HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[mfastx]

Thanks for the updates. Great shots from MainPlace.

How did you manage to get up there on the balcony (if you don't mind my asking)? That isn't open to the public, is it?

[photoLith]

^
No, its not open to the public, but I just went and found a manager of the building, told them I was taking pictures for a skyscraper forum and they let me go up to the balcony, which was still a vacant floor at the time.

[BrandonJXN]

And it was that easy?

[photoLith]

^
I have professional camera gear and for whatever reason most of the time, it makes people take you more seriously, and its easier to get into places you usually cant. I dont understand why, but it just works. I've gotten into a lot of the taller buildings downtown and in the medical district just by being nice to some employee that works there and sometimes people bring me up to their offices to take pictures out their windows. The cops arent usually too fond of my camera gear though when Im taking pictures on the street, and the people in the Chase Tower dont like camera gear either, so I have to hide it whenever I go in there.

[Urbannizer]

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/12.9.jpg?v=1

Link (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/12/16/2011-largest-deals-largest-high-rise.html)

Link (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/15624-35-story-tower-by-interfin-to-replace-state-grille/page__st__60)

[JoninATX]

Love it, reminds me of The Aqua in Chicago.

[kingkirbythe....]

I like it.

[photoLith]

Dang, I hope that gets built, I love the design. I counted about 40 stories in that render.

[JoninATX]

New Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan building for personalized cancer care.

http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/Lab_Design_News/News/2011/12/MDAnderrsonx250.jpg

http://www.rdmag.com/Lab-Design-News/News/2011/12/New-Projects-Sheikh-Zayed-Bin-Sultan-Al-Nahyan-Building-For-Personalized-Cancer-Care/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Qgrd88hYLLY

[photoLith]

It looks like things are picking up again! Where is that though? There wasnt an address for it. Im assuming its in the Medical Center, but where?

[JoninATX]

It looks like things are picking up again! Where is that though? There wasnt an address for it. Im assuming its in the Medical Center, but where?

It's at the southeast corner of Moursund St. and M.D. Anderson Blvd.

[photoLith]

^
Its really good that are researching pancreatic cancer, my grandpa, great grandpa, and great uncle on my moms side have all died from pancreatic cancer, and once you know you have it, thats it, youre done.

[kingkirbythe....]

Houston officials will unveil sweeping plan for 'Convention District'
By NANCY SARNOFF, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 11:41 p.m., Sunday, January 1, 2012

The newest vision for the eastern edge of downtown includes hotels and residential buildings in place of what are now parking lots.

Officials also picture a bustling pedestrian scene where shops and restaurants line the streets leading to the city's 1.2-million-square-foot George R. Brown Convention Center, which, too, would grow as part of their plan.




http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

[photoLith]

^
Awesome, hopefully all that gets implemented.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/-1-1.jpg
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php
Pictures from article. I would love to see all of this built, but what I envision unfortunately happening will be that half of that stuff will get built, the rest of those lots will be turned into parking garages for some of those projects. I hope thats not the case, but developers in downtown Houston love instead of incorporating parking structures into buildings, they just like taking up the lot next to their building with a miserable parking garage.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/-2.jpg
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

Render of new convention center Hotel across from the Hilton.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/-3.jpg
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

In the above plan it looks like something will be built in front of the Embassy Suites to hopefully cover up a little bit of that disgrace of a building that faces Houstons premier public park.


Seeing all of this new possible developments makes my heart race and I cant wait to see construction start once again!!!! Seeing parking lots disappear makes me a happy man. In that first render, seeing no parking lots is just ah, amazing! The only problem unfortunately right now is that Discovery Green is so packed because there is usually cheap parking available right across the street for the suburbanites to park their cars so they dont have to walk too far. If all of these surface lots get covered up, where will people park? There is some parking under Discovery Green but its like 10 bucks or so, when parking on the surface lots is usually 5 bucks. I hope they at least have a parking garage built into one of these future buildings that has public cheap parking and not just for residents or workers of the buildings and instead for Disco Green patrons. If the parking goes away, so does the crowds. There's always a caveat.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On another note, I was just reading Swamplot and found more info and a more detailed map of what may happen around Minute Maid Park in the future.

City Playing Musical Blocks with Downtown Houses
Yesterday was moving day for 2 unusual Downtown buildings: The 1905 Cohn and 1904 Foley (above) houses cattycorner from the George R. Brown Convention Center. Leftover single-family homes from an area once known as Quality Hill and now strangers in the land of skyscrapers and stadiums, they’d be notable Downtown residents even if they weren’t designated historic structures. The city is moving them across the street and a block closer to Minute Maid Park, where they’re intended to become add-ons to a mysterious Regional Tourism Center proposed for the 600 block of Avenida de las Americas.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/capital-rusk-corridor-plan.jpg
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/capitol-rusk-plan-key.jpg

http://swamplot.com/city-playing-musical-blocks-with-downtown-houses/2011-11-03/

It's also about time someone cleans up the area under 59, that place is a hot mess and a blight. All around it looks like some amazing things are about to start; very exciting! But all of this could take years upon years to complete, maybe even 2020, who knows? I have been hearing a lot about the new convention center hotel though at least, so that could start fairly soon. The rest of the stuff in the renders is probably just speculation to the best of my knowledge.

