GreenStreet: Mixed-Use Development At 1201 Fannin St.

[UrbaNerd]

From my personal experience, the quality of Bose products varies widely. We have two wave stereos at home, and those sound great (especially for their minuscule size), but the speakers in my car (Well, it's an old car, but it's all a college student can afford) sound horrendously tinny and worn out. Perhaps this is due to their age (1997 vehicle), but I'd pay a good couple of hundred to get those changed (if I didn't have to constantly purchase art supplies...).

[swtsig]

The weekend lunch crowd is irrelevant? I beg to differ---the weekday lunch crowd will be a vast majority of the patrons.

exactly.

HP isn't shooting for the park shops redux.... it will be busy at lunch, that's a gimme. but if the place is not attracting people past 5 oclock weekdays or on the weekends, then the HP is a failure.

[totheskies]

LOL! Your opinion of Bose aside,

Think about some actual potential HP customers. Very few Houstonians will go shop at HP. Sorry but that

Edited November 10, 2008 by totheskies

[brian0123]

BTW, last year, most people thought that only "very few Houstonians" would be visiting Discovery Green. Now there is city-wide buzz about the outdoor ice rink.

You are dead on! I live in Midtown, and back when DG was being downplayed by some, I knew that if my neighbors and friends were excited about it... there must be plenty of others around the area as well. Sure enough, DG turned out to be incredible.

I view HP as the same thing. Naysayers can complain all they want. All I know is that my wife and I, as well as our neighbors and friends, are excited about the HP and plan to spend a lot of money there.

[102IAHexpress]

The moment HP decided to not connect to the tunnels and its daytime workers, and decided to scrap the residential component, its fate was sealed. Shopping at HP will never be any better than what can be found at a good airport terminal. Heck even Qatar Airways will have a presence at HP.

[Talbot]

The moment HP decided to not connect to the tunnels and its daytime workers, and decided to scrap the residential component, its fate was sealed. Shopping at HP will never be any better than what can be found at a good airport terminal. Heck even Qatar Airways will have a presence at HP.

Im glad it doesn't connect to the underground tunnel personally.

[RedScare]

The moment HP decided to not connect to the tunnels and its daytime workers, and decided to scrap the residential component, its fate was sealed. Shopping at HP will never be any better than what can be found at a good airport terminal. Heck even Qatar Airways will have a presence at HP.

You should put a winky face when you do sarcasm. Otherwise, people will think you are serious about the tunnels.

[MetroMogul]

Well, I will say that HP provides another great public restroom when Macy's and the CVS close. The restrooms are on the second floor tucked into a somewhat undeveloped section of the mall and a little difficult to locate so if you have a "potty emergency" of sorts I wouldn't recommend HP. I'm sure the placement of these restrooms will attract a bit of that "local flavor" downtown is known for.

In somewhat related news, Houston WASPS may be disappointed to see women they could only describe as "some rap guy's girlfriend" frequenting the scant selection of shops obviously dashing their hopes that riff raff would be safely relegated to decaying suburban malls. That's what happens when you plunk a Forever 21 into any shopping center. Me? I don't mind at all, hoochies and a clean public restroom are all a young man needs on his Metro journeys.

Overall, very underwhelming, though I do like the BAM.

It depends on where you live. I highly doubt that too many people in Cypress will be flocking down to HP, but what about the people in Midtown, East End, Montrose, the Heights, and Rice Village? The next closest Forever 21 is in Pearland, and (once it opens) HP will have the only Lucky Strike lanes in the city... it'll also be the only bowling alley anywhere near these neighborhoods. For those of us who are inner loopers and actually LIKE the thought of spending time in downtown, HP is a step in the right direction.

BTW, last year, most people thought that only "very few Houstonians" would be visiting Discovery Green. Now there is city-wide buzz about the outdoor ice rink.

I guess the Forever 21s in Memorial, Willowbrook, and Sugarland don't count?

[Daniepwils]

Forever 21 as the flagship store for HP is kind of odd in my opinion. What is the demographic for that store? teens?

