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Would Trump Ever Come To Houston?


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Do we have nationally renowned real estate developers like Donald Trump currently active in Houston? One could argue that since the cost of land is much less than it is in Manhattan and since there is a large wealthy class in Houston to afford those units (remember those 99 million dollars unit sold?), the profit margin would be high. On the other hand, one could argue that Houston isn

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Didn't Mr. Trump's company just declare bankruptcy?....

I think it's his gambling wing operating in Atlantic City. He claims it is not a big part of his empire and that he doesnt even control it. His real estate business seems to be doing well but since his enterprise is a private firm, it is hard to tell. Nevertheless, his reputation as a real estate mogul remains.

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I think it's his gambling wing operating in Atlantic City. He claims it is not a big part of his empire and that he doesnt even control it. His real estate business seems to be doing well but since his enterprise is a private firm, it is hard to tell. Nevertheless, his reputation as a real estate mogul remains.

I read on SSC from a person in toronto, that because of Trumps financial problems that the residential tower being built there is taking a little longer than expected, but who knows. I also heard that it was just his gambling operations as well.

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From a Hines Biographer:

Gerald D. Hines:

Developer Blends Art and Business

On June 20 the Museum presented its 2000 Honor Award to developer Gerald D. Hines, the Chairman and founder of Hines. The award recognized his long-standing commitment to the highest standards of design, engineering, construction, and property management. Here, Mr. Hines's biographer describes his unique approach to business - and the positive impact his firm has had on cities around the globe.

By Hilary Lewis

It is a joy when a real estate developer is a true patron of architecture. That is the clear ease with Gerald D. Hines, who has made a career of supporting innovative architecture as part of his very successful business strategy. The results of Mr. Hines's methods have been impressive: His company, Hines, has grown to 3,000 people, and the roster of buildings the company has developed contains notable landmarks in major cities. Designs by David M. Childs, Henry N. Cobb, Frank 0. Gehry, Philip C. Johnson, A. Eugene Kohn, Charles W. Moore, William E. Pedersen, I. M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, and Robert A. M. Stem are all part of the Hines portfolio.

What it is that makes Gerald Hines such a talented patron is not obvious. Mr. Hines was born in Gary, Ind., in 1925. After graduating with a degree in engineering from Purdue University in 1948, he chose work in Houston, which was experiencing the explosive growth that has made it such an important business capital today. Mr. Hines soon began investing in real estate, and by 1957 he had left his work in engineering to pursue real estate development full-time.

Today the Hines firm is headquartered in Houston, where the skyline is dominated by buildings commissioned by the company. Regional divisions throughout the country operate semi-autonomously. For example, the firm's East Coast Regional Office is located in New York and headed by Executive Vice President Kenneth Hubbard, with development in the Washington, D.C., area supervised by Senior Vice President William B. Alsup III. Mr. Hines attributes the powerful expansion of the company to the entrepreneurial talents of these groups. The firm has broadened its scope of activities to include investment, management, and advisory services in addition to development.

Mr. Hines is clearly a brilliant businessman. But there is something far beyond this that makes him such a valued partner in the creation of architectural projects. Philip Johnson describes this as "Gerry's point of difference." Mr. Hines has both an appreciation and an eye for design that have become part of the corporate culture of his firm. He also understands that excellent design can boost a project's bottom line while enhancing a building's value to its users and the community.

Consider the results: Johnson's Pennzoil Place in Houston, Gehry's DG Bank in Berlin, Moore's First Colony Golf Club in Sugar Land, Tex., and Stern's 222 Berkeley Street in Boston. The firm's range of projects continues to broaden. From midsize office buildings and a hotel in the heart of the new Berlin to town planning at Aspen Highlands in Colorado to the largest construction project in Spain the Diagonal Mar mixed-use development in Barcelona - Hines has moved far beyond a portfolio of splendid office towers to projects of great urban complexity.

Mr. Hines has fostered architecture in his private life as well, commissioning houses by Stem and Moore. His generous philanthropy has also made an indelible mark on architecture, most notably at the University of Houston, where the College of Architecture bears his name. Gerald Hines now resides in London, where he oversees Hines's European opera-tions as chairman. His son, Jeffrey C. Hines, is the company's CEO and lives in Houston. With ongoing expansion into new markets, Hines continues to bring outstanding architecture to cities around the world.

Hilary Lewis is a coauthor of Philip Johnson: The Architect In His Own Words. She is currently writing a book on Hines's contributions to architecture.

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Hines owns many Houston skyscrapers(and plenty in other places), and they also own SugarLandProperties/PlannedCommunity developers LTD(First Colony).

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Houston doesn't really have a market for the type of development Trump does (uber-highrises). The highrise/midrise market is becoming over saturated as it is, and those with the money to afford such Trumpables prefer ground level abodes lining Status Avenues like River Oaks, Memorial, San Felipe and even *GASP* Chevy Chase (i love that street).

There aren't many people in Houston that would pay 8mm for a luxury high rise unit.

I would like to see Trump get involved in some master planned luxury communities. Something bigger/better than Royal Oaks, perhaps closer to an urban center.

As far as his financial troubles. Trump is fine, his businesses operate in debt which is what any company of that stature does. They never use their own money and that works well for them. If one fails, he starts another and hes back on top, all the time never losing a dime (save for some stock) of his own money. Even if all of his current ventures go belly up, I don't think he will have to fire his Golden-Doored Apartment staff just yet.

A line comes to mind when I think of Trump and Poor in the same sentence:

"And by poor, I mean we will have to share a helicopter with another family."

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