This new render just seems to be expanding upon this old render from maybe 3 years ago or so. I guess we will just have to see how it all pans out.
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/discovery-green-embassy.jpg
http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/25950-convention-district/

The convention center hotel in this old render seems to still have the same basic design as the new render shows interestingly enough.

[TexasBoi]

And another one right by the new Whole Foods.

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/01-02-12-14-25-is-it-the-year-of-the-mid-rise-in-houston/
http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-01-02/Apartments_Finger.800w_600h.jpg

[photoLith]

^
Thats pretty puke inducing suburban highway side hotel type architecture right there, but at least its density; wish we didnt just have to settle for crap in order to get density. This city should be better than that.

[Complex01]

Oooo the convention area looks awesome. It would be insane to see that stuff get built. Hope it starts soon. Very Kewl...

:cool:

[BrandonJXN]

Can someone make a list on what's approved, under construction, and proposed and all that jazz?

Anyone?

[JoninATX]

Anyone?

I will make a list later tonight.

[BevoLJ]

That convention district would be amazing! Sure would love to see that done. Get rid of the parking lots. =)

[nicksplace27]

The Problem with the convention district is the convention center itself. It, along with the freeway, cuts off access to the rest of the city and creates really bad dead zones which will choke development of retail. the Convention Center along is a huge space with a single use that becomes an albatross when empty.

While the discovery Green is an Improvement over the sea of Parking in the past; I think how the whole downtown is designed is going to hold back development in the future.

Houston is not alone in this problem. The area around McCormick Place is dead because of the same issues. Even the Javits Center in Manhattan makes it's surroundings suffer the same fate as the rest of them; proving that almost no concentration of density and land values can salvage the dead zones the crop up around convention centers.

[JManc]

New downtown tower could take shape

A new skyscraper in downtown Houston could be announced this year, a sign of strength in the local property market, real estate executives said Thursday.

via the Houston Barnacle...


http://www.chron.com/business/article/New-downtown-tower-could-take-shape-2444724.php

[photoLith]

^
I also read in that article that the Houston Club building next to the Chase tower had been sold and possibly demoed. Houston has no respect for its older stock of buildings. Hopefully they dont do that and just restore it, but thats doubtful.

[SPIREINTHEHOLE!]

Gray: Prudential building scheduled for implosion Sunday

By Lisa Gray, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 05:53 a.m., Friday, January 6, 2012

At 7:52 a.m. Sunday, if all goes as planned, the Prudential Building will go out with a bang. There will be a sound like thunder, and over the course of 14 seconds, the 20-story office building will collapse in on itself, leaving behind only a smoky pile of Texas Medical Center dust.

http://www.chron.com/life/gray/article/Gray-Prudential-building-scheduled-for-implosion-2444072.php

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3189/2998473828_22d8d06857.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjarrin/2998473828/)
Freelance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjarrin/2998473828/) by RJarrin (http://www.flickr.com/people/rjarrin/), on Flickr

[Bailey]

Why doesn't Hines propose a mixed use office/ residential building for the Texas/ Main site? It is a very historic intersection, it would continue he residential presence of the Rice Hotel, and I believe Hines have these type of projects in their portfolio.

I really Hines considers thinking outside of the box for this project. They talk a big game about caring about Houston's urban future but continue to give us pedestal skyscrapers. While Mai9n Place was an improvement (from the street level) let's hope they take it to the next level.

[toxteth o'grady]

New downtown tower could take shape

A new skyscraper in downtown Houston could be announced this year, a sign of strength in the local property market, real estate executives said Thursday.

via the Houston Barnacle...


http://www.chron.com/business/article/New-downtown-tower-could-take-shape-2444724.php

I hate articles like that. When you read through it, you find out there are no announcements, just a vague speculation that "downtown is ripe for new skyscrapers". Disappointing. Will wait for some real news.

[Illithid Dude]

Gray: Prudential building scheduled for implosion Sunday

By Lisa Gray, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 05:53 a.m., Friday, January 6, 2012



http://www.chron.com/life/gray/article/Gray-Prudential-building-scheduled-for-implosion-2444072.php

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3189/2998473828_22d8d06857.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjarrin/2998473828/)
Freelance (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rjarrin/2998473828/) by RJarrin (http://www.flickr.com/people/rjarrin/), on Flickr

What a shame. That is a beautiful building.

