Houston Center Redevelopment

[hindesky]

On 11/8/2020 at 3:59 PM, urbanize713 said:

Once completed, what is the over/under of instagram selfies/pics on that stairway every weekend ?

[Brooklyn173]

Taken today while the Security Guard shouted that I wasn't allowed to take a picture of the building. Apparently correct regarding copy write laws - who knew? - but a curious marketing decision.

 

[LBC2HTX]

“

Architectural works are protected by U.S. copyright law, specifically by 17 U.S. Code § 102(8). In fact, copyright law was officially changed in December 1990 in order to include these architectural copyrights. What does this mean for photographers who want the ability to make and sell architectural photos?

• The law does not apply to buildings created before December 1, 1990 (so architectural photos of such works can be taken and reproduced without permission).
• Except for buildings that cannot be viewed from a public space, the copyright owner of a post-1990 building (the architect, developer, or building owner) cannot prevent the making, distributing, or public display of pictures, paintings, photographs, or other pictorial representations of the building. See 17 U.S. Code § 120, which covers the scope of exclusive rights in architectural works.

Therefore, photographers need to be concerned only when entering private property without permission to take a photo of a post-1990 building. Such photos may result in a claim of copyright infringement.”

[Texasota]

You can take photographs as long as you're in a public ROW, so as long as you're on a sidewalk you're fine. Where it gets dicey is when you have an expanded sidewalk or walkway on private property. Sometimes you can actually find little metal badges embedded in the pavement to delineate where the public ROW ends and private property begins. 

[LBC2HTX]

Further, copyright infringement is a civil matter not a criminal act, so you’ll have no fear of being arrested (and I highly doubt the architect is going to sue some recreational photographer). That said, if you’re on private property you may be arrested for trespassing. 
 

disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer

Edited December 13, 2020 by LBC2HTX

[mollusk]

Security guards are rarely specialists in intellectual property law. 🧐

[zaphod]

I guess someone decided to spend a lot of money building a landmark and then decided that nobody is allowed to appreciate it as such. Oh well. Sucks to be them, sitting on a gazillion square feet of tarted up office space nobody wants. Love the spiral staircase, but this will just meet the same fate as the mall that was there.

[BeerNut]

It's no Vessel...  Maybe they fear it will be overrun with Instas.  I'm no Insta but enjoy taking pictures of/with popular buildings on occasion.  Even I couldn't resist taking a picture of myself in the kaleidoscope mirror stairs in Tokyo.

[hindesky]

Saw a guard near by but he didn't say anything or maybe he did and I couldn't hear since I had my earbuds in listening to music 🎶

[j_cuevas713]

So what’s the timeline for The Houston Shops? They seemed ambitious as hell to get this side finished

[Nate99]

They're probably afraid ROWDY is going to stop by. 

It's visually interesting, they should be proud to have it all over the internet, I would think. 

[Montrose1100]

17 hours ago, hindesky said:

Saw a guard near by but he didn't say anything or maybe he did and I couldn't hear since I had my earbuds in listening to music 🎶

 

It looks like you're on the sidewalk. The photo above looks to be from on the plaza/private property.

As others have mentioned I don't get why someone would want to create such a photogenic space and yet discourage it. It's free advertising. If you create a destination people will come and even spend money.

Houston Center is really the only complex Downtown that is poised to create a street facing retail destination. Green Street is a whacky layout and a missed opportunity. The Fortresses of Louisiana & Smith Street aren't changing much. Main Street is a food and alcohol destination. The Skanska development is years and years away.

Anyway, sorry for the rant, thanks for sharing the picture. 

[H-Town Man]

On 12/12/2020 at 6:51 PM, Brooklyn173 said:

Taken today while the Security Guard shouted that I wasn't allowed to take a picture of the building. Apparently correct regarding copy write laws - who knew? - but a curious marketing decision.

Becoming a tourist city is going to be a sloooooooow process.

 

[Twinsanity02]

On 12/12/2020 at 6:51 PM, Brooklyn173 said:

Taken today while the Security Guard shouted that I wasn't allowed to take a picture of the building. Apparently correct regarding copy write laws - who knew? - but a curious marketing decision.

 

Back in 2001 my wife and I were in a busy government building in central Siberia. I was writing down some information displayed on a giant Public map. A security guard came over and told me I had to stop because that was not public information.  Hundreds of public people were going in and out of the public building. Go figure. Nevertheless I stopped. IMy wife and I were averse to jails, especially ones in Siberia.

[Houston19514]

17 minutes ago, Twinsanity02 said:

Back in 2001 my wife and I were in a busy government building in central Siberia. I was writing down some information displayed on a giant Public map. A security guard came over and told me I had to stop because that was not public information.  Hundreds of public people were going in and out of the public building. Go figure. Nevertheless I stopped. IMy wife and I were averse to jails, especially ones in Siberia.

I was once in Tulsa, in a newly remodeled section of the Williams Company headquarters complex (very much open to the public).  They had just spent millions of dollars putting in big high-tech offices with completely glass walls showing them off to the public spaces.  I paused in front of the glass walls, admiring their space (not taking pictures, not taking notes) and I was shooed away by a security doofus.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Houston19514

[hindesky]

One of the cool features of the remodel from yesterdays Houston Chronicle.

[Highrise Tower]

Transwestern does great work.

https://www.instagram.com/transwestern/?hl=en

[Highrise Tower]

wow!!

[X.R.]

On 1/31/2021 at 9:33 PM, j_cuevas713 said:

So what’s the timeline for The Houston Shops? They seemed ambitious as hell to get this side finished

Anyone know the above? Just looking at the brochures and stuff it seems to allude to a Q4 2021 finish but they haven't really done much as of yet...

