BLVD Place Mixed-Use: 1700 Post Oak Blvd.

[The Great Hizzy!]

If so, that'll be great. Almeda is a nicely done road. I hope they include the streetlights, too.

[tierwestah]

why not uptown?

To tell the truth I like uptown better than downtown. I like downtown, but uptown is whats happening. Mabe if downtown had going on what uptown does, I would feel the same about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey KID, i just wanted to say i agree with you on that matter. Uptown does have a better VIBE to me than downtown, although i am excited at downtown's potential and hope it becomes the true city center with everything to offer. I remember getting in to it with this JOKE of a poster by the name of Professional Hornblower over this matter in one thread, who decided to criticize my perception rather than considering all factors.

[C2H]

I would like to put my 2 cents in on this one. I am sort of biased on this one.

First, i feel that Downtown should be the premeir destination over anything else in this city, with the amentities, urban style living, and everything else. END OF STORY. Downtown is more than likely going to be the first major attraction before anything else in this city due to its massive size. Sadly to say, there are many close-minded people who like to judge a city by its downtown only.

While Uptown is a good thing to have in this city, the fact that its located in West Houston runs the risk of it being missed by those petty visitors who want to deem Houston as UGLY based on their first impressions off I-45. I love Uptown because Uptown actually rivals many cities downtowns, even our own.

I think a city's vibrancy should be more than one area, it should be primarily Downtown but not Downtown only. Driving through downtown Houston can be quite depressing sometimes. It looks as if it has gone ignored for a while. Some of the areas surrounding downtown such as areas off North Main Street and east of the George R. Brown convention center look absolutely HORRIBLE. Some of the older buildings such as the ones that look like old warehouse shacks gotta go. That's why i'm not against uptown getting things like this because let's face it, aside from the skyline, Uptown gives an overall better impression of Houston as both exciting/vibrant than downtown right now. But hopefully with the spark of retail that downtown might be getting, hopefully things will continue to change.

[infinite_jim]

^ Houston has a strange palette for a faux "cleanliness"

perhaps this has to do with it's obsession with the "ephemeral" (ref Cite)

and Fox's "amnesia city".

I'm from New Orleans where the opposite is the fact of life; dirty parts of town that reflect the "messy vitality" that is the life lived passionately.

Although I must complement: Montrose, Museum District/Rice University, 3rd Ward, and the Heights neighborhoods.

[RedScare]

I agree completely. A "dirty" old building has its history etched into its walls. You can look at it and imagine what went on in it decades ago. In some, you can actually feel the life of days gone by.

You can't get that feel in a glass building. You can't feel life when looking at a building with foam or plastic crown mold. It doesn't sound the same inside a dry walled house as it does in a plastered one, or a brick walled warehouse.

Too often, a new master planned devolopment may look pleasant, but it is a superficial feel. To look at downtown and see the dirt is to miss the history of Houston. To look at New Orleans and only notice the smell is to ignore the soul of the city.

I don't know where the thought that downtown is horrible comes from. Far from being ignored, hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in downtown. It has been reclaimed. It is beautiful, especially the old renovated buildings. My office is 96 years old. It is Houston's first "highrise", at 11 floors. It is a wonderful place to be in. There are many others like it. Having gone to school downtown in the 80s, I am very pleased with the renaissance of downtown.

[nmainguy]

just fyi, that rendering above is years old and was only of the Saks site (you can see the cafe Annie / eatzis center to the right).  Although the development will be mixed-use and very dense, this is not it. looks cool though

And they are working on something like this for downtown, the Houston Pavillions (mentioned in another thread somewhere).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

New guy here...yeah that rendering is way dated. I agree that a park would be a great addition to the area...kind of like a mini Central Park...but that's not going to happen. At least they won't build that mundane monstrosity in the rendering.

[HtownKid]

I love that rendering so what are they going to build now?

[YakuzaIce]

I am really confused. Is Riva Place and Pavillion on Post Oak the same thing? I thought the rival place was proposed long before the Pavillion was announced.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I have to say that when we were working DT during SB week, a lot of visitors were pleased with the downtown's amenities, but felt that a lot of DT was "too clean"-- and by clean, I mean too new and modern, to the point of being antiseptic. While I disagree, I understand where they're coming from. In Europe, new structures seem to more highlight the centuries of architecture surrounding them while in newer cities, and especially the sunbelt, the new towers are more the rule than the exception, to the point of making history seem obsolete.

It's a slippery slope; you want to maintain history but you also want the surroundings to be well kept. I think the Historic District is coming along nicely (minus a couple of empty buildings--along Fannin, for example--that should look nice once renovated) but east of Travis has very little history outside of a couple (albeit notable) buildings.

[The Great Hizzy!]

There is a Houston Pavillions proposal for downtown.

Riva Place (now Boulevard Place), located in Uptown, would be the renaming of the current Pavillion @ Post Oak once the renovation and expansion is completed.

Get it?

[YakuzaIce]

There is a Houston Pavillions proposal for downtown.

Riva Place (now Boulevard Place), located in Uptown, would be the renaming of the current Pavillion @ Post Oak once the renovation and expansion is completed.

