George R. Brown Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel

[gene]

cannot wait for a re-do of GRB...hate that they modeled it after a cruise ship to help symbolize that we are the Port Of Houston and port of the Gulf...super dated, super cheesy so re-model away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cloud713]

cannot wait for a re-do of GRB...hate that they modeled it after a cruise ship to help symbolize that we are the Port Of Houston and port of the Gulf...super dated, super cheesy so re-model away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol, they seriously modeled it after a cruise ship? i thought everyone just made fun of it/called it a giant cruise ship in the middle of downtown because it vaguely resembled one. if the former is the case then im glad they are cladding over some of the structure, but unfortunately i doubt the back will get remodeled. 

and im still waiting for a TopGolf on the roof of GRB, dammit! how come no one else thinks that would be a good use of space/makes it happen? heh

[tigereye]

From the Chronicle this morning.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Super-Bowl-driving-major-projects-5371617.php?cmpid=btfpm

[Dakota79]

Unfortunately I haven't heard of any plans to remove the cheesy red "smokestacks".

[Timoric]

-

Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric

[tigereye]

Unfortunately I haven't heard of any plans to remove the cheesy red "smokestacks".

I say keep the smokestacks and install LED lights the the vents.

[lockmat]

Using google for these articles officially doesn't work for me anymore. I've tried multiple times over the paste week or so

[H-Town Man]

Just worked for me!

 

[swtsig]

Using google for these articles officially doesn't work for me anymore. I've tried multiple times over the paste week or so

works for me. bing coincidentally does not work for me, however.

[lockmat]

I wonder if I've just done it too many times, it's my phone or chron just hates me

[shasta]

The 2017 Super Bowl not only will drive thousands of football fans to Houston, it will put a hard deadline on projects from office and hotel construction to a light-rail extension, a local developer said Wednesday.

 

Which light rail extensions are they talking about? The ones under construction now will be done way before the Feb. 2017 date. Uptown? University? Another line? Wishful thinking?

[bobruss]

I wish they were talking about the university line. I also didn't like the tone of Ed Emmett and Steve Raddack about Houston First and the convention bureau. Those two should just spend their time working on the dome and commuter trains from the burbs.

[skwatra]

I wonder if I've just done it too many times, it's my phone or chron just hates me

 

searching for the chron url did not work for me this time, it usually does. then i did a search for 'chron grb superbowl' and it was the first link, and that gave me the full article

 

[ClutchCity]

Not to get off topic but is it just me or are the "seven office projects planned for downtown are expected to be completed in time for the big event." an overly optimistic number? I can think of 5 which is already a staggering number but does the Chron actually have any concrete information 5AC and IT will get built?

[DrLan34]

The 2017 Super Bowl not only will drive thousands of football fans to Houston, it will put a hard deadline on projects from office and hotel construction to a light-rail extension, a local developer said Wednesday.

 

Which light rail extensions are they talking about? The ones under construction now will be done way before the Feb. 2017 date. Uptown? University? Another line? Wishful thinking?

 

Possibly talking about portion of the East End line that is suppose to pass over or under the Pacific Rail Line.

 

- Altic to Magnolia Park.

Edited April 3, 2014 by DrLan34

[Nate99]

Not to get off topic but is it just me or are the "seven office projects planned for downtown are expected to be completed in time for the big event." an overly optimistic number? I can think of 5 which is already a staggering number but does the Chron actually have any concrete information 5AC and IT will get built?

 

I would not count on Chron knowing anything special. The folks around here generally figure stuff out before they do. 

[citykid09]

Unfortunately I haven't heard of any plans to remove the cheesy red "smokestacks".

 

Those definitely should be removed. I personally don't like the building at all. It just looks out of place in downtown and then that big ugly freeway that sits at the back roof of it. Maybe its just the design of the building but I just don't like it.

[JJxvi]

I bet the Super Bowl would be totally ruined if they don't get that light rail extension done...

[Subdude]

Unfortunately I haven't heard of any plans to remove the cheesy red "smokestacks".

 

And I certainly hope there aren't any!  They go with the building!  

 

 

As an aside, hotels I can see, but what difference should the Super Bowl make to timing of office, light rail and residential projects?  What possible difference could it make?  Talk about way overkill.  

