BLVD Place Mixed-Use: 1700 Post Oak Blvd.

[Houston19514]

Nah. I wish I could set up something like that, though. lol

My mom is in Houston for a few weeks, and she knows I was following the demolition so she took it upon herself to snap a picture and email it to me.

Awesome! Way to go, Mom!

[Mister X]

Unconditional love is so awesome.

[Pumapayam]

Nah. I wish I could set up something like that, though. lol

My mom is in Houston for a few weeks, and she knows I was following the demolition so she took it upon herself to snap a picture and email it to me.

Your mom should join HAIF. She'd fit right in.

[lockmat]

Was this demo work recent?

[lockmat]

Screen Shot 2012-05-24 at 3.53.05 PM by wools, on Flickr

Yeah, from the renderings, this is clearly going on the red lot above; the green lot will still be available for future high rises. Great news! And the new renderings look much better. Still not great, world-changing, visionary architecture.. but perfectly OK.

Also, amusing -- I guess they don't own that parking lot and no one would sell. It's in the renderings.

If you are correct that the red shaded area is where the Hanover highrise is going, that means their old spot, which is the green shaded area, is now available again. That seems kind of weird for them to change parcels, or maybe not? I don't know, but it seems like it. The red shaded area was supposed to be a hotel per blvd place's website.

[lockmat]

Hopefully it means Apache builds a corporate headquarters tower in the future. Always thought The Apache Tower had a nice ring to it.

You know, Apache just renewed a lease at Post Oak Central through 2018. Why the purchase now? Just getting it cheap and holding on to it until then?

http://www.crescent.com/files/news/1-30-12%20PO%20Apache%20renewal.pdf

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/26033-apache-expands-office-at-post-oak-central/

[SkylineView]

Out in 2018 would mean moving in 2017 would mean construction starts in 2015 which means design is done in 2014... (ish). So they have 18 months to plan their new home.

[Houston19514]

Exactly. 2018 is not as far away as it sounds.

[DevelopmentX]

I spoke with someone very close to the project and they gave me the following details on the sale of 6 acres to Apache:

All areas to the left of Blvd. Place Ln. (which runs through the center of the property) with the exception of Building #6 (which is where RDG, Philippe & Hermes are now located) have been sold to Apache.

This means that Buildings #4, #5 and the South Garage as illustrated in the renderings on the Blvd. Place website are no longer a part of Ed Wulfe's project.

What this means? Hermes which had signed a lease for a 2 story flagship location in the Northeast Corner of Building #4 facing Post Oak Blvd. has lost their long planned space. There is no word on what this means for the French luxury boutique which has flourished during the recession.

Additionally, other retailers "penciled in" for Building #5 were rumored to have been a new 20,000-25,000 sq. ft. Bloomingdale's location.

It makes one wonder how cohesive the development will be with Building #6 off on its own next to the Apache office tower.

As for the rest of the development, Hanover is breaking ground on a nice high-rise rental building and of course, the Whole Foods location will break ground late summer/early fall 2012 which a planned opening of February 2014.

The sale of the southern side of the development to Apache allows Wulfe to break ground on buildings #1,#1N, #1W, #2 & #3. Unfortunately, the only leases of note in the new buildings are:

Pinkberry

Ocean Prime seafood

an Aveda salon

These developments really leave me wishing that Houston could shed it's 1985 "Boom to Bust" reputation and attract the type of deep-pocketed investors who have the national and international reputation to secure a mix of "high end" and destination retail.

One has to wonder why the local leasing team has been unable to secure any high-profile leases after marketing the project for almost 6 years.

It's a shame as a prime parcel of land like this only comes into play once in a generation.

I'm pleased about the Whole Foods location, however at 48,500 sq. feet it now has the footprint of many of the suburban locations that the chain is building.

Where of where is Gerald Hines and his vision and international reputation when we need him?

Oh, that's right. He's developing a large commercial warehouse project near IAH. Things have changed so much.

Development X

[SkylineView]

Thanks for the info DevelopmentX... I have to ask though, why is this such a prime spot for a Whole Foods? There a Rice Epicurean literally across the street, and there's a Randalls Flagship one block down San Felipe. Going the other way is another Rice, a Target (full grocery store), and a Central Market. Given that Blvd place will ultimately have traffic and (if convenient) 'complicated' parking, I just don't see how this works... unless they really do put 1,000 residential units on the west side of the development, but that seems optimistic.