I can probably almost guarantee you that the people living downtown and midtown won't really fit that demographic.

Granted I don't know much about that store as I have never been in one. The female friends I have told me that it was "a bunch of cheaply made crap". My boss basically said the same thing in a nicer way.

[sevfiv]

I had no idea this was on the bag (it's kinda hidden at the bottom):

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicag...s.aspx?id=37561

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008...g-faith-fa.html

http://therottenlittlegirls.com/2008/09/08...elical-message/

[LTAWACS]

I had no idea this was on the bag (it's kinda hidden at the bottom):

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicag...s.aspx?id=37561

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008...g-faith-fa.html

http://therottenlittlegirls.com/2008/09/08...elical-message/

I don't get it. Is it some conspiracy?

[sevfiv]

I don't get it. Is it some conspiracy?

Nothing to get - just an odd spot for a bible verse imo.

I'll leave the conspiracy issue alone

[houstonartstudent]

I don't get it. Is it some conspiracy?

Naw it's just the owner displaying their beliefs in a non-"IN YOUR FACE" way - Also, if you think Forever 21 messed up by placing their flagship store in an area with the wrong demographics, you should think of telling all the people downtown with that same yellow bag that they're shopping in the wrong area

[lockmat]

I had no idea this was on the bag (it's kinda hidden at the bottom):

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicag...s.aspx?id=37561

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008...g-faith-fa.html

http://therottenlittlegirls.com/2008/09/08...elical-message/

In-N-Out Burger does the same thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Chic-fil-a does it too somewhere.

[memebag]

I don't get it. Is it some conspiracy?

No conspiracy. Given Jesus' views on prostitutes, I see no discrepancy in the bag message.

[102IAHexpress]

You should put a winky face when you do sarcasm. Otherwise, people will think you are serious about the tunnels.

I hate the tunnels. They keep me sheltered from humidity, heat, rain, and bums. In fact I wish we would just pour cement in the tunnels; that way pedestrians would be forced to get bummed on their way in/out of retail stores. Besides, as we all know you can

[Talbot]

I hate the tunnels. They keep me sheltered from humidity, heat, rain, and bums. In fact I wish we would just pour cement in the tunnels; that way pedestrians would be forced to get bummed on their way in/out of retail stores. Besides, as we all know you can

[totheskies]

Forever 21 as the flagship store for HP is kind of odd in my opinion. What is the demographic for that store? teens?

I can probably almost guarantee you that the people living downtown and midtown won't really fit that demographic.

Granted I don't know much about that store as I have never been in one. The female friends I have told me that it was "a bunch of cheaply made crap". My boss basically said the same thing in a nicer way.

Maybe we hang out with entirely different groups of people... I don't know too many people that live IN downtown, but as for Midtown, my friends love Forever 21 and have been frequenting the downtown location (20 something women). The word is also getting out around UH campus, although everyone complains about the lack of parking near the store.

[Jax]

My girlfriend also likes Forever 21. Actually, she is there right now. Yeah, the stuff is cheap, but we're poor students on a tight budget, so the fact that their prices are low is great. If it was an expensive clothing store, she probably wouldn't be there.

I guess the Forever 21s in Memorial, Willowbrook, and Sugarland don't count?

Also, she wouldn't be at the store in Memorial, Willowbrooke, or Sugarland if this one didn't open Downtown because they're too damn far away (we live in the Museum District on the Metro Rail line) and we only have one car between us. I know I we don't speak for the majority of Houstonians, I'm just trying to point out that for some people the location is convenient.

It's easy to be underwhelmed right now because 75% (or more?) of the place is empty. Once it starts filling up with retail I think it'll be nice.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Jax

[fewellman]

And when Lucky Strike opens along with the House of Blues and all the restaurants and bars this place is going to be pretty sweet. i will def be frequenting this place alot when i move down to midtown in a few months.

[BigSky]

I went to Forever 21 last night to get something for my wife. And the place had a nice amount of traffic in it at 9pm. I think it is going to survive and be ok...It is more convienient than going to the galleria, I parked on the side of the street and walked straight in. In the galleria, you would have had to park in the parking garage and walk through the mall to get to the location.

