, paid for and built a garage on Main Street. Hines was the construction manager of the project. Hines had as much to do with that garages location and aesthetics as you have control over where Gap will build their next store. You ever wonder why all the protests went unheard? It was because everyone was complaining to the wrong company.

In a word, no. Remember how crappy it was when Hines plopped a half-block parking garage in the Main St. light rail pedestrian corridor last year? How is having Disco Tower's full-block garage on the future Rusk St. light rail pedestrian corridor going to be? One more unrewarding block to keep any interesting activity from developing, and one more sterile expanse to remind people in the neighborhood that it's not worth going out.

I hope it dies long enough that when the developers come back, they're compelled to propose something less bare.

Unless you were going back to commenting on City Centre rather than on Discovery Tower now.

Skybridges are cheaper than tunnels, and the reason for the skybridge for DT is that the "tunnel" system in Houston Center is all above grade.

However, when you take the cost of the skybridge + the extraordinary price they are paying to 5 Houston Center for the right to connect....it is far more expensive than a traditional tunnel connection.

I just received an updated rendering package for Discovery Tower, which has 4-5 exterior shots, an interior shot of the lobby (is that corkboard on the walls?) and the floor plates.

I stand by my earlier comments...take the building away from its unique setting, and this thing would fit in perfectly in any suburban setting. Its a square Anardarko Tower, with what looks like precast on the north side of the building.

I really hoped for something more striking and unique for its location...

Wow...a vastly improved rendering is coming of a Westchase boxy building plopped down on the park. I. can't. wait.

Too bad that the building doesn't have a tunnel connection nor is close to getting one due to the ongoing negotiations with their neighbors...nothing like not being on the tunnel system to kill a few lease proposals.

I don't honestly see what anyone is excited about in this building...its a 30-40 story box, with some, cough cough, interesting structure at the top with wind turbines in the roof which according to local HVAC experts, will MAYBE on a good day provide 1% of the buildings energy. Bet that takes a while to pay back...if they don't value engineer those ridiculous things off the building after they pay 5 Houston Center a ridiculous fee to connect to their building.

This building is still boring. And no park will change that.

The Victory building you refer to with links doesn't appear to share one design element with the Hines 47. I can't think of a more different building than the one we've been shown.

I have seen the rendering of their building. Picture a very shiny grey glass box intersected with with a facade that faces the park being lighter in color with some horizontal banding with some stonework or precast. Think BMC light or 1000 Main. No curves.

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.

I don't know much about the 2nd building yet except that its not the project been discussed previously called Center City (or whatever its name was). This should be a unique Hines development, also on Main Street. So far, there have been no proposals put forth on it that I have seen on the street, though that may not last long. Given the plethora issues that Discovery Tower is having with design, budget, and all, I wouldn't be surprised to see them move this building up the timeline quickly.

47 stories includes the garage, not excludes the garage.

To be somewhat coy, and please do not ask how I know...but I know. I have very good information on the new Hines building, and some of the speculation here is somewhat unfounded, though some is quite correct.

1) The building has a skin unlike anything here in Houston, with sunshades on all facades and a glass facade that is absolutely amazing.

2) The building will be LEED Silver at a minimum.

3) The building has a 10 story garage underneath the building as a podium.

4) The sky garden is a very unique feature, and should be a tenant item. With the high dollar skin, this is clearly the defining feature of the building.

5) While there are plenty of surface lots downtown, none of them are conducive to a development of this magnitude due to location or price.

6) The cost for new highrise buildings is well over $300 per square foot. Anyone who tells you differently doesn't have a clue.

7) Discovery Tower doesn't hold a candle to their building. The renderings being shown to the broker community are a glass cube, and is very boring given its location on Discovery Green. Houston Center 6 is even worse.

8) Don't be surprised if Hines doesn't develop two buildings downtown. They have already hired an architectural team for the 2nd building. I have not seen any renderings of this building yet, though I have heard some rumors about the design.

Enjoy!