Downtown Houston 2036 Master Plan

[livincinco]

Yeah but as i said in another post, this city seems to be over-doing the park/tree thing. I want to see more urban storefronts and walkable areas. Why does it seem that all these others cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, and Denver can create nice urban mixed use developments with storefronts and retail why Houston just chooses the cheap and boring route? I do not want this city to be just filled with parks everywhere. This city seems to be already developing a mindset to me that it's okay just throwing up a boring park on every block instead of adding more mixed use and other things to the city flavor.

 

My rant has nothing to do with this project, in fact, I think its a great project. I guess your post just brought out how I feel the many minds of this city and the park thing seems to be the direction this city is going. I want to see more Post Midtown Squares, Hanover Rice Villages, Mix @ Midtowns.

 

Don't get me wrong, I think Parks are great, but I don't want that to be the city's only solution to development. You can go to a park anywhere in the boring suburbs. Why must the "city" be filled with them?

I think that the idea in this case is to use the linear parks to encourage development of the kind that you're looking for. Calling these "parks" without the 10' easement is really a stretch anyway. It's much closer to a complete streets project.

[j_cuevas713]

City parks are waaaaaay better than parks in the suburbs. I mean there is a clear distinction between an nice urban park to fill the gap between developments and a park created just because there is a need to bring use to the land. The suburbs have parks because there is so much land that some of that has to be dedicated to quality of life, otherwise you have nothing but layer after layer of boring homes. I agree with livincinco that  this is a project geared more towards complete streets.

[livincinco]

City parks are multi use public entertainment spots.  Suburban parks are places to take small children when they start to drive you crazy.

[august948]

City parks are multi use public entertainment spots.  Suburban parks are places to take small children when they start to drive you crazy.

Suburban parks also provide larger and longer spaces to do other things that city parks can't do. You can bike from the Beltway all the way to Fry road via Terry Hershey and George Bush parks and never encounter a car or have to cross a road. Plus there's room for soccer, football, baseball and even dedicated spots for flying model airplanes and model rockets. Having both types (city and suburban) in abundance is what makes Houston a pretty good place to live.

[lockmat]

This video is a presentation of the southern downtown assessment study of which kirksey piggy backed on.

They are really focusing on the southern part of downtown which I'm pleasantly surprised about.

One of their key objectives is to get affordable housing in the southeast quadrant because it is the cheapest part of downtown, and therefore the most logical place for developers to build. Their thinking is that it will also kick off a more lively street scene which will hopefully encourage and spill over to the north and northwest areas of downtown.

They also think a key element is a more passive/cultural park as opposed to a destination park like DG, which i think is great. DG, Memorial and Hermann park are awesome, but these type of parks is what I really like.

Like Kirksey, they also have an idea to make a linear park, but I was unclear where and how long it would be.

From their tone and language, it seemed like they were confident this is something that will happen.

https://vimeo.com/62430227

[LarryDierker]

@8:30 he says several other ones (residential developments) are being announced or are soon to be announced in the next couple of months.

 

 

[j_cuevas713]

Whats downtown going to be like in the next 3 to 4 yrs? I was thinking about all the projects going up downtown and I cant even completely wrap my mind around everything going on!

[TowerSpotter]

Well for one 2017 should be the year all lot of the proposed skyscrapers should be completed. By 2017 we should be seeing another wave of proposals for Houston and cranes for one that haven't even been announced yet. Most of us here are looking forward to that year.

[Purdueenginerd]

Right now we have over 1000 apartment units on the drawing board or under construction in downtown. There are currently just under 3000 total living units in downtown Houston. My guess is that a 33 percent increase in people living there will be followed by a small retail boom.

Hopefully the housing construction continues and more people move into downtown

[LarryDierker]

If my research is correct:

Skyhouse 336 units

Alliance 207

Fingers Ballpark 324

Hines 289

Texaco Building 309

 

If my math is correct:

1465 total units soon to be under construction.

[downtownian]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

[ClutchCity]

With the residential incentive ending in 2016 there should be at least 2500 units added or under construction by then. Hopefully that means we get some pretty interesting towers! So the residential part of downtown will be be vastly different. It is yet to be seen if it can get it's mojo back to attract office tenants to a shiny 40+ story tower instead of a cheaper building in the burbs.

[Purdueenginerd]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

This is great. Gonna save this

[Urbannizer]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

Nice. There's the 38-Story residential tower that can be listed as a "Potential Development", it's the second phase to the Texaco building redevelopment. Also, 609 Main will break ground in early 2014; expected to be complete by late 2016. 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/03-14-13-hines-touts-new-41-story-skyscraper-in-downtown-houston/

Edited September 2, 2013 by Urbannizer

[downtownian]

Nice. There's the 38-Story residential tower that can be listed as a "Potential Development", it's the second phase to the Texaco building redevelopment. Also, 609 Main will break ground in early 2014; expected to be complete by late 2016. 

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/realestate/03-14-13-hines-touts-new-41-story-skyscraper-in-downtown-houston/

 

Here's an update attached. I couldn't figure out how to edit my prior post.

 

[j_cuevas713]

Here's my best guess. Let me know if you have better info.

Very nice layout!

[j_cuevas713]

In my personal opinion, the reason I even made this post is because if our downtown becomes a stable neighborhood for development, when investors decide to build something new, it will have a ripple effect for other neighborhoods such as Montrose, Midtown, the Heights, etc. And from there we can expect to see even more dense development throughout the city.