[TexasPlaya]

Here are some photos of my recent excursion downtown on my bike to grab lunch at the Phoenicia market at the bottom of One Park Place. OPP place isn't too bike friendly, I had to park my bike in DiscoGreen and walk.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6649896203_8111a11264.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896203/)
DiscoGreenBuildings (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896203/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6649896613_9cc37f8e8c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896613/)
One Park Place (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896613/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6649896969_60738d2124.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896969/)
HessDiscoGreen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649896969/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6649897399_7382810559.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649897399/)
Phoenicia (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649897399/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6649897859_1c22b7b60c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649897859/)
PhoeniciaLine (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649897859/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

Some of BG Group Place (Main Place)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6649898633_b3160a3f80.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649898633/)
MainPlace (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649898633/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6649898925_48e3365404.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649898925/)
MainPlaceTrio (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6649898925/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

[AviationGuy]

So did all or most of Discovery Green's trees survive the drought so far? I was in Houston recently and was shocked to see that Memorial Park has very few living trees remaining. I'm hoping that the trees in Discovery Green were watered.

[JoninATX]

Discovery Green wasn't really effected by the drought I believe. Btw anyone have any recent news of 5 Allen Center?

[TexasPlaya]

So did all or most of Discovery Green's trees survive the drought so far? I was in Houston recently and was shocked to see that Memorial Park has very few living trees remaining. I'm hoping that the trees in Discovery Green were watered.

Yea the trees in Discovery Green were watered. Hermann Park was hit pretty bad as well, but Memorial Park is definitely the worst.

Update:

Went on a bike ride through Hermann Park and they've cut down the dead trees...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6654548493_ec6ba5aa6f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654548493/)
HermannParkDrought (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654548493/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6654549327_d309de816c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654549327/)
HermannParkDrought2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654549327/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6654550771_565f111d3d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654550771/)
HermannParkTheatre (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654550771/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

[photoLith]

Took some pictures yesterday of new stuff going up.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/co3.jpg
The Dynamo Stadium.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/co4.jpg
The new lightrail line expansion of the east end line and the southeast line. I asked a guy when they are laying track and they said in June, so well see how that pans out. They are just expanding the streets and doing wiring work right now. On the north red line expansion there is going to be an elevated station, didnt know that. Heres a link to metrorails page on lightrail updates if you are interested.

http://www.ridemetro.org/CurrentProjects/METRORailExpansion.aspx

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/co2.jpg
The 22 story BBVA Bank building being built near the Galleria, it will be completed in 2014.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/co.jpg
Same building

If anyone forget or never saw it, heres the render for the building.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/BBVA-rendering280.jpg
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=Bed&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1152&bih=563&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=KqqaRzJ_wk1B3M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/04/15/bbva-compass-to-anchor-post-oak-office.html%3Fpage%3Dall&docid=JJ01Fhlu5ezsCM&imgurl=http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/BBVA-rendering*280.jpg%253Fv%253D1&w=280&h=353&ei=V6YIT7f6DcGnsAKP9ayRCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=85&vpy=66&dur=397&hovh=252&hovw=200&tx=136&ty=120&sig=103816344388349826546&page=1&tbnh=113&tbnw=90&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/co7.jpg
This has been completed for a little bit, but never saw any pictures of it, the new M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in the medical center.

Here are just some extra photos I took downtown last night.
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/h5beforrw.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/h3beforrw-1.jpg
Oh and Im going downtown to watch them blow up that building in the medical center, cant miss that. I dont know if there are any plans to replace it, but I hope it becomes something more than another parking lot.

[TexasPlaya]

Also rode by the Natural Science Museum Expansion. If you didn't know, they are building ~115,000 sf of new exhibit (mostly dinosaur exhibits) and classroom space, which is set to open late 2012:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6654552119_f5647c37fd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552119/)
NewMuseum (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552119/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6654552355_c179ae6bcc.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552355/)
NewMuseumCorner (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552355/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6654552593_c05bba0cb8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552593/)
NewMuseumWidth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/33793029@N03/6654552593/) by dv1033 (http://www.flickr.com/people/33793029@N03/), on Flickr

All in all, at two stories it is a pretty modest expansion with not much flare.

[photoLith]

^
I just drove by that last night, its a pretty boring exterior and not very inviting, oh well.

[TexasPlaya]

^
I just drove by that last night, its a pretty boring exterior and not very inviting, oh well.

Personally, I wouldn't go that far, although it is pretty conservative. It fits nicely with the current museum exterior in my opinion, but could have used some more glass.

[YakuzaIce]

Oh and Im going downtown to watch them blow up that building in the medical center, cant miss that. I dont know if there are any plans to replace it, but I hope it becomes something more than another parking lot.

I believe they have said 3-10 years until they develop something on that land. There were two more buildings from a ten year old master plan that included the Mays Clinic and the Cancer Prevention buildings to the East and South of the Prudential building. Those buildings would have gone on the lot that contains the Prudential building. Of course, since then they have done the Alkek expansion and recently started on the Khalifa building. They also built the new Administrative building (to replace Prudential), and a new Faculty Center tower.

So while they have still been doing tons of construction, it's hard to say when they will get to this site.

[kingkirbythe....]

It's really sad about the trees at Hermann and Memorial Parks. I hope this damn drought is over soon, and the trees are replaced as soon as possible.

