HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[TexasPlaya]

Sorry to say, it isn't. People at MWAA suspect that Bush's DOT is hostile to transit projects (they rejected funding of Metro once) and is trying to push the rail corridor into the hands of private developers. MWAA originally pushed to take over the project because it looked like the State of Virginia was never going to get off the dime and build the piece from Tyson's out to Dulles. The Access Highway corridor in which the rail link will be located has always belonged to MWAA; therefore MWAA is best suited to develop the rail link.

Perhaps you could enlighten me on the specifics. I believe I heard this rail will cost between $4-6 billion to go ~25 miles. I am always skeptical of rails to airports in American cities. What's the point of having the airport connected to one part of the city, besides spending a lot of money to look "cool". I know D.C has a top notch transit system, but how well will this line connect to it? How much is the ridership? I'm not against rail, but building rail won't automatically equal quality transit.

[Trae]

That one line is connected to many other lines. Rail to airports are great for American cities. Even if you have to make one or two transfers to a different line.

[Wattleigh]

I just got off the phone with a representative at Crescent and the groundbreaking for 6 Houston Center is scheduled for 4PM this Thursday. They're already setting up a large covered party tent on the surface lot.

Some photos I took of One Park Place from inside Discovery Green around noon...

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02702.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02704.jpg

And a few around part of the park. Just crossing through.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02706.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02699.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02698.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02701.jpg

[Wattleigh]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/03/03/daily17.html
Tuesday, March 4, 2008 - 11:34 AM CST

Behringer Harvard set to break ground on Three Eldridge Place

Houston Business Journal - by Jennifer Dawson Reporter

Behringer Harvard has announced plans to build Three Eldridge Place -- an office building in West Houston that will seek LEED certification as a green building.

After initially keeping the project under wraps, the Dallas-based investment firm confirmed Tuesday that it will break ground in March on a 13-story, 303,000-square-foot building in the Energy Corridor submarket.

Three Eldridge Place will be adjacent to One and Two Eldridge Place, which were acquired by Behringer Harvard REIT I Inc. in December 2006. Those two buildings have a total of 519,000 square feet of space and are 99 percent leased. They are located at 757 N. Eldridge Parkway and 777 N. Eldridge Parkway, just south of Interstate 10 near Memorial Drive.

The new office building will be located on the corner of Eldridge Parkway and Memorial Drive. One unique building feature will allow tenants to drive up to their suites by having building access from the six-level parking garage.

Behringer Harvard's development team includes EEReed as general contractor; Gensler as architect; and Haynes Whaley, DBR Inc. and Walter P. Moore as engineering contractors.

The project is being funded through Behringer Harvard REIT I Inc., which owns 75 office properties with more than 25 million square feet across the country.

[KevinFromTexas]

Great news about 6 Houston Center. Man, all this new construction is sweet. Can't wait to visit Houston again this summer and check it all out.

[photoLith]

Is someone going out to take photos of the groundbreaking, I would love to see em, and Im sure everyone else would too ;) Also does anyone know any info on the tower going in at 1500 Smith Street downtown, and how tall that New LaQuinta Inn is going to be?

[toxteth o'grady]

What's the point of having the airport connected to one part of the city, besides spending a lot of money to look "cool".

The rail connection to Tyson's would connect the airport to the entire city, given the interchange point for the Orange Line (the part being extended from Tyson's) is in downtown DC. The corridor the rail line would sit in is one of the most heavily traveled in the region and has been subject to quite a bit of high-rise development over the past ten (what the heck, make it twenty) years. More than just airport patrons would have used the line.

I expect the decision will be revisited in 12 months.

[TexasPlaya]

That one line is connected to many other lines. Rail to airports are great for American cities. Even if you have to make one or two transfers to a different line.

I didn't really make my point clear; I think rail to airports is great, but in an already established transit system. It seems some cities build out to the airport before the ridership is high enough to justify it. I just wasn't aware of how D.C.'s pending line will connect with the exist system.

The rail connection to Tyson's would connect the airport to the entire city, given the interchange point for the Orange Line (the part being extended from Tyson's) is in downtown DC. The corridor the rail line would sit in is one of the most heavily traveled in the region and has been subject to quite a bit of high-rise development over the past ten (what the heck, make it twenty) years. More than just airport patrons would have used the line.

I expect the decision will be revisited in 12 months.

I'm not sure what part of the D.C. metro area I stayed in, but it was right near a subway station. The transit there was great. I just haven't been following the discussion about the new line. You know what the ridership is estimated to be?

However, I'll be very unhappy if this line gets funded at the expense of the Houston line. The D.C area has been heavily funded by the FTA in the past, but now Houston needs to play catch up.

[rdavis4559]

City Council voted today to spend $15.5 million to purchase five downtown blocks, a site being eyed for a Houston Dynamo soccer stadium. The council also voted to obtain a sixth block by swapping some city-owned land.

