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

[mattyt36]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:19 PM, BEES?! said:

(I have never seen one of these monstrosities in real life. I do love the different little architectural touches for each of the brands lmaooo)

Related: a meme that never fails to get a laugh out of me.

^^there is NO ONE more disappointed than I that @monarch has not written an ode to the tacochickenhut as an underappreciated gem of luxury while somehow weaving in the LONGHORNS, W HOTELS, dubai, U.A.E., and DeBarge.

you SIR, pal, my friend are the ONLY one that can do it.

^^YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!!!!!

[monarch]

5 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

^^there is NO ONE more disappointed than I that @monarch has not written an ode to the tacochickenhut as an underappreciated gem of luxury while somehow weaving in the LONGHORNS, W HOTELS, dubai, U.A.E., and DeBarge.

you SIR, pal, my friend are the ONLY one that can do it.

^^YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!!!!!

@mattyt36 dude, my pal, my lad... IT'S YOUR TIME.  please do not forget to drop the mike...

[editor]

On 6/23/2023 at 8:29 AM, phillip_white said:

If this is possible, then just about anything is. Three Marriott brands in the same building for some reason.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7554589,-95.3662685,3a,48.9y,281.37h,97.64t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suZyl8YkMh56xavvIDae8RQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

It happens.  HAIF's former sister site once detailed a new skyscraper that had three different flags in it.  I can't remember what the parent brand was, though.  The bottom levels were an extended stay, the middle was the mid-range/tourist hotel, and the top was for conventioneers. 

The location was great for all three purposes, and sharing amenities and back-of-house was seen as a money-saving move.

[toxtethogrady]

On 6/23/2023 at 12:38 PM, Pleak said:

Since the W brand is so dated,    wonder if they have DeBarge playing in the lobby/elevators.

Nah, they always had Fatboy Slim...😎🤐

[HoustonMidtown]

Improvements coming to George R. Brown Convention Center and downtown area, thanks to Senate Bill 1057

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/07/20/improvements-coming-to-george-r-brown-convention-center-and-downtown-area-thanks-to-senate-bill-1057/

[kennyc05]

Renderings in the fall!

[shasta]

2 hours ago, kennyc05 said:

Renderings in the fall!

Do we get these renderings before we get the Astros district that has been in the works for years?

[kennyc05]

27 minutes ago, shasta said:

Do we get these renderings before we get the Astros district that has been in the works for years?

That's a good question 😵‍💫

 

Off topic I see the Spurs want to build a new arena in downtown San Antonio it makes me wonder what we're gonna do with Toyota Center.

[Nate99]

If they're enlarging the convention space, would they take out The Rustic, or (more hopefully) use the big double block between the Marriott and Incarnate Word? 

[j_cuevas713]

28 minutes ago, kennyc05 said:

That's a good question 😵‍💫

 

Off topic I see the Spurs want to build a new arena in downtown San Antonio it makes me wonder what we're gonna do with Toyota Center.

Wow really? The arena they are in now isn't even that old. But in terms of Toyota Center, Fertitta has the money to do something he's just not. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by j_cuevas713

[mattyt36]

8 hours ago, HoustonMidtown said:

Improvements coming to George R. Brown Convention Center and downtown area, thanks to Senate Bill 1057

https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/07/20/improvements-coming-to-george-r-brown-convention-center-and-downtown-area-thanks-to-senate-bill-1057/

Looks to be a PR placement by Whitmire considering there is nothing new.

[kennyc05]

2 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Wow really? The arena they are in now isn't even old

No it's not I grew in between Houston and San Antonio so we got both news stations and remember how big of a deal it was when they planning both AT&T Center and Toyota Center. San Antonio messed up by putting the arena on the east side.

6 minutes ago, Nate99 said:

If they're enlarging the convention space, would they take out The Rustic, or (more hopefully) use the big double block between the Marriott and Incarnate Word? 

