Houston Construction Updates

[ricco67]

I think this would probably be a faster way to get more residents into downtown, spuring further development. Having living space outside of downtown proper would actually be a smart thing since it's more "isolated" from all the music and noise and still be within relatively easy distance to all the amenities that downtown has to offer.

I don't recall when the renovations will begin or be completed..but it can be done faster then building an entire building from scratch. It would save a considerable amount of money on all sides (one would hope so, anyway).

Hopefully if the new LandCo building (Hotel or whatever it's going to be called) will spur some additional residential development/shopping down in that area.

Logic would indicate that perhaps a building going up in that area would be more logical if there is a pool of living spaces nearby.

IF the shamrock gets started (I hope it's soon!), it will then depend on the vacancy rate and future projections of occupied space in the business office areas for them to be able to think they could make more money.

Saying that, I just recently ran into a bartender that works downtown and he stated that business has died since the baseball season was over. Death being a relative term because I neglected to ask how many "regulars" still show up. He seemed rather hopefull of the Texans, Aeros, and Rocket crowds.

Does anyone have any stats as to how the various business along main (and one block around) is doing?

Ricco

[Subdude]

This is in regard to houstonsemipro's article posted.

I am all for revitalization and renovation of old historic buildings, but don't sometimes you wish they built a new structure for these condos or hotels going up to fill in some of these parking lots.  When is the last time a condo highrise in downtown wss constructed anyway?  Shamrock Tower will be the first in how many years?

There is a separate topic thread about the old Holiday Inn conversion in the Downtown section. Link to topic

[largeTEXAS]

Remember, ING Clarion will start construction fairly soon on its condo project on the west side of DT.

[midtown_resident]

Are you referring to the Orion?

[Guest danax]

The Westheimer was to be a mid-rise condo project with 70+ units (on Westheimer, east of Dunlavy). They went quite a lot further than the Shamrock developers have gone, tearing down existing buildings, putting up a fence, erecting the obligatory sign with rendering of the completed structure, etc. At one time they boasted that 30% of the units had already been 'pre-sold'. They even went so far as to pour the footings. That was quite a few years ago.

You can see them for yourself, because there's still no building on top of them to obstruct the view. They have, however, taken down the sign.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yep, I worked in the same office with the guy who was trying to broker the financing for The Westheimer back in about 1999-2000. They had a lot of pre-sales and brochures etc. but could never get more than a relatively small percentage of the financing needed. I remember the broker telling the developer to go get some guys out there to shovel dirt around to attract the investors and I think they actually had contracts requiring them to start certain phases by certain deadlines, ie; pour the footings, when in reality they never had the financing secured. They had the bad luck to have had the stock market crashing at the same time which probably spooked potential investors.

[YakuzaIce]

Are you referring to the Orion?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Condo tower on downtown horizon

ING Clarion maps plan for residential high-rise, parking garage, historic redevelopment projectBy Jennifer Dawson

Houston Business Journal

Updated: 8:00 p.m. ET June 06, 2004The next skyscraper to be built in downtown Houston may have more to do with bedrooms than boardrooms.

ING Clarion has drafted a master plan for development of a two-block area downtown.

According to a source involved in the project, the plan includes construction of a 30-story condominium tower and a 475-space parking garage with an underground tunnel, along with the renovation of a historic building.

The proposed development covers the 1111 Bagby block occupied by ChevronTexaco Heritage Plaza, plus a surface parking lot catty-corner to the office building and across the street from the Doubletree Hotel.

The parking lot would become residential high-rise condos designed to overlook Sam Houston Park. ING Clarion bought the parking lot in December 2002 from the oil-rich Blaffer family.

The market may be suited for a another downtown high-rise residential project, if preliminary interest in the nearby Shamrock Tower condominium is any indication.

The project being developed at 617 Main by Tracy Suttles, president of NBC Holdings, is named after the old Shamrock Hotel, the Houston landmark near the Texas Medical Center that was demolished in the late 1980s.

Tomas Bruncke of Keller Williams Realty says 51 percent of Shamrock Tower's 280 units already have been reserved by prospective buyers who put down a $1,000 deposit.