[AviationGuy]

It's really sad about the trees at Hermann and Memorial Parks. I hope this damn drought is over soon, and the trees are replaced as soon as possible.

I realize that Memorial Park was too large and too dense with forest to prevent the damage from a practical standpoint, but it seems like Hermann Park trees could have been saved. I keep wondering why the huge corporations in Houston couldn't have paid for the water to save those trees. It would have only taken periodic watering of each tree to keep them alive. They wouldn't have looked great but could have survived.

On my last visit, I also noticed that the younger trees along the medians all over Houston didn't survive in many places. Again, couldn't the corporations have paid for some water? The cost of replacement, if it ever occurs, will be much greater. From what I've read, the East Texas lakes supplying water to Houston received pretty good amounts of rainfall, so were not dangerously low like those near Austin. If there was enough water to allow residents in Houston to water their lawns once or twice per week, then it seems that there was enough water to keep the trees in public areas alive.

Since I don't live there, I may not have entirely correct information. Houstonians please correct me if any of my assumptions are incorrect.

[RobtheWrecker]

With fog and low cloud cover the implosion tomorrow should break almost every window around it.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

they blew up the old Prudential Building at 11:15... I watched the streaming video of it :)

[YakuzaIce]

Well I went down to see the demolition. There was quite a large crowd. Here's a short video of it. Unfortunately I wasn't expecting them to be so punctual after it being delayed so many times, so I wasn't quite ready for when it started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10liimeD7qU

[photoLith]

^
I was there too, I was up on the Holiday Inn roof but they kicked me off. I must have walked past your like 10 times trying to find a good vantage point. I eventually gave up and tried to get on other roofs and The Medical Science Building manager let me get up on their roof where there were a couple other people. You guys down there got smothered in dust pretty quick, I could see everyone running from where I was.

[photoLith]

I have a bunch of pictures from todays demolition, so sorry for people who have slow internet speeds.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de1.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de3.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de5.jpg''

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de6.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de7.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de9.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de10.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de11.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de12.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de14.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de15.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de16.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de18.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/de20.jpg

[J-a-x]

Hi,
I'm a long time lurker in this forum, and I've noticed that some of you have posted links to my Flickr photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-a-x) in the past. I thought I'd post my own YouTube video of the implosion here.

http://youtu.be/6Tvn9yY2BWY

[JManc]

What a fucking shame...

[AviationGuy]

Hard to believe people applauding something so sad. But then again, most of them weren't around when this building was actually appreciated for it's architectural style.

[AviationGuy]

^
I was there too, I was up on the Holiday Inn roof but they kicked me off. I must have walked past your like 10 times trying to find a good vantage point. I eventually gave up and tried to get on other roofs and The Medical Science Building manager let me get up on their roof where there were a couple other people. You guys down there got smothered in dust pretty quick, I could see everyone running from where I was.

Must have been really healthy for the people who inhaled the asbestos dust from the building.

[photoLith]

What a fucking shame...

Thats Houston for ya. Weve lost a couple of good buildings in the last year. Obviously the one today, the old YMCA building, the gutting of the amazing interior of the deco Alabama Theater; Ive never been in there but heard that they had gutted it or are gutting it. Im sure Im missing a few others, not to mention the daily demolition of old houses in the Heights area.

[TexasPlaya]

Well Houston isn't NYC or similar city where space and land values are high enough to justify pouring the money into restoring older buildings. This building, along with the old YMCA were simply way too expensive just to bring up to code. Far cheaper to just demo and rebuild here.

[blacktrojan3921]

Hard to believe people applauding something so sad. But then again, most of them weren't around when this building was actually appreciated for it's architectural style.

I don't really think most people in Texas really give a crap about architectural style in all honesty, especially when you consider they're very fiscally conservative and don't want to waste any "Taxpayer" money on restoring some old building.

[JManc]

Well Houston isn't NYC or similar city where space and land values are high enough to justify pouring the money into restoring older buildings. This building, along with the old YMCA were simply way too expensive just to bring up to code. Far cheaper to just demo and rebuild here.

and that's why this city has almost zero character left to it.

[chrisherber]

and that's why this city has almost zero character left to it.

I wouldn't go that far...maybe not as much character as some other cities, but still up there!

[TexasPlaya]

and that's why this city has almost zero character left to it.

I disagree.

[Double L]

I'm glad they are tearing down this building and the YMCA building. Both were ugly buildings, the buildings replacing them will be much better. Especially the new YMCA building.

[JManc]

I wouldn't go that far...maybe not as much character as some other cities, but still up there!

sure, there are a few areas around the city, the heights being one of them, that still have character but Houston is largely bland due to the fact that anything is up to being bulldozed for the sake of progress. The Water Wall was even in danger of being torn down until the city stepped in and bought the property.


@ Double L, they were knocked down for surface lots. There are long term plans for new buildings on those sites but downtown is full of surface lots that once had structures cleared for development that failed to come to fruition. Remember Shamrock hotel? There's a parking lot there.

