marc

OK OK, mia culpa, mia culpa. i guess my ultra success with a Sim City 4 region topping 15 million and nothing BUT skyscrapers are going up in my virtual reality world, i got a little carried away. My virtual Houston is booming.........sorry.

Back to reality. SIGH.

m.

Ok OK, i fudged a little by putting a tantalizing topic title without a description, BUT now that you are here, i was thinking with the slow down in construction maybe it would be fun to speculate, dream, predict WHEN, WHERE, and BY WHOM our fair city's next 50+ skyscraper will show. Perhaps somewhere in the Medical Center (thinking of that mini-boom over the last couple of years)?? Perhaps UT? Residential? Commercial? Mixed Use? Many of you are more in the know than i am when it comes to trends of construction probilities and so forth. Me, i just LOVE skyscrapers and urban development, so i follow in a sort of "coffee table book way"; i.e., drool over the pix., but don't necessarily read all the fine print, unless i am really in love with a certain scraper. SO, here is my limited take. IF a 50+ is to be built in DT, i think it would be because there was some sort of consolidation of an already existing corp. which has either grown to need the tower OR sold its smaller locations and moved into one. If that size is to be built in UT, i think it would be residential. Something full of glass and steel to contrast with all the beige, tan, brownish towers would be cool. My money would be a 50+ tower built in or near MT.(which i might say is looking spectacular; reminds me of Altanta's gorgeous UT) The only "IF" for that happening is that i am not certain if there are height restrictions due to its proximity to Hobby Airport. Anyway, give me your thoughts, with pix. if you would like.......again, not much going on, so i thought, hey, why not do some late 90's dreaming.

m

I am watching this sucker go up and it looks like they are just finishing the 45th floor. There is one more on top of this and then the roof. About 40 or so feet to go by my guess -- equivilent of four floors.

Awesome! i thought it looked close to being topped out. This is still my newest favorite in DT (in comparison to Hess, OPP, the Marriot etc.) The only thing is that i wish developers would build larger scrapers on the outer rim of DT so they can be seen better from the freeways and keep the smaller ones around what's left of the core of DT. But alas, i know several factors go into WHERE scrapers are developed.....my wishes are certainly not one of them!

i know it is posted somewhere, but i am at my desk being lazy.

How much higher does it have to go, say in relation to One Shell Plaza? Not so much concerned about floor count, but height left to go 'til completion.

Thanks,

m

by diskojoe

Whoa.

m.

Oh yeah, I forgot that i walked off the dimensions the other day after the 5k. Not completely accurate, but it helps a little I guess.

84x37

One Park Place: Length (not including breezeway on north side): 84 steps

One Park Place: Width (not including garage): 37 steps

55x32

Embassy: Length 55 steps

Embassy: Width (entire structure) 47 steps, (room quarters only) 32 steps

Embassy is not really even a very tall building either, so I think it's gonna look like some of the old towers downtown has around, but newer of course.

These are steps from my 6'2" strides

Thanks. That helps me visualize the size at least.

m.

Are the floor plates really that much smaller than One Park Place? They look about the same to me.

Maybe......i hope so. Granted i am only going on the photos. Much to my disapointment my schedule didn't allow me to go DT when i was in H-town for the holidays. i wanted to go ice skating as well at DG. IF, the floor plates are about the same size, then, whew! i am relieved.

m.

Just amazing what GOOD planning can accomplish. It makes me all the madder when i see cheap crap thrown up around town. Bravo City Centre. Can't wait to visit this summer.

m.

This view of downtown Houston driving southward on Hwy 59 would look so spectacular if the skyline were to be balanced out by a supertall skyscraper built in the visual "gap" between Discovery Tower and MainPlace.

i agree wholeheartedly. An 80 storey would be nice- with a spire!

m.

Pretty small floor plates.

i thought the exact same thing but was waiting until it was more developed to make the comment. The rendering looks sweet, but i don't see how the asthetics of it will be accomplished in such a miniature looking frame. Any ideas? Also, like several of you, yes i am content with the development of the area, but am not so patiently waiting to see what those two parking lots to the west (top of pix.) will become. Maybe one commercial and one residential tower. Hopefully, both with a class/silver facade. Maybe even a hint of blue or green glass. i think if done right, it would tie in to that side of DT without overproducing the brownstone effect nor overdoing the glass/steel effect. Anyone know anything about what will be there?

m.

Thanks Nate. i love DT from that angle. Doesn't even look like a typical Houston. AND i think it is cool that the tallest DT tower is symetrically in the middle from that angle. Beautiful pix.

m.