Houstonians are naysayers because it is something they have never experienced, street side shopping.

[swtsig]

I went to Forever 21 last night to get something for my wife. And the place had a nice amount of traffic in it at 9pm. I think it is going to survive and be ok...It is more convienient than going to the galleria, I parked on the side of the street and walked straight in. In the galleria, you would have had to park in the parking garage and walk through the mall to get to the location.

Houstonians are naysayers because it is something they have never experienced, street side shopping.

outside of the "entrance" where forever 21 and BAM are, i would hardly call this "street-side shopping." toured the place yesterday (virtually empty, but it was 3 oclock), and came away with the impression that this is just notch or two above an outdoor mall - which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you're fooling yourself if you think having the store fronts facing the interior promenade as opposed to the exterior street is doing anything to truly enhance the actual downtown streetscape.

this thing is put together like a mall, has all the similar features of a mall (especially the retail tenants), and it's architecture - save for the skywalks - just screams "mall." the HOB and luckystripe

i was told that the ownership regrets not adding a residential component, though.

[TheNiche]

i was told that the ownership regrets not adding a residential component, though.

And immediately after they had broken ground, they regretted not adding a hotel component...but considering that it would only be opening up in 2009, and knowing about the economy in 2009 what we do now, I'll bet that in retrospect they're thankful that they weren't able to add it like they wanted to.

Big developments like this take a lot of time between conception to site planning to financing to permitting to groundbreaking to topping out to completion to lease-up to stabilization to sale. Stakeholders often get spooked by short-term economic phenomena early in the process only to find out later on that the timing couldn't have been better.

Sometimes as a developer or lender, you've just got to cross your fingers, take a deep breath, dive in head-first, and hope that there aren't jagged rocks just under the water's surface.

[LTAWACS]

Lets hope they build more.

[tertiary77u]

Lets hope they build more.

Agreed!!

[totheskies]

Well, what I really love about HP is that it came to downtown at the RIGHT time. Houston is still floating above the economic waters, but I think the Ike effects are pulling us down, and we're going to slip into recession with ever)yone else. But we're fortunate b/c this city still has a great jobs buffer... we're even more fortunate that a lio's share of those jobs are inside the loop (med center, universities, downtown, construction, etc.). HP, though not perfect, is going to fill a huge void in downtown b/c it'll be the only place that's ALIVE after 6pm.

Oh, and I hope our HOB, HP, Discovery Green and Toyota Center gets to benefit from some recent worldwide exposure thanks to the Latin Grammys, so downtown should be seeing a nice little boost.

Edited November 18, 2008 by totheskies

[citizen4rmptown]

Oh, and I our HOB, HP, Discovery Green and Toyota Center gets to benefit from some recent worldwide exposure thanks to the Latin Grammys, so downtown should be seeing a nice little boost.

Dont forget the GRB Convention Center!!

[LTAWACS]

Dont forget the GRB Convention Center!!

Lets hope they build more.

[musicman]

Well, what I really love about HP is that it came to downtown at the RIGHT time. Houston is still floating above the economic waters, but I think the Ike effects are pulling us down

what are the ike effects pulling us down?

[Trae]

My girlfriend also likes Forever 21. Actually, she is there right now. Yeah, the stuff is cheap, but we're poor students on a tight budget, so the fact that their prices are low is great. If it was an expensive clothing store, she probably wouldn't be there.

Also, she wouldn't be at the store in Memorial, Willowbrooke, or Sugarland if this one didn't open Downtown because they're too damn far away (we live in the Museum District on the Metro Rail line) and we only have one car between us. I know I we don't speak for the majority of Houstonians, I'm just trying to point out that for some people the location is convenient.

It's easy to be underwhelmed right now because 75% (or more?) of the place is empty. Once it starts filling up with retail I think it'll be nice.

I like Forever 21 as well. Not bad clothing. It would be cool if the Pavilions had a Metropark though. That store is my favorite.