[Ed007Toronto]

Great photos though a shame for the building. It looked pretty good.

[YakuzaIce]

I'm glad they are tearing down this building and the YMCA building. Both were ugly buildings, the buildings replacing them will be much better. Especially the new YMCA building.

I'm guessing this is a joke. Both replacements were built at different locations, and neither site has anything planned for the foreseeable future. Also I certainly don't share your love of the new glass box that is the YMCA building.

[photoLith]

I'm glad they are tearing down this building and the YMCA building. Both were ugly buildings, the buildings replacing them will be much better. Especially the new YMCA building.

Are you kidding me, have you seen the new YMCA building? Its terrible looking and is only 2 stories tall. The Franzheim Building was not a gem, but it was an historic building and nearly 11 stories tall. The former location of the YMCA and the Prudential Life Building will sit as parking lots for the foreseeable future. The old YMCA spot will probably be a parking lot for decades I would imagine.

[AviationGuy]

I don't really think most people in Texas really give a crap about architectural style in all honesty, especially when you consider they're very fiscally conservative and don't want to waste any "Taxpayer" money on restoring some old building.

You just characterized a large part of the U.S. Perhaps it's not that way in Canada.

[AviationGuy]

I'm glad they are tearing down this building and the YMCA building. Both were ugly buildings, the buildings replacing them will be much better. Especially the new YMCA building.

You can't be serious. The old Prudential Building, with the Rock of Gibraltar emblem, was a gorgeous structure in its prime.

As an aside, I saw on the news today that the main reason the building was demolished was that the foundation was failing, and it would have been prohibitively expensive to repair it, if possible at all.

[photoLith]

^
Yes, unfortunately the foundation had settled poorly and big cracks had formed in it pretty much screwing the building. But most of the old buildings in Houston have been destroyed needlessly.

[glowrock]

Those are simply amazing photos, PhotoLith! Too bad they are now a sad reminder of what was once a wonderful old tower... :(

That being said, I do understand that sometimes, no matter how beautiful a historic structure might be, structural problems can forcefully render them into demolition. In this case, that does appear to be the situation, unfortunately.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[Double L]

You can't be serious. The old Prudential Building, with the Rock of Gibraltar emblem, was a gorgeous structure in its prime.

As an aside, I saw on the news today that the main reason the building was demolished was that the foundation was failing, and it would have been prohibitively expensive to repair it, if possible at all.

You're talking about this?

http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg
http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg

Demo it.

[blacktrojan3921]

You just characterized a large part of the U.S. Perhaps it's not that way in Canada.

Don't be so sure :9 The historic Gordon Block just on the north end of Victoria Park in my city may be slated for demolition since it's next to a set of three towers called McCallum Hill centre, but who knows they might keep the exterior for a future high-rise office plex.

http://www.prairiedogmag.com/?p=31744

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/hooded-wanderer/gordonblock.jpg

[JManc]

You're talking about this?

http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg
http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg

Demo it.

yes, because a parking lot is going to prove to be far more aesthetically appealing than that building ever could.

[Double L]

A new more modern building will be built at some point.

[JoninATX]

yes, because a parking lot is going to prove to be far more aesthetically appealing than that building ever could.

The news said they already have plans to build something on the site. But I still think it could have been renovated.

[photoLith]

^
It could be a decade before anything is built there.

[pacarlson]

I loved that beautiful building. My dad worked in it from 1957 through 1969. He took me to his office several times when I was a kid. It was built to last, except for the foundation I guess.

[AviationGuy]

You're talking about this?

http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg
http://www.houstontx.gov/histpres/archives/stl/Lost_Prudential_Bldg.jpg

Demo it.

This photo was taken after the Rock of Gibraltar emblem was removed, and after the trees and other vegetation on the setback were gone. There were also large flags at the top. At one time the overall package was very good looking.

[TexasPlaya]

yes, because a parking lot is going to prove to be far more aesthetically appealing than that building ever could.

Yes, non profit member institutions of the TMC should pay an exorbitant amount of money in bringing this building up to code in order for something aesthetically pleasing.

[JoninATX]

Goodbye Post Oak health club. Hello office tower?

The 24 Hour Fitness at 1550 Post Oak Blvd. is closing permanently on January 27, according to a club employee who referred our inquiry to the corporate office.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who follow commercial real estate. There have been plans in the works for some time for a new office building on the site.

If it happens soon, it would be the third new tower to break ground in the Galleria area the past year.


http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/goodbye-post-oak-health-club-hello-office-tower/

[JoninATX]

City to plant 25,000 new trees for Arbor Day

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston landscape has changed dramatically in the past few months because of the drought, but now there's an effort to plant 25,000 trees in one day.

Four parks are being targeted -- Memorial, Hermann, MacGregor and Mason. They've lost thousands of trees and could lose more if we don't get more rain.

Dead trees have cut down from one Houston park to another.

"I don't like it. I like more trees," said resident Willie Bailey.

