lockmat

After checking out the street view, the ugly parking garage is only half the block facing this development. The other is a nice older building. No doubt that garage will be redeveloped one day.

 

Also, does anyone know what the ballet has planned for their property just to the west of this development? What kind of expansion plans could they possibly want/need? 

That site plan is an enormous waste of space. Do they really need that driveway like that? Yuck. Its also not exactly an inspired design. Then again this looks very conceptual and I hope this one stays that way.

 

Interesting that the site plan on their website only has one tenant listed, the rug store. Did the others already expire and move out? Maybe they're planning on moving forward?

 

Another question is, wasn't that old rendering with Amreit before they were bought out? It's likely Eden (Amreit buyer) will have their own ideas, plan and rendering.

 

http://edens.com/centers/TX/Houston/Courtyard-on-Post-Oak

I'm curious what is planned just north of the museum place apartments. I think the house that is there is currently a restaurant. Seems like a good fit for a mid or high rise.

Here is the man behind the designs. I don't think he has the land or a client he made these for. Great designs though.

 

https://hk.linkedin.com/pub/michael-arellanes-ii/15/478/b26

Actually, what I like about this concept is it brings more families downtown, diversifying the area. Although it may not draw families to LIVE downtown, at least there be some in the vicinity. I don't want a downtown made just for the childless.

Two huge blocks of big blank walls. Hope that changes, or at least the first floors of course.

I would REALLY like to see the Medial Center become a more mixed use district- high end TALL residential towers (al la NYC), shopping, restaurants to go along with the medical and hospitality uses. The Med Center is on par, or even ahead of downtown in terms of infrastructure, it borders our major city park, the museum district, and Rice University and may be more dense and walkable than even downtown...these are all HUGE draws for these supporting uses.

 

WE need to start thinking about Houston as individual nodes that WILL connect over the decades and I honestly feel the Med Center to Museum District to Mid Town to Downtown to EADO connection has the POTENTAIL to be a great urban collection if done correctly.

 

Uptown is a totally different animal and they are pretty adamant about remaining who they are (i.e. rejection of University and Uptown lines)

 

I see one potential practical problem with this. Constant ambulance sirens.

 

Are there other true medical districts that have residential woven into the district itself? I could envision it on the outskirts, but woven within? I have my doubts but I could be wrong.

Construction is a lagging indicator of the market since it reacts. And just because they're starting new projects doesn't mean it's wise to. I'm all for moving ahead on a few projects with anticipation that the economy will be recovered once it is completed, but it's probably bad if there are waves of companies doing it.

Gutsy or unwise, guess it depends what you think will happen.

Iran coming onto the market certainly won't help things.

oil and gas is going down and they're starting three new projects? gutsy

Pretty cool that they'll have an area with alley's. Looks kind of like a bad development from up high, but the details make it look pretty cool.

 

video:

http://www.grandcentralparktx.com/master-plan

Is this the third name change?

Sweet, did you get one of these images from the commission report?

I'll add another car to this derailment.

The last super tall we know of that had a rendering come to light was in Uptown, so scarcity of Downtown blocks (which won't happen for a while) is not a big deal. So, there are many factors and options. It will come down to the right demand and development to hold a crown of tallest in the city, state, or even west of the Mississippi.

I'm sure Hines' latest tower could have easily become this, but would probably require the purchasing of another block solely for additional parking.

I think you're right. Both submarkets have their own levels of scarcity and either could potentially provide a supertall. But remember my downtown caveat. All of downtown real estate doesn't need to be scarce, only the west/northwest side. That's my theory.

Maybe an advantage that Post Oak has is that there aren't really towers they're going to tear down and replace with a tower. However, there is lots of room where current shopping centers are.

...thinking out loud here.

Curious. Not familiar with the old Masraff's location. Would this be off Post Oak Ln?

I looked it up. It's a little street just northwest of post oak and uptown park blvd

With discussions of a super tall, here are a few questions and observations.

What real variables need to be in place for a supertall to be built besides ego? Scarcity and a need, right?

I propose a supertall could possibly be built in downtown sooner than we might think.

Conventional wisdom says when downtown blocks are scarce is when it could happen.

However, I propose that when the "skyline" district options are scarce is when we could get one because that area is where the real office value is.

Maybe the east side of downtown or the area on Dallas changes where office value is and changed my scenario. Plus, I think what gives us the best chance of a supertall is an area that needs multiple uses but is low on options. I think Aessandra could have been perfect, but I guess the market conditions also need to be right too.

Thoughts?

The building will be demolished for an office tower, 2017 start date.

 

I like their downtown strategy. Build. Finish. Build another one. Finish. Build another one...

 

Hopefully it continues.

There is no way those are the final designs.

Me too. Love the idea though.

Should we join this thread with the other one? I don't know where it is. 

 

Anyway, I don't think this document was shared:

 

http://www.energycorridor.org/sites/ecd/media/about/master-plan/ECD_MasterPlanReport_Grisby-Square.pdf

I'm going to make a bold prediction here... when this thing is built (and we have flights leaving it that take a mere couple of hours to get to Europe or the middle east)... you'll see major oil giants leaving the energy corridor and Woodlands and flocking back Downtown. What self-respecting company will fly high priority business associates into Houston and then have them endure a car ride to a far flung suburb across town that takes almost as long as the flight itself?

That would be great if that happened. But they already do it with IAH. I'm sure real big wigs could take a helicopter.

A little birdie told me they haven't signed a contact for the builder yet, but they're 90% sure is going to be the guys drilling the 100 foot deep pilings. ....

 

So the company contracting the current demo is no the builder? What do 100 foot pilings mean, a taller building?

Last I saw Bivins worked for Culture Map but also has his own website.

The HBJ report says that the Realty News Report run by Ralph Bivinins says that since Hines is currently building 609 that it is unlikely they would demolish and build a skyscraper at this time. Probably true, I guess given the economy? But that means they'd have to lease it for like ten years right? If so, this would be a LONG term investment they couldn't really start for a long time, and this while downtown is somewhat booming. I find that hard to believe but I guess it's possible.

 

Thoughts on what their options are?

Obviously the hotel in Chicago would not be single-use, unless there are only four rooms per floor.

For what it is, it's not too bad. However, those who have opened the brochure can see that the green space will be cut at least in half since it's where they plan on building a hotel and conference center. I actually think it's better than that old Exxon site plan.