HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[Urbannizer]

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/12228212783_57503d9bbf_b.jpg

Super Bowl driving major projects

The 2017 Super Bowl not only will drive thousands of football fans to Houston, it will put a hard deadline on projects from office and hotel construction to a light-rail extension, a local developer said Wednesday.

Ric Campo, CEO of Houston-based Camden Properties and chairman of the Houston Super Bowl bid committee that successfully lobbied the NFL for the big game, said over the next three years developers and the city plan to invest $3.5 billion in downtown. By contrast, he said, the business community and city have invested a total of $5 billion there over the last 14 years.

"It creates incredible deadlines and amazing pressure to get projects done," he said. "We're trying to turn downtown into a 24-hour city."

Campo told a real estate group at its monthly meeting that the Super Bowl would have a combined $500 million positive impact to the city.

Full Article: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Super-Bowl-driving-major-projects-5371617.php

[Htowngrown]

Now there are rumblings of a $2 Billion project for downtown Houston. This is for sure in addition to Chevron 3, don't know if it is separate from the 102 story tower rumored but either way downtown is going off! Add that with the possible super tall in the Galleria and Houston can not be stopped! Some great news recently, just a little ominous given our history...

[Clev]

Great news! Is there any indication on where the $2 billion project would be in downtown?

[Htowngrown]

It's sounds like it's still in its infancy. The only additional information is that it is backed by foreign investors(probably Chinese or Korean). Looks like some international money is trying to make a splash in the Energy Capital though! It's still way too early to know if this thing has legs but I'm cautiously optimistic. Still have to wait at least a couple months to see if this is has anything to it though.

[Bailey]

Why not a fun welcoming statue of Sam Houston, or the Allen Brothers, instead of Big Tex from Dallas?

[Urbannizer]

Great news! Is there any indication on where the $2 billion project would be in downtown?

No location given, but it was posted in the "102-Story Tower" thread:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/28424-102-story-tower-planned/page-7

I don't doubt any of the information given to us, I just wonder how far these supertalls are in the development stage. It's possible they may never get off the drawing board, or we may never hear something more official (news article for instance) about them. We'll see. Hoping for the best.

[Clev]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/04/01/downtowns-greenstreet-adds-popular-eatery-software.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+industry_20+(Industry+Commercial+Real+Estate)

I thought this was interesting. It looks like GreenStreet is adding Salata, Enertia Software, and Zipcar.

[toxteth o'grady]

Why not a fun welcoming statue of Sam Houston, or the Allen Brothers, instead of Big Tex from Dallas?

Sam's already ensconced safely north, in Huntsville.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/Sam_Houston_Statue.jpg

[toxteth o'grady]

Now there are rumblings of a $2 Billion project for downtown Houston.

Sounds like multiple buildings. If it's residential, it will help alleviate some of the demand.:cool:

[TowerSpotter]

Sounds like multiple buildings. If it's residential, it will help alleviate some of the demand.:cool:

$2 billion is a lot of money...it could easily contain a supertall and still have money left for multiple buildings.

[N90]

$2 billion is a lot of money...it could easily contain a supertall and still have money left for multiple buildings.
True words.

[toxteth o'grady]

This came in over the transom this evening. Another Enclave.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/wp-content/blogs.dir/1876/files/ground-breakings/col-enc-the-enclave-place-s-rendering-12-13.jpg

Piedmont Office Realty Trust project in Energy Corridor is latest Houston office building to break ground (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/04/piedmont-office-realty-trust-project-in-energy-corridor-is-latest-houston-office-building-to-break-ground/?cmpid=businesshcat#22144101=0)

Groundbreaking was this morning.

[AviationGuy]

Why not a fun welcoming statue of Sam Houston, or the Allen Brothers, instead of Big Tex from Dallas?

Exactly. The Big Tex is the ultimate in silliness.

[JManc]

Supertall in uptown? Didn't that idea die with Dyarr proposal during last recession?

[TowerSpotter]

Supertall in uptown? Didn't that idea die with Dyarr proposal during last recession?

The Deyarr is dead. This one is new and there is no specified location as of yet. Although Swstig confirmed the rumor was about right but can't elaborate on the height.

[JManc]

Seems too far fetched. At least the Deyarr had deep UAE pockets behind it. Would rather see a couple 4-500'ers

[Htowngrown]

Seems too far fetched. At least the Deyarr had deep UAE pockets behind it. Would rather see a couple 4-500'ers

From what I'm understanding, the super tall for Uptown is being discussed by Hines. If anyone could do it, they could. It just comes down to if it actually comes out of the ground and in this stage it's a way too early to say. No reason to get your hopes up and think it will, just word from the grapevine. Houston is bound for a super tall this cycle though so won't be surprised if one of these rumors comes true. Either way Uptown is going to be adding plenty of 400+ footers, the cranes are just staring to rise! I think Uptown could get 1-2 super talls and Downtown could add another 2-3 this cycle, but I'm an optimist. :D

[JManc]

I'm all for new development but a supertall should be downtown. Part of what makes the Transco so iconic (I refuse to call it Williams) is it's solitude in height but the area is ripe for several mid sized towers that's for sure...all up and down Post Oak

[N90]

What'll happen to the revolving beacon light on the Transco if a taller tower in Uptown is built? That thing at night can seriously blind people in the taller tower, if not blind then seriously impair eye sight.

