POST: Mixed-Use Development At 401 Franklin St.

[hindesky]

"Houston native and renowned artist Angelbert Metoyer grew up knowing about Barbara Jordan. But when he was commissioned to design a monument to the congresswoman, lawyer and civil rights activist, Metoyer found himself exploring the trailblazing congresswoman in a way he had never done with a subject before in his work.

That result was his "I Am Barbara Jordan" monument, which was unveiled Saturday at POST Houston. The larger-than-life monument, which features Jordan sitting with her face looking South toward the downtown skyline, was meant to resemble her image. But Metoyer also emphasized his desire to recreate the feeling of being in Jordan's presence.

"Every aspect of her — her voice, her carry. her tone, her charisma — all these things spoke to me visually and sonically," Metoyer said."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/trending/article/barbara-jordan-monument-angelbert-metoyer-houston-18539920.php

[hindesky]

[ChannelTwoNews]

Lovett Commercial seeks city council support for proposed convention center hotel - Houston Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

"The proposed hotel project would include a multi-phase, mixed-use development sitting on a 16-acre parcel at 401 Franklin Street. The proposed convention center hotel would be part of Lovett Commercial’s adaptive reuse of the former Barbara Jordan Post Office, which now houses the company’s Post Houston entertainment facility.

The hotel would include between 90 and 200 rooms, as well as a 21,000-square-foot convention center facility in the same building, according to a description filed with the city."

Agenda Item #70 for tomorrow's meeting of the City Council.

Coversheet (novusagenda.com)

Edited December 18, 2023 by ChannelTwoNews
Linked agenda item

[j_cuevas713]

I think they may be doing better than they anticipated. A hotel would take the space to an entirely new level

 

[gene]

On 11/30/2023 at 1:55 PM, gene said:

Hey all! Hope it is okay to once again announce my best friend Justin and his band Blue October (including my other best friend Matt, the bassist :) ) are coming back to 713 Music Hall at POST HTX! For now it is being announced as a standard 7-10pm show...

however there were rumors they were trying to make it another Houston's Music & Arts Festival / Blue Backs The Blue. Justin had hand picked the bands, the tattoo artist(s), barbers, food trucks and more all to support The Houston Police Officers Union "Assist The Officer"! The first one took place at White Oak Music Hall in 2019 where they took over the entire venue inside and out and was a huge sold out success! Due to covid the festival that was meant to be annual went on hiatus due to covid unfortunately...so we shall see if they can bring that back at this or another venue...and soon! 

Anyway, Tickets go on presale this Friday 12/1/23! See ya there!!!  Blue October's Website/ Link to tickets here

 

Event: MARCH 2nd 2024 at 713 Music Hall - Hometown Houston Show! 

 

 

Hi it wont let me edit my post so just here to say Blue October has added a second show!!!

March 1st AND 2nd! :)

 

[springcityparts]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:09 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

I think they may be doing better than they anticipated. A hotel would take the space to an entirely new level

 

I heard this will be an Ace Hotel

[j_cuevas713]

6 minutes ago, emmanume said:

I heard this will be an Ace Hotel

😮

[LosFeliz]

Interesting. The once wildly popular Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles closes at the end of January. 

[j_cuevas713]

36 minutes ago, LosFeliz said:

Interesting. The once wildly popular Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles closes at the end of January. 

I wonder if the issues in downtown LA have to do with the closure 

[tigereye]

On 12/28/2023 at 12:13 PM, emmanume said:

I heard this will be an Ace Hotel

A hotel is planned. Lovett was trying to get breaks for it. City council vote delayed, per HBJ

It’s being referred to as a convention center hotel because Lovett plans to build 21,000 sq ft of convention space within Post. 

No hotel company has signed on yet.

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/12/20/city-council-delays-vote-convention-center-hotel.html

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by tigereye

[Avossos]

On 12/28/2023 at 12:13 PM, emmanume said:

I heard this will be an Ace Hotel

I am obsessed with Ace Hotels. This would be amazing.

[BeerNut]

On 12/31/2023 at 1:14 PM, tigereye said:

It’s being referred to as a convention center hotel because Lovett plans to build 21,000 sq ft of convention space within Post. 

Is there a market for more convention pace in Downtown?

