citykid09

An excavator was on this site today. I saw it on the drive into Uptown. I will try to get pictures of the site soon.

I had forgotten about this one. Too many developments to remember and many times its easy to forget about them if we are not here talking about them everyday.

There are so many projects going on that I forgot about this one. I need to take a photo.

Please do take a photo. We would appreciate that a lot!

What would the implications be of upping the number again, to say....10,000 units?

Is the limit only 5,000 units for the incentive? Well it should surley be moved up in my opinion to at least 20,000 units. Midtown should also have these incentives and require that the buildings be at least 5 or more stories, no parking requirements, no set backs, power lines must be placed underground and the sidewalks must be as wide as the ones you see in NYC.

Does anyone know if this one will have ground floor retail like the others?

Nice! Where is that?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/17/business/target-is-testing-a-small-store-for-city-shoppers.html?_r=0

For some reason I thought this was cancelled. Wasn't a downtown hotel recently cancelled? Anyway, good to see a big parking lot gone from downtown and from the inner city. When will we hear about all of those high end hotels they said we would see announced in Houston this year? Has work started on the Green Street Hotel? I thought they were supposed to start in July???

Greenway Plaza needs to be filled in with development like this.

So is this officially, officially never happening?

Although I think this site would be prime for a nice townhome redevelopment (something along the lines of a scaled-up version of Hines' Somerset Green that's near Old Katy Road would be neat here), I've thought this site would be a neat place to try reasonably large-scale midrise condominium development. One could also mix in a couple highrises. I was thinking New Orleans French Quarter-style architecture with nice walkable spaces for shops and restaurants. Magnolia trees could be planted to add more Houston flair--as I understand it a Magnolia forest once lined Buffalo Bayou. 

They should also look at the Atlantic Station development in Atlanta for inspiration.

I hope to see some supertalls coming to Houston soon, but most of all I hope that Houston will continue the trend of building more urban style developments and never goes back to the days of stripmalls on every corner.

Love this! Just a few questions. Is this on the same lot that West Ave Phase III was going to be on? How close is this to the new Kirby Collection development? Who thinks Kirby is the new Post Oak Blvd, Rodeo Drive, or 5th Ave type street?

Maybe a bit farther back from the cemetery...I mean, I put no stock into superstitious nonsense like "the dead were angry about it, so they cursed the building to burn down" (and I'm sure there are in Houston that actually do believe that unironically), but c'mon...it was pretty close to that site. 

I don't believe in the superstitious stuff, but I would not want to live that close to a grave yard. They could have atleast put a tall fence inbetween their lot and the grave yard as well as put in a slim park behind the building for the residence to give some distance and just build taller.

If develpers can't put a 50+ story tower in Uptown, what area besides downtown would this guy see appropriate?

This is ALL about obstructing his view. This guy acts like he lives in a small town. If he is so concerned about an ambulance making it in time in case he has a heart attack maybe he should move near the medical center.

You know the city requires 2 parking spots for a single family home because they say its needed because in Houston you have to drive everywhere you go. There are also so many parking spot requirments for each business. If the people in charge would undrestand that THIS requirement, poorly planned streets (only for vehicles not pedestrians, bikes, etc) and no shade tree requirement is the reason that Houston is being held off as a walkbale city, not heat and humidity.

Emporis has the height estimated at 533.24', Sounds about right, 13.33" per floor or so.

Intresting! This here says that its estimated to be only 400 feet.

Didn't this developer also buy the near by bank building? I wonder if they plan to also redevelop it into a higrise as well. 

Without a radical redesign, even with the Kirby Collection, Kirby will never be pedestrian friendly. I have taken walks down Kirby (I am usually the only pedestrian for several blocks), and have tried riding a bike down Kirby. Forget the bike, as traffic was too heavy to share the road, and I ended up riding on the sidewalk. (I have passed bicyclists on Alabama in my car, and they are very difficult to see or pass due to lane width and visibility). There are too many lanes of cars to comfortably walk or ride between 59 and Westheimer. The sidewalks feel too narrow and close to whizzing traffic and parking lots, plus there are many obstructions along the way. Dips and rises along the way due to driveways, and trees are in the path. On one Saturday I had to dodge at least 3 cars while walking on the sidewalk due to drivers pulling out from the lots straight into the sidewalk area without looking both ways. The presence of separate parking lots for each business discourages pedestrians since there is no need to walk, and there is really little to walk to as there is nothing between most lots. The setback of the businesses at Kirby and Alabama is also an issue as pedestrians must walk thru a sea of cars, on one side the parking lots' traffic, and the other side multiple lanes of vehicles on Kirby. Also the lack of street side storefront business entrances is an issue, since there is little to walk to other than walking around to a parking lot entrance. Kirby will not be a good pedestrian street unless there is traffic calming introduced by reducing the number of traffic lanes, providing better sidewalk design that is pedestrian friendly, lowering the speed limits, removing the driveways on Kirby, and increasing storefront and store entrance density on Kirby. I have heard Kirby called the new Post Oak, which his about right since that is not pedestrian friendly either. That said, I like the changes and new things on Kirby, but even with the hundreds of new apartments added few people actually walk at any given time of day.

Lets hope all of those problems go away with new street redevelopments since the city has said that (I think) all new major thoroughfare redos will be redone as complete streets.

Nice to see an article where someone did some homework. We often forget how much impact the sewer moratorium had on inner loop development.

Yes, they did homework. I had no idea about the restrictions the city had in the 1970s. imagine what the city would have looked like it had allowed all the development that wanted to come into the inner city.

Whats in the little 1-2 story building that looks white with a red and green roof right across the street from this tower? That spot looks prime for redevelopment.

I love it! Keep them coming Uptown. The more the better!

About time we don't get a box shaped building.

I think H&M will draw people in. But I would like to see Macy's ome back and wouldn't it be nice if someone in the Foley's Family brought back that department store? Is that family still around? Also an urban HEB.

They should buy all of the I-10 feeder property and plant a thick little forest of trees trees to buffer the development from the freeway. It just doesn't seem that cool when you look over and a freeway is right in your face.

When you have had HEB who would go back to Albertsons? No one! The only grocery store that is not in the area that I think would do good is Publix.

Its weird that I can't find any images of it online other then this, but here is what the Villa Maria/Welbron Road/Rail Road crossing looks like. Its not the best image, but it give you an idea of what can be done at Westheimer and the train crossing.

If a city the size of Bryan can do it, why can't Houston on its premier street?