[Texasota]

light rail= transit= helps people visiting without cars get around

 

residential= helps create a vibrant downtown= makes houston more appealing= PR, basically

Edited April 3, 2014 by Texasota

[Moore713]

And I certainly hope there aren't any!  They go with the building!  

 

 

As an aside, hotels I can see, but what difference should the Super Bowl make to timing of office, light rail and residential projects?  What possible difference could it make?  Talk about way overkill.

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

[Moore713]

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

[fernz]

light rail= transit= helps people visiting without cars get around

residential= helps create a vibrant downtown= makes houston more appealing= PR, basically

That's backwards logic. The Super Bowl and the city benefit from those projects, but unlike the hotels, those projects don't get a huge benefit from being complete by the Super Bowl.

[Montrose1100]

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

Wearing a suit and no smart phone?

[Subdude]

Here is the thing , its not the events themselves which in reality are a huge drain om your cities resources , what you are actually doing is marking your cities To business, Other big eventsnd yes in possible new cittizens who come into town and say , I could see myself living here...

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

 

I understand the desire to market the city, but I'm not convinced that holding Super Bowls, or that imposing artificial deadlines due to Super Bowl timing, is the way to do it.  Super Bowl preparations are estimated to cost $40-$50m.  Is this well spent as marketing money?  Will Super Bowl viewers really draw much incremental business to Houston?  I think no.

[Nate99]

There is a reason why places like NY and L.A nd even chicargo have such pull to people the DT are 90% of the time the only experince most out of towners will have with your city

 

I'm probably missing your point, but I've been to downtown LA a couple of times for business, and while not exactly comparable to Houston, they're pretty similar and I think we've got the better of the two. 

 

Their "old historic" section is larger and sketchy as hell. Their newer skyscrapers are very comparable in look and feel. The do have hills though. 

[JJxvi]

As for light rail one of Houston biggest neg point is getting around, even DT.. I was downtown and a guy in a business suit asked me how to get to dynamo staduim ( The fact that he did not know how to get to DT from DT was a dead give away he was not from here. Now if the rail was up and running at the time how easy would it have been to say go one block over and take the purple line it will drop you right off in front of it.. Instead of telling him the names of a bunch of streets he was most likey not going to remember.. or sending him all the way to the transfer center to catch the bus.. or all the way back up the block to the greyhond to catch a cab... or saying yea it a 7 block walk in Houston heat

 

I would have just turned and pointed a single finger silently. A helpful downtown direction giving version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

 

[Moore713]

I'm probably missing your point, but I've been to downtown LA a couple of times for business, and while not exactly comparable to Houston, they're pretty similar and I think we've got the better of the two. 

 

Their "old historic" section is larger and sketchy as hell. Their newer skyscrapers are very comparable in look and feel. The do have hills though.

yea you are .. I am not talking about DT themsevles rather the sense of it that people get( While DT L.A is similar to Houston, the feel is this is L.A something that Houston seems to lack. rather that because we lack some Identiy or were just hard to define dependes on who you ask

[Nate99]

yea you are .. I am not talking about DT themsevles rather the sense of it that people get( While DT L.A is similar to Houston, the feel is this is L.A something that Houston seems to lack. rather that because we lack some Identiy or were just hard to define dependes on who you ask

 

I see what you mean. Tough for me to say personally though, I've lived here my whole life, so to me, it feels like "default city" and everywhere else feels differently in one way or another. 

 

It will be what it will be, Other cities have much more history of being a substantial urban center than we do, I think that drives the "feel" of those cities as much as anything. 

 

LA is very unique. Huge in terms of people and area, nearly perfect climate if you're by the coast and interesting history of being big, but remote from the rest of the country's powerful cities. 

 

It takes all kinds, Houston will and should be different. As it grows, I suspect the "feel" will change, but that will be dependent upon many perceptions that were cemented in a past that was objectively worse than our present and future. 

[Nate99]

I would have just turned and pointed a single finger silently. A helpful downtown direction giving version of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come.

 

 

Walking to the Dynamo stadium is super easy. 

 

"Head that way between the ballpark and convention center. Go under the freeway and you will be there in two blocks; you can't miss it."

 

Now telling a driver how to get to a particular freeway out of town, I could do the point and shrug. I do that by feel and intuition.