Bruncke says that once certain approvals are in place, reservations can be converted into earnest money contracts by the end of June, with construction slated to start in August.

Minnette Boesel, who has been involved in redeveloping and marketing some of downtown's most notable properties, says the intersection of Allen Parkway and Bagby would be a "very good" location for the proposed ING Clarion project.

"It's on the edge of the core of the business district," says the principal of Minnette Boesel Properties Inc.

Unlike other luxury high-rises, the project would not be able to use downtown views as a prime selling point. But Boesel notes that the views north into the park and west along Allen Parkway would be unobstructed.

"Nothing could ever be built in front of it," she says. "That's an interesting location."

Bill Franks, president of Spire Realty Group, says more residential deals like this are needed if Houston's Central Business District is going to grow into a 24-hour downtown.

"If we are truly to eventually end up with a residential component in downtown that we need to support the 'new downtown,' projects like this are going to need to take place," Franks says.

"That area of the CBD is a very desirous area," he adds. "It's got great visibility."

[111486]

That sounds like great news Yazuka. This area seems more desirable than the Shamrock Tower area. Shamrock Tower is located in the older more gritty part of downtown. This building sounds like it will be located near the Skyline District where it is more clean and modern. Which area do you think people would want to live in? I think it is a given. Plus you are in walking distance to Eleanor Tinsley Park.

[ricco67]

There are pluses and minuses to any home site selection whether it's in the burbs, the heights, midtown, or downtown. Shamrock's location while located in a "older" and "gritty" section of downtown, does this mean we should not build in older sections of town simply because they're not trnedy or desirable?

As far as "Orion" being within walking distance to ETPark as opposed to Shamrock (or any other place in downtown) is sheer lunacy. Anyone who can handle a walk of 15 minutes or so can easily handle it.

Your statement is total madness, and surely you can see how flawed that statement is, can't you?

[111486]

There are pluses and minuses to any home site selection whether it's in the burbs, the heights, midtown, or downtown.    Shamrock's location while located in a "older" and "gritty" section of downtown, does this mean we should not build in older sections of town simply because they're not trnedy or desirable?

As far as "Orion" being within walking distance to ETPark as opposed to Shamrock (or any other place in downtown) is sheer lunacy.  Anyone who can handle a walk of 15 minutes or so can easily handle it.

Your statement is total madness, and surely you can see how flawed that statement is, can't you?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought what Yazuka posted, was in front of Texaco Heritage. I am not saying that they shouldn't build in the older sections. I am just saying more people are probably going to want to live in the location where this building is going up. I said nothing about Orion. Isn't Texaco Heritage near ETPark? Isn't this article about development near Texaco Heritage, or did I just read it wrong?

[ricco67]

Well, to be honest, I was just thinking about Orion and I believe that it is going to be constructed right near THP. Just threw that in there as I was typing. The hazard of being a speedy typist.

Personally while the orion's location would be visually pleasing, and a great addition to the skyline, I would much rather have the skyline march south and east instead of the already crowded west side.

The more we can have more development build towards the south, center, and east, then a more vibrant downtown would be possible.

Ricco

[guess]

Well, to be honest, I was just thinking about Orion and I believe that it is going to be constructed right near THP.  Just threw that in there as I was typing. The hazard of being a speedy typist.

Personally while the orion's location would be visually pleasing, and a great addition to the skyline, I would much rather have the skyline march south and  east instead of the already crowded west side. 

The more we can have more development build towards the south, center, and east, then a more vibrant downtown would be possible.

Ricco

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Orion is not being built downtown. You are thinking of something else.

[dbigtex56]

Orion is not being built downtown.  You are thinking of something else.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are correct, sir.

While the Orion may very well be within walking distance of Eleanor Tinsley Park, it's from the opposite direction, being a couple miles from downtown.

[LTAWACS]

They need to build more in downtown.

Also, the dieoces has had the land for some time now. They dont have the $ to start. Trust me. If they do, what are they wating for? This news came out in 2000 or so.