Mayor Bill White would not confirm that the land east of 59 would ultimately be used for a soccer stadium. He said if a deal with the team owners fails to materialize, then the city could seek private development offers. Negotiations with the team are ongoing.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5595007.html

[Xeelee]

Is someone going out to take photos of the groundbreaking, I would love to see em, and Im sure everyone else would too ;) Also does anyone know any info on the tower going in at 1500 Smith Street downtown, and how tall that New LaQuinta Inn is going to be?

Hrm... I wont be there at the time of the groundbreaking, I can drive by there after work and take some pics.

As far as 1500 Smith goes, I think the status of that is "Developmental". Whatever the hell THAT means. :slob:

I seem to recall that the LaQuinta there is going to be more of a midrise if that. Think of that little Holiday Inn south of the the GRB. Yeah... :yuck:


:cheers:

[photoLith]

So the LaQuinta is just going to basically look like your average urban sprawl piece of crap, God I hope not, it would make sense to make it at least 20 stories, since they probably wouldnt charge that much a night, but oh well. Im sure it will look better then the crap they build along the highways. Oh and i seem to recall that 1500 Smith is supposed to be about 800,000 square feet to a million, so that means it should be at least 40-50 stories, maybe? :shrug:

[Wattleigh]

So the LaQuinta is just going to basically look like your average urban sprawl piece of crap, God I hope not, it would make sense to make it at least 20 stories, since they probably wouldnt charge that much a night, but oh well. Im sure it will look better then the crap they build along the highways. Oh and i seem to recall that 1500 Smith is supposed to be about 800,000 square feet to a million, so that means it should be at least 40-50 stories, maybe? :shrug:

I doubt it would be a midrise, considering a parking garage will be involved with the property on that one block. Add in 206 rooms as well. My guess is 10-20 stories at the moment.

See the original article: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/12/24/story10.html

[Shasta]

The LaQuinta will NOT be a suburban styled hotel. As was already stated, a parking garage will be built as part of the project. Additionally, LaQuinta won't be built on a full city block. They do not own the full block. The footprint isn't large enough to build a suburban style with surface parking.

Additionally, Brookfield has stated that 1500 Smith Street would be a tower that would rise anywhere from 35 to 42 floors which would put it in the 490 to 600 foot range. However, they also stated that they have plans to build on the "Gateway" parcel they own which would be the Westernmost parcel of land in the Allen Center area. Devon Energy has been rumored to be interested in this building and it is likely that the "Gateway" tower would be built first.

However, with Hines (Main Place), Crescent (6 Houston), and Trammell Crow (Discovery) breaking ground first, Brookfield might not go forward with either tower. While the downtown class A market is healthy, I am not sure it could handle 4 large towers under construction at the same time.

[CALMSP]

has there been any drawings for 1500 Smith and the other tower you are talking about for the north side of d/t here??

[photoLith]

I dont believe there has been any previews of the building at 1500 Smith, Ive looked and cant find any, but I dont think they even have anything really planned other than just about how many square ft it will be.

[Xeelee]

The LaQuinta will NOT be a suburban styled hotel. As was already stated, a parking garage will be built as part of the project. Additionally, LaQuinta won't be built on a full city block. They do not own the full block. The footprint isn't large enough to build a suburban style with surface parking.

I wasn't aware of that. I hope they come up with an interesting design. :)

[weatherguru18]

I'm more interested in what's going on in the Galleria area. Many many many highrises planned there. The new 60+ story (66 stories I believe) Ritz could be the cities new tallest or one of. Several 50+ stories planned and many many many 30+ story offices and condos planned. Can somebody give a quick rundown?

[Wattleigh]

I'm more interested in what's going on in the Galleria area. Many many many highrises planned there. The new 60+ story (66 stories I believe) Ritz could be the cities new tallest or one of. Several 50+ stories planned and many many many 30+ story offices and condos planned. Can somebody give a quick rundown?

Here are a few I can think of immediately...

-Whiteco Residential has proposed two 35 story residential towers at Westheimer & Sage.

-FalknerUSA also has pitched a condo tower up to 40 stories tall along McCue, on the site of an apartment complex which has been recently demolished. Hopefully, they don't leave a steaming piece of crap as they've been known to elsewhere.

-Turnberry is planning on building a 34 story condo tower at the intersection of Hidalgo & McCue, across from the Waterwall.

-Four Oaks Place could add a 5th building of 18 floors

-Across the street, on the site of the Willie G's, there's been talk of an office building to be developed by Simmons Vedder which could be 320,000 SF.

-Titan, along Post Oak Boulevard will be 26 floors of condos above a multi-story parking garage and topped by a 75 foot spire.

