PAC

They were very lucky it did not make the news (it hit a subcontractor's pickup, not a random passing vehicle). I've heard and confirmed this from multiple sources, all of whom have direct knowledge of the tenant and building.

One of the blades flew off and hit a car. If I had to bet, they are gone forever.

the tall, concrete columns you are seeing are a double-height floor that resides under the sky garden. There are angled concrete columns that support the transitioning structure that exists to create the notch in the building.

By the way - the webcam has been changed so that you can now see the top of the bldg. You'll notice the angled columns being installed to support the skygarden.

Did the article say who the architect is? My sources say its Pickard Chilton.

The building hasn't changed floors or height at all since 2007. Still 46 floors. As for the floors...the columns and support structure for the skygarden are going in now. Floor 37 is under construction now, and Floor 39 is the actual garden floor. So Floor 40 will be the first inset floor of the structure. Lots of interesting structure coming up now.

Just an observation...

I can see this building out of my window and expected them to start on the indented floors a couple of floors ago. I think that the floor numbers on the exterior service elevators do not correspond with the floor numbers in the renderings from Hines. There has been some comment that this building looked shorter than we thought but maybe this is part of the issue.

Thought you would be interested in a few dates:

1) Mat pour - starts tonight around midnight. ~1,000 trucks, 6-7 pumpers, 12,000+ CYs.

2) First tower crane - goes up next weekend

3) Second tower crane - goes up following weekend.

4) Third crane is later this year.

Harvey's web cam is up and running.

http://cameras.harveybuilders.com

El Paso is basically gutting the entire building, and redoing everything from the structure out. I believe the building is also getting a new, all glass lobby which is supposed to be spectacular. Hines is acting as the Project Manager, with Gilbane as the General Contractor.

FYI - the videos are up and running on the MainPlace website. Enjoy!

FYI - the MainPlace website is up and running today. The video section will be complete shortly, as we're trying to find a good mix of quality and download speed for the building videos.

www.mainplacehouston.com

(and no, the building has not gotten any taller. Still 46 stories with a 2 story parapet wall on top)

MainPlace broke ground last Monday. No ceremony required.

Two pictures attached of the MainPlace model, which now currently resides in the Hines office. BTW - there are some absolutely stunning movies coming out soon.

MainPlace will be tunnel connected via the tunnel system across Main Street. This is the first tunnel to cross under the light rail since its completion.

Im in Houston 2, and I think it will be connect to Houston 1 via sky bridge.

edit: my office overlooks the lot, so I'll try to keep us all posted.

FYI - MainPlace is breaking ground on Monday March 3rd, two months ahead of schedule. Cap beam excavation will start the first week, with first drilling operations the following week. The site will ramp up to 3 drilling rigs by late March.

Attached is a typical floor plate for MainPlace....good representation of the articulated layout of the building.

MP_Floor_Plate.pdf

FYI - the implosion is scheduled for January 20th.

The rest of the demolition will be spread over the coming 3 months, with the implosion of the Montague set for early January.

We will not be closing a lane on Main Street, as lane closures on Main Street are not allowed.

The building on Rusk between the Montague and the Corner Store came down yesterday. See picture attached.

Here is a new rendering of the MainPlace building, taken from the Magnolia Hotel looking down Fannin.

The tower on Block 69 / 600 Main will be oriented the same way as MainPlace and have a similar type of shading design, and will also have a parking component to the building. As long as Houston is a city of drivers, buildings will continue to develop with parking garages included.

Couple of comments for the debate:

1) Did someone actually compare a partial block, 1M sf CBD office development with the multi-acre suburban Blvd Place or a 180,000sf downtown land development? MainPLace has 54,000sf of land and is an office building. With an office building, the ground floor design has the following elements fighting for space: lobby and lobby entrances, garage entrances and exits (4-5 lanes total), loading docks (3 lanes), and retail space. The amount of retail in MainPlace is the absolute maximum that will fit, and the design of the store fronts is still developing. As a side note, the store fronts are actually set back further than what the West Bldg is today by about 6'...so the sidewalks will be wider.

2) The building will be on the tunnel system.

3) The reason the tower is not oriented along Main Street is due to the sun. To maximize the efficiency of the HVAC systems, the tower must be oriented as shown to mimize sun exposure. This system efficiency is a major component of sustainable design.

4) The front door is on the corner of Main and Rusk, facing Main Street, with a secondary door at the corner of Rusk and Fannin. The lobby is small when compared to the buildings around town, just as 717's lobby is minimized.

Look back at the Chronicle's main picture of MainPlace. See all that clear glass store front on Main Street? Thats retail. It also has retail back on the corner of Fannin and Rusk, though its not much (think Starbucks or something of that ilk). Total retail SF is roughly 10k.

As for the site...the buildings are not interconnected around Stowers. The Stowers does not touch anything else...there are alleys on all sides. The Montague, which is 12 stories, will be imploded, while the West Building may or may not be imploded.

The entire part of the building facing Main Street is retail space.

The Walker-Main parking garage is NOT a Hines development. The owner of Pennzoil is the owner and sole decision maker on the project, and Hines is the development manager only.