cloud713 Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Heres an awesome PDF Urbannizer found highlighting many of the projects going on and proposed in the downtown area, ranging from tunneling i45 and 59, and building grand boulevards above them to building new parks in the Southern portion of downtown and adding Green Ways connecting parks and popular areas. lots of new signage will be added for pedestrians and they are working on better connecting downtown with the surrounding areas.https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/54482015/CHI%20Breakfast%20Presentation%20for%20publication.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchFan Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Pennzoil Place is not personally my favorite building in Houston (although it's up there), nor my favorite Johnson building. But looked at impersonally, it has done more than any other building to put Houston on the map as a city where cutting edge architecture happens. In the years following that building's construction, architects were looking at us the way nowadays they look at Dubai and Hong Kong, and the way they looked at Chicago in the late 60's. For a time, the architectural world said, "What is Houston going to do next?"For those of us who didn't live in Houston during those years, I think that is an excellent point to be aware of. We lost that position, not only in minds elsewhere in the world, but own own. Perhaps there are various metaphors that fit: "fifteen minutes of fame", "merry-go-round", etc. I don't believe in the notion of living in the past. But ... we should remember our past ... and let that help inspire us to be the best that we can be, given the resources we have at hand. Better than degenerating into obscurity, consoled by fleeting status symbols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
towerjunkie Posted September 15, 2013 Share Posted September 15, 2013 Nice! Thanks for allowing us to look at that. Great time to live in Houston! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Well it's nothing special.. Penzoil Place will be available for lease Jan. 1st of next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Dammit that's not good for the other new towers trying to find tenants.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 ^ Nothing unexpected and it's not as if the whole building is available for rent. They have one large block of space (about 230,000 square feet), one medium-sized block of space (just over 110,000 square feet) and a few scattered smaller spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Dammit that's not good for the other new towers trying to find tenants.. you realize this "news" has been known in the market for 3 years, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chi-Char-Hou-Dal Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Time to face the music the demand is in North & West - I personally would like to see all the buildings proposed DT go up and have tenants but I think the reality is only a few will get built. I know there is another thread - what are the chances... Hope I am wrong. I had to drive out to Gessner & I-10 today for an early morning meeting that would be brutal to do twice a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 you realize this "news" has been known in the market for 3 years, right? nope but thanks for informing me. i wonder why people didnt realize sooner that the 1/1/2014 thing meant space in the building was going up for lease then? ah well, its good to know they are smaller spaces and not the whole tower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Noticed this new PDF on the Downtown Houston website: http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2014-06-18/Southern_Downtown_Public_Realm_Plan_Final_For_Web_Compressed.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 (edited) Exceptional analysis! The infographics were to notch. The visuals of the possible streetscapes or possbilities for what these new spaces could look like was very lazy, and underwhelming. Sometimes I'm disappointed by these surveys in terms of what could be possible and their own interpretations of these kinds of interventions. Why not throw in a design of a midrise you came up with yourself or a park space that you came up with yourself. That brings home to those reading possibilties that can actually happen. Simply showing stock images of other precendents only illustrates further what we don't have and what was possible in those places. Of course those images are important to give as examples which were good examples to give, but instead of just giving them to the people so they can simply glance over them give them to architects or designers to reinterpret and to re-imagine them in the context of Houston which is a very different city than most. Plus some of those photoshop visuals were pretty.....blahhhhh. This is just a healthy critique of the amazing hard work they must have done for this. The appendix is what really steals the show for me in how it details each streets conditions, typologies, and visual impacts on a level that no survey done on downtown has done yet. This will certainly help others in their further analysis of this once blighted part of downtown which is finally getting the attention it deserves....even though it is slow as malasses lol. Edited June 21, 2014 by Luminare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Wow! Great ideas in that PDF! I have more to read! But, turning Caroline into a bike friendly street is a great idea! