Houstonian in Iraq Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 "It's a strategic property that lies in front of the new park," he said.The land is bordered by Austin, LaBranch, McKinney and Lamar. Is this right? That would make it the green space between the proposed new park and the shops. I would rather see a surface lot go away. I hope the Chronicle printed the wrong streets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 We should name this park White Elephant. And even though I'm a proud Cougar, Hakeem Olajuwon does not impress me as developer. Does he develop anything? Seems like all the does is sit and flip. You think he could do his adopted hometown proud. I am still waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 unfortunately, this property has been mentioned in the past as available for possible development. my hope was that it would continue to be a gateway to parkspace from the park shops, four seasons, etc. it will be sad if the park shops renovation "opens up" to the park space and then the finger company sticks them with a view of the backside of some mediocre residential structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 The Shops has very little window space, so having a new residential tower facing it will not hurt anything. In fact, The Shops is probably elated that Olajuwan has leased the property to someone who will actually BUILD something. Olajuwan never does. All in all, it sounds like the park is doing what it is supposed to do, and they haven't even broken ground yet. The park and Pavillions are currently set to be completed just months apart. That could create a lot of interest in any residential developments that are announced there. As always, the consumer interest will not come until dirt is moved. Developers won't commit until the numbers are right. But, the trend is encouraging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Olajuwon rarely develops properities. Mostly, he buys low and sells high--in other words, an investor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 i read that the plans for the park shops renovation included new window space opening up towards this lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Olajuwon rarely develops properities. Mostly, he buys low and sells high--in other words, an investor.He has done well in downtown. He must be psychic - how in the world could he have thought to buy land near MMP and the downtown park. I just don't get it ;-)He's no better than a slumlord IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 ...mediocre residential structure. Trust me, folks, the price of leasing this particular block of land had to be so incredibly high that NOTHING mediocre could possibly be built here and work. You can either expect the best of the best or you can expect nothing at all. Trust me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Why would anyone automatically assume that the development will be mediocre? Doesn't make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Why would anyone automatically assume that the development will be mediocre? Doesn't make sense. I actually assumed that it would be anything BUT mediocre. I also assume that if a 99 year lease was signed, something WILL be built, unlike some other projects. Also, anyone who's been to The Shops knows that the windows on that end of the mall are for the Food Court. Who cares if fast food junkies get a view of the new park over residents of a multi-million dollar residential tower? Maybe blocking the view will make them walk off the grease they just consumed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 He has done well in downtown. He must be psychic - how in the world could he have thought to buy land near MMP and the downtown park. I just don't get it ;-)He's no better than a slumlord IMHO.I have personally dealt with Hakeem in two particular business dealings and I can tell you he's as cheap as they come. He has very little concern for anything other than his bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 unfortunately, this property has been mentioned in the past as available for possible development. my hope was that it would continue to be a gateway to parkspace from the park shops, four seasons, etc. it will be sad if the park shops renovation "opens up" to the park space and then the finger company sticks them with a view of the backside of some mediocre residential structure.They (the Park Shops) will have only themselves to blame. Crescent Real Estate (the owner of the Park Shops) owned the subject block for years and just sold it a year or two ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Finger's specialty is mid-range apartment complexes. It would be interesting to see if that's what they plan for this site, perhaps something like the Calais or Ventana apartments. I can't see them taking the risk of branching out into highrises, and a low-rise complex would be more affordable for more potential residents, which is what downtown needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Why would anyone automatically assume that the development will be mediocre? Doesn't make sense.do you think that the calais or ventana are first rate? museum tower is nice, i'll give you that. perhaps they have something to prove and will top museum tower (with retail on the ground floor). when i read that it was the finger companies, i immediately thought of taupe, beige, yellow or orange fake stucco. yucch! the point others have made about the land value on this block and the necessity of something nice has altered my perception of what might occur here.i still prefer the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 I prefer the park too, and I don't think the Calais or Ventana are first rate, but I would like to see decent affordable apartments downtown. I could see something like the Museum Tower working, but I think the market of people who can afford luxury housing and want to live downtown is somewhat limited. That was part of the problem with the Shamrock proposal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Ventana and Calais are not Finger properties. And, Subdude, Finger has already "branched out into highrises" with the Museum Tower. I would be surprised to see a low- or mid-rise development on this property. I would the cost of the land would require building higher to make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 my bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 i read that the plans for the park shops renovation included new window space opening up towards this lot. OH NO!!!! (sorry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 i still prefer the park. Ditto that. I'm always for more parks downtown [and apparently remain in the