-There's the parcel of land near Landry's HQ along the West Loop where a 20 story office building & 21 story hotel are planned.

-Finally there's the Deyaar piece of land at Post Oak & Richmond. Rumors have been crazy, with an 80 story office building & 50 story residential tower among the uses speculated.

[Complex01]

That is a lot of stuff by the galleria. There is a lot of stuff going on all over the place. 2008 is really going to be a start for some changes all over. Its very kewl to think about. Houston is doing well...

:wizard:

[CALMSP]

for some reason, i just dont have any faith in the Turnberry tower getting built.........like someone else has stated.........starting at $1 million seems a bit much on any standards.

[Wattleigh]

for some reason, i just dont have any faith in the Turnberry tower getting built.........like someone else has stated.........starting at $1 million seems a bit much on any standards.

Considering the project isn't supposed to be complete until mid 2010, there's a while to go before I get a bit more pessimistic. 40 or so of the units have had deposits placed, which seems in step with the company's tactics of getting sales on the order of 2-3 per month and construction is still planned to begin this summer from what I'm aware of.

Plus, I doubt the company would want to make this the exception to their "We've never had a cancelled project" pitch to buyers.

[urbanactivist]

Out of all of the downtown projects, which one do you think will cause the most impact? I am going with (hopefully!!) Houston Pavillions. If done well, this thing could be a rousing success.

Make sure to watch the med center as well. The construction scene there is already ridiculous!

Houston should have an inner-city CBD construction contest... which one will boom the fastest lol.

[Dale]

The exciting thing about Houston, I should think, is that it is way behind the curve on downtown residential, so it's only just begun to tap into demand for downtown living. I would imagine that One Park Place is just the first of many such towers.

[Great_Hizzy]

That leads me to my point that Discovery Green is positioned to really stimulate growth in that area of downtown, including residential. First, there's space around the park; two, the park has amenities that are appealing to urban residents; and three, there is already momentum in the form of new construction surrounding the park, with more to take place within the next few months.

[Trae]

Hopefully that DT Convention Hotel gets some legs. Suppose to be 1,000+ rooms with condos on top. Maybe a Westin? Would be their first in Downtown.

[rdavis4559]

How about a Shangri-La or something?

[CALMSP]

with the new park, we certainly need some more residential downtown........anything so we can pretend to be like Central Park in NY!!!

.....by the way..it appears that the temporary sales shack on Gray across from the Wetspot in Midtown has taken down the office. No more Casa di Modena????

[Trae]

How about a Shangri-La or something?
A little too luxurious maybe. A Shangri-La may be nice for a separate hotel to take up another surface lot. They are only in four US cities (locations will be opening in a few years): Chicago, New York, Miami, and Las Vegas.

[Shasta]

From this angle, Discovery Tower looks to be a 350 to 400 footer rather than a 500 footer.
http://www.discoverytowerhouston.com/images/DT_Temp_web_GR2_rev_01.jpg

[Wattleigh]

6 Houston Center's soiree/preview was this afternoon and here are a few shots I took.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02749.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02750.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02751.jpg

Debbie Wilson, VP of Leasing in Houston Center who announced the building's amenities.
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02754.jpg

To open on...
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02755.jpg

The website for the property also went active today and is still being fleshed out. www.6houstoncenter.com

Renderings from the site
http://www.6houstoncenter.com/6hc/brochure/images/pg1.jpg
http://www.6houstoncenter.com/6hc/images/hppics.jpg

[photoLith]

I like it, thanks so much for the photos, I like to keep up with my city while Im gone. :) Oh and also on the 6 center houston brochure it shows a proposed hotel going in right near Discovery Tower, any one know anything about that? Its not the LaQuinta, its at the corner of Crawford and Walker streets.

[Shasta]

The proposal for the hotel would be another city/county funded convention hotel. The Hilton Americas has been wildly successful despite all of the naysayers who hate public/private ventures. The local government is now in a position to sell off the Hilton and make a profit. The profit from said sale would allow it to invest in a new convention hotel that would rise in that location. Early rumors are that it will have over 1,300 rooms and potentially have condos on top overlooking the new park. They envision a higher-end national brand coming in ala Westin or Renaissance.

[Dale]

From this angle, Discovery Tower looks to be a 350 to 400 footer rather than a 500 footer.
http://www.discoverytowerhouston.com/images/DT_Temp_web_GR2_rev_01.jpg

I'm not feeling it from this angle.

[photoLith]

I like it, its better than nothing. Why dont you like it? ^^

[Dale]

I like it, its better than nothing. Why dont you like it? ^^

Cam't quite put my finger on it. Seems like the protruding face is attached to a slab. Maybe it'll grow on me.

[rdavis4559]

Cam't quite put my finger on it. Seems like the protruding face is attached to a slab. Maybe it'll grow on me.