Get it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not particularly. Was wulfe doing the original riva place proplosal. Actually let me first get this clear is the most recent proposal that would replace fashion square and pavillion called (well formerly if this is the one being called boulevard place) Pavillion? I could have sworn it was because I remember people saying how there was now one uptown and downtown. I wish I could find the article because it was deleted here and I don't know my subscription number...

[marc]

I have to say that when we were working DT during SB week, a lot of visitors were pleased with the downtown's amenities, but felt that a lot of DT was "too clean"-- and by clean, I mean too new and modern, to the point of being antiseptic. While I disagree, I understand where they're coming from. In Europe, new structures seem to more highlight the centuries of architecture surrounding them while in newer cities, and especially the sunbelt, the new towers are more the rule than the exception, to the point of making history seem obsolete.

It's a slippery slope; you want to maintain history but you also want the surroundings to be well kept. I think the Historic District is coming along nicely (minus a couple of empty buildings--along Fannin, for example--that should look nice once renovated) but east of Travis has very little history outside of a couple (albeit notable) buildings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think it is a difficult- but not impossible- task to incorporate old and new. I do agree (having been there several times) that European architects make that there mantra. OR...like in Paris or Moscow- the new is separated from the old.

London has been, in my opinion the most successful with incorporating old and new styles and still maintains her charm.

I think the 80's (i know we keep going back to that) really helped define Houston. It was build, build, build for the sake of office space to house the oil industry and subsidiaries thereof - and although there was great care taken for creative designs- it seems the goal was to show off the power of the industry, which i think was very successful.

Perhaps Houston is trying to redefine herself. Where does she fit in? Although TX has been making a name on not only the national level, but internationally too, and of course it is now know as the Third Coast- it seems much of the kudos still goes to big D. Yet, obviously, Houston has wealth, opportunity and most importantly, affordable housing. My point is that I wonder if there is a quagmire regarding what Houston "should be". I wonder if leaders often pose the questions of: How do we maintain Houston's character but not seem like a has been city?

So many of our US cities, like Detroit and Cleveland, give off the impression of decay and an era gone by. SO, how does Houston balance her rich historical "seediness", yet look like a 21st century urban utopia? Visionaries more intelligent than myself will have to come up with solutions to that one.

m.

[kjb434]

The Pavillion on Post Oak will be demolished and not longer. The existing shops there will be incorporated into Boulevard Place. Once this happens, there will be one pavillion named place and that will be downtown.

[YakuzaIce]

Ok I think where I got confused is I thought the new development was also called pavillion. But the one thing I am still confused about is Riva Place the same area as what is now called boulevard place? Also was wulfe the company that planned Riva Place?

[Houstonian in Iraq]

The Pavillion on Post Oak will be demolished and not longer.  The existing shops there will be incorporated into Boulevard Place.  Once this happens, there will be one pavillion named place and that will be downtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good, That place has potential. Right now it's just a fancy strip center. Houston has enough of them we should just stop building them from now on and just promote pedestrian friendly mixed use development

[kjb434]

Pavillion on Post oak is acutally an indoor mall and not a strip center. Riva Place was an old concept where boulevard place is planned. The Riva concept doesn't exist anymore as that old drawing shows.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

Pavillion on Post oak is acutally an indoor mall and not a strip center.  Riva Place was an old concept where boulevard place is planned.  The Riva concept doesn't exist anymore as that old drawing shows.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wouldnt know just drove passed it. It looked like center with a big ugly dreary lot up front

[HtownKid]

So what does Blvd Place look like?

[YakuzaIce]

So what does Blvd Place look like?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

http://www.wulfe.com/BoulevardPlace.asp

[UrbaNerd]

Doesn't Wulfe, or someone else also own the land directly across from Boulevard Place(and plan to redevelop it)? It also seems to be another strip center of some sort.

[kjb434]

A competitor of Wulfe owns the shopping center across the street. I don't know the name though. They are proposing something similar. We have a thread on this somewhere.

The positive is that they were going to be competive is seeing who finishes first. I would proposed they connect with a pedestrian bridge across Post Oak.

[JR3985]

I am not sure if this is the project your are talking about, but here is the link:

Post Oak Plaza

[YakuzaIce]

Well it seems to be the right spot, but it doesn't seem like something similar. Is that what the current shopping center looks like? Maybe it is just a site selling the space.

[kjb434]

That is the location, but that site is just showing them refurbishing the center. The other proposal was to demolish and build a multi-use high-rise complex like the one proposed across the street.

[UrbaNerd]

The Chronicle had an article out a few months back mentioning that Wulfe and the other developers had similar plans for thier sites. I really hope that a similar development will go up acrosss the street! That would give us a few blocks of continuous urbanized development!

<LTAWACS> That would go great in midtown or downtown!</LTAWACS>

[Talbot]

Yeah, that would be great if another developer competed with Wulfe right across the street for something like this project.

Can't wait to see what happens with that.

[nmainguy]

...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

who is this 27 person with it's ... posts? very odd it's allowed to take up space. Anyone with a clue?

[brijonmang]

he was a member who left and asked that all of his posts be removed...thats all that remains

[Houston19514]

very odd indeed.

[YakuzaIce]

very odd indeed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You've been here long enough to know what happened with him.

Ok back on topic, what does everyone think of the new project compared to the riva place concept. I like the new one better as it seems to work better as multiple mid/highrises arther than just two highrises.