TMC Helix Park: Texas Medical Center Bio Research Campus

[pablog]

4 minutes ago, CREguy13 said:

I'm not too familiar with Pegasus Park, but after quick research I couldn't help but chuckle that it was in the same conversation as TMC3.  I'm all for collaboration if it helps bring more capital to Houston, but I genuinely don't think Austin and Dallas are remotely close to the potential that exists here.  Although I'm happy to admit my ignorance when it comes to their medical and biotech scenes.

I looked up Pegasus Park and laughed as well… shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence as TMC3

definitely feels like this whole “biotech triangle” is a marketing plan deployed by Austin and Dallas to not be left behind in this space 

[H-Town Man]

16 hours ago, Lux said:

https://www.texasstandard.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Texas_BioTech_Triangle_01102022.mp3

Gosh, what a ditsy voice. A little irritating to hear "Austin, Dallas, ... and Houston." I don't remember them mentioning a single thing that was happening in Austin. As to Pegasus Park, yeah, no TMC3, only advantage is that the buildings are already built and thus can be leased fast and cheap.

 

[Houston19514]

This brings to mind the Stanley Marcus quote:  "in Dallas you can sell the sizzle, but in Houston you have to show them the steak"

[phillip_white]

13 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

This brings to mind the Stanley Marcus quote:  "in Dallas you can sell the sizzle, but in Houston you have to show them the steak"

And in Austin you charge 5x the market rate for someone to tell you what the steak tastes like.

[Lux]

5 hours ago, phillip_white said:

And in Austin you charge 5x the market rate for someone to tell you what the steak tastes like.

Austin would tokenize the $teak and make you feel dumb for not understanding the paradigm shift.  
 

https://steak.network

Edited January 12, 2022 by Lux

[Lux]

Nice detail in today’s Elkus Manfredi TMC3 rendering post on Twitter.  Lots of trees 🌳

Additionally, note on Parcel B the placement of both University of Houston and Texas A&M signage.  The slightly twisted tower design on Parcel F also seems new.  This campus view has often been displayed as a night shot, but perhaps this daytime rendering from the architect hints at the current vision.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Lux

[monarch]

^^^ maybe, it's just me, but i have very often thought that something was quite odd regarding the very latest renderings/concepts... of TMC-3 featuring the HOTEL/CONDO development portion of this burgeoning project.  however, i  just could not place my finger upon it until now... THE ORIENTATION OF THE PROPOSED CONDO TOWER.  

why is such an important proponent of this particular development turned SIDEWAYS (and somewhat hidden)?  am i the only one that find this a bit strange/unique in such an ultra important development?

the HOTEL TOWER proponent is positioned perfectly, directly in the center of everything.  yet the CONDO TOWER is just off by the wayside, seemingly, in nonchalant fashion.

 it just seems very odd in my opinion...  

[texan]

11 hours ago, Lux said:

Nice detail in today’s Elkus Manfredi TMC3 rendering post on Twitter.  Lots of trees 🌳

Additionally, note on Parcel B the placement of both University of Houston and Texas A&M signage.  The slightly twisted tower design on Parcel F also seems new.  This campus view has often been displayed as a night shot, but perhaps this daytime rendering from the architect hints at the current vision.

To my non-architect eye the buildings between Industry Building 1 and the hotel seem to have grown in the new rendering as have the buildings flanking the Collaborative Building (which I believe are marked as industry buildings in the master plan). If A&M and UH are putting their buildings on a shared base it'll likely require approval by the boards of regents so we'll hopefully get better indication in the next couple of months when those meetings take place.

[Amlaham]

Don't get me wrong, I love this project.......but are the renderings getting more underwhelming or is it just me? The only cool perspective is from above. The pedestrian/ car perspective....it kind of just looks like some scattered buildings. I feel like the double helix was more exaggerated in previous renderings. Again, please don't bash lol my perspective, I still love this project.

[tangledwoods]

Quote

Don't get me wrong, I love this project.......but are the renderings getting more underwhelming or is it just me? The only cool perspective is from above. The pedestrian/ car perspective....it kind of just looks like some scattered buildings. I feel like the double helix was more exaggerated in previous renderings. Again, please don't bash lol my perspective, I still love this project.

Have you seen any of the renderings elsewhere in this thread from the landscape architect?  A HUGE focus of this project is the central helix spine and the site hardscape / landscaping is going to be dope.  Imagine the rooftop of POST but ground level surrounding by tall curving glass buildings.

Now if you are driving down Old Spanish Trail or Braeswood, this will likely end up looking a bit vanilla but the project isn't really designed for those big external views it seems to be fairly inward looking (in my non-architect opinion).