For all the One Park Place praise, Six Houston looks a lot better than it.

[rdavis4559]

HKS Inc, the architecture firm that came up with the design for 6 Houston is the same firm that designed the Frost Bank Tower in Austin, which I've always liked. They've done quite a lot more as well, some of which is pretty nice, though nothing that comes as easily to mind as Frost Bank Tower.

http://www.hksinc.com/

[rdavis4559]

Something I just realized... I work for Shell and Shell owns the lot they plan to build 6 Houston on. It was a subsidized parking lot for Shell employees only... I wonder where those people will end up (I take the bus so no problem for me).

[Xeelee]

Hopefully that DT Convention Hotel gets some legs. Suppose to be 1,000+ rooms with condos on top. Maybe a Westin? Would be their first in Downtown.

I think there are already condos at the top of the DoubleTree in downtown.

[Wattleigh]

I think there are already condos at the top of the DoubleTree in downtown.

He meant that could be Westin's first property downtown. In hindsight, it is somewhat interesting to see that the Four Seasons had the idea to do the condo thing at least 25 years ago while no one else has done the same in that part of town since. I think it's time for similar projects to start rising in the core.

[Xeelee]

He meant that could be Westin's first property downtown. In hindsight, it is somewhat interesting to see that the Four Seasons had the idea to do the condo thing at least 25 years ago while no one else has done the same in that part of town since. I think it's time for similar projects to start rising in the core.

You are correct. I did in fact, mean "Four Seasons" and not DoubleTree. I agree with you in that other similar projects should start to rise where none had done so before. We shall see.

Interesting though, I believe I remember one of the original proposals for the downtown hotel - aka The Hilton today - it included a spire (popular in the 90's) and it also was supposed to have been topped by condos.

[Wattleigh]

Good news for High Street

http://www.globest.com/news/1108_1108/houston/168839-1.html

[Wattleigh]

The proposal for the hotel would be another city/county funded convention hotel. The Hilton Americas has been wildly successful despite all of the naysayers who hate public/private ventures. The local government is now in a position to sell off the Hilton and make a profit. The profit from said sale would allow it to invest in a new convention hotel that would rise in that location. Early rumors are that it will have over 1,300 rooms and potentially have condos on top overlooking the new park. They envision a higher-end national brand coming in ala Westin or Renaissance.

And that plan is discussed in the Chronicle today...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5599859.html

[Xeelee]

:)

[KevinFromTexas]

Whoa, hey now, I like 6 Houston Center. The other rendering was a bit vague. I like the top, and the lighting is interesting. I like the facade too.

For all the One Park Place praise, Six Houston looks a lot better than it.

Exactly. One Park Place will be great for downtown in that it's adding new residential units and people, but for me, design-wise, it leaves something to be desired. Discovery Tower and 6 Houston Center on the other hand will be nice additions to the skyline. I'm excited about those two projects.

[photoLith]

And that plan is discussed in the Chronicle today...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5599859.html


------------------------

Thats great news, yes! With the addition of one more hotel Houstons downtown economy could be booming, especially if they attract more conventions. I had no idea until recently how important that big ugly convention center is to downtown.:banana:

[Wattleigh]

They're starting to demolish the small strip office center along San Felipe & Woodway for construction of the Azorim Condo project (two 27 story towers).

They've put up a series of green walls along San Felipe, and today they're placing a few banners stating that the developers are donating the salvaged components of the demolition to Habitat for Humanity of NW Harris County.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/DSC02756.jpg

[rdavis4559]

[QUOTE=Wattleigh;3401540]They're starting to demolish the small strip office center along San Felipe & Woodway for construction of the Azorim Condo project (two 27 story towers).

No renders?

[rdavis4559]

[QUOTE=Wattleigh;3401540]They're starting to demolish the small strip office center along San Felipe & Woodway for construction of the Azorim Condo project (two 27 story towers).

No renders for the Azorim Condo project?

[Wattleigh]

[QUOTE=Wattleigh;3401540]They're starting to demolish the small strip office center along San Felipe & Woodway for construction of the Azorim Condo project (two 27 story towers).

No renders for the Azorim Condo project?

Nobody's released them yet.

[Xeelee]

I *think* I may have seen some last week. Think Turnberry. Generic. Not too flashy or drastic. Think... typical. Safe.

[Wattleigh]

I *think* I may have seen some last week. Think Turnberry. Generic. Not too flashy or drastic. Think... typical. Safe.

They haven't been finalized, yet.

:cool:

[toxteth o'grady]

And that plan is discussed in the Chronicle today...
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5599859.html


The story was accompanied by an announcement that Houston's job creation figures for last year were boosted by 40,000.:banana: There were as many as 100,000 jobs added to city payrolls, which appears to be tops in the nation. That will support a lot of high-rise development. :cheers:

[toxteth o'grady]

One Park Place will be great for downtown in that it's adding new residential units and people, but for me, design-wise, it leaves something to be desired...

