Shamrock Tower At 617 Main St.

[hokieone]

The only thing I didn't like about that article is the 2008 timeline, but that's life. Like someone just said, if the Days Inn conversion goes well, and the park actually gets started before we're all dead, then maybe they will push the timeline up.

[YakuzaIce]

I wish they would have started construction in around 2006 so it is done slightly after the park is done. But other than that this seems to be good news. Especially the fact that the days inn conversion is going forward as planned. I found Tracy's quote funny. "It's definitely a go," LOL

They saind that the one by the park may change in size by the time it starts. I wonder if by the time it gets built it will be bigger or smaller?

[houston-development]

Stalled project

Another residential project that's been simmering downtown for more than a year now appears to be on hold.

Up until about May, real estate agents had been pre-selling condominiums in a proposed high-rise called Shamrock Tower at the southeast corner of Main and Texas Avenue.

While the sign promoting the project is still prominently displayed on the site, the sales trailer there has closed.

And those who put down deposits for units in the building are getting their money back, said the developer, Tracy Suttles of NBC Holdings.

Suttles said he is still moving forward with the project, but that it might be revived as a rental building.

"It's definitely a go," he said.

link

here's my $0.02

in order to build condos, one must have sufficent reservations and pre-sales prior to groundbreaking (whatever the lender requires). however on an apartment deal, you don't need the sales, you only need a lender for a construction loan. if the market is there, he could then convert the deal into condos.

:insert "i told you so" here:

[The Great Hizzy!]

Know-it-all...

[WestGrayGuy]

I think the proposed residential tower project is the best possible scenario for this block in this part of downtown. This will add life to the future park. Also, retail follows people.

The East side of downtown is really picking up steam. With the Pavilions project, urban park and now the twin tower resiedential project this will soon become the center of activity.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I found Tracy's quote funny. "It's definitely a go," LOL

Ha-ha. Leave Tracy alone.

I'm really happy to hear about the progress on the Days Inn Conversion. It's a really big sore thumb in southern Downtown. With the new Metro Administration Bldg and the rail line, it would be nice to see the big empty trio (Central Square, Days Inn, Savoy) see rejuvenation. Then maybe filling in the excess parking lots will get off the ground.

One positive I've heard is that there is serious interest in the land directly north of the METRO building (parking lot right now), so this bolds well for this intersection as well. I tend to believe that a building reconstruction will take place before a new residential tower anyway so news about the Days Inn really is good news.

[nmainguy]

link

here's my $0.02

in order to build condos, one must have sufficent reservations and pre-sales prior to groundbreaking (whatever the lender requires).  however on an apartment deal, you don't need the sales, you only need a lender for a construction loan.  if the market is there, he could then convert the deal into condos.

:insert "i told you so" here: 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, houston-developement. I fonly they could come up with a better desighn. When Frank Lloyd Wright came to Houston to accept the 1949 AIA Gold Medal Award at the original Shamrock Hotel on S. Main, he said "I see the sham-where's the rock?" It applied then and certianly applies to the current design.

[kjb434]

I have no issue with the 2008 timeline.

That conversion will probably not be done until 2007. The park will probably not be done until 2008 or about time of the completion of the residential building.

I'm just happier to see a real company that knows what it is doing versus the Shamrock group.

[sevfiv]

re: days inn

thank the baby jeebus!

[LTAWACS]

re: days inn

thank the baby jeebus!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

:roofles:

[houstonsemipro]

link

here's my $0.02

in order to build condos, one must have sufficent reservations and pre-sales prior to groundbreaking (whatever the lender requires).  however on an apartment deal, you don't need the sales, you only need a lender for a construction loan.  if the market is there, he could then convert the deal into condos.

:insert "i told you so" here: 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

^How many times we've heard of this? They come and go, like Shamrock. Alot of developers want to build downtown, but are they successful? No. Well, some are.

Just watch the Houston Pavillions. They gonna come up with some lame excuse about, its a delay in the project to push the project back into limbo.

I've got excited once about downtown, but now I'm not. I see why people rather the subburbs instead of downtown. Hell, I rather live in uptown. It's growing twice as faster then downtown.

I say this is another bomber.

[YakuzaIce]

I have no issue with the 2008 timeline.

That conversion will probably not be done until 2007.  The park will probably not be done until 2008 or about time of the completion of the residential building.

I'm just happier to see a real company that knows what it is doing versus the Shamrock group.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well it says the park will be done late '07. The building probably won't be done till late '09. But it is good to get a reputible company. Some people are acting that because the shamrock was a sham all projects for downtown will likely not pan out too.

BTW I just felt like saying this. I just scared myself (probably it didn't help I was just reading posts about terrorists hitting houston), I was watching the History ch. and it showed a news report of an explosion downtown, that freaked me out. Then I remembered I was watching something about the Oklahoma city bombing.

[LTAWACS]

Calm down...

[YakuzaIce]

Calm down...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lol, it was kind of freaky for a second.