[Slick Vik]

Will be interesting to see how the rail line running to theater district and dynamo stadium fits in also.

[kdog08]

In my personal opinion, the reason I even made this post is because if our downtown becomes a stable neighborhood for development, when investors decide to build something new, it will have a ripple effect for other neighborhoods such as Montrose, Midtown, the Heights, etc. And from there we can expect to see even more dense development throughout the city.

 

 

 

I think you have it backwards. Montrose, Midtown, and Heights are still adding people and retail, it is downtown that is catching up. 

[kdog08]

Will be interesting to see how the rail line running to theater district and dynamo stadium fits in also.

 

I really think Houston will soon be a vastly underrated convention city/major sports events city by the time the Superbowl arrives in 2017. By the major sports events, I mean all star games, NCAA final 4, college bowl games, superbowls, soccer matches, world cups, and Olympics. 

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

rail line running to the theater district is a non-issue, as it's close to all the freeway exits. Since the theater district is surrounded by underground parking for all those people getting off the freeways to go see a show, none of the patrons will be using the rail line to get to a show.

 

actually, it's  ore of a pain in the ass than anything- it takes up half of Capitol Street, so there's going to be two lanes for car traffic. This leaves nowhere for tour buses to park at Bayou Music Center when there's large multiband festivals there.

[Houston19514]

rail line running to the theater district is a non-issue, as it's close to all the freeway exits. Since the theater district is surrounded by underground parking for all those people getting off the freeways to go see a show, none of the patrons will be using the rail line to get to a show.

 

actually, it's  ore of a pain in the ass than anything- it takes up half of Capitol Street, so there's going to be two lanes for car traffic. This leaves nowhere for tour buses to park at Bayou Music Center when there's large multiband festivals there.

 

I can absolutely guarantee you are incorrect in your projection that "none" on of the theater district patrons will be using rail to get to a show.  Your apparent hatred of rail is clouding your thinking.

[ricco67]

I'm one of those patrons that will utilize the rail to get to and from the theater district. When we don't stay overnight to make a weekend out of it, we park a decent distance to get agreeable parking. The hobby garage, as I have learned is a bear to get out of after a performance.

Besides it'll make it easier to have a good meal before and after the performance.

[j_cuevas713]

 

 

 

I think you have it backwards. Montrose, Midtown, and Heights are still adding people and retail, it is downtown that is catching up. 

 

That may be the case here in Houston, but once a stable downtown is created, it's only going to have a greater effect on outlining neighborhoods. Houston is spread out, so yeah those neighborhoods have developed very organically, with little to no help from downtown activity, which is really a good thing. What I'm saying is that when downtown DOES become a more centralized hub of activity, it can only build on itself outwards toward those neighborhoods, thus enhancing whats already been created.

[totheskies]

I'm a frequent Theater District patron and performer.  I see people in tuxes on the existing rail all the time.  Many actually enjoy the walk from Preston station down to the Wortham. 

 

It's not a lot of the older patrons, but trust me there are a fair amount of 40 and under that do this.  More rail means the number can only grow. 

[totheskies]

That may be the case here in Houston, but once a stable downtown is created, it's only going to have a greater effect on outlining neighborhoods. Houston is spread out, so yeah those neighborhoods have developed very organically, with little to no help from downtown activity, which is really a good thing. What I'm saying is that when downtown DOES become a more centralized hub of activity, it can only build on itself outwards toward those neighborhoods, thus enhancing whats already been created.

 

Couldn't agree more with this.  The development in the shoulder neighborhoods is almost dizzying.  It's Downtown's turn to get in on the hot residential market. 

 

Take it from someone who is apartment hunting right now.  I've been SHOCKED to find that Montrose/ Midtown is actually competitive with Downtown highrises.  There are garage apartments renting in Montrose right this second for $1200/mo, but it only costs 1100/mo to move to Houston House.  The inner loop market (with the exception of most things EAST of I-45) is simply bonkers right now. 

 

Downtown residential will be welcomed because any inner loop residential is being welcomed. 

 

[Slick Vik]

Couldn't agree more with this. The development in the shoulder neighborhoods is almost dizzying. It's Downtown's turn to get in on the hot residential market.

Take it from someone who is apartment hunting right now. I've been SHOCKED to find that Montrose/ Midtown is actually competitive with Downtown highrises. There are garage apartments renting in Montrose right this second for $1200/mo, but it only costs 1100/mo to move to Houston House. The inner loop market (with the exception of most things EAST of I-45) is simply bonkers right now.

Downtown residential will be welcomed because any inner loop residential is being welcomed.

Allen house is the only cheap apartment in montrose area

[infinite_jim]

Will downtown still be cheap to live in, in 2017? That's the big question, b/c if only those who can afford $1,700/month rent can live there, then I think it's a bust. If more condo's enter the market, then all bets are off. Downtown is still as sleepy as when I moved here in 2010.

[Marcus Allen]

I really think Houston will soon be a vastly underrated convention city/major sports events city by the time the Superbowl arrives in 2017. By the major sports events, I mean all star games, NCAA final 4, college bowl games, superbowls, soccer matches, world cups, and Olympics.

If ever Olympics, dear god let most of the events be indoors. Houston-summer Olympics- I wouldnt wish that on my worst enemy!

[fernz]

There is a teaser form Transwestern in today's HBJ - see attached.

Any ideas what it may be about?