Me, too. There's something about its profile that just doesn't seem to be, well, substantial. It looks like it should be in the Galleria area next to the Mercer, whereas 6 Houston Center looks like a part of the downtown fabric...

If we get more infill over by Discovery Park, OPP might start to look more in character. That, by the way, is a stunning addition to downtown; it should pay for itself in more convention bookings...

[KevinFromTexas]

Is Discovery Green finished? Or are they still working on it? When will it be finished? I'm looking forward to checking it out when I'm in Houston the next time. I remember years back riding around on my bicycle over there and thinking how cool of a location it would be for a park given the views of downtown. One of Houston's strong points are great parks. Probably the best in the state.

*EDIT* Never mind, I found it: April of '08. Sweet.
http://www.discoverygreen.com/en/releases/releases_view.asp

[rdavis4559]

When the park opens, someone let us know how the restaurants are
http://www.discoverygreen.com/en/cms/?276

[Wattleigh]

Is Discovery Green finished? Or are they still working on it? When will it be finished? I'm looking forward to checking it out when I'm in Houston the next time. I remember years back riding around on my bicycle over there and thinking how cool of a location it would be for a park given the views of downtown. One of Houston's strong points are great parks. Probably the best in the state.

*EDIT* Never mind, I found it: April of '08. Sweet.
http://www.discoverygreen.com/en/releases/releases_view.asp

It's technically not open, but they seem to be okay with people passing through some of the open areas during weekdays. The Crawford promenade and an entrance off Avenida de las Americas around the GRB seem to be open. Actually saw some families strolling through and some people playing frisbee near The Grove this afternoon.

[TritonHouston]

I went down to the park last weekend and was planning on eating at The Grove; however, it looked too expensive and I called and the food prices are extremely high. Think like the cheapest thing was $20.

[toxteth o'grady]

Those are DC prices!

Comes with having oil money...:D :cheers:

[Wattleigh]

There are a bunch of things that are less than $20. Looks like a lot of people are willing to pay whatever though since it always looks packed when I've been by.

Lunch (http://www.thegrovehouston.com/lunch%20menu.pdf)
Dinner (http://www.thegrovehouston.com/The%20Grove%20Menu.pdf)

[rdavis4559]

Yeah I saw those menus earlier... though the food sounds good, all of the dishes are pretty typical. The 9/11 of the reviews on citysearch were good... the 2/11 that weren't spoke about extremely bad service.

[Xeelee]

Hrm... I will have to check it out this weekend perhaps.

[rdavis4559]

Here are some shots of Discovery Green, OPP, and 6 Houston just recently added to the Crescent Houston Center scale model in 2 Houston Center on Floor P2:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00344.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00345.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00346.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00347.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00348.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00349.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00350.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00351.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00352.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a373/rdavis4559/IMG00353.jpg

[Wattleigh]

Great pix, I'll have to stroll through and check it out myself.

And they couldn't at least put in a gray rectangle for Discovery Tower? Even HP & OPP are relatively detailed for things not even in their own complex! :haha:

[rdavis4559]

I don't know why they didn't put in Discovery Tower, but keep in mind, as I've stated before in this thread, there was a proposed 6 Houston Center several years ago which was never built... and the model for that was included in this city-model you see up until just a few weeks ago (btw, the new 6 Houston design is a lot better than the old one, which was almost a twin to 5 Houston).

They didn't include the Houston Pavilions either.

[KevinFromTexas]

:slob: I love scale models. Very cool! From that model it looks to be a little bit taller than 5 Houston Center. So maybe 400 feet or so. Still like that crown very much, and the lighting design will be very nice on that side of downtown. Most of the towers on that side of downtown are relatively dark, so some nice crown lighting will help with that.

[Xeelee]

Great pix, I'll have to stroll through and check it out myself.

And they couldn't at least put in a gray rectangle for Discovery Tower? Even HP & OPP are relatively detailed for things not even in their own complex! :haha:

I don't think those two are in direct competition for the kind of tenants 6HC is looking to capture. DT on the other hand, could be. :shrug:

[Complex01]

Kewl model pics. Helps to see exactly were 6HC will be positioned on its block. I do like that top, it will be awesome to see it lit up at night. Very kewl...

:wizard:

[Wattleigh]

I don't think those two are in direct competition for the kind of tenants 6HC is looking to capture. DT on the other hand, could be. :shrug:

Both are looking for people to occupy Class-A office space. Discovery Tower has a number of features that benefit it as 6HC does on it's own. They'll both be completed around the same time so any influx of workers, residents, retail, etc... is always good for the district. Especially since it is starting to concentrate in that area.