It'll really only have an impact from the south and northeast. I agree, I don't think this is going to a major point on the skyline itself-but a nice addition all the same.

Well, i believe Shell Plaza One (One Shell Plaza?) is 50 stories. Granted it is right out front when approaching from the west, but it is pretty visible, so maybe MP will be too. i love MP's design; but like many of you, i really do wish it was at least 10 stories taller.

Because of its location, it will be surrounded by taller scrapers, so i am a bit disapointed as well. i do understand that in the past few years many highrises built in DT definately have helped as filler, which i think was desparately needed. BUT, i would love to see a 70+ maybe even and 80+ (1200+ ft) scraper go up. Unfortunately, i don't know if there is a market yet for such a monster. Hopefully, in the next decade H-town's shift from petroleum based income to alternative energy income will allow for this. i know H-town's medical income has fueled all the development in MT and Memorial City, so i would think any 50+ storey highrises would be built in either area. Sorry DT.

m.

Slow progress... but better than nothing.

Yeah, probably just taking their time because of the economy. No need to rush it, although i think construction costs are supposed to increase beginning second quarter of next year. That's some good news at least. (i am going by what Forbes Mag. says in their Sept. issue)

m.

i think this tower is going to be stunning at night! Does anyone know if the public will be able to go out on the balcony??

m.

i now see the wisdom of designing One Park Place as a more stone that glass tower. Once the Hess Tower is completed its cladding will definately counter the surrounding buildings. i have changed my opinion and feel it was a good call to design OPP the way they did. Had it been more "glassy" i think asthetically, there would have been too much glass in that one area. i like the balance. Thoughts?

m.

To answer my own question:

http://www.mainplacehouston.com/photography/Hines%20with%20shell%20and%20WF.html

http://www.mainplacehouston.com/photography/Aerial%20View.html

Wow! Thanks.

Two things. i have been waiting for this tower with bated breath. It will be my new favorite if it is anything like the rendering. Do you think that the public can go to the upper balcony??

AND how i wish i could get a SimCity to look like that second pix.!

m.

Maybe not the right place for it, BUT, if Obama's economic stimulus package goes through, do you all think the Corps. will be spending that $$$ on new projects or pretty much just doing damage control? i wonder if there is some sort of stipulation regarding the bail out. Thoughts?

m.

^^^ i was wondering where exactly it was going to be located. They are clearing land on the southwest side of the I45 where it crosses Sam Houston Tollway. Maybe there?

i have always wondered what kept that area from becoming another viable business center. i mean, the location is ideal for people who live in the Woodlands and such, as well

as for people who live west along the Tollway. i would think the city would work really hard to keep the riffraff population at a minimum.

m.

I wouldn't really get excited about that model. Obviously the other buildings are in there for marketing purposes. I wouldn't expect that side of downtown to look like that in the next 30-40 years.

That's a bit pessimistic don't you think? 30-40 years? Really? Think about how DT looked in 1970 versus today. Almost totally unrecognizable.

m.

I know Astroworld's been gone. I was foolin'!

What are they going to do with the empty lot?

m.

One can only assume that the Trickle-Up phenomenon, as i like to call it, is going to come into effect. i think developers, corps., banks and such are holding their breath, waiting to see how this market mess plays out. At least, that's what i would do. Look around our country; projects almost completed will be; projects half way completed are stalled; projects which only have some sort of foundation work done are on hold indefinately; and anything proposed probably won't come down the pipeline for AT LEAST a year or so. Keep in mind our economy effects the World economy. We borrowed money from the Chinese, Europe, Japan and parts of the Middle East. Because we can't pay them back due to our own domestic shortfall of $$$$, they aren't likely to help us fund any AMERICAN projects any time soon. i think the only thing they would be interested in is taking advantage of our slumped market and either buy up projects or build new ones for THEIR companies and THEIR purposes.

m. What do you all think? Am i off base?

^^^^ All great news, but with this topsy turvy economy right now, will those projects be delayed or even scrapped?

m.

^^^agree 100%. Yes, i like seeing the finished product, but i enjoy the construction phase just as much. In my temporary neck of the woods (North Hollywood, CA) they just put up a crane for yet another highrise. i watched them move it in during the early AM hours and watched as they assembled it the rest of the day. Pure joy. i can't wait to visit Houston this Thankgiving. How many floors do you think MainPlace will have by then? (provided all goes as planned) We should start a non monetary betting system on this forum regarding the floor count at certain times the next couple of years. What do you all think?

m.

^^^ It seems the architecture/developer gods have spoken. Full speed ahead.

m.

How delayed do you all think this and MainPlace will be due to the flooding?

m.