[houston-development]

Yep, I worked in the same office with the guy who was trying to broker the financing for The Westheimer back in about 1999-2000. They had a lot of pre-sales and brochures etc. but could never get more than a relatively small percentage of the financing needed. I remember the broker telling the developer to go get some guys out there to shovel dirt around to attract the investors and I think they actually had contracts requiring them to start certain phases by certain deadlines, ie; pour the footings, when in reality they never had the financing secured. They had the bad luck to have had the stock market crashing at the same time which probably spooked potential investors.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

actually, the westheimer was being financed through money mortgage. they had +/- 75% pre-sales when mm went belly up:

MORTGAGE INVESTMENT COMPANY UNDER INVESTIGATION

HOUSTON (HoustonChronicle.com)

[ricco67]

Okay...

This is what's happening at the Shamrock. As you can see from the pictures below all they have really done is put some sort of tarp so you can't really see in. As far as parking on the INSIDE of that area goes, I have no clue. But it looks like it's about ready to be closed off because there IS a gate that looks like it can shut out access.

Ricco

[Montrose1100]

Looks like somthing is happening... Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Talbot]

Well, Im crossing my fingers that something starts real soon.

[midtown_resident]

I parked on that lot last night...and so did many others. The lot still operates as it did pre-fence. I wonder if they will close it in the near term...the new groundbreak date is set to be December now right?

[houstonsemipro]

UTMB LAB

Proposed $147 Million lab. When completed in 2008, the lab will rise 7 stories and design will be able to withstand winds of at least 140 mph.

Public Comment on the draft will be accepted until Dec. 17. Officials hope the final report will be ready by March and constructionis slated to begin next year.

[houstonsemipro]

NEW MOVIE THEATER IN CONOE

The theater complex will anchor a multiuse shopping center facility, which will include other retail dining and entertainment venues. It is slated to open spring 2005 on the corner of League Line Rd. and Interstate 45. Once built, the complex will contain 14 screens with auditoriums seating between 100 and 300 moviegoers.

[houstonsemipro]

KINGWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GETS AN UPGRADE

Conversion of the Kingwood 9th Grade campus to a four-year comprehensive High School. With this $30 Million, 220,000 sqaure foot addition, Kingwood Park High School will open in August 2006.

[houstonsemipro]

NEW SKATE PARK IN PEARLAND

The city hired Clark Condon Associates, a Houston Landscaping Architects firm, to design the expansion, which also would include a picnic area, soccer fields and restrooms. The city also has a plan to develop a trail system from the park along the creek to eventually stretch to the area by the Silverlake neighborhood. The design for the proposed 15,000 square-foot skate park includes skating courses with a large upper-deck space around the perimeter of the park. The proposed skate park would also have a place for bike riders.

Notes The city is considering a plan to create the community's first skate park as part of a project to expand Centennial Park on Mclean Rd at Mary's Creek. "the city would have a footbridge constructed to connect the 22-acre expansion to Centennial" City Council us yet to appove the budget for the next fiscal year that would include the Centennial Park Expansion plan that includes the skate park. "the budgeting process willbe complete by September." The city has asked the deign companies to fine-tune their plans for the skate facility and the expanded Centennial Park area. After those plans are completeed this summer, they will be presented to City Council for a decision. Robbie Gill, the Y's Executive driector, said if City Council appoves the plan, construction can occur as early as October, and the skate park could open next summer. The YMCA will launch a fund-raising drive for the project, now estimated to cost about $190,000.00 Gill said.

[houstonsemipro]

NEW SUGARLAND METHODIST HOSTPITAL

Phase One is expected to be completed by 2007. It will include a 250-bed hospital building, a 120,000-square-foot medical office building and a 750-car parking garage.

Phase Two of this project includes a new 140-bed facility and a 750-car parking garage. A challenge for phase 2 is the storm sewer on the property.

Phase Three will include a 14-bed tower, 120 sf office building and 175-car parking garage

[houstonsemipro]

Katy is building an Katy ISD Multi Purpose Arena.