[Von]

hmmm the hotel infront of Discovery Green I forget the name of it... humm is that the actual size of it? is it going to be taller than thr building next to it?...well I hope I make sence lol... love that there will be another building with green color in downtown...iono i like the green in dwontown:D

[rdavis4559]

hmmm the hotel infront of Discovery Green I forget the name of it... humm is that the actual size of it? is it going to be taller than thr building next to it?...well I hope I make sence lol... love that there will be another building with green color in downtown...iono i like the green in dwontown:D

Huh?

[Xeelee]

hmmm the hotel infront of Discovery Green I forget the name of it... humm is that the actual size of it? is it going to be taller than thr building next to it?...well I hope I make sence lol... love that there will be another building with green color in downtown...iono i like the green in dwontown:D

Yes me too. More buildings of different colors would be cool. :)

[rdavis4559]

Yes me too. More buildings of different colors would be cool. :)

Or maybe some multi-colored cubic look or some kind of colored mosaic.

[Cory]

I don't know about 6HC yet. It looks like two seperate buildings to me. It almost looks like the AIM proposal in Greenway mixed with 5 Houston Ccenter.

[rdavis4559]

I'm sorry if someone already posted this. It is an announcement from www.trammellcrow.com

DISCOVERY TOWER ANNOUNCES GROUNDBREAKING

Discovery Green’s Neighbor Gets Sustainability GOLD-Light

Houston, Texas – March 3, 2008 – Trammell Crow Company and Principal Real Estate Investors are pleased to announce the groundbreaking of Discovery Tower, a 30-story, 871,000 square foot development located at 1501 McKinney Street in downtown Houston. The project will be the first LEED Gold certified office building ever constructed in the city’s Central Business District (CBD). Construction will begin the week of March 3, 2008 with occupancy in the second quarter of 2010. Located in the eastern entertainment district of the CBD, the Discovery Tower site sits adjacent to Discovery Green, Houston’s new, $122-million, 12-acre downtown park and will offer tenants
unobstructed views and pedestrian access to both the park and the surrounding area. The tower will feature two stories of retail and restaurant space overlooking a landscaped arrival court and water garden and will include 28-stories comprising 853,000 square feet of rentable office space. A 10-story parking structure on the adjacent block to the north of the building will service the parking needs of future tenants.

http://www.trammellcrow.com/tcwebwww/Location/1/TCC_Discovery_02-28-08.pdf

[TexasPlaya]

Good to hear that this building will include retail and restaurant space. Now we just need to get some more people to live in DT.

[urbanactivist]

Don't forget about the rapidly exploding Midtown #2 to the east (future Harrisburg line). They might not be moving to DT proper, but will definitely take advantage of their nearest shopping districts and urban park.

:notacrook: And BTW guys.... Discovery Green has free Wi-fi :notacrook:

[rdavis4559]

Don't forget about the rapidly exploding Midtown #2 to the east (future Harrisburg line). They might not be moving to DT proper, but will definitely take advantage of their nearest shopping districts and urban park.

:notacrook: And BTW guys.... Discovery Green has free Wi-fi :notacrook:

Free Wi-fi? Awesome.

[Wattleigh]

More in a posting on the Medistar Project on Swamplot...

http://swamplot.com/houstonian-texas-medical-center-slow-multimedia-reveal/2008-03-13/#more-1421

These are copies of renderings included in today's (3/13) agenda for the City Planning Commission. Looks to be a second Houstonian Hotel location.

Rough rendering
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/houstonian-tmc-bw-main.jpg

Cross-section
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/houstonian-tmc-bw-section.jpg

Overhead View of model
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/houstonian-tmc-bw-model.jpg

Rooftop Floorplan
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/houstonian-tmc-bw-plan-top.jpg

Lobby Floorplan
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/houstonian-tmc-bw-plan-1.jpg

[Saddle Man]

Yay! A box.

[vjhe]

Yay! A box.

Oh come on now, are you really surprised? What else would it be? ;)

[Saddle Man]

/\/\/\/\ Hahahahah!!!!!

[KevinFromTexas]

Yeah, I suppose it could have been a triangle. Or even worse, an oval. :yuck:

[Xeelee]

Or perhaps something more flashy. This is going to be good for the economy. :)

[CALMSP]

Good to hear that this building will include retail and restaurant space. Now we just need to get some more people to live in DT.

maybe more people will with the continued hike in gas prices!!! I can't imagine dropping all that cash to drive in from the Woodlands/Katy/Kingwood. I'll take my 5 minute walk commute anyday!!!!

[Xeelee]

maybe more people will with the continued hike in gas prices!!! I can't imagine dropping all that cash to drive in from the Woodlands/Katy/Kingwood. I'll take my 5 minute walk commute anyday!!!!

