Aspire Post Oak: Multifamily High-Rise At 1616 Post Oak Blvd.

[Triton]

For discussion of the short-sided political action committee... http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/29707-potential-development-at-post-oak-boulevard-san-felipe-street/#entry462410

[HoustonIsHome]

Wow, opposing a hirise on post oak? Now I've heard it all?

On one hand they are worried about traffic but they are also against the BRT that would help alleviate traffic?

[houstontexasjack]

Well, I like seeing the proposal for the 50-story highrise just down the street from me. I am less keen on this myopic PAC, which, despite Mr. Scarborough's assertions to the contrary, looks like textbook NIMBYism. 

 

 

[houstontexasjack]

Happily, other businesses along Post Oak should have a vested interest in opposing Mr. Scarborough and this PAC. AmREIT, Randall Davis, Hines (still out of the Williams Tower), and others need reliable development opportunities along major corridors in Houston.  

 

His mention of the "sunset" is a nice slip as to what's clearly his problem.

[houstontexasjack]

On the bright side, at least these ideas must gain some sort of hold from the electorate to be successful and other business interests can more readily challenge them than in the more limited forum of the courts.

[Naviguessor]

In his aguement he posts his concern about how the streets will be able to handle the extra traffic, yet he opposes the brt, which is a measure to reduce the traffic. Poor guy seems a bit conflicted. Sure. Definitely NOT about obstructing his view.

[Triton]

Oddly enough, he is correct in some aspects, particularly towards the end when he asks how these streets will be able to handle all of this development. My main concern right now is actually Westheimer near Highland Park. He's right...the streets cannot currently handle the amount of development on the way. But where he gets it wrong is, all of this development is going to come here either way. No PAC will be able to stop it and even if it can stop it, that has to be the most anti-Houston PAC I've ever heard of. What type of PAC would be against jobs, growth, and opportunity? Would he rather be in Detroit?

 

Austin learned the hard way that they'll come whether you build it or not. Most Houstonians have not experienced the nightmare that is I-35. Austin didn't plan well and I-35 is definitely something you do not want to take. And Austin is booming more in its downtown area more than Houston is, at the moment, which is sure to make matters even worse. 

 

Now maybe he is right... maybe BRT is not the right thing to do. But if not, then what?? We can't keep limitlessly expanding our roads. Forget about the freedom of cars. There comes a time when you reach a dead-end to how far you can expand and you have to think of moving people in larger amounts in more efficient ways. Even if you kill the development, you have to think of all the foreigners that are coming to the Galleria area just to shop! That will keep growing until the next recession. 

 

Either way, I don't see this PAC gaining Republican nor Democrat support. It just doesn't look good either way. We need a PAC for solutions, not a PAC of "No. No. No."

[Triton]

Why do these people even live in an urban environment if they can't handle what comes with it?

 

[cloud713]

Wow, opposing a hirise on post oak? Now I've heard it all?

On one hand they are worried about traffic but they are also against the BRT that would help alleviate traffic?

 

 

In his aguement he posts his concern about how the streets will be able to handle the extra traffic, yet he opposes the brt, which is a measure to reduce the traffic. Poor guy seems a bit conflicted. Sure. Definitely NOT about obstructing his view.

EXACTLY. ridiculous...

[citykid09]

This is ALL about obstructing his view. This guy acts like he lives in a small town. If he is so concerned about an ambulance making it in time in case he has a heart attack maybe he should move near the medical center.

[citykid09]

If develpers can't put a 50+ story tower in Uptown, what area besides downtown would this guy see appropriate?

[Marcus Allen]

Triton!! You dirty dawg! LoL! I didn't look at previous posts closely and just happened upon your Utopian vision for UT! I was almost tearing up as in was reading it, then DEFLATION as I continued with the other posts. I guess it's my fault for being so gullible, but wow, the three minute dream was sweet.

[Triton]

If develpers can't put a 50+ story tower in Uptown, what area besides downtown would this guy see appropriate?

 

Bissonnet at University Place 

[J Money]

I feel conflicted on this news. On one hand, I think it's great that for so many projects that we do know about, there are still high profile ones that we have no idea about!

On the other hand, the NIMBYs disappoint me. If they someone manage to derail a project such as this, I may just lose a bit of faith in Houston's ability to do something grand.

[Moore713]

If you look at it nimby have actually lost more battle in Houston than they have won it far less urban areas.

[fernz]

Bissonnet at University Place

ROFLMAO!