Houston as a city reminds me too much of family guy, it's so silly and funny, part of what I like about the place. I think laissez-faire is what it's called.

[Urbannizer]

I'm all for new development but a supertall should be downtown. Part of what makes the Transco so iconic (I refuse to call it Williams) is it's solitude in height but the area is ripe for several mid sized towers that's for sure...all up and down Post Oak

The Williams tower will still be an icon, it's not like were getting multiple supertalls that will surround the building, it's just one being proposed for the Galleria/Uptown area. We have the Williams which reminds us of the boom of the late 70's/early 80's and it would be nice to have another to remind us of the current boom of today, they will both stand out well. Uptown or Downtown, we're definitely long-over due for a new supertall.

What'll happen to the revolving beacon light on the Transco if a taller tower in Uptown is built? That thing at night can seriously blind people in the taller tower, if not blind then seriously impair eye sight.

If it's mixed-use, I only see this being a problem if the hotel or residential floors are at the same height and in the path of the beacon light.

[N90]

The Williams tower will still be an icon, it's not like were getting multiple supertalls that will surround the building, it's just one being proposed for the Galleria/Uptown area. We have the Williams which reminds us of the boom of the late 70's/early 80's and it would be nice to have another to remind us of the current boom of today, they will both stand out well. Uptown or Downtown, we're definitely long-over due for a new supertall.



If it's mixed-use, I only see this being a problem if the hotel or residential floors are at the same height and in the path of the beacon light.
Uptown Houston has 125 buildings above 10 floors and Downtown has 120 (I just counted and rounded up to nearest -0 or -5).

I also agree, Uptown can more than handle a supertall. That shouldn't be an issue. One somewhere midway from Transco and the 600+ San Felipe would be great. True linear skyline.

[glowrock]

I still say if (and that's a big IF) another supertall is built in Houston, it's going to be downtown. Uptown is fine and dandy, but it's such a disaster getting in and out of there it's not even funny. The road/transportation network is completely overloaded, period. Downtown on the other hand doesn't have this issue, at least not for the most part.

Ah well, who the hell knows. Just a rumor, and we all know how many rumors end up being just that, rumors.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[toxteth o'grady]

If it's mixed-use, I only see this being a problem if the hotel or residential floors are at the same height and in the path of the beacon light.

So the supertall would definitely be hotel/residential?

[toxteth o'grady]

I think Uptown could get 1-2 super talls and Downtown could add another 2-3 this cycle, but I'm an optimist. :D

Definite optimist, given the number of announcements so far, none of them a supertall.

This is like the airliners.net speculation about the next A380 flight to Houston. We all expect it to happen; we're just not sure of the timing or the airline.

[toxteth o'grady]

New rumors of another Anadarko building - at 600 ksf, it's slightly smaller than the present two towers. John Frere, Anadarko's real estate person, dropped the hint at a ULI conference. No renders yet.

Anadarko campus in The Woodlands could grow again (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/04/anadarko-campus-in-the-woodlands-could-grow-again/?cmpid=hpts)

[ktp7]

Uptown Houston has 125 buildings above 10 floors and Downtown has 120 (I just counted and rounded up to nearest -0 or -5).

I also agree, Uptown can more than handle a supertall. That shouldn't be an issue. One somewhere midway from Transco and the 600+ San Felipe would be great. True linear skyline.

I’m curious as to where you got your numbers from. I went to Emporis and counted 81 buildings over 10 stories with 5 under construction in Greater Uptown and 125 in Downtown (excluding churches and stadiums). Maybe Emporis uses different boundaries for Uptown?

http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/greateruptown-westside
http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/downtown-innerloopeast

Anyway, regardless of the number of buildings, a supertall would fit much better in Downtown than in Uptown. Downtown has much more tall buildings (34 over 400 feet in Downtown compared to only 7 over 400 feet in Uptown) and the buildings are more concentrated together (the Uptown area is much larger than Downtown and Uptown’s second tallest building is over a mile away from Williams Tower). I think there needs to be much more 300 to 500 ft towers built in Uptown before a supertall is even considered there. Uptown Park and the current projects under construction are a good start, but there are still a lot of strip centers between the buildings that need to be filled. These are just rumors anyway, but if a supertall is going to be built in Houston, then Downtown seems to be a much better fit to me.

[TowerSpotter]

I’m curious as to where you got your numbers from. I went to Emporis and counted 81 buildings over 10 stories with 5 under construction in Greater Uptown and 125 in Downtown (excluding churches and stadiums). Maybe Emporis uses different boundaries for Uptown?

http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/greateruptown-westside
http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/downtown-innerloopeast

Anyway, regardless of the number of buildings, a supertall would fit much better in Downtown than in Uptown. Downtown has much more tall buildings (34 over 400 feet in Downtown compared to only 7 over 400 feet in Uptown) and the buildings are more concentrated together (the Uptown area is much larger than Downtown and Uptown’s second tallest building is over a mile away from Williams Tower). I think there needs to be much more 300 to 500 ft towers built in Uptown before a supertall is even considered there. Uptown Park and the current projects under construction are a good start, but there are still a lot of strip centers between the buildings that need to be filled. These are just rumors anyway, but if a supertall is going to be built in Houston, then Downtown seems to be a much better fit to me.