[bobruss]

18 hours ago, monarch said:

^^^ maybe, it's just me, but i have very often thought that something was quite odd regarding the very latest renderings/concepts... of TMC-3 featuring the HOTEL/CONDO development portion of this burgeoning project.  however, i  just could not place my finger upon it until now... THE ORIENTATION OF THE PROPOSED CONDO TOWER.  

why is such an important proponent of this particular development turned SIDEWAYS (and somewhat hidden)?  am i the only one that find this a bit strange/unique in such an ultra important development?

the HOTEL TOWER proponent is positioned perfectly, directly in the center of everything.  yet the CONDO TOWER is just off by the wayside, seemingly, in nonchalant fashion.

 it just seems very odd in my opinion...  

Perhaps TMC3 wanted the hotel to face the world famous Texas Medical Center.

[monarch]

58 minutes ago, bobruss said:

Perhaps TMC3 wanted the hotel to face the world famous Texas Medical Center.

^^^ perhaps.  however, i just find it quite odd, for such an important development such as this.  the CONDO TOWER should equally face front and center of everything in this magnificent development...

[Lux]

OK, so the architect just posted this image today — design on some parcels may be in flux (as we should expect), so we’ll see how it ultimately shakes out.  Regardless, what a stunning campus, and the colors really pop in this rendering! I agree with @tangledwoods in that the biotech hub is built for proximity, views and experience from within the DNA necklace parks.  It’ll be like a little city abuzz with activity.  Perhaps Levit Green, close to 288, can optimize design for highway views.

@monarch, I hear you regarding the positioning.  Remember that the hotel was previously shown with curvature, and the curved residential tower sat on top with views looking down the park strand.  Regardless of placement, residents couldn’t get any closer to the action.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Lux

[freundb]

It's strange to me that a parking garage faces the helix park. Surprised it's not hidden better.

Edited January 15, 2022 by freundb

[Highrise Tower]

Mixed-Use Garage.

Collaborative Building and Industry Building 1.

IB1.

Collaborative Building.

[thatguysly]

Thanks for the photos and labels. I was finally able to figure out which buildings are going up. 

[Lux]

Building Design + Construction’s recent article “A health crisis gives life to life sciences” highlights TMC3 and Levit Green alongside several nascent US life sciences developments.  Obviously, there’s some misinformation (eg, “Gensler-designed Master Plan ”), but good to see Houston get the well-deserved spotlight.

—

Some sources report that investors and developers are scouring secondary and tertiary markets for opportunities. One of these markets appears to be Houston, which in recent years has notched one the stronger records in the U.S. for growth in life science establishments, according to JLL.

“It is an unprecedented time for life sciences and innovation in the U.S., and Houston has all the factors that are required for explosive growth in this space,” Steve Purpura, President of Life Science at Beacon Capital Partners, says. Beacon is a development partner in Phase 1 of the 6-million-sf Gensler-designed Master Plan for Texas Medical Center’s new 37-acre life sciences campus. The campus’s hub, which started construction last January, is the 250,000-sf TMC3 Collaborative Building, whose building team includes Elkus Manfredi Architects, Vaughn Construction, and the landscape architect Mikyoung Kim Design.

Texas Medical Center (TMC) and its three academic healthcare partners—the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas A&M University Health Center, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston—are creating 43,000 sf of joint lab/coworking office space at TMC3. Another 85,000 sf of lab and office space will be developed for industry partners, and 14,200 sf will be earmarked for TMC’s investment platforms. TMC3 Collaborative is scheduled to open in the fall of 2023.

According to TMC, a key objective of the master plan—which will include a 521-room hotel, a 65,000-sf conference center, a 350-unit residential tower, and a 700,000-sf industry research building—was to ensure an environment where innovators from healthcare, science, academia, government, and industry could collaborate on new medicines, medical devices, diagnostic, and digital health platforms, and treatment solutions. The result is intended to attract high-quality talent by offering multiple opportunities for mentorship and career growth. “TMC has done the work necessary to seed innovation, build relationships with the world’s leading life sciences companies, and create the infrastructure needed for long-term success,” says Purpura.

Under development near TMC3 is Levit Green, a 52-acre, $1 billion mixed-use master plan (also designed by Gensler and Walter P Moore), whose first phase will include a five-story, 270,000-sf life sciences building, designed by HOK and built by Harvey Builders. According to Hines, the global real estate services firm that’s developing Levit Green with 2ML Real Estate Interests, the floor plates inside the life sciences building will average 55,000 sf for fitout flexibility. The building will include 25,000 sf for lab incubator space, and a 7,000-sf conference room. “We are seeing record-breaking R&D spending, creating the need for highly-sophisticated lab space and cutting-edge pharmaceutical facilities,” said Hines in a prepared statement.

Roger Soto, AIA, LEED AP, Design Principal for HOK, tells BD+C that the design team “reimagined” the life sciences building at Levit Green “from the point of view of the user.” For example, the building structure is entirely designed around the unique needs of lab planning and vibration criteria, which in turn drives the module and column spacing.

Levit Green is scheduled to start accepting occupants in the fourth quarter of next year.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Lux

[Highrise Tower]

Collaborative Building and Industry Building 1.

Industry Building 1.

Collaborative Building.