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Notes from meeting today in order of importance to me: 1) 4,199 units under the Downtown Living Initiative have been publicly approved. Two more are proposed and would bring the total to 4,750 leaving only 250 units to go under the 5,000 unit cap 2) No plans or discussion to bring a major grocer to downtown. They expect this to come after residential base is built. Prior year discussions included an urban Target with a grocery component 3) Bob Eury, the Downtown District Executive Director, is flying to New York tonight and may bring back "big news" 4) 2015 downtown district budget is $15mm 5) There is $4.2bn of investment underway or proposed in downtown 6) New branding - Downtown: Something Big is Up 7) They have put in 3 (?) porta potties to aid sanitation efforts 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Lots of good stuff. Thanks for posting Downtownian. # 3 is particularly intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Lots of good stuff. Thanks for posting Downtownian.# 3 is particularly intriguing.#3 is probably related to a retail store. What big brand retail store is based in NYC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 #3 is probably related to a retail store. What big brand retail store is based in NYC? The Downtown District seemed downbeat on retail during their presentation. Said they were working on it but not as much progress as other areas. They quickly went through things like the Dallas Street widening and other improvements - not sure that project is even funded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swtsig Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 retail follows rooftops... it will take time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigereye Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 #3 is probably related to a retail store. What big brand retail store is based in NYC?Lord & Taylor and Saks are both NYC-based, although the parent company is in Canada (Hudson's Bay) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mab Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 also bloomingdales/macys headquarters are NYC base Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asubrt Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I've got a question about the Downtown Living Initiative, and I guess this is as good as any a place to post it... after a development is approved for however many units, are they "required" to build it? I mean obviously the city can't force them to start construction, but is there a penalty if they don't build, or do the units just get subtracted from the 5000 if they cancel the project? I don't think there have been any examples of this yet, but I feel like it could become an issue once more are started/finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Uniqlo!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moore713 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 The Downtown District seemed downbeat on retail during their presentation. Said they were working on it but not as much progress as other areas. They quickly went through things like the Dallas Street widening and other improvements - not sure that project is even funded.Thought this would be funded via the downtown projected 2015 budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Thought this would be funded via the downtown projected 2015 budget That may be right; I may have missed that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 That may be right; I may have missed that point.It is funded. They are taking bids now. Construction to start first half of '15. There was just a public meeting on the plans for Dallas and main this past Wednesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downtownian Posted December 30, 2016 Share Posted December 30, 2016 Congrats to Downtown for winning swamplot's 2016 neighborhood of the year. Downtown also won in 2014 (Swamplot did not do neighborhood of the year in 2015). The neighborhood has come a long way with residential, bars, restaurants, lodging, convention center improvements and office and 2017 will finally show it all off with the Super Bowl. http://swamplot.com/the-swamplot-awards-for-houston-real-estate-2016-the-winners/2016-12-30/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 Wait till people really start filling all of those downtown residences and the whole atmosphere of downtown will never be the same. It will be a vibrant mecca for the young and empty nesters. Its a great time for downtown. It deserves to be the neighborhood of the year. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 If decision makers aren't already reading HAIF, let your voice be heard about your opinions on downtown and take their survey! http://www.plandowntownhou.com/participate.html One of the things I liked is giving us the chance to map out our routes via foot, driving etc and showing which are our favorite streets and blocks. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 If you didn't have a chance to hear it KUHT/ 88.7 had Bob Eury on from Houston Central /Downtown district taking calls and discussing this new plan. He directed people to the survey and spoke to the initiative and ongoing projects to improve downtowns atmosphere. If you go to Kuht 88.7 you can pull up the interview by simply looking at 3/13/17 archives Houston Matters downtown. I worked as a stake holder representative on early consulting for lighting, landscaping, street parking, signage and the pedestrian realm with Bob and Guy Hagsette on the Cotswold project. I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to work as a group in helping to offer insight into such a successful redevelopment of downtowns Historical east west cross streets. I can remember when they started planting the trees and now they're all so large. That area looks and feels so different and pedestrian friendly now. It makes you realize that if you want you can help make a difference in this city if you take the time. Thats why its important for all of us with such strong opinions about how this downtown should evolve that its important for all of us to take the survey. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietstorm Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Took the survey. It wasn't the most user-friendly, but I liked that the questions are being asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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