[houstonsemipro]

Warehouse to become lower-cost Lofts/Minute Maid

Silvestri Investments purchased the five-story, 80,000 sqft building. (The former Owner was TLC America of California). While the plans are not final, the building will likely have between 50 and 60 loft condominiums. Silvestri has hired local architect Tim Cisneros of Cisneros Design Studio to design the lofts. The building sale also came with a smaller warehouse, which will be converted into a parking garage. Instead of high-rise office buildings, the property's downtown neighbors include a homeless shelter, a Mexican restaurant and funky art studios. But because the property is not surrounded by skyscrapers, the lofts will have better views.

[houstonsemipro]

SHAMROCK TOWER

The site is a parking lot cater-cornered from the Rice Lofts. The project will have about 250 units,with an average price of around $300,000. Some of the most expensive units at the top will be prices at more than $1 million. The developer is not expected to break ground on the project until about 30 percent of the units are sold, If the devlopment proceeds as planned, the building would be ready for occupancy in 2006.

[houstonsemipro]

Houston, Town & Country Hospital

A new $70 million hospital and medical office building are being developed in west Houston by a group of doctors who want more control of the helath care services they provide. Houston Town & Country Hospital is coming out of the ground near the northwest corner of Interstate 10 & Beltway 8. The 105-bed, acute care hospital will be four stories tall, have 128,000 sqft of space and cost roughly $50 million. A five story, $20 million medical office building with 120,000 sqft of space is being constructed next to the hospital. The two buildings, which will be connected by an atrium, will be situated on a 26 acre campus across the street from the Wal-Mart on Westview. The medical complex will stretch along Westview, from the Beltway to Brittmoore, with no frontage on Interstate 10. The hospital and medical building were designed by Davis Stokes Collaborative of Nashville. R.J. Griffin & Co of Atlanta is handling construction of the project. The community hospital will feature eight surgical suites, four minor procedure rooms, a full service emergency room, diagnostic imaging center, laboratory and pharmacy. Of the facility's 105 rooms, 70 are private rooms with acute care beds and 35 will be leased to a long term acute care hospital. The project's site plan shows room for possible expansion if that's warranted in the future.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I hope they're gutting some of that unused warehouse space to make room for that new T&C medical complex. The lot with the silos in particular is just dead land that's become an even bigger eyesore than it was 15 years ago.

[houstonsemipro]

Downtown developers preserving history

07:51 PM CST on Wednesday, November 17, 2004

By Mike Zientek / 11 News

Click to watch video

Houston has for years been known as a city that throws away its history, tearing down old buildings to put up new ones.

Not long ago that trend began to be reversed, and a trickle of preservation awareness has now turned into a flood.

More and more, downtown Houston's future is being defined by its past.

"Well Main Street was the hub of Houston, and they were right in the heart of activity downtown," says Bob Fretz.

Fretz is remodeling the building at 420 Main. Houstonians knew it as Byrd's Department Store 70 years ago.

Here in the 21st century, the place where people shopped will be the place where people now sleep.

Fretz is turning the venerable building into lofts.

"There are a total of five in this building, each of them custom designed, custom built," he says.

The spaces are wide, the layout is modern, but the windows are pieces of history. "It's a steel casement window. They were set back in 1934 and operate as well today as the day they were put in," says Fretz.

The exterior retains most of the original limestone, as demolition was not an option.

"Maybe we could have torn something down and built something cheaper, but what would we have lost?" he says.

"This type of project is ideal in the eyes of downtown Houston planners. that's because it's a blending of the new with the old." But Fretz's building by no means stands alone. More and more downtown developers are preserving the past.

"You're giving a sense of history of a city. You're seeing it from its earliest days to its most contemporary days," redevelopment authority Minnette Boesel.

Fretz had extra incentive to keep history alive. The original blueprints come from his grandfather's company.

Now he's proving the old adage that everything old is new again.

[UrbaNerd]

In the T&C area, I really hope they get rid of that nasty old "BAZAAR" building! It is like a flea market now, but the building is ugly, and it sits on a huuge parking lot.