arche_757

20 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

When I wrote initially that the skybridge was horrible, I didn't mean that it was horrible for Dr. Mann, I meant that it was horrible for the neighborhood. Do you want the Museum District to fill up with medical buildings and skybridges? Even one skybridge is too many. And if we were to make a law banning skybridges in certain areas (perhaps TOD areas), either stuff like this would go elsewhere, or else Dr. Mann with his deep resources would figure out another way to get his patients in safely, perhaps by putting the hotel on the same block as the clinic.

Understood.  There have to be exceptions to any ordinance though, and medical facilities would be that exception.

I am guessing the designers went through multiple approaches to best accommodating their clients goals on this project.  I could be wrong?

Again, I do understand where you are coming from and agree with much of your assessment/opinion.

@H-Town Man I think the point you’re making is certainly valid, but I think you’re missing the fact this is an eye doctor building a campus complete with hotel for his patients first, everyone else second.

The skybridge so they can move patients easily from one building to the hotel.  Unless I am mistaken in where the skybridge is to be built.

That would, in my opinion, be an acceptable reasoning for any skybridge. Hopefully the streetscape is still energetic with walkers and gawkers.

**I just dealt with my father-in-law having eye surgery, folks who’ve had eye procedures typically cannot drive.  The clinic where this took place was absolutely slam packed, and the traffic driving in/out to both drop off and pick up was crazy.  I can see where if you’ve got the financing why not build a little more convenience into everything for patients.

I don’t mind skybridges.  It’s our terrible sidewalk culture here that’s the root of the problem, not the dozen or so skybridges around town.

14 hours ago, editor said:

It's remarkable how bad almost all architecture firms are with their: web sites/marketing/PR.

There I fixed it for you!

But to your point, yes, architectural websites are often either overly artistic with difficult to figure out graphic interfaces, or they are oddly outdated with regard to projects they feature.  Many firms even seemingly hide their actual work, which is odd, particularly since that IS what an architect does.  First, second and third.  HOK (for example) has oodles of info about some “place making,” or their take on “the future of workplaces” before you can get to what it is they have done.  Some firms even have people listed ahead of projects.

Of course, the target audience isn’t other Architect’s.

2 hours ago, Montrose1100 said:

That's not fair. When the Jeff Davis Hospital was completed in 1929 on this land, it was very much an "Urban" location.

Apologies to the forum for dragging this off topic. Just complaining about the suburban layouts of this development's neighbors. 

Shame on you @Montrose1100 for not posting pics of this versus discussing it and the neighboring buildings architectural merit.  Tisk-tisk!

I think the issue could be addressed if the Fed sold the land to this developer and then they built another 1-2 high rises and additional walkable low/mid rises.  I’ll keep looking for my rose colored glasses in the interim!  I don’t see how the Fed could have drastically reduced its footprint given the nature of what it is.

When the Federal Reserve Bank was constructed there was little in the way of new development along Allen Parkway.  Now, this is the point where some make the argument that “…if Houston had proper city planning/zoning controls…”

Of course then we would also be looking at the ridiculous obstacles often created by the well intentioned, but heavy hand of city planners with regard to zoning.

Wow!  Indeed that will be a nightmare for those fine European imports to navigate.  Particularly the first spaces each side of the gate.

This is a nice infill though, and it’s great to see a building get reused even if it is being reused in this manner.

Seems more logical to relocate the FRB of Dallas some years down the line.

I doubt Houston Housing Authority (HHA) would be open to selling unless there were a package of fantastic incentive$$$$ given to them.

12 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

I don't get the reasoning to put the suburban Federal Reserve there, but I'm sure the housing complex will densify & sell off part of the land. It's a huge lot and some of the buildings are what, 80 years old?

And those are on the national register.  Which I’m not sure if that protects them?

I didn’t mean to imply that the public housing was bad, or shabby.  It’s just these three pieces of land with their respective complexes/buildings make strange bedfellows.  So to speak.

@Ross that’s true, but there is a big reason all the other plots developed (or were purchased) prior to this.  Anyway, I hope it’s not so isolated in the future.

On 6/3/2022 at 1:19 PM, cityliving said:

Great pictures as always, @cityliving

This is such an “only in Houston” shot. To the left federally subsidized housing; to the right a fortress of a bank vault.  And in the middle a high-end residential, commercial and hospitality development.

I like this project, I just don’t like the location.  Imagine the synergy if this were closer to the developments further west?  I don’t see either of the federal properties on either side going away for years/decades.

Wow!  Did they really provide a realistic estimate on costs?  Developers always try to skimp on the fees to the city, can’t believe it’s listed as $150,000,000!  Of course, maybe that cost is yesterdays $30,000,000?! 🤷‍♂️

Maybe I’ve just missed these on here (don’t think so - not entirely) because I’m actually dumbfounded that the cost is listed so high.

These are to be twin towers?

I remember very vividly the 1989 freeze.  I was still a child, and recall putting on this puffy ski jacket and those LaCrosse “waterproof” boots.  I quickly found out if you shuffle your feet into snow/ice those boots tend to lose some of their waterproofing by way of seams and shoe laces.

Of course we are talking about a city which has grown from a metro area of ~2.5 million to 7.2 million in 40 years?  So, just in my own life the metro area has grown by over 4million.  So 1/3 of folks here today were either born here or lived here back in the early 1980s.  The other 66% are either younger or moved here or both.

Also, people generally do not know much geography or history.

@Houston19514, right.  What I meant was “most of the lower income/subsidized/HUD supported housing within the County has been constructed on Galveston Island.”

Ok. Thanks @TylerW.  I was just curious if there is any 10-20 year plan for that site.

I forget the statistic exactly but I think almost ALL of Galveston County’s government subsidized housing is in Galveston, this despite the fact the vast majority of people who reside in the county live on the mainland.  League City is by far the largest city within the county (population north of 100K), with Texas City also being a big population center.  These two also have greater access to a larger base of jobs than what is solely on Galveston Island, which, aside from the port and UTMB is highly dependent upon tourism.

Any estimate on start of construction for the next high rise within this development?

Also, and this may be a “dumb” question, but is there any idea on whether the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas would sell that land in the next 10-15 years?  I wonder if the developers know something we don’t?  (Probably not, but just asking anyway.)

*edit for clarity

Ok.  I don’t like it.  Is that not clear?

You are welcome to your opinion as well.

Shamrock Tower?  Woulda been better than the suburban McDonald’s that was located there.

I would assume the development will not just be focused solely around Baseball.  I hope. 😬 

This building is the visual equivalent of a skin tag.

I never really liked his developments - I find them garish, but he was at least quirky with his earlier developments.  His latest developments (am I correct in that he was a part of Marlowe?) are just bland.

Oh well, to each their own.  I do like the added density.

2 hours ago, Texasota said:

Something more like the Nationals' set up in DC would be nice.

Isn’t that what Crane mentioned?  Either that or the Atlanta development, which should be very fresh in his mind having visited it over the course of the World Series last season.

I seem to have missed where they have any Houston projects even listed.  Texas wasn’t a selection for locations.  Would be nice to see what they have been working on locally - that said, it is possible I missed it!

They certainly have a lot of work in Boston.  Which reminds me that Houston really lost out when the big firms: CRS, 3Di and Morris all floundered and either went out of business, or merged and then eventually lost clout as original/key designers left and/or died.  What’s our largest local firm?  Kirksey?  pagethink (or whatever they call themselves now)?

Houston has no major firm with national exposure.