I do prefer downtown as well but there could be a possibility we have two supertalls, one for downtown and one for uptown. Could be downtown may just get a cluster of buildings or a supertall, for now no one knows. For sure either one is a win win.

[N90]

I’m curious as to where you got your numbers from. I went to Emporis and counted 81 buildings over 10 stories with 5 under construction in Greater Uptown and 125 in Downtown (excluding churches and stadiums). Maybe Emporis uses different boundaries for Uptown?

http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/greateruptown-westside
http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/downtown-innerloopeast

Anyway, regardless of the number of buildings, a supertall would fit much better in Downtown than in Uptown. Downtown has much more tall buildings (34 over 400 feet in Downtown compared to only 7 over 400 feet in Uptown) and the buildings are more concentrated together (the Uptown area is much larger than Downtown and Uptown’s second tallest building is over a mile away from Williams Tower). I think there needs to be much more 300 to 500 ft towers built in Uptown before a supertall is even considered there. Uptown Park and the current projects under construction are a good start, but there are still a lot of strip centers between the buildings that need to be filled. These are just rumors anyway, but if a supertall is going to be built in Houston, then Downtown seems to be a much better fit to me.
It took me over 2 hours but I used the 3D feature and the zoomfeature on Google Maps and counted each and every single building, but before that counted every floor in the buildings. Thankfully Houston is on a grid, going street by street, block by block, I got to 123. Both sides of 610 (without counting a single building in Greenway Plaza, only counted the buildings west of Briar Hollow which are solidly Uptown IMO). My boundaries ran from everything south of I10 and north of 59, on both sides of the 610 West Loop. Then I used the SSP maps provided for a secondary source.

Downtown was easier, the grid was much more predictable. For Downtown, it was everything inside that small loop, I didn't count any buildings in Midtown that abut the freeway and could literally pass off as Downtown, which is what I believe Emporis did, because that's the number you'd get if you added those.

Emporis' definitions of Uptown are more strict than my own (admittedly, I probably am the more lax one).

[ktp7]

I do prefer downtown as well but there could be a possibility we have two supertalls, one for downtown and one for uptown. Could be downtown may just get a cluster of buildings or a supertall, for now no one knows. For sure either one is a win win.

Like you said, no one knows right now. I’m just happy with all the infill going on. Two supertalls would be much more than anyone could ask for.

[ktp7]

It took me over 2 hours but I used the 3D feature and the zoomfeature on Google Maps and counted each and every single building, but before that counted every floor in the buildings. Thankfully Houston is on a grid, going street by street, block by block, I got to 123. Both sides of 610 (without counting a single building in Greenway Plaza, only counted the buildings west of Briar Hollow which are solidly Uptown IMO). My boundaries ran from everything south of I10 and north of 59, on both sides of the 610 West Loop. Then I used the SSP maps provided for a secondary source.

Downtown was easier, the grid was much more predictable. For Downtown, it was everything inside that small loop, I didn't count any buildings in Midtown that abut the freeway and could literally pass off as Downtown, which is what I believe Emporis did, because that's the number you'd get if you added those.

Emporis' definitions of Uptown are more strict than my own (admittedly, I probably am the more lax one).

Wow!! You have much more patience than I do. Uptown’s boundaries do appear to be hazy because it’s so spread out, especially compared to Downtown which is just inside the little loop. A Google maps search of Uptown doesn’t even include San Felipe Plaza or the Marathon building within the boundaries, which seems strange. Maybe the difference between your count and Emporis came from the other side of 610 and some other areas, but 40 buildings seems like a lot. I still think a supertall would fit much better in Downtown, where the buildings are more concentrated.

[Clev]

I’m curious as to where you got your numbers from. I went to Emporis and counted 81 buildings over 10 stories with 5 under construction in Greater Uptown and 125 in Downtown (excluding churches and stadiums). Maybe Emporis uses different boundaries for Uptown?

http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/greateruptown-westside
http://www.emporis.com/neighborhood/downtown-innerloopeast

Anyway, regardless of the number of buildings, a supertall would fit much better in Downtown than in Uptown. Downtown has much more tall buildings (34 over 400 feet in Downtown compared to only 7 over 400 feet in Uptown) and the buildings are more concentrated together (the Uptown area is much larger than Downtown and Uptown’s second tallest building is over a mile away from Williams Tower). I think there needs to be much more 300 to 500 ft towers built in Uptown before a supertall is even considered there. Uptown Park and the current projects under construction are a good start, but there are still a lot of strip centers between the buildings that need to be filled. These are just rumors anyway, but if a supertall is going to be built in Houston, then Downtown seems to be a much better fit to me.