[Luminare]

Bissonnet at University Place 

 

[Montrose1100]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/05/new-pac-opposes-transit-plan-on-post-oak-boulevard.html?page=all

Have you seen any renderings? Care to drop some hints? Is it going to be office? Edited May 28, 2014 by Montrose1100

[cloud713]

if its residential this could be the tallest residential tower in Texas. the Austonian is 56 floors, at 683' tall. obviously this has less floors, but maybe the ceiling heights will be higher or it will have a spire? i doubt this will seriously be a supertall though..

[cloud713]

Have you seen any renderings? Care to drop some hints? Is it going to be office?

man.. i should of asked my buddies father who works for a contractor/bids on projects. he said the Amegy Bank building is very nice, but didnt mention anything else really besides "some 20 story office tower". next time i see him ill have to see if hes heard anything of this.

looking forward to any leaks/information about the project..

[houstontexasjack]

Topping the Austonian would be nice. Even if not a 'supertall', it would be a nice counterbalance to the Williams Tower on the Uptown skyline.

[cloud713]

If develpers can't put a 50+ story tower in Uptown, what area besides downtown would this guy see appropriate?

i seriously doubt they are going to stop a 50 story tower from being built in uptown. there is already a 64 story tower in uptown, multiple 40 story buildings, and a handful of highrises going up or planned along Post Oak.. stopping this development would mean potentially stopping all the other single story commercial strip malls along post oak from developing into tall mixed use developments. it would kill property values (imo, im no expert so correct me if im wrong) and royally piss off all the developers and investors who have spent a long time sitting and paid a pretty penny for some of these prime properties, just waiting for the right offer to redevelop them into towers.

besides the fact that him opposing the BRT completely stands against everything he argued about with the new developments "causing harmful traffic congestion".. obviously BRT (and eventually light rail) is meant to RELIEVE traffic.

[cloud713]

just noticed this when i did a quick search for anything on the new tower.. so i guess it is planned to be condos?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/02/26/amreit-puts-post-oak-property-on-the-market-for.html

"The Courtyard at Post Oak property was built in 1994 and was 29.5 percent occupied with Verizon as the only tenant, according to the earnings report.

“Similar to the Uptown Park opportunity, we anticipate executing a ground lease with a co-developer who will own the improvements above our retail which we would own in a condominium interest,” AmREIT said in the report."

[Urbannizer]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/05/new-pac-opposes-transit-plan-on-post-oak-boulevard.html?page=all

 

 

 

 

 

So the proposal by AmREIT is the potential supertall?

[fernz]

Nothing is being built there soon though. There is a coming soon sign for Persian rug store on the old Ninfa's building, I'll try to take a picture.

[King Owl]

are we talking about this conceptual building?  It appears to be about 2 feet from the Cosmopolitan

 

[Houston19514]

just noticed this when i did a quick search for anything on the new tower.. so i guess it is planned to be condos?

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/02/26/amreit-puts-post-oak-property-on-the-market-for.html

"The Courtyard at Post Oak property was built in 1994 and was 29.5 percent occupied with Verizon as the only tenant, according to the earnings report.

“Similar to the Uptown Park opportunity, we anticipate executing a ground lease with a co-developer who will own the improvements above our retail which we would own in a condominium interest,” AmREIT said in the report."

 

No.  That only speaks about how they (AmREIT) would own the lower levels of retail while the tower would be owned by someone else.  Technically, the term "condominium" is a form of ownership.  It does not necessarily mean residential.

 

[houstontexasjack]

A 'condominium' is a creature of law where the individual unit owners each own a share of the limited common elements. The Texas Uniform Condominium Act expressly applies to. 'commercial, industrial, residential, and other types of condominiums.' Residential is most common, but one could have a commercial condominium ownership structure. AmREIT's proposal wouldn't jive with Fannie Mae condo requirements (which are generally the straw that stirs the drink in the residential mortgage lending world) if this were to be a residential tower. However, I suspect these condos would all go for prices above the Fannie Mae maximum loan limits, in which case private bankers might be making these loans to high dollar clients.

[Houston19514]

A 'condominium' is a creature of law where the individual unit owners each own a share of the limited common elements. The Texas Uniform Condominium Act expressly applies to. 'commercial, industrial, residential, and other types of condominiums.' Residential is most common, but one could have a commercial condominium ownership structure. AmREIT's proposal wouldn't jive with Fannie Mae condo requirements (which are generally the straw that stirs the drink in the residential mortgage lending world) if this were to be a residential tower. However, I suspect these condos would all go for prices above the Fannie Mae maximum loan limits, in which case private bankers might be making these loans to high dollar clients.

 

Is there any indication that there are any residential condos being proposed, considered, or even thought of?  The only mention of condos was in relation to AmREIT's planned continued ownership of the lower (retail) levels of the development.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Houston19514

[Triton]

Looks like something from the 90s...