I agree. I find it hilarious that humans complain about high gas prices from their hummers, insurance prices, pollution, and long commutes. They likely do not posses the insight needed to see that they are sharing the road from the woodlands/sugarland/katy to Houston with 875,000 other humans who think the same way they do. Ugh. Pretty laughable stuff really.

[weatherguru18]

I drive in from The Woodlands daily. It takes me about an hour to get to work in the Sharpstown area. The burbs are so much nicer than the inner city IMO. Lower crime rate, quiet, lots of recreation, good schools and so on. There is a reason that The Woodlands will have 120,000 - 150,000 residents in the next couple of years. They can't build the homes fast enough. But again, that's my opinion.

On another note, why is Philadelphia getting a 1,500' tower???? They just got the Comcast Center which is just under 1,000'. They are losing population while Houston is one of the fastest growing and all we get are 30 stories. I don't get it.

[TritonHouston]

I drive in from The Woodlands daily. It takes me about an hour to get to work in the Sharpstown area. The burbs are so much nicer than the inner city IMO. Lower crime rate, quiet, lots of recreation, good schools and so on. There is a reason that The Woodlands will have 120,000 - 150,000 residents in the next couple of years. They can't build the homes fast enough. But again, that's my opinion.

On another note, why is Philadelphia getting a 1,500' tower???? They just got the Comcast Center which is just under 1,000'. They are losing population while Houston is one of the fastest growing and all we get are 30 stories. I don't get it.

Perhaps it's because Houston is growing outward and has land to expand upon while Philadelphia has no land and must expand upwards... besides that, I have no clue.

[Xeelee]

I drive in from The Woodlands daily. It takes me about an hour to get to work in the Sharpstown area. The burbs are so much nicer than the inner city IMO. Lower crime rate, quiet, lots of recreation, good schools and so on. There is a reason that The Woodlands will have 120,000 - 150,000 residents in the next couple of years. They can't build the homes fast enough. But again, that's my opinion.

On another note, why is Philadelphia getting a 1,500' tower???? They just got the Comcast Center which is just under 1,000'. They are losing population while Houston is one of the fastest growing and all we get are 30 stories. I don't get it.

Hrm... Linky?

[KevinFromTexas]

I drive in from The Woodlands daily. It takes me about an hour to get to work in the Sharpstown area. The burbs are so much nicer than the inner city IMO. Lower crime rate, quiet, lots of recreation, good schools and so on. There is a reason that The Woodlands will have 120,000 - 150,000 residents in the next couple of years. They can't build the homes fast enough. But again, that's my opinion.

On another note, why is Philadelphia getting a 1,500' tower???? They just got the Comcast Center which is just under 1,000'. They are losing population while Houston is one of the fastest growing and all we get are 30 stories. I don't get it.

I don't mean to sound rude, but you live in The Woodlands, tout its attractiveness compared to Houston, and are surprised why Houston doesn't have a 1,500 footer? Actually, it's not as simple as that though. Houston has much more free land to build on. Philly's downtown area is surrounded on two sides by two rivers and the Jersey state border is nearby with Camden being just over the border. So there's not much room for Philly grow out, so they have go up. Also the city is very old. It was our nation's first capital. The 2nd largest city in the British Empire during the 1790s, and the largest US city at one time. The city's population had also hit 1 million people by 1890 and an all time high of 2 million in 1950. So as you can imagine the city is blanketed with very old buildings with many national landmarks. So again, to preserve those the city has to build up, replacing other less historic structures. With Houston, you have plenty of land and no restrictions on development basically. So there's no incentive to build up. The other thing of course is that downtown actually has a height restriction imposed by the FAA. Originally the JPMorgan Chase Tower was supposed to be 80 floors. They scaled it back to 75 floors because it would have been too tall and high into the flight path. That was the reason I heard. Also by comparison Houston hadn't hit 1 million people until about 1965. By that time Philly had over 2 million.

[KevinFromTexas]

Hrm... Linky?

Post number 5461 is where the fun starts. Check out the renderings. Very nice tower.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=119627&page=274

[Xeelee]

What the hell?

[Wattleigh]

Downtown's three large office projects seem to be in swing in some form or another. Main Place's excavation continues as the excavation for Discovery Tower is just beginning. Here are some photos from this afternoon.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02815.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02816.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02817.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02819.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/HouConstruction/DSC02818.jpg

According to this article in the Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/03/17/story11.html) (public in a few days), 6 Houston Center will begin less than 45 days from now. I also recall seeing a few men with hardhats on the site reviewing what looked to be floorplans on the site just this afternoon.

The article also goes on to mention that all three projects are working for a LEED Gold certification. I recall seeing Silver for each beforehand though. There are also a few details referring to the Brookfield Gateway Tract project. Apparently, it is planned to be 50 stories, all glass and working toward LEED Gold certification as well. It would sit on the surface lot adjacent to the Allen Center Garage/Racquet Club. Construction wouldn't begin until at least 50 percent of the building is leased.