[tigereye]

22 hours ago, BeerNut said:

Is there a market for more convention pace in Downtown?

Since Post is a destination, I see it as meeting rooms or event space to support the hotel clientele and their demands (weddings, conferences, etc) to increase reservations. 

Edited January 2 by tigereye

[BeerNut]

14 minutes ago, tigereye said:

Since Post is a destination, I see it as meeting rooms or event space to support the hotel clientele and their demands (weddings, conferences, etc) to increase reservations. 

They already use building on the lawn area for weddings and corporate events.

[EllenOlenska]

Honestly, this project is...good. 

Folks been sleeping on the goodness of this one. Handsome modernist ship like thing. 

[gene]

I love Post HTX and the location...

i tend to go once a week or so...in fact i am taking my buddy that is visiting from New Zealand tonight upon his arrival to get some food! (and will be there saturday for coffee and cars). I definitely think there is room (and a need) for this new project! and yeah i had never heard of Ace Hotels but wowsa totally looks up my alley for cool hotels that i like to stay in!

[j_cuevas713]

The development has really become a focal point for the city to build around. This is definitely our version of the Ferry Building like in SF.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

On 1/1/2024 at 3:10 PM, BeerNut said:

Is there a market for more convention pace in Downtown?

yes. Almost every hotel downtown has large meeting rooms and ballrooms, most are booked a year or more in advance.  
When most people think of conventions, they think of the quilting thing, the United Rents thing (it takes up the entire GRB with overflow to hotel ballrooms), and other large events like that. There are hundreds of corporate shows every year around town, more space is needed.

[hbg.50]

New Post convention center under review by Mayor Whitmire...

From the Houston Chronicle...

Senate Bill 1057, passed last year, allows Houston First to collect incremental increases in state occupancy taxes paid by downtown hotels. That’s expected to generate $1.8 billion over 30 years, which could help fund a renovation of George R. Brown Convention Center. The proposed hotel at Post Houston would fall within the zone created by SB1057, a 3-mile radius from the GRB. 

Whitmire said Wednesday the deal with Lovett could be “counterproductive” to his legislation.

“The concern is it sets a terrible precedent. Because I can only imagine what other operators are thinking. Number two, it really jeopardizes the legislation I passed to create an entertainment district in central Houston,” Whitmire said.

Whitmire questions proposed hotel-convention center deal (houstonchronicle.com)

[strickn]

The jeopardy being that there are tax dollar rebates involved and other hotel occupancy is still subject to the tax mechanism, I assume.

 

"Al Kashani, a real estate developer behind the proposed W Hotel downtown, asked that more hotels be eligible for similar tax incentives."

Does that mean he is looking for more city-subsidized convention space opportunities for his hotel project?

[hindesky]

"Houston’s new mayor is raising concerns about a proposed deal struck under his predecessor that would help pay for a new hotel and convention center near Post Houston, the former postal facility downtown that is now an entertainment complex.

 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/post-houston-hotel-convention-downtown-lovett-18599035.php

Edited February 13 by editor
Edited for copyright reasons. Do not copy and paste. Summarize and link.

[j_cuevas713]

https://www.chron.com/business/article/houston-mayor-pauses-downtown-hotel-convention-18608131.php

Looks like Whitmire is worried about how this development in it's current iteration will affect the bill that he helped pass recently to add an entertainment district around the GRB

[mattyt36]

It's difficult for me to parse what is going on here.

It seems HoustonFirst (perhaps at the behest of Turner) wanted a new, smaller type of convention space to offer.  I suppose that makes sense and would be good in attracting more people to the Post.  One can imagine how, if done correctly and fully incorporated into the Post development, it could be pretty unique and high profile. 

Since the "convention center" would be City-owned, the City is financing it with tax rebates--I guess similar conceptually enough to how the Marquis got built.  Some of these subsidies may extend to the hotel, although the extent to which is unclear.  I guess Whitmire is saying if you rebate some of the taxes for this development, it works against the funds available to renovate the Convention Center--although $1.8 billion in taxes sure seems to be more than enough for that.  (I suspect a lot of this money will go to the cap park.)