[Highrise Tower]

2nd tower crane has arrived for IB1.

[Lux]

TMC3 Starts Here.  Get Behind It, Houston!

[Lux]

In mid 2021, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (ARE) executive chairman Joel Marcus likened the current state of Houston commercial life science to that of NYC 20 years ago.

“Houston's a little like New York used to be. Maybe it's the closest because they have multiple institutions. They do have a location now in Texas Medical Center which they're trying to coalesce around those institutions.

The reality though is in Houston right now, there are not many scientists or academicians or political people who have any experience in translating science. And you really need that. I mean, the Bob Langers of the world out of MIT. Literally none of those exist in Houston. Houston's got world-class clinical, that's really their thing. But there are no rock star scientists in the sense of not many Nobel Prize winners or people like that. That doesn't mean there couldn't be over the next generation. And there's almost no risk capital. Even though there's oil, that industry's taking it on the chin. And there's very little management and talent that you can hire. So Houston would still be extremely early on, where New York was 20 years ago.”

In the company’s recent Q4 earnings call, an analyst’s question on rumored Texas market entry yielded the following response from Mr. Marcus:

“And I think the final market you asked about was Texas. So for a variety of legal reasons, I can't say anything until the first quarter, and we'll talk about that. But much like New York, when we started in New York, we really spent before we opened the Alexandria Center for Life Science in 2010, we had started an effort in New York back in 2001 as part of Sandy Wild's effort to bring commercial life science to New York City, where none literally existed. 

And I would say the same is true of Texas. Literally, no real presence of commercial life science down there today, but our intent is to create a market and really bring early-stage commercial life science to Texas, much like we did in New York. So with that, hopefully, long-winded answer.”

Connecting the dots, one would surmise that ARE is likely preparing to enter the Houston life sciences CRE arena.  Whether this would be through participation in currently emerging campuses (TMC3, Levit Green) or through a new build is purely speculative at present — technically, geographic placement within the state is less than certain as well.  Regardless, ARE’s Lone Star moves signal a desire from a major player to get in early and shape the Texas commercial biosciences ecosystem.  Positive news for Texas (and hopefully Houston) life sciences CRE!

[Highrise Tower]

Collaborative Building and Industry Building 1.

Industry Building 1.

Tower crane foundation for IB1.

Collaborative Building.

Soil testing across the street at Research Park.

[Highrise Tower]

The base for the 2nd tower crane at IB1 has been installed.

[Highrise Tower]

Mixed-Use Garage:

Collaborative Building:

Industry Building 1:

Waste Water Application permit pulled. Another building about to start? Or a retail build out?

[Highrise Tower]

Site utilities.

CB & IB1.

IB1.

Parcel J, Industry Building 3 outline.

 

[Lux]

It appears from the pics that the subterranean parking for TMC3CB and IB1 may be a shared space connecting under the promenade.  Might all underground garages on the campus (TMC3CB, IB1, BCM(x2), A&M, IB2, IB4, & IB3) share a common traversable parking level or does the construction to date suggest otherwise?

Edited February 21, 2022 by Lux

[CREguy13]

Separate from this thread, I'm excited to see how TMC3, Levit Green, etc. directly impacts nearby housing with all of these high-paying jobs being created in the area.  The clear beneficiary imo is the Museum District with it's immediate access to Hermann Park, adjacent to one of the nations best cluster of art/cultural institutions, and a growing number of great restaurants.  It seems more land has been trading in the area as of late, so perhaps developers are positioning for an influx in demand.  I could see this becoming a much more dense and affluent area in the next several years.  Feed me more Boone Manors.

[Houston19514]

4 hours ago, Lux said:

It appears from the pics that the subterranean parking for TMC3CB and IB1 may be a shared space connecting under the promenade.  Might all underground garages on the campus (TMC3CB, IB1, BCM(x2), A&M, IB2, IB4, & IB3) share a common traversable parking level or does the construction to date suggest otherwise?

I feel like I read earlier that the underground parking would all be connected.  Sort  of like the Theater District parking

[j_cuevas713]

15 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

Site utilities.

CB & IB1.

IB1.

Parcel J, Industry Building 3 outline.

 

I absolutely love seeing infrastructure laid out before a project. All these new streets are TODAY's Houston. 

[thatguysly]

2 hours ago, CREguy13 said:

Separate from this thread, I'm excited to see how TMC3, Levit Green, etc. directly impacts nearby housing with all of these high-paying jobs being created in the area.  The clear beneficiary imo is the Museum District with it's immediate access to Hermann Park, adjacent to one of the nations best cluster of art/cultural institutions, and a growing number of great restaurants.  It seems more land has been trading in the area as of late, so perhaps developers are positioning for an influx in demand.  I could see this becoming a much more dense and affluent area in the next several years.  Feed me more Boone Manors.

I bet it'll spill over 288 into the Third Ward as well as more affordable housing is sought. There are already new apartments and houses being rebuilt over there and this will increase that.