[H-Town Man]

I agree, houston-developement. I fonly they could come up with a better desighn. When Frank Lloyd Wright came to Houston to accept the 1949 AIA Gold Medal Award at the original Shamrock Hotel on S. Main, he said "I see the sham-where's the rock?" It applied then and certianly applies to the current design.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Frank Lloyd Wright was a nut. He thought that Fifth Avenue in New York was a collection of horrors, and that the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a barn. He thought every American should live in identical, shoebox-shaped glass houses. He basically hated any building that was taller than it was wide (except for his own Mile High Building), because he couldn't stand humans being arrogant towards nature. It's the same misanthropy that you see in modern environmentalism - kinda like you're ashamed that human beings exist to trample on nature, but you grudgingly realize that there's going to have to be buildings for them to live and work in, so you come up with the most unobtrusive and apologetic design possible. Go to this guy's house in Oak Park, IL and walk around for five minutes, and you'll see that he was a nut. Sure he was a genius, great designs and all, but he was a nut.

[The Great Hizzy!]

LOL @ "Calm down"

[Houstonian in Iraq]

an explosion downtown, that freaked me out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah at first.....then you get use to them. Unless it's a couple hundred feet or closer, don't really get use to those.....said too much

SOO....the Days INN is getting cleaned up. Cool

[nmainguy]

I'm glad the "Shamrock" went bottoms up. It was as bad a design as the original Shamrock Hotel. As FLW said upon arriving to accept the 1949 AIA Gold Medal Award: "I see the sham-where's the rock?"

That's a GREAT city block on Main Street! Why trash it up with...trash? We're better than that.

[bachanon]

"I see the sham-where's the rock?" - frank lloyd wright

you gotta love that old iconoclast (FLW). that's a great quote.

[infinite_jim]

Whoever put that pediment on top should have his architecture license taken away.

but then how would we have known that an "architect" designed it!

[nmainguy]

Frank Lloyd Wright was a nut.  He thought that Fifth Avenue in New York was a collection of horrors, and that the Metropolitan Museum of Art was a barn.  He thought every American should live in identical, shoebox-shaped glass houses.  He basically hated any building that was taller than it was wide (except for his own Mile High Building), because he couldn't stand humans being arrogant towards nature.  It's the same misanthropy that you see in modern environmentalism - kinda like you're ashamed that human beings exist to trample on nature, but you grudgingly realize that there's going to have to be buildings for them to live and work in, so you come up with the most unobtrusive and apologetic design possible.  Go to this guy's house in Oak Park, IL and walk around for five minutes, and you'll see that he was a nut.  Sure he was a genius, great designs and all, but he was a nut.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

YIKES!!! been to Oak Park...but YIKES!!! anyway...take a pill?

[citykid09]

http://www.acme.com/heartmaker/

[YakuzaIce]

Wow I was just looking at the paper and this is going to look good at street level most likely. Judging by the pic in the paper there are medium sized trees on three sides of the lot. That would be nice if they put retail, then you could shop and have shade while you are doing it. I hope they don't tear them down during construction though.

[texasboy]

Does anyone else think that the rendering looks just like TheMark in Uptown..with a little bit more green?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you have a point. especially with the corner balconies.

[nmainguy]

you have a point.  especially with the corner balconies.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The first picture IS the Mark (i think?) Isn't that the Bristol peaking out on the lower left?

[Subdude]

As for the highrise by the park, I'll believe it when I see it. These proposals get made time and time again but never seem to happen. Whatever happened to the one that was supposed to be across from the Doubletree Hotel anyway? It makes sense for them to wait, though, to see how the Houston Pavilllions project shakes out.

Re: the old Days/Holiday Inn conversion, this is great news! That thing has been an eyesore for so long. The big advantage in converting old buildings such as this is that construction costs are so much cheaper. The frame, floors, and garage are all already in place. Lower construction costs mean that less financing is needed than with a new tower (eg Shamrock), so the project economics are more likely to work and it is less risky.

[Subdude]

There are a number of duplicate Shamrock discussions going on, so I'm closing this one. This one was moved to the Downtown section since "Going Up" no longer seems appropriate.

[H-Town Man]

YIKES!!! been to Oak Park...but YIKES!!! anyway...take a pill?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All I will say is, if they had had pills a hundred years ago, American architecture would be different. That's all I'll say. Btw, when you were at Oak Park, did you see the grand piano hanging across the staircase?

Nut.

[houston-development]

hmmmm... i wonder if this thread will ever move back into the going up section

on a side note, tracy has put his kirby mansion up for sale. keep in mind that just a couple of months ago, he was threatened with foreclosure.

For sale: one mansion

A local real estate developer has put his River Oaks mansion on the market for $11.75 million.

Apartment owner and developer Tracy Suttles bought the 22,000-square-foot home in 2002 for around $6.25 million.

Located on three acres at 1000 Kirby Drive, the property was built in the mid-1980s for Prince Abdul Faisal of Saudi Arabia.

The home has nine bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, servants' quarters and a pool with a cabana, kitchen and dressing areas.

The front doors alone were said to have cost $100,000

[ajl1986d]

i was just wondering whatever happend to the shamrock tower downtown