He and generations of his family have played at MacGregor Park, but tree stumps have replaced where lush urban forests used to be.

"I remember when I was young there was trees; that really attracted me to the park," Bailey said.

Because of the drought, city foresters estimate 11,000 dead trees have already been removed. Even as that process continues, the city of Houston is making big plans to replace the lost canopy.


http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8492011

[TexasPlaya]

City to plant 25,000 new trees for Arbor Day



http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8492011

Great news, glad they are hitting the major parks. But we certainly got rain this Monday, quite a bit too much as it caused massive flooding throughout the city. At the least, the ground got a very thorough soaking.

[BevoLJ]

City to plant 25,000 new trees for Arbor Day



http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8492011That is great. Good for Houston!

I read that 35% of the trees in the entire state of Texas are expected to have died due to the drought the past year or two. :(

[weatherguru18]

No way it's that many. Texas Forest Service estimates up to 10%...or 500 million trees. It is hard to say until the Spring comes around and they can view satellite photos of the canopy's to see which trees are blooming and which ones aren't.

[JManc]

Yes, non profit member institutions of the TMC should pay an exorbitant amount of money in bringing this building up to code in order for something aesthetically pleasing.

As if maintaining such a building would put a major dent into MDA's budget. Though I can understand if the foundation was shot. No much you could do unless the building had some significant historical value to it.

As for 24 on post oak, i will miss that location.

[BevoLJ]

My sister works at MD Anderson and her office looks out at where that building was. I had seen the videos this past weekend, but forgot to mention it, and when talking to her Monday night she said, "You know I got to work today and this big building outside my window is gone..." lol. Gave me a good laugh. She is one of those people who is incredibly smart with off the chart IQs, however completely oblivious to anything that is going on around her. I was quite surprised she even noticed the building was gone. lol. Anyway, I emailed her one of the videos posted in this thread. =P

[TexasPlaya]

As if maintaining such a building would put a major dent into MDA's budget. Though I can understand if the foundation was shot. No much you could do unless the building had some significant historical value to it.


We've already move past maintaining this building so that is a moot point at this time. I would have loved to see have seen this building properly maintained but obviously that wasn't the focus of the owners.

Keeping with this demo of "historical" buildings trend, a chunk (balcony or cladding, can't remember) of a mid-century mid-rise near Montrose @ Westheimer fell onto the sidewalk/street a few months. The building wasn't properly maintained over the years and will most likely be demoed.

As for 24 on post oak, i will miss that location.

It had a certain charm to it.

[JoninATX]

I am glad that Houston replanting the trees that were once lost by the drought, and with that I am hoping Austin and Bastrop gets on board and does the same.

[weatherguru18]

Well you will be happy to know that fire is a great way to replenish nutrients into the ground and forests often times grow back denser and thicker than ever. Any botanist would tell you the same thing.

[BevoLJ]

As a kid we used to go to Yellowstone every summer. I remember the year we went after the fires and it was the most devastating sight I have ever seen. You can't help but cry when seeing such devastation. From horizon to horizon, all those huge mountains burned to the ground, with not a tree left anywhere. It was more like being on the moon than on earth and as a kid, my mind was completely unable to understand such ruin. But our fishing guide we always used who's real job is working on little critters in the park, tried to explain to me how it is healthy, and how all of them at the park just let the fire burn rather than try to put it out, because it is a part of the natural process for the ground there. I still don't understand it, but it is just something that the ground needs to be able to keep growing more trees, and healthy trees all over again. Sure enough the following year after the fire, many millions of little baby trees were popping up everywhere. And while that was decades ago and you can still see the obvious effects of that fire all over the park, life has very much returned and it is like earth again. Well it is as much like earth as such a strange place as Yellowstone ever can be. :P

I know in Austin they are planting trees again, but I don't know they will in Lost Pines. I think they just let them grow back by themselves? Not sure.

[photoLith]

^
Its easy to understand. Many of the pine trees in the west actually require fire to unleash their seeds from the pine cones. Some species pine cones only open up when heat from a fire occurs. When the vegetation burns also this releases tons of nutrients into the ground. Forest fires were a huge natural process that was very very important before Europeans came to America and tried to control them. Most forests, especially on the east coast are incredibly dense compared to what they would have looked like 400 years ago. Fires have been controlled and the forests have grown very dense with undergrowth. In the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas for example, trees in forests that havent been burned are mere feet apart and block sunlight from reaching the forest floor. They are now doing controlled burns and clearing out forests of excess trees in many national forests. When you do this, you allow sunlight to reach the forest floor and flowering plants flourish as do insects, which then provide food for birds, and so on. Forest fires and grassland firs are incredibly important to the health of said habitat.

[JManc]

Keeping with this demo of "historical" buildings trend, a chunk (balcony or cladding, can't remember) of a mid-century mid-rise near Montrose @ Westheimer fell onto the sidewalk/street a few months. The building wasn't properly maintained over the years and will most likely be demoed.

this thing?