Hopefully they do another exterior renovation 😵‍💫

[j_cuevas713]

6 minutes ago, kennyc05 said:

No it's not I grew in between Houston and San Antonio so we got both news stations and remember how big of a deal it was when they planning both AT&T Center and Toyota Center. San Antonio messed up by putting the arena on the east side.

Hopefully they do another exterior renovation 😵‍💫

Yeah I read how they were expecting the arena to spur growth in that neighborhood but it didn't. I wonder if that massive parking lot had anything to do with it instead of building up and around the arena. 

[kennyc05]

14 minutes ago, j_cuevas713 said:

Yeah I read how they were expecting the arena to spur growth in that neighborhood but it didn't. I wonder if that massive parking lot had anything to do with it instead of building up and around the arena. 

No it's the area it's in. It's the equivalent of the Rockets building Toyota Center in the Sunnyside area it's not much around there.

[houstontexasjack]

6 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

I agree. A simple facade update and maybe some more elements around the building dedicated to the Rockets would be cool. A Rockets village would be nice. 

With the practice facility getting moved, there should be space to add some glass to get more natural light into that concourse. Make it more like the Summit in that regard. 

[Houston19514]

To bring this back to the topic of the $2 Billion pot of money to be used in the downtown area/convention district;  As I understand it, they will not be able to use this money to fund anything at NRG Park.  

Way to go county "leadership".  

Dallas is using this same state-authorized funding plan to fund both a new convention center (the vast majority of the funds) and to provide some additional funding for Fair Park.  A relatively small fraction of this money could have funded a renovation/reimagining of the Astrodome.

[004n063]

19 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

To bring this back to the topic of the $2 Billion pot of money to be used in the downtown area/convention district;  As I understand it, they will not be able to use this money to fund anything at NRG Park.  

Way to go county "leadership".  

This but unironically. While there's plenty that could be done to make the NRG area less of a giant crater, and I don't necessarily think the area is a total lost cause, I'd definitely take the $2B for Downtown over NRG in a heartbeat.

[kennyc05]

2 hours ago, 004n063 said:

This but unironically. While there's plenty that could be done to make the NRG area less of a giant crater, and I don't necessarily think the area is a total lost cause, I'd definitely take the $2B for Downtown over NRG in a heartbeat.

All that money should be spent Downtown! 

[Texasota]

Sigh. This thread is just going to be arguing about whether to give the NFL a billion dollars from now on isn't it. 

[Montrose1100]

1 hour ago, Texasota said:

Sigh. This thread is just going to be arguing about whether to give the NFL a billion dollars from now on isn't it. 

Guilty. So I spilt all the NRG comments including mine to https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/55-nrg-park-mixed-use-development/page/10/

[j_cuevas713]

On 7/21/2023 at 2:57 PM, kennyc05 said:

No it's the area it's in. It's the equivalent of the Rockets building Toyota Center in the Sunnyside area it's not much around there.

That's a bit of a stretch. That area is ripe for new development as property values Downtown continue to go up. The new hotel going up right behind the arena is a good indicator of this. 

[kennyc05]

4 hours ago, j_cuevas713 said:

That's a bit of a stretch. That area is ripe for new development as property values Downtown continue to go up. The new hotel going up right behind the arena is a good indicator of this. 

No I was saying the area where the Spurs currently play in San Antonio would be the equivalent of if the Rockets built their arena in Sunnyside.

[HOUCAJUN]

12 minutes ago, kennyc05 said:

No I was saying the area where the Spurs currently play in San Antonio would be the equivalent of if the Rockets built their arena in Sunnyside.

You're right. I thought the same thing when I passed by it for the first time. I wasn't expecting it to be in an area like that.

[j_cuevas713]

32 minutes ago, kennyc05 said:

No I was saying the area where the Spurs currently play in San Antonio would be the equivalent of if the Rockets built their arena in Sunnyside.

Ahh yeah that's true 

[kennyc05]

I wonder if they'll do a massive exterior renovation to the remainder of the building.

[Houston19514]

We were supposed to have seen plans and renderings last fall.  Has anyone heard anything?