I agree. Another building over 900 feet in Uptown would look awkward in my opinion because of all the gaps in the Uptown skyline. Downtown has the height and the density in its core for a supertall to not look too out of place.

[Htowngrown]

Here's some good news for the office market and maybe even help the super tall rumors gain some traction. Just guessing they'd need a good bit of office space to make them viable. Either way 2.3 mil sq ft of space in a quarter will help all the office developments going on. 15 million sq ft under construction is crazy!

http://www.coydavidson.com/office/houston-office-market-report-q1-2014/

[Urbannizer]

Hanover Post Oak: 4/5 by Tottottito on Flickr

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7436/13656502943_cd2ff2437d_b.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/13656857074_d436bf62d1_b.jpg

Hyatt Regency: 4/5 by jgriff

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3771/13649961635_73a6083dcf_b.jpg

[toxteth o'grady]

Here's some good news for the office market and maybe even help the super tall rumors gain some traction. Just guessing they'd need a good bit of office space to make them viable. Either way 2.3 mil sq ft of space in a quarter will help all the office developments going on. 15 million sq ft under construction is crazy!

http://www.coydavidson.com/office/houston-office-market-report-q1-2014/

Those are phenomenal numbers. I suspect some of that reflects completion of some projects that have been under construction in previous quarters and are now being occupied by pre-lease tenants.

The 12% vacancy rate seems to be as close to full occupancy as we can expect these days, which explains why rents have gone up so much. I don't know how much of that 15 million sf of new construction has been spoken for, but some of the reports suggest it's a large percentage. According to Colliers, 3 million of it is the Exxon Mobil campus - 100% committed.

And then there's the ongoing shortage of residential lots in the region...

[houabz]

I do prefer downtown as well but there could be a possibility we have two supertalls, one for downtown and one for uptown. Could be downtown may just get a cluster of buildings or a supertall, for now no one knows. For sure either one is a win win.

It seems that these will be two supertalls, one in downtown and one in uptown, based on what I read in a post here (http://www.city-data.com/forum/urban-planning/1827254-tall-buildings-under-construction-your-city-3.html#post28924932), from a year ago. We'll see later on though what surfaces with these rumored towers.

[ktp7]

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/28590-development-list-for-buildings-in-houston-march-2014/page-5

Here is a rough idea of what Downtown could look like if all the current proposals get off the ground. Thanks to rellott on Haif for taking the time to make these.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-55125500-1396836749.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-13085500-1396836758.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-04315900-1396836752.jpg

[TowerSpotter]

It seems that these will be two supertalls, one in downtown and one in uptown, based on what I read in a post here (http://www.city-data.com/forum/urban-planning/1827254-tall-buildings-under-construction-your-city-3.html#post28924932), from a year ago. We'll see later on though what surfaces with these rumored towers.

Oh wow rumors spread longer than I thought, we still wouldn't know although I do go for 2 supertalls. :yes:

Edit: Are you sure he isn't referring to the Deyaar in that post?

[N90]

I wanted to share this with all of you. I put this together.

With 14 buildings already completed since 2010 and 81 buildings constructed last decade. Here's the current list, thank Urbanizzer for finding all the projects.