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/3400-montrose.jpg

if so, yeah, it is in pretty rough shape but would have made great lofts.

[AviationGuy]

^
Its easy to understand. Many of the pine trees in the west actually require fire to unleash their seeds from the pine cones. Some species pine cones only open up when heat from a fire occurs. When the vegetation burns also this releases tons of nutrients into the ground. Forest fires were a huge natural process that was very very important before Europeans came to America and tried to control them. Most forests, especially on the east coast are incredibly dense compared to what they would have looked like 400 years ago. Fires have been controlled and the forests have grown very dense with undergrowth. In the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas for example, trees in forests that havent been burned are mere feet apart and block sunlight from reaching the forest floor. They are now doing controlled burns and clearing out forests of excess trees in many national forests. When you do this, you allow sunlight to reach the forest floor and flowering plants flourish as do insects, which then provide food for birds, and so on. Forest fires and grassland firs are incredibly important to the health of said habitat.

Thanks for a good explanation. Not a lot of people realize how nature works.

[AviationGuy]

this thing?

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/3400-montrose.jpg

if so, yeah, it is in pretty rough shape but would have made great lofts.

I wish they would demo the building on the west side of Loop 610, just south of I-10. It's somewhere between 5 and 10 stories tall and just horrid. I love that stretch of Loop 610 because of Uptown, but that building is awful. I don't know who owns it or if it has a name.

[TexasPlaya]

this thing?

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/3400-montrose.jpg

if so, yeah, it is in pretty rough shape but would have made great lofts.

Would have made fantastic lofts with some ground level retail, but I fear she is going to go the way of the wrecking ball.

[TexasPlaya]

Some good news for DT:

Downtown parcel sold for daycare center and possibly more (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/downtown-parcel-sold-for-daycare-center-and-possibly-more/)
The company plans to build a 10,000-square-foot daycare center on a portion of the property for Chase. The bank’s existing childcare facility is a tenant in the Houston Club Building, which is likely to be redeveloped.

Skanska purchased the block, bounded by Main, Bell, Clay and Fannin from the First United Methodist Church.

The daycare will only take up about a third of the block, leaving room for a future development.

Seems this is a surface lot, right next to a rail station. It's a bit underwhelming that it will only take up a third of a city block but hopefully the other two thirds won't remain a surface lot for too long.

Next on to Montrose:

Apartments to replace Montrose Fiesta (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/apartments-to-replace-montrose-fiesta/)
The timing for the new development is still being determined, but Finger has plans to build 390 multifamily units in as many as 8 stories at the site. The nearly 4-acre property is located at the southeast corner of Dunlavy and West Alabama, across from a new H-E-B.

This is a pretty funny situation: an old apartment complex was bulldozed to build a new HEB grocery and across the street an old Fiesta grocery store is being bulldozed for new apartments.

[photoLith]

^
So, the daycare center at most would be like 2-3 stories tall, if even that. But, at least that side of town is seeing development, albeit ridiculously small, but the entire south side of downtown is parking lot central, so any development is good development.

[TexasPlaya]

More news from Uptown:
http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1287546407/gallery_723_64_17810.jpg
HAIF (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/13199-five-oaks-place/page__st__60)
Goodbye Post Oak health club. Hello office tower? (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/goodbye-post-oak-health-club-hello-office-tower/)
The 24 Hour Fitness at 1550 Post Oak Blvd. is closing permanently on January 27, according to a club employee who referred our inquiry to the corporate office...If it happens soon, it would be the third new tower to break ground in the Galleria area the past year.

Apparently this building has the "same curtain wall vendor, same architect, same look" as the Devon HQ in OKC per a HAIF commenter.

Now we just need to get that Uptown rail line moving in order to capture all this development going down in Uptown.

More Midtown news:

According to a commenter on HAIF the Bagby St redo is about to kick off. If you're unfamiliar with Bagby St in Mditown it's in pretty p*ss poor shape and it has a lot of Midtown's nightlife and happenings along it.

Here's a link from mid last year with an overview: Bagby St (http://www.ultimatemontrose.com/stories/245719-bagby-street-project-to-be-green)

Estimated to cost $12 million, the project will rebuild Bagby with two southbound lanes and turn bays at Pierce, Gray, and Webster, providing parallel parking on both sides and using bulb-outs to aid pedestrian crossings. The design allows for a third lane to be added to accommodate future traffic volumes...In addition to improving the pedestrian experience through Midtown with well-placed wider sidewalks, including a shaded boardwalk between Gray and Hadley, the Bagby Street design includes a series of rain gardens, special street-side landscaping features that will help filter storm water runoff, Daza said....