Given the amount of tourists I see walking by the Shops and quizzically looking at it like "can we go in there?" every weekend I feel like just doing what they planned to do for the Shops would give it a big boost. It also would extend the Discovery Green/Austin St Bike lane foot traffic almost to Main, which would be huge. I hope its not scrapped. 

Edit: I was at a function for one of the tenants in Center One and the new renovations are fantastic, they did a lot of work inside that isn't even detailed in the brochure. The office I was at said theres so much added they almost didn't know what do with all of it/how to integrate all of the additional features into their work culture. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by X.R.

[Houston19514]

13 minutes ago, X.R. said:

Anyone know the above? Just looking at the brochures and stuff it seems to allude to a Q4 2021 finish but they haven't really done much as of yet...

Given the amount of tourists I see walking by the Shops and quizzically looking at it like "can we go in there?" every weekend I feel like just doing what they planned to do for the Shops would give it a big boost. It also would extend the Discovery Green/Austin St Bike lane foot traffic almost to Main, which would be huge. I hope its not scrapped. 

This brochure says "Proposed Grand Re-opening Spring 2022".  That seems ambitious at this point too. I imagine they've had some setbacks from the pandemic.

[sapo2367]

I've eaten lunch a few times in the new areas on the Houston Center side -- its really nice! Going to be great to see the shops get a similar facelift. Although there is a lot of traffic back in the food court etc, many of the storefronts remain closed.

[sapo2367]

https://www.puttshack.com/blog/puttshack-signs-new-lease-in-the-shops-at-houston-center

This looks cool

[j_cuevas713]

23 minutes ago, sapo2367 said:

https://www.puttshack.com/blog/puttshack-signs-new-lease-in-the-shops-at-houston-center

This looks cool

Now that is something we def need, more simple entertainment options. I love playing putt putt and getting hammered. Looks like this will coincide with the remodel.

Edited July 29, 2021 by j_cuevas713

[wilcal]

That's so legit! Exciting.

I think this will be the only putt putt course inside 610?

Edited July 29, 2021 by wilcal

[samagon]

nice.

I'll have to set up a team building exercise when this opens.

[Highrise Tower]

Wok N Roll at 4 Houston Center.

[j_cuevas713]

Maybe the competition will force Greenstreet to upgrade.

[Eastdwntwn]

To our valued tenants:

 

Following the successful redevelopment of downtown Houston’s largest office complex, Houston Center, earlier this year, Brookfield Properties today announced new plans to renovate and rebrand The Shops at Houston Center. Fulsome upgrades to the existing retail center – which will be renamed The Highlight – will create a fresh, modern destination in the heart of downtown Houston, and provide a thoughtful amenity mix for tenants and visitors alike.

 

Located at 1200 McKinney Street, The Highlight at Houston Center will offer 196,000 square feet of premium dining, retail and lifestyle services and will feature Puttshack, an upscale, tech-infused mini golf experience with global food and drink. The 26,000-square-foot venue is expected to open in late 2022 and helps establish this milestone project as an energetic downtown destination, with an authentic Houston flair.

 

Brookfield Properties has enlisted global architecture and design firm Gensler as the project architect to bring Houston Center’s retail space to life. Gensler’s comprehensive design aims to elevate the street presence through the addition of a dramatic multi-story entrance facing Discovery Green, which encourages visitors to enter into the reimagined food hall, and includes upgrades to the shell, public spaces, and an additional glass curtainwall.

 

Construction for this project is expected to commence before the 2021 year ends and will be led by Harvey Builders. Renderings of The Highlight at Houston Center can be found below.

 

For more information, please visit www.HoustonCenter.com.

[tigereye]

2 hours ago, Eastdwntwn said:

To our valued tenants:

 

Following the successful redevelopment of downtown Houston’s largest office complex, Houston Center, earlier this year, Brookfield Properties today announced new plans to renovate and rebrand The Shops at Houston Center. Fulsome upgrades to the existing retail center – which will be renamed The Highlight – will create a fresh, modern destination in the heart of downtown Houston, and provide a thoughtful amenity mix for tenants and visitors alike.

 

Located at 1200 McKinney Street, The Highlight at Houston Center will offer 196,000 square feet of premium dining, retail and lifestyle services and will feature Puttshack, an upscale, tech-infused mini golf experience with global food and drink. The 26,000-square-foot venue is expected to open in late 2022 and helps establish this milestone project as an energetic downtown destination, with an authentic Houston flair.

 

Brookfield Properties has enlisted global architecture and design firm Gensler as the project architect to bring Houston Center’s retail space to life. Gensler’s comprehensive design aims to elevate the street presence through the addition of a dramatic multi-story entrance facing Discovery Green, which encourages visitors to enter into the reimagined food hall, and includes upgrades to the shell, public spaces, and an additional glass curtainwall.

 

Construction for this project is expected to commence before the 2021 year ends and will be led by Harvey Builders. Renderings of The Highlight at Houston Center can be found below.

 

For more information, please visit www.HoustonCenter.com.

Not happy with this. I was really looking forward to an expanded street presence along the  McKinney St facade that would’ve really tied in well with the recently completed renovations and Discovery Green nearby. Could’ve really helped link Main St Square to Discovery Green with an active area. Instead, it’s been scaled back to a rear corner entrance for the food hall. 

Look at all the different designs they looked at. And this is the end result: Lipstick on pig. I really hate this city’s tendency to scale back projects. I guess we can’t have anything nice in this town. 
 

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by tigereye

[urbanize713]

It is scaled back? yes

Do I wish they had stuck with the original plans? yes

Were those plans drawn up before covid? yes

Was the construction that started before covid match the renderings? yes 

Did covid probably have a significant effects in altering those plans? Unfortunately, yes.

I hear you but at least we are still have some momentum in the right direction.