It shouldn't be a surprise that Kashani wants some free money, too, for his development.  I'd say an argument could be made that an additional 20K square feet in a generic W Hotel may not be the same as 20K square feet in the Post.  In the absence of Whitmire having another plan to point to, it's difficult to tell how much of this is just political like the airport concessions contracts, as I assume Frank Liu has been a big supporter of Turner?  Just because one development gets the incentives, does not mean there is a legal obligation for other ones as well, no matter what Whitmire insinuates.  There's the Hilton and the Marriott, of course, and then there are plenty of other hotels that have been built without public financing.

Admittedly, the buyout does strike me as really strange, at least if it's solely at the option of Lovett (mutual option would be different, not sure what is the case as it is not mentioned in the article).  If you want access to a unique convention space today, one would think you wouldn't want that pulled out from under you in the future.

One would think the Chronicle and BisNow could distill this stuff for us because I doubt the way it's being publicly presented is entirely "above board."  The Chronicle mentions the following public comments:

East downtown resident Amber Boyd-Cora asked for more transparency over the real estate transaction, and questioned whether it would benefit the developer or residents more. Al Kashani, a real estate developer behind the proposed W Hotel downtown, asked that more hotels be eligible for similar tax incentives.

Kashani has a direct interest.  And while Amber Boyd-Cora may be a "East downtown resident," she's also a real estate lawyer.  I suspect she was speaking in that capacity and wouldn't be surprised if she had a client with a direct interest.

[IntheKnowHouston]

On 11/2/2023 at 9:44 AM, phillip_white said:

ShopX "micro retail village" they announced.

https://www.posthtx.com/shopx

 

CultureMap published an article today on Shop X, the latest addition to Post Houston at 401 Franklin St.


Shop X, a micro-retail village within Post Houston, opened its doors on January 13... Shop X provides shoppers with a unique selection of over 15 premier retailers and shops each boasting a curated selection of items tailored specifically to the Houston area. 

...Shop X is anchored by Houston's first Gachapon Hall, Tokyo Story. Gachapon are Japanese vending machines, found in Tokyo's iconic Akihabara district. 

https://houston.culturemap.com/news/fashion/post-houston-shop-x-gachapon/

[cloud713]

On 12/28/2023 at 12:13 PM, emmanume said:

I heard this will be an Ace Hotel

"Stayed at the Ace Hotel.." - Bon Iver

[LosFeliz]

Follow the money. Tilman was a big Whitmire supporter. He's got lots of interests downtown that could suffer with a bigger and better Post. 

[mattyt36]

1 hour ago, LosFeliz said:

Follow the money. Tilman was a big Whitmire supporter. He's got lots of interests downtown that could suffer with a bigger and better Post. 

If true, that's what I suspected, more or less.

Which means Whitmire is crying about political favoritism while doling out his own political favors.

He sort of set the stage of his campaign that way, so I'm not surprised. 

Canceling the airport concession contract awards in favor of his political benefactors the Pappas family is probably next.  I'm sure there will be plenty of cries of "corruption" when, at the end of the day, he'd be doing the same thing. 

Wouldn't it be nice if political leaders could just be above board?

[gene]

2 hours ago, LosFeliz said:

Follow the money. Tilman was a big Whitmire supporter. He's got lots of interests downtown that could suffer with a bigger and better Post. 

I am not sure how...

His crappy aquarium and restaurant is practically across the street from Post! 

 

[hbg.50]

Another slow day on HAIF…

[editor]

On 1/16/2024 at 5:04 PM, IntheKnowHouston said:

 

Gachapon are Japanese vending machines, found in Tokyo's iconic Akihabara district. 

 

Calling them "vending machines" is using a broad definition of vending machine.  They're more like the old gumball machines you used to see in the front of supermarkets.  Those old enough to remember those also remember when they eventually started spitting out little toys in plastic bubbles instead of gumballs.  This is exactly what a gashapon machine is.  

Gashapon are not unique to Akihabara.  They are very common all over Japan, and are positioned just like the way old gumball machines used to be — near the entrances or stores and by actual vending machines.

 

14 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

 

Canceling the airport concession contract awards in favor of his political benefactors the Pappas family is probably next.

If you're going to make statements of fact like that, it would be helpful if you linked to a campaign finance report showing how much the Pappas family donated.  Otherwise, it's just rumor-mongering.