[swtsig]

You know, Apache just renewed a lease at Post Oak Central through 2018. Why the purchase now? Just getting it cheap and holding on to it until then?

http://www.crescent....che renewal.pdf

http://www.houstonar...st-oak-central/

b/c land values are cheaper now then they will be a few years down the road and mainly b/c ed wulfe was likely desperate to sell. i mentioned this a while back but a 5 yr lease for 500K sf is nothing more than a short term renewal. a firm like apache will have no problem vacating that space well before lease expiration if they so desire. it happens ALL the time... just look at nexen or murphy oil - both have decent term left on their existing leases but both will be relocating to new buildings on I-10.

and to SkylineView... not sure if that's a serious comment or not. you seem familiar enough with the area but to question why the corner of post oak and san felipe is "such a prime spot for a whole foods" seems odd at best. it will work exactly for that reason... it is practically the nexus of high-end houston. the same traffic doesn't seem to deter any other businesses in the area so i fail to see why it would deter a flagship (read: destination) WF. to site stores like rice, randalls and target as barriers to entry is - for lack of a better word - foolish. there could be zero residential in BLVD Place and a flagship WF would still do gangbusters. i'm still holding out that WF will come to their senses and increase their footpring closer to their original plans. you seem to forget how well eatzi's did in the exact same location or how well central market does with rice, costco and target within a stone's throw.

[lockmat]

Based off Development X's comments, is it likely Wulfe will alter the plans of the remaining development and possibly make it slightly bigger; not big enough that it covers the exact amount of space that was lost, but maybe at least add a quarter of it.

Also, a typical floor plate these days is 25,000 square feet, right? Is the 600,000 square feet Apache currently has in Post Oak Central the only office space they have in Houston? If so, that means about 24 floors of office space alone, and what, maybe an 8-story parking garage for a little over 32 stories total?

[LTAWACS]

I spoke with someone very close to the project and they gave me the following details on the sale of 6 acres to Apache:

All areas to the left of Blvd. Place Ln. (which runs through the center of the property) with the exception of Building #6 (which is where RDG, Philippe & Hermes are now located) have been sold to Apache.

This means that Buildings #4, #5 and the South Garage as illustrated in the renderings on the Blvd. Place website are no longer a part of Ed Wulfe's project.

What this means? Hermes which had signed a lease for a 2 story flagship location in the Northeast Corner of Building #4 facing Post Oak Blvd. has lost their long planned space. There is no word on what this means for the French luxury boutique which has flourished during the recession.

Additionally, other retailers "penciled in" for Building #5 were rumored to have been a new 20,000-25,000 sq. ft. Bloomingdale's location.

It makes one wonder how cohesive the development will be with Building #6 off on its own next to the Apache office tower.

As for the rest of the development, Hanover is breaking ground on a nice high-rise rental building and of course, the Whole Foods location will break ground late summer/early fall 2012 which a planned opening of February 2014.

The sale of the southern side of the development to Apache allows Wulfe to break ground on buildings #1,#1N, #1W, #2 & #3. Unfortunately, the only leases of note in the new buildings are:

Pinkberry

Ocean Prime seafood

an Aveda salon

These developments really leave me wishing that Houston could shed it's 1985 "Boom to Bust" reputation and attract the type of deep-pocketed investors who have the national and international reputation to secure a mix of "high end" and destination retail.

One has to wonder why the local leasing team has been unable to secure any high-profile leases after marketing the project for almost 6 years.

It's a shame as a prime parcel of land like this only comes into play once in a generation.

I'm pleased about the Whole Foods location, however at 48,500 sq. feet it now has the footprint of many of the suburban locations that the chain is building.

Where of where is Gerald Hines and his vision and international reputation when we need him?

Oh, that's right. He's developing a large commercial warehouse project near IAH. Things have changed so much.

Development X

Ugh. I guess we can pencil in another blundered vision for Houston.

[Houston19514]

I spoke with someone very close to the project and they gave me the following details on the sale of 6 acres to Apache:

All areas to the left of Blvd. Place Ln. (which runs through the center of the property) with the exception of Building #6 (which is where RDG, Philippe & Hermes are now located) have been sold to Apache.

This means that Buildings #4, #5 and the South Garage as illustrated in the renderings on the Blvd. Place website are no longer a part of Ed Wulfe's project.

What this means? Hermes which had signed a lease for a 2 story flagship location in the Northeast Corner of Building #4 facing Post Oak Blvd. has lost their long planned space. There is no word on what this means for the French luxury boutique which has flourished during the recession.

Additionally, other retailers "penciled in" for Building #5 were rumored to have been a new 20,000-25,000 sq. ft. Bloomingdale's location.

It makes one wonder how cohesive the development will be with Building #6 off on its own next to the Apache office tower.

As for the rest of the development, Hanover is breaking ground on a nice high-rise rental building and of course, the Whole Foods location will break ground late summer/early fall 2012 which a planned opening of February 2014.

The sale of the southern side of the development to Apache allows Wulfe to break ground on buildings #1,#1N, #1W, #2 & #3. Unfortunately, the only leases of note in the new buildings are:

Pinkberry

Ocean Prime seafood

an Aveda salon

These developments really leave me wishing that Houston could shed it's 1985 "Boom to Bust" reputation and attract the type of deep-pocketed investors who have the national and international reputation to secure a mix of "high end" and destination retail.