1. 1600 Louisiana: 50 stories [Office: proposed] (Downtown)
2. 609 Main: 48 stories [Office: under-construction] (Downtown)
3. International Tower: 46 stories [Office: proposed] (Downtown)
4. Herman Place: 42 stories [Residential: proposed] (Museum District)
5. 2929 Weslayan: 40 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Greenway Plaza)
6. Capitol Tower: 33 stories [Office: proposed] (Downtown)
7. Landmark Tower: 37 stories [Residential: proposed] (Uptown)
8. Gables Post Oak Tower: 36 stories [Mixed use: proposed] (Uptown)
9. Apache Tower: 34 stories [Office: proposed] (Uptown)
10. Block 98: 38 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
11. The Crescent Building/6 Houston Center: 29 stories [Office: proposed] (Downtown)
12. Texaco Building Part II: 38 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
13. 5 Allen Center: 35 stories [Office: proposed] (Downtown)
14. Marriott Marquis Convention Center Hotel: 30 stories [Hotel: under-construction] (Downtown)
15. BHP Billiton: 30 stories [Office: under-construction] (Uptown)
16. Hanover Post Oak: 29 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Uptown)
17. Astoria: 28 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Uptown)
18. Methodist Hospital North Campus: 24 stories [Hospital: proposed] (Texas Medical Center)
19. Skyhouse Houston: 24 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Downtown)
20. 1111 Travis: 23 stories [Office: under-construction] (Downtown)
21. Block 35: 40 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
22. 900 Preston: 33 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
23. 3100 Post Oak: 26 stories [Office: proposed] (Uptown)
24. 22 Waugh: 25 stories [Office: proposed] (Neartown)
25. 3400 Montrose: 30 stories [Residential: proposed] (Montrose)
26. 1400 Texas Avenue: 28 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
27. Regent Square: 28 stories [Residential: proposed] (Neartown)
28. Block 52/Marquette Building: 28 stories [Residential: proposed] (Downtown)
29. Hotel Alessandra: 25 stories [Hotel: proposed] (Downtown)
30. Belfiore: 26 stories [Residential: proposed] (Uptown)
31. The Southmore: 25 stories [Residential: proposed] (Museum District)
32. Skyhouse River Oaks: 25 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Uptown)
33. Ashby Highrise: 23 stories [Residential: on-hold] (Montrose)
34. Energy Center IV: 22 stories [Office: under-construction] (Energy Corridor)
35. Energy Center III: 20 stories [Office: under-construction] (Energy Corridor)
36. Noble Energy Center II: 20 stories [Office: under-construction] (Northside)
37. Westcreek Centre: 21 stories [Office: proposed] (Uptown)
38. The Sovereign: 21 stories [Residential: under-consruction] (Neartown)
39. Pinnacle West I: 20 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
40. Millenium Tower II: 22 stories [Office: under-construction] (Westchase)
41. The Kirby Collection: 22 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Upper Kirby)
42. Air Liquide Center 1: 20 stories [Office: under-construction] (Memorial City)
43. Convention Center Hotel: 20 stories [Hotel: proposed] (Downtown)
44. Chelsea Montrose: 20 stories [Residential: proposed] (Montrose)
45. Tower at Streetlights at Midlane I: 18 stories [Mixed use: proposed] (Uptown)
46. Five Westlake Park: 19 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
47. 2229 San Felipe: 18 stories [Office: under-construction] (Upper Kirby)
48. Energy Center V: 18 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
49. 3737 Buffalo Speedway: 18 stories [Office: under-construction] (Greenway Plaza)
50. Samsung Tower: 18 stories [Office: under-construction] (Westchase)
51. Kingwood Parc 1: 18 stories [Office: proposed] (Kingwood)
52. Energy Tower IV: 17 stories [Office: under-construction] (Energy Corridor)
53. Azalea Court Tower: 17 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Uptown)
54. CORE Central Park West: 16 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
55. Kirby Grover at Levy Park: 16 stories [Office: under-construction] (Greenway Plaza)
56. Kirby Grover Tower: 16 stories [Office: under-construction] (Greenway Plaza)
57. Kingwood Parc 2: 16 stories [Office: proposed] (Kingwood)
58. Memorial Point: 16 stories [Office: proposed0 (Uptown)
59. Core Park West: 16 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
60. Tower at Streetlights at Midlane II: 16 stories [Mixed use: proposed] (Uptown)
61. City West Place 8: 16 stories [Office: proposed) (Westchase)
62. Phillips 66 Headquarters I: 16 stories [Office: under-construction] (Westchase)
63. Phillips 66 Headquarters II: 16 stories [Office: under-construction] (Westchase)
64. 1311 Louisiana: 16 stories [Other: proposed] (Downtown)
65. Hyatt Regency at Galleria: 14 stories [Hotel: under-construction] (Uptown)
66. Brazos Tower at Bayou Manor: 14 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Texas Medical Center)
67. Clay Beltway: 14 stories [Office: proposed] (Westchase)
68. Eldridge Oaks II: 14 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
69. Clay & Beltway: 14 stories [Office: proposed] (Westchase)
70. Hampton Inn / Homewood Suites: 14 story [Hotel: proposed] (Downtown)
71. Pinnacle West II: 14 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
72. Harris County Annex: 13 stories [Other: proposed] (Downtown)
73. 1885 Saint James: 13 story [Office: proposed] (Uptown)
74. The Kirby Collection Office: 12 stories [Office: under-construction] (Upper Kirby)
75. Clay Beltway II: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Westchase)
76. City West Place 7: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Westchase)
77. Tower at Streetlights at Midlane III: 12 stories [Mixed use: proposed] (Uptown)
78. City Centre 5: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (City Centre)
79. Hanover Southhampton Tower I: 12 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Montrose)
80. Hanover Southhampton Tower II: 12 stories [Residential: under-construction] (Montrose)
81. Air Liquide Centre II: 12 stories [Office: under-construction] (Memorial City)
82. 10496 Old Katy Road: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
83. West Memorial Place I: 12 stories [Office: under-construction] (Energy Corridor)
84. Enclave Place: 11 stories [Office: under-construction] (Energy Corridor)
85. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan: 12 stories [Hospital: under-construction] (Texas Medical Center)
86. West Memorial Place II: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
87. Regent Square III: 12 stories [Other: proposed] (Neartown)
88. Tower at West Point 1: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
89. Tower at West Point 2: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
90. Tower at West Point 3: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
91. Tower at West Point 4: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
92. Tower at West Point 5: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
93. Tower at West Point 6: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
94. Regent Square II: 11 stories [Office: proposed] (Neartown)
95. Granite Park II: 12 stories [Office: proposed] (Westchase)
96. Greenway Plaza Office: 11 stories [Office: proposed] (Greenway Plaza)
97. Tower at West Point 7: 11 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
98. Tower at West Point 8: 11 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
99. Town Centre I: 10 stories [Office: under-construction] (City Centre)
100. Five Chasewood: 10 stories [Office: under-construction] (Westchase)
101. Southwestern Energy Headquarters: 10 stories [Office: under-construction] (Northside)
102. 4477 Sam Houston Parkway: 10 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
106. Tower at West Point 9: 10 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
107. Tower at West Point 10: 10 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
108. Tower at West Point 11: 10 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)
109. Tower at West Point 12: 10 stories [Office: proposed] (Energy Corridor)

[N90]

Here's the scary thought, my list still falls under severe undercount. I didn't even take into account highrises from Generation Park which by itself will have between 6-12 from my understanding reading it's detail sheet.