minority]. I never thought Hakeem the Flipper would ever do anything with it except: flip it. I don't fault him for it-it's just wrong to say he's a "developer". Anyway, I'll hope for the best but in my heart I wish it would stay a park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Also, anyone who's been to The Shops knows that the windows on that end of the mall are for the Food Court. Who cares if fast food junkies get a view of the new park over residents of a multi-million dollar residential tower? Maybe blocking the view will make them walk off the grease they just consumed. If they can add windows, I suppose the food court could be reconfigured as well. The problem remains that somehow The Shops (The Park at Houston Center?) just never quite worked. Even with access from the tunnel system, street level and skywalks, the place didn't draw crowds, perhaps because its square footage is on so many levels. Those damn escalators! A mere 20 years after it was built, it looks tired and dated. Too good to tear down, but not good enough to rennovate. Is there any hope for the place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigereye Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 A mere 20 years after it was built, it looks tired and dated. Too good to tear down, but not good enough to rennovate. Is there any hope for the place?Yes there is hope. Crescent knows competition is coming in the Pavilions.....so dont be surprised is the finished renovated product is totally diferent form what's there now. The place needs new energy to attract.....and it will get it. The plans I've heard about call for stores to have there own street level entrences and signage. My hope is that they will also have a mix of different facades to make the Park Shops more resemble a brightly developed urban area (like Houston Pavillions) instead of the big-box mall single facade look it has now. But the biggest hope for The Park is the residential towers that will hopefully spring up around the big downtown park. This will bring more people to the area, more potiential clients and visitors, throught its doors given the fact that its so close. Build this residential tower and as many more of them as can be built in this area....create an urban village adround the downtown park and watch The Park Shops prosper. That's why I will say that I'm all for a residential tower on this block. The point about the value and length of the lease signed hit the nail on the head.....something grand will be built there, no doubt. Hopefully it will be linked to the Park and its lobby will have retail and feature high ceilings and widows opening up to views of the Park so as to serve as an indirect link or extension of The Park to the downtown park itself. I would not rule that out by any strectch of the imagination as it would definitly serve as an added amenity to attract potiential buyers away from other residential towers nearby. You ask if there is hope.......the downtown park is bringing hope for The Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Here are renovation renderings and floor plans for The Shops at Houston Center http://www.theshopsathoustoncenter.com/shc/renovateR.asp Other than some new lipstick, it is basicly the same. The street level is maxed out as far as any more retail goes. You still have to go up 3 floors to access the majority of the tennants. So it seems it will remain the same 9-5 destination for fast food-which takes up almost a full half of the space on level 2. No amount of signage on the exterior bunker walls could salvage this disaster-at-birth of a building. Let's hope whatever get's built on the new block takes no cues from this miserable failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 The problem with the Park mall is that it was built according to the original scheme for Houston Center. As it was originally planned, the main level of the whole complex was to have been a couple floors up, with the street level to be devoted solely to service uses such as delivery zones and parking. The plan eventually was abandoned because the public at the time didn't like the idea of the streets becoming dark tunnels under a giant platform. It will be hard to ever make the Park shops "urban" because it was designed to not have a street presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Trust me, folks, the price of leasing this particular block of land had to be so incredibly high that NOTHING mediocre could possibly be built here and work. You can either expect the best of the best or you can expect nothing at all.Trust me Update: Per this week's edition of the Houston Business Journal, it is now part of the public domain that the residential tower on Finger's block will be 38 stories in height. I told you it wouldn't be mediocre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 It's a shame the city didn't just buy this and add it to the park. They wouldn't have had to do very much work on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houstonian in Iraq Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 It's a shame the city didn't just buy this and add it to the park. They wouldn't have had to do very much work on it.Yeah and build the new building on a surface lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovernorAggie Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Had to take away this park, huh? I hate that will happen. But then to think about it, with the snazzy new park just across the street and a very wide 4 lane road separating the two, would the current park get as much use after the new park is open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houstonian in Iraq Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 Had to take away this park, huh? I hate that will happen. But then to think about it, with the snazzy new park just across the street and a very wide 4 lane road separating the two, would the current park get as much use after the new park is open?True, out with the old in with the new plus added residents so it's not that bad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 i loved the park, cause it was the first area i went too to eat with my fam, the first time i ever went downtown, kinda got memories there, but i like the idea of a structure there, start taking up these flat lots for oncehey i like those renderings, very very nice, when is thing supposed to kick off, i mean when they added all those dumb signs with lights and crap i was like is this that big old renovation they were talking bout, i must say i was very dissapointed, but now that i see it isnt the complete renovation i cant wait for things to change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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