10/8/16

12 minutes ago, UtterlyUrban said:

Mayor Whitmire's vison was likely formed around 1980.  I would argue that it was Disco that was the real catalyst for this area however and that was, what?, 2004?.  Regardless, It shows you just how long it takes to fix cities that become broken.  Once it is lost, it may be lost for a decade or 4 decades.   To keep a city vibrant, the old must be somehow made new and sometimes that means demolition.   However, flattening half of a city all at once because  you dream of some workers utopia all connected with moving indoor and air conditioned sidewalks so no human ever has to have the sun in his eyes is likely never a good idea.   

 

now, turn your eyes to Detroit.  Are you 25 right now or 55?.  If you are 25 you might live to see Detroit rebuilt into something fantastic.  55? You might live long enough to see the beginning of the change. 

Discovery Green opened in April 2008

2 hours ago, MarathonMan said:

Could it be that the low downtown occupancy rates are misleading?  With so few established units downtown, the initial high vacancy in newly-delivered properties will significantly decrease the occupancy rate for the sub market, as those new units make up a significant chunk of the overall inventory.  In a different sub market, where there are already many more thousands of established units, new deliveries of a few hundred units won't impact overall vacancy rates much.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Rents-occupancy-rates-signal-shifts-in-apartment-7968621.php 

"At the rental market's August 2014 peak, the occupancy rate for Class A apartments was 84 percent. Now there is an obvious divide. Among Class A apartments that have been in operation for 13 months or more, the occupancy rate is 91 percent, but those open 13 months or less have a 23.2 percent rate. "

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7 minutes ago, wxman said:

The last pic posted is probably THE ugliest view of downtown there is. Minus the Chase Tower, downtown looks like a middle America, mid-sized city that nobody remembers and time forgot about.

 

For the record, I'm referring to the view, not the quality of the image or anything related to the photographer.

haha, it would look even worse had it not been for the Hardy Yards landscaping improvements in the foreground... 

http://swamplot.com/up-close-and-personal-with-downtowns-foremost-former-hotel-and-vedic-university/2016-08-10/

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http://www.khou.com/news/local/new-midtown-bar-has-historic-roots/282986372

It's usually out with the old and in with the new when it comes to decades old buildings in Houston.

But one business owner has decided to preserve a piece of history in Midtown by turning a historic house into a bar—called Sterling House.

Sterling House officially opens to the public Aug. 6.

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Caydon-planning-Midtown-apartment-development-8506248.php

There's a shout out to SkyScraperPage and Urbannizer via the links below at the end of the article.

"Caydon could not be reached immediately for more details, but this local real estate forum suggests the sites are along Main Street across from the Superblock."

47 minutes ago, Triton said:

Removing asbestos for demolition!

 

 

http://swamplot.com/asbestos-laden-mod-code-enforcement-office-now-getting-swapped-for-mixed-use-highrise-on-main-st/2016-07-12/

 

 

This part was interesting:

The reader says construction should start in September after demolition wraps up. The design shown above has put on a few floors (and lost some corners) since the original designs by RTKL were passed around last fall:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2016/07/houston-developer-confirms-plans-for-second-luxury.html

The Houston-based Class A multifamily developer and the United Services Automobile Association, a San Antonio-based financial services company, purchased a 2.5-acre site off South Post Oak Lane, just south of the company’s Hanover Post Oak luxury apartment tower and north of Wulfe & Co. Inc.’s Blvd Place retail center.

Brandt Bowden, Hanover’s managing partner for capital markets, told the Houston Business Journal in an email that the developer intends to break ground on Hanover Boulevard Place this year, though the exact date for the construction start is yet to be determined.

Just ran into some guys on site. They had just finished clearing out all the steel from each floor.

Apparently the Sheraton is suppose to be done before Super Bowl with a significant pick up in activity in a couple of months.

Seems like a really difficult timeline to meet, but it was good seeing activity on site. We shall see...

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Houston-hostels-open-doors-for-world-travelers-7955806.php?t=327f66a8b9&cmpid=twitter-premium#photo-10170133

"Deidre Mathis is planning a hostel near the McGowen Metro stop. "They're going to feel like they're in Houston," she says."

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2016/05/new-outdoor-bar-to-open-in-renovated-downtown.html

New outdoor bar to open in renovated downtown hotel

Part & Parcel, a new outdoor bar, is the latest element added to The Whitehall hotel downtown.

The Whitehall, at 1700 Smith St., previously was known as the Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown, but it relaunched in April under its historic name after undergoing a $5 million renovation. The renovation also included renaming the hotel’s on-site restaurant as Edgar’s Hermano and creating a casual bistro called Buffalo Bayou Coffee.

The green fencing in the bottom right is a nice touch. The Downtown district has put them all along main street to cover the view of the empty parking lots. They will soon be covered with vine plants as well.

Exclusive: Long-awaited Buffalo Bayou mixed-use moving forward

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2016/05/exclusive-long-awaited-buffalo-bayou-mixed-use.html

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/sarnoff/article/Designs-reawaken-Dowling-Street-s-forgotten-past-7465740.php?t=d7c7de44d3&cmpid=twitter-premium

Park plan 'still in play'

The chain-link fence surrounding a 1970s-era office complex at the northeast corner of Westheimer and Mid Lane portend the demolition of the vacant structures that sit on a pricey plot of Houston real estate.

The property owner purchased the development several years ago. On the back of the property, an 8-story apartment building called The James opened last year. A multifamily building with 17 stories called The Ivy is under construction.

Once the existing office buildings are taken down, it would be expected that the owner, Stonelake Capital Partners, would have plans for another building, maybe two. Yet Stonelake says it will develop a 5-acre park at the front of the site, an amenity to the residents, according to the company's website.

Alan Schoellkopf, Stonelake's chief operating officer, confirmed that the park plan is still in play but directed additional questions to an associate with the firm who did not return calls.

Perhaps the park will be temporary and buildings will be developed once the commercial real estate market improves. But maybe it will become another example of urban green space, as developers put more of an emphasis on nature and community spaces.

The site is between Highland Village and River Oaks District. It includes several low-rise buildings that housed an Indian restaurant, two banks, medical offices and other small businesses.

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Randalls-to-expand-Midtown-store-7378514.php

Randalls seeks variance to expand Midtown store

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http://abc13.com/news/mayor-turners-budget-plan-includes-job-cuts/1292967/

"It may push some of our projects back a year or two, but it's worth it to help solve the problems," said Ryan Leach of the TIRZ. Leach says the fund contributions may delay a planned park for the southern edge of downtown, but would not affect any of the group's plans for Super Bowl.