I think we all should expect that not all of those buildings will get built but over 100 is a good cushion to get many off the ground anyhow.

[toxteth o'grady]

In case anyone still cares, that tacky, abandoned Hotel 31 on the East side of 610 is about to bite the dust, according to Swamplot. Which will allow the new apartments to replace it.

Also, there are more apartments going in near the Exxon Mobil campus and a long-rumored data center is breaking ground at Greenspoint, according to Sarnoff's column.

[toxteth o'grady]

I wanted to share this with all of you. I put this together.

I counted 34 buildings on that list identified as under construction. That does not include the pair of buildings at Hughes Landing that are being built for Exxon Mobil. That's pretty close to SSP's database count.

[N90]

I counted 34 buildings on that list identified as under construction. That does not include the pair of buildings at Hughes Landing that are being built for Exxon Mobil. That's pretty close to SSP's database count.
Millennium Tower II (22 stories) is under construction but not at all on SSP's database. 1885 Saint James and a few others aren't on its proposal database either.

I forgot about Houston's suburbs. If including the proposals from the Woodlands, Galveston, and elsewhere I think Metro Houston surpasses 120 + buildings with 10+ stories, not including Research Park or Generation Park.

[toxteth o'grady]

Next time I'm in town, I'll have to check some of the new construction sites. It seems like the new year has brought a bunch of new projects out of the ground.

[Urbannizer]

2929 Weslayan: 4/8 by Bobruss

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/13723458603_a114304f5f_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/13723461413_6952548acf_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/13723828514_dfa2b6bb65_b.jpg

[Clev]

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/28590-development-list-for-buildings-in-houston-march-2014/page-5

Here is a rough idea of what Downtown could look like if all the current proposals get off the ground. Thanks to rellott on Haif for taking the time to make these.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-55125500-1396836749.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-13085500-1396836758.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_04_2014/post-13011-0-04315900-1396836752.jpg

Wow! Downtown is going to look really good if all of these get built.

[DanielG425]

Is the Regent Square development under construction? By Regent Square I mean all the historic looking building and the district as a whole.

[Urbannizer]

Updates by SkylineView - 4/8

Astoria

http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg515/SkylineView/2014%2004%2008/IMG_2129_zpse0c0f63c.jpg

BHP Billiton

http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg515/SkylineView/2014%2004%2008/IMG_2130_zps9561ea32.jpg

http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg515/SkylineView/2014%2004%2008/IMG_2128_zps059742b9.jpg

[Urbannizer]

More images of 6 Houston Center.

More images:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/13723799254_fb172a5d19_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/13723801754_f3267d33d4_b.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2913/13723443303_d440e41ce8_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/13723446623_af7003074d_b.jpg

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2887/13723449963_f05e213e0a_b.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3741/13723455043_4540d977a4_b.jpg

[Nucleareaction]

Is the Regent Square development under construction? By Regent Square I mean all the historic looking building and the district as a whole.

They are almost finished with The Sovereign, but no progress has been made on the two empty lots or the one currently occupied by Allen House.

[Urbannizer]

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/wp-content/blogs.dir/1876/files/2014/04/Hotel.jpg

Texas Medical Center to get New Hotel

This HOK-designed hotel and apartment building is planned for a site on Main Street in the Texas Medical Center.

The full- service hotel will have about 250 rooms, a large percentage of which will be suites catering to medical center guests needing long-term stays, and approximately 40 to 60 apartments, according to TRC Capital Partners, an affiliate of the Redstone Cos., which will develop and own the property with Houston-based Medistar Corp.

HOK’s Roger Soto designed the building, which also will have as much as 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

Construction is expected to start in by year-end at 6750 Main. The group said it is evaluating hotel brands and operators.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2014/04/texas-medical-center-to-get-new-hotel/?cmpid=businesshcat

[N90]

Perfect, that's building #110. Good to see TMC's dry spell broken finally. It was the one highrise cluster that wasn't seeing much announced recently until now.

[Clev]

Great finds Urbannizer. Do you know when 6 Houston Center is going to start construction? The 22-story hotel will be a great addition to TMC and is certainly needed.

[Urbannizer]

Great finds Urbannizer. Do you know when 6 Houston Center is going to start construction?

Construction is suppose to start this Summer and I hope it does - if I remember correctly, this one was originally proposed around a decade ago. They always change the design when this proposal is brought back to life, but very little change to the size of it.

[Urbannizer]

Perfect, that's building #110. Good to see TMC's dry spell broken finally. It was the one highrise cluster that wasn't seeing much announced recently until now.