A lot of things are going on out west too. The Memorial City Condo Building is actually starting to begin after some speculation the site hadn't succeeded. This afternoon, a smaller crane was in the process of setting up a tower crane on the site.

The Energy Plaza development is also being cleared out at the moment. This is the twin 17-story office & 14 story hotel project at Dairy Ashford & the Katy Freeway.

Signs have also started going up on the sites for Eldridge Oaks (14 Stories) & Three Eldridge Place (13 stories), both on Eldridge Parkway in the Energy Corridor.

[weatherguru18]

I don't mean to sound rude, but you live in The Woodlands, tout its attractiveness compared to Houston, and are surprised why Houston doesn't have a 1,500 footer? Actually, it's not as simple as that though. Houston has much more free land to build on. Philly's downtown area is surrounded on two sides by two rivers and the Jersey state border is nearby with Camden being just over the border. So there's not much room for Philly grow out, so they have go up. Also the city is very old. It was our nation's first capital. The 2nd largest city in the British Empire during the 1790s, and the largest US city at one time. The city's population had also hit 1 million people by 1890 and an all time high of 2 million in 1950. So as you can imagine the city is blanketed with very old buildings with many national landmarks. So again, to preserve those the city has to build up, replacing other less historic structures. With Houston, you have plenty of land and no restrictions on development basically. So there's no incentive to build up. The other thing of course is that downtown actually has a height restriction imposed by the FAA. Originally the JPMorgan Chase Tower was supposed to be 80 floors. They scaled it back to 75 floors because it would have been too tall and high into the flight path. That was the reason I heard. Also by comparison Houston hadn't hit 1 million people until about 1965. By that time Philly had over 2 million.

First of all, again, the City of Philadelphia, is losing population and has been for years. While I appreciate the history lesson (which I already knew), Philly is not building up due to historical markers. They are in the heart of the megalopolis. However, Houston is likely to pass Philadelphia in the next decade as the 5th largest metro area in the nation.

As far as the height restrictions go DT, that is no longer in effect (or so I've heard). They could build 200 stories if they want. The runways at Hobby do not line up with downtown and the flight paths take the plans safely to the southwest of the CBD. We have much nicer technology than we did in 1981 when Chase was built.

[guess]

However, Houston is likely to pass Philadelphia in the next decade as the 5th largest metro area in the nation.


Thats a useless way of looking at things. Philly's metro area is half the size of Houston's and double the pop density. Why the concern over the building going up in Philly?

Since I'm in Houston I'm more concerned about why a 2 story mall is going up on main street. What a great use of a prime block.

Or maybe the design of buildings like the one going up by the park, complete with a porte-cochere, that looks like it belongs in the energy corridor with the rest of the BP buildings.

[KevinFromTexas]

Ok, ok, let's not argue over it. I was just hoping to uh, indicate why Philly was getting it. And actually Houston has had some really nice tall buildings proposed. There were several proposals in the 80s that would have each been over 1,300 feet tall. I believe the reasons they weren't built ultimately was the economy and height restrictions because of Hobby thanks to the FAA. However, if I was going to expect Houston to get something that tall, now would be the time. The city seems to be doing very well. Residential highrises are springing up all over the place and downtown is in better shape then it's been in years. It's only a matter of time. By the way, I was in no way hating on Houston, if I had move out of Austin for some reason and I had my choice, I'd go to Houston.

[rdavis4559]

First of all, again, the City of Philadelphia, is losing population and has been for years. While I appreciate the history lesson (which I already knew), Philly is not building up due to historical markers. They are in the heart of the megalopolis. However, Houston is likely to pass Philadelphia in the next decade as the 5th largest metro area in the nation.

As far as the height restrictions go DT, that is no longer in effect (or so I've heard). They could build 200 stories if they want. The runways at Hobby do not line up with downtown and the flight paths take the plans safely to the southwest of the CBD. We have much nicer technology than we did in 1981 when Chase was built.

How definite is the assertion that there is no longer a height restriction? Anybody know?

[toxteth o'grady]

I think it's incorrect. The runways are oriented same as they ever was - directly at downtown. Which means the same concerns that the FAA had 25 years ago still exist.

[TritonHouston]

How definite is the assertion that there is no longer a height restriction? Anybody know?
Although I myself don't have a definite source, there has been an article that was discussing a past supertall skyscraper for Houston and it implied there was no longer any height restriction because airplanes are no longer allowed to come close to the central district especially after 9/11.

[CALMSP]

using our skyline as an excuse to limit our height is pathetic. If HKG could land 747 jumbos at the old Kai Tak airport, our little737's can land at HOU with a higher skyline.