University of Houston:

I'm lazy and don't feel like posting all the pics, but UH has been booming and I highly recommend it checking out HAIF: UH Development (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/8819-uh-development/page__st__510)

[weatherguru18]

Houston is getting a LOT of love all of a sudden. BIG projects announced or given new life. Here's a brief rundown:

The Horizon (renamed the Soverign) has a new rendering and appears to be moving forward with a 21-story condo tower off Allen Pkwy.

http://www.gid.com/development/the-sovereign.aspx

http://www.gid.com/photos/development/sovereign-2.jpg


Then there's Five Oaks Place. I believe this got the go ahead from the city last week. This is 30 stories.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1287546407/gallery_723_64_17810.jpg

22-story apartment tower (under construction now--tower crane up). This is at Westheimer and Sage in the Galleria area.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_10_2011/post-10093-0-93155900-1317839835_thumb.jpg

3009 Post Oak. This is 22-stories (under construction--tower crane up)

http://www.bisnow.com/archives/houstonre/2011/Q3/images/3009postoakrendering.jpg

BBVA, 22-stories (under construction--tower crane up)

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/legacy/bbva.jpg

Research Forest Development--The Woodlands. Leases pre-signed. Construction imminent.

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/07/72/42/2074783/4/628x471.jpg

[weatherguru18]

35-story condo tower (construction imminent)

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_12_2011/post-107-0-82364900-1325090547_thumb.jpg

The Convention District--includes the construction of a 1,000 room hotel near Minute Maid.

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/07/44/17/1983475/5/628x471.jpg

Then of course there is Exxon which is building a MASSIVE campus near The Woodlands and there is also talk in the pipeline of two very large towers going up in the next year or two. One in The Woodlands (Anadarko Tower 2) and Hines Development. According to a Houston Chron article, the office tower in The Woodlands is in motion. The architects have already been hired and working on the designs.

[photoLith]

^
My dad works right across from this Anadarko Tower 2 site. It sounds like its going to be an exact copy of the original tower, but I dont know how factual that is. Whatever the case, its good that the Woodlands is getting more urban along the waterway. I was just walking around that area a couple days ago and theres still a sign up along the waterway near where the vacant lot where the second Anadarko Tower is going to go up and it says that a 22 story or so hotel is going to start construction this year.

[weatherguru18]

I find it hard to believe that they would build an exact copy of the first tower. I assume we should expect something in the 15 or 20 story range but I have NOTHING to back that up. As far as the hotel, are you referring to the Condo tower that will be built near the water feature?

[photoLith]

^
Yeah I guess it's a condo tower. It's on the lot to the left of all the waterfalls and fountains they have there on the waterway.

[JoninATX]

Direct Energy will move HQ to Houston

By Emily Pickrell, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Updated 10:17 p.m., Monday, January 16, 2012.

Direct Energy, a retail provider of electricity, natural gas and related services, is moving its corporate headquarters from Toronto to Houston in the next 12 to 18 months.

The headquarters will be in the Greenway Plaza location where the company's residential energy and upstream business is based now, a spokeswoman said.

http://www.chron.com/business/article/Direct-Energy-will-move-HQ-to-Houston-2573137.php

[JManc]

^
My dad works right across from this Anadarko Tower 2 site. It sounds like its going to be an exact copy of the original tower, but I dont know how factual that is. Whatever the case, its good that the Woodlands is getting more urban along the waterway. I was just walking around that area a couple days ago and theres still a sign up along the waterway near where the vacant lot where the second Anadarko Tower is going to go up and it says that a 22 story or so hotel is going to start construction this year.

This is the new tower:

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/anadarko-second-tower.jpg

http://swamplot.com/second-woodlands-anadarko-tower-a-bit-more-boxy-but-almost-as-big-as-the-first/2012-01-17/

[TexasBoi]

Does this building have something to do with Regent Square?
http://www.gid.com/photos/development/sovereign-2.jpg

Ok. Just checked HAIF and they seem to believe that it does.

[Illithid Dude]

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_12_2011/post-107-0-82364900-1325090547_thumb.jpg

What is this, where is this, and any more renders? Literally have heard nothing about this until it just sort of popped up in the forums.

Also, jealous that you guys get all this construction. But not too much. After all, every city gets their hayday eventually. It's your turn now.

[photoLith]

^
All the construction in Houston is super spread out though, some of its close together, but lots of these projects are miles apart. But maybe in like 40 years, from downtown-midtown-medical center will all be lined with mid rises and high rises. Than I could see the Galleria area really getting dense. Its still very suburban feeling for the most part, but by like 2050 the Galleria area, if construction keeps at the pace it has in the area for the last 30 years, than it could very dense. Then, downtown by that point will be completely built out. I doubt there will be any parking lots left in downtown within 20 years... hopefully.

On another note, this church burned in 2005 or so. Its been sitting like this ever since. I have heard rumors the city is turning it into a park, keeping the churches structure and turning the interior into a park. Its in Freedmans town, on the corner of Andrews and Crosby St. Its the oldest African American congregation in Houston, the building although was built I believe in the late 40s or early 50s. All of the old beautiful shotgun houses were torn down though mostly in Freedmans town replaced by tin buildings that are atrociously ugly.

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/cc352/photolitherland/20120116-DSC_0302.jpg

photo by me.