You can count this one as #111, another project for the Texas Medical Center

Memorial Hermann TMC Expansion


Over the last year, we have had many discussions about the upcoming Master Plan to renovate and expand the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Campus.

Today, I’m proud to announce that the Memorial Hermann System Board unanimously approved the project.

The board’s approval of this $650 million construction venture sets the stage for us to not only upgrade our current infrastructure, but also to enhance our ability to provide the highest-quality and safest health care for our community for many decades to come.

The focus of the project will be the construction of two new buildings on Campus. One will be a new, state-of-the-art patient care building and the other will offer additional parking and infrastructure capabilities to support the new growth. The expansion will provide the Campus with:
• An additional 160 beds;
• 25 operating rooms (19 replacement ORs and 6 new ORs);
• 16 additional emergency room bays;
• 750 new parking spaces; and a
• 333-seat café.

In addition, we recognize that our community will grow and so will its health care needs. To prepare for future growth, we are designing the building with a forward-looking perspective and adding six shelled floors and six shelled operating rooms with the potential of adding 264 beds. As our community continues to expand, this will allow for the continued growth of the service lines on our Campus.

Small rendering. I counted ~16 floors.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7359/13742519324_cd07427c15_o.jpg

[toxteth o'grady]

Hmm - 16 floors is a reduction in height. On the other hand, this project was originally talked about as a replacement facility, leading to a net reduction in the number of beds. I guess with some of the Obamacare uncertainties resolved (7 million sign-ups), MH is a bit more confident about the future.

HBJ also has a blurb about another tenant expanding in Pennzoil Place. Cheniere Energy has enlarged its footprint to over 160,000 sf, taking 8 floors. So the inventory of lease space downtown has just shrunk.

[King DenCity]

u guys r so lucky... :O

[clexmond]

Really impressed with the state of Houston development. I was relatively unaware of how things were progressing until the Houston map (http://houston.devmap.io) started filling up with a ton of projects. If you happen to watch SSP, thank you to whomever the currently anonymous person is adding these.

[N90]

Really impressed with the state of Houston development. I was relatively unaware of how things were progressing until the Houston map (http://houston.devmap.io) started filling up with a ton of projects. If you happen to watch SSP, thank you to whomever the currently anonymous person is adding these.
You have a very user friendly program. I'll be adding all 111 highrise projects in Houston to it this weekend and as many midrises as possible.

[DBGHouston]

One of the exciting things that become clear from the development maps of Downtown is that the "canyon" that developed during the '70s and '80's along the major North-South axis between Louisiana and Main will soon have real competition from a new East-West "canyon" between McKinney and Capitol. Downtown as a whole, in regard to building volumes, will lose its single axis and take on more of an "L" shape.

As a skyscraper enthusiast I can't wait to see the view from the intersection of, say Rusk and Travis, in ALL directions when some of these new buildings start rising. :tup:

[Clev]

Really impressed with the state of Houston development. I was relatively unaware of how things were progressing until the Houston map (http://houston.devmap.io) started filling up with a ton of projects. If you happen to watch SSP, thank you to whomever the currently anonymous person is adding these.

The map is great!

[ktp7]

Really impressed with the state of Houston development. I was relatively unaware of how things were progressing until the Houston map (http://houston.devmap.io) started filling up with a ton of projects. If you happen to watch SSP, thank you to whomever the currently anonymous person is adding these.

I added in some more projects to the map, but they aren't showing up. How long does it usually take for them to be uploaded?

Edit: Never mind, they are uploaded now.

[clexmond]

I added in some more projects to the map, but they aren't showing up. How long does it usually take for them to be uploaded?

Edit: Never mind, they are uploaded now.

Yeah, for now we're just checking each of the changes to make sure there are no major issues and to keep the quality high. As things stabilize that'll probably relax a bit. Thanks for contributing!

[clexmond]

You have a very user friendly program. I'll be adding all 111 highrise projects in Houston to it this weekend and as many midrises as possible.

Awesome, I'm looking forward to it!

[Urbannizer]

Today's a big day for downtown, Marriott Marquis Hotel will break ground within a few hours. Pic by Triton.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3786/13769917995_a656874c31_c.jpg

[Clev]

Really impressed with the state of Houston development. I was relatively unaware of how things were progressing until the Houston map (http://houston.devmap.io) started filling up with a ton of projects. If you happen to watch SSP, thank you to whomever the currently anonymous person is adding these.

The map is filling up nicely. I just wish that more of Houston's high rise residential projects were in downtown. All of them seem to be in Uptown or River Oaks :(

[timoric]

-

[toxteth o'grady]

Uptown begins to hear dollars attached to its mobility plan. TIRZ money and possible state money are in the mix.