One has to wonder why the local leasing team has been unable to secure any high-profile leases after marketing the project for almost 6 years.

It's a shame as a prime parcel of land like this only comes into play once in a generation.

I'm pleased about the Whole Foods location, however at 48,500 sq. feet it now has the footprint of many of the suburban locations that the chain is building.

Where of where is Gerald Hines and his vision and international reputation when we need him?

Oh, that's right. He's developing a large commercial warehouse project near IAH. Things have changed so much.

Development X

I had gotten the impression that the Apache property would still be part of the Blvd Place development, and that, while obviously requiring a substantial redesign, there might still be a continuous flow of retail from end to end of the development. Is that not the case?

[Golyadkin]

I wouldn't be surprised, given the layout of the property, if the Apache site was designed into the BLVD site, rather than just its own thing sitting in the middle of another development.

Also, given that this site was sold to Apache, I'm assuming that the Astoria tower will now die?

[swtsig]

Astoria will end up elsewhere on post oak.

[SkylineView]

Well that's an interesting comment. Is it possible that the dilapidated trailer parked at the McDonalds on north Post Oak is the future sales office of something?

[lockmat]

Not sure if they used another rendering service/architect or what, but this is what Ocean Prime has on their website for BLVD Place

http://www.ocean-prime.com/oceanprimehouston.aspx

[Golyadkin]

Got back into town last night. Got quite a bit of a shock when I saw this across the street. I only have one picture for you guys today, but given how there hasn't been a photo of the site uploaded in a while, this one is rather big:

Not only is the building completely gone, but you can also see that they've put up banners of the different stores on the upper levels of the one completed building on the site.

['Stonian]

Thanks Golyadkin!

Question about a near by development - Have they started demolition of the old 24 hour fitness gym further down Post Oak for the proposed new office tower?

[Golyadkin]

Not that I can tell. From my window, the 24 Hour Fitness building still looks completely intact and there's no sign of any equipment around it.

[Golyadkin]

They appear to be starting to dig where the underground parking for the Whole Foods is going to be, and are filling in the pit where the Pavilion underground parking was with the dirt from it.

[ArchFan]

Yes, I was watching the dig from my office yesterday. They were excavating on the north side, about where Eatzi's was, and trucking the dirt over and dumping it in the south part of the hole where the Pavilion's underground parking was. It made me wonder if this was an indication that Apache's tower would not be directly adjacent (and north) of Phillippe. OTOH, I guess they could always move the dirt again later.

Also, they seem to have mostly cleared the Pavilion site, except for the concrete walls that were part of the underground Lowe's Cinema. Not sure what's going on there, but they seemed to be moving dirt around there too. In any case, its nice to see that there is activity over all of the BLVD Place site east of Post Oak Lane.

[Golyadkin]

They've started tearing into the last underground section, and have made a lot of progress clearing the site. They've also set up fences in the area where the Whole Foods is going and have what looks like chain link fencing ready to put up. What you can't really see in this picture is there appears to be some fencing over at the corner of San Felipe and Skylark, and there was an excavator working over there earlier today, so that might be an indication that the condo tower is moving ahead.

[bamaluke]

Anybody else notice the little parking lot at the corner of Skylark and San Felipe has been fenced off? There are a few pieces of construction equipment on site and a sign advertising a future location of Soverign Bank.

[Golyadkin]

This is a time lapse I made of the site on July 31. I just happened to pick the day they brought down the last wall. Unfortunately my camera stopped working for about 30 minutes during which they brought down one section, but I managed to catch the other section being taken down (it falls around 5:58). The bulldozer in the front also gives a really good idea of how they are filling in the hole with the dirt from the Whole Foods site.

Edited August 10, 2012 by Golyadkin

[brijonmang]

That was really interesting to watch, thanks for sharing. Looks like you've got a front row seat for watching this thing go up...so I think I speak for everyone when I say we expect weekly updates at the bare minimum

[Houston19514]

very cool. Thanks Golyadkin.

[Golyadkin]

That was really interesting to watch, thanks for sharing. Looks like you've got a front row seat for watching this thing go up...so I think I speak for everyone when I say we expect weekly updates at the bare minimum

I'll do my best. I travel a lot (for example I am writing this post from a waiting area at Tokyo Narita International Airport), but when I can, and when something of interest happens, I'm sure to update.

If I can get myself a proper intervalometer, I'll try to make some more of these time lapses of the site.

[Golyadkin]

With the exception of where the theater was, the site has now been pretty much entirely filled to street level, and they paved and opened up the bottom left corner as a driveway for the shops and restaurants:

Edited September 1, 2012 by Golyadkin