Edit: no information, but I did discover there was a presentation on the topic given to the Houston First board at their December meeting.  As per usual, apparently zero media coverage.

Edited March 31 by Houston19514

[monarch]

8 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

We were supposed to have seen plans and renderings last fall.  Has anyone heard anything?

Edit: no information, but I did discover there was a presentation on the topic given to the Houston First board at their December meeting.  As per usual, apparently zero media coverage.

^^^ austin, tx, convention center ($1.6 billion) expansion plans to move forward...

https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/city-county/2023/05/22/16b-austin-convention-center-expansion-plans-move-forward/

^^^ dallas, tx convention center (KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON CC - $3 billion) expansion plans to move forward...

https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2023/02/assessing-dallas-next-convention-center-a-project-worth-billions-that-will-change-downtown/

... here in Houston, tx, the state's LARGEST city, and the nation's FOURTH LARGEST city...

 

[hbg.50]

9 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

We were supposed to have seen plans and renderings last fall.  Has anyone heard anything?

Edit: no information, but I did discover there was a presentation on the topic given to the Houston First board at their December meeting.  As per usual, apparently zero media coverage.

That was a little too easy wasn't it? 

[texan]

Whitmire plans $3 billion in improvements to downtown over 30 years using hotel occupancy taxes. 

'"The entertainment district will be going three miles in each direction. It will reach the arts and theater district," Whitmire said.

He said plans are in place to expand the George R. Brown Convention Center to compete with other convention centers.

"We are going to have larger conventions," he said.

And they want to attract big things, possibly even another professional sports team.

"Yes, Toyota Center will get ready for hockey," he said.

Most importantly, the mayor said the purpose is to clean up downtown. Problems that Carol Churchill said she's just seen grow over the years.'

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/harris-county/mayor-whitmire-downtown-houston-investment/285-b3403310-d7c2-47c3-b26f-cfea56dc337a

[monarch]

2 hours ago, texan said:

Whitmire plans $3 billion in improvements to downtown over 30 years using hotel occupancy taxes. 

'"The entertainment district will be going three miles in each direction. It will reach the arts and theater district," Whitmire said.

He said plans are in place to expand the George R. Brown Convention Center to compete with other convention centers.

"We are going to have larger conventions," he said.

And they want to attract big things, possibly even another professional sports team.

"Yes, Toyota Center will get ready for hockey," he said.

Most importantly, the mayor said the purpose is to clean up downtown. Problems that Carol Churchill said she's just seen grow over the years.'

https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/harris-county/mayor-whitmire-downtown-houston-investment/285-b3403310-d7c2-47c3-b26f-cfea56dc337a

^^^ geeeeeez, are there any HAIF patrons planning on still being alive in "30 years"... and that includes mayor whitmire?  (i mean, just think about it, at the current and very lethargic pace they are on in houston, can you just imagine how very progressive and prosperous the DALLAS and AUSTIN downtown entertainment districts are going to be in "30 years"?)  HOUSTON WILL NEVER CATCH UP!  also, how much further do they expect to keep "EXPANDING THE GEORGE R. BROWN CC" when there is only so much space (EMPTY BLOCKS) available within that particular downtown district?  why don't they DEMOLISH THE CONVENTION CENTER, and reconstruct it in another area of downtown... with much more space? (LIKE DALLAS IS DOING)  furthermore, EXPAND THE DISCOVERY GREEN PARK, including the lake... and finally, construct the long-anticipated W HOTEL along with residences... like other large cities have already done years ago.

something just seems really off here.  downtown houston planners are starting to sound like USED CAR SALESMEN.  we have all heard the very same "DOWNTOWN HOUSTON ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT" sales pitch a million times already.  yet, we are seemingly always constantly BEHIND OTHER LARGE CITIES... especially, within our very own state. 

soooooo many queries... and never any real clarity.  just come along with the RENDERINGS and CONCEPTS already...

 

 

Edited April 14 by monarch