Uptown plans massive construction to combat traffic (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2014/04/uptown-plans-massive-construction-to-combat.html)

(Glad Swamplot's got renderings)
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/post-oak-brt-rendering-1.jpg

11 Watercolor Renderings of the 2 Dedicated Bus Lanes and 8 New Stations Planned for Post Oak Blvd. (http://swamplot.com/11-watercolor-renderings-of-the-2-dedicated-bus-lanes-and-8-new-stations-planned-for-post-oak-blvd/2014-04-10/)

[ktp7]

The map is filling up nicely. I just wish that more of Houston's high rise residential projects were in downtown. All of them seem to be in Uptown or River Oaks :(

I too wish that Downtown would get more of the high rise residentials in Houston. Downtown is getting a few though, and I like the designs of Hines Market Square and 1400 Texas. Hopefully more residential projects will be announced as these projects get off the ground and Downtown starts to feel more like a neighborhood.

Something I noticed is that, even though there are over 100 projects proposed/under construction, there doesn’t seem to be as much activity in Houston as other cities because the projects are spread throughout many different areas.

[Urbannizer]

Marriott Marquis Groundbreaking

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/10155143_690983547626182_4290656822095381244_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/10177927_690971490960721_293870085546984099_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10173604_690971430960727_666090735904862110_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/t1.0-9/10255423_690971427627394_5996881011214102324_n.jpg

https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/1511380_690971424294061_1451018614465080320_n.jpg

https://scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1454963_690971494294054_7249772170662292801_n.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3811/13782951393_bab2786151_c.jpg

[cloud713]

I too wish that Downtown would get more of the high rise residentials in Houston. Downtown is getting a few though, and I like the designs of Hines Market Square and 1400 Texas. Hopefully more residential projects will be announced as these projects get off the ground and Downtown starts to feel more like a neighborhood.

Something I noticed is that, even though there are over 100 projects proposed/under construction, there doesn’t seem to be as much activity in Houston as other cities because the projects are spread throughout many different areas.

im sure you are aware there are many more residential projects in the works for downtown besides the two you mentioned..

Hines Market Square
1400 Texas
Fingers Crawford Ballpark
40 story Block 35
the 38 story next to Hess Garage
Camden I and II
that 10 story south of the Camden blocks
Alliance north of SkyHouse
and of course SkyHouse

thats 10 different residential projects/phases going on or about to start going up in downtown.. assuming i didnt forget anything. and someone mentioned the block south of SkyHouse might be getting an 8 or so story apartment building. the population of downtown is supposed to triple in just a matter of years. we will definitely start to have that "neighborhood" vibe going once residents start moving into all of these projects. then maybe retail will start to follow (thats a very likely scenario considering the planned retail initiative coming up down Dallas St).

[ktp7]

im sure you are aware there are many more residential projects in the works for downtown besides the two you mentioned..

Hines Market Square
1400 Texas
Fingers Crawford Ballpark
40 story Block 35
the 38 story next to Hess Garage
Camden I and II
that 10 story south of the Camden blocks
Alliance north of SkyHouse
and of course SkyHouse

thats 10 different residential projects/phases going on or about to start going up in downtown.. assuming i didnt forget anything. and someone mentioned the block south of SkyHouse might be getting an 8 or so story apartment building. the population of downtown is supposed to triple in just a matter of years. we will definitely start to have that "neighborhood" vibe going once residents start moving into all of these projects. then maybe retail will start to follow (thats a very likely scenario considering the planned retail initiative coming up down Dallas St).

Yes, I am aware of those other projects (except for the 8 story apartment south of Skyhouse). I was just mentioning the two designs that I like the most. I believe Clev was talking about high rise residentials, so there are only 6 proposed/under construction residential buildings 10+ stories in Downtown (the Camden 2-phase project looks 8-stories in the rendering, so I didn’t count them). That is great for Houston, but is lacking compared to other comparable cities. Looking at the Atlanta map, I counted 16 proposed/under construction residential buildings 10+ stories in Atlanta’s downtown+midtown (without counting the Multi-Modal passenger terminal because I wasn’t sure how to count it). I believe the downtown residential incentives have been a crucial part in the transformation of downtown and I hope they are renewed once they run out, but I still wish there was more going on. Maybe I’m wishing for too much?

However, I do believe that high rise residential development will take off in Downtown once a lot of these residential projects start to open, so hopefully the future will be bright. The numerous hotel proposals should also help bring activity to the area.

[Urbannizer]

3615 Montrose: New 7-story condo building by Riverway Properties.

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/13788314114_4e80f4b2ed_b.jpg

[AviationGuy]

Yes, I am aware of those other projects (except for the 8 story apartment south of Skyhouse). I was just mentioning the two designs that I like the most. I believe Clev was talking about high rise residentials, so there are only 6 proposed/under construction residential buildings 10+ stories in Downtown (the Camden 2-phase project looks 8-stories in the rendering, so I didn’t count them). That is great for Houston, but is lacking compared to other comparable cities. Looking at the Atlanta map, I counted 16 proposed/under construction residential buildings 10+ stories in Atlanta’s downtown+midtown (without counting the Multi-Modal passenger terminal because I wasn’t sure how to count it). I believe the downtown residential incentives have been a crucial part in the transformation of downtown and I hope they are renewed once they run out, but I still wish there was more going on. Maybe I’m wishing for too much?

However, I do believe that high rise residential development will take off in Downtown once a lot of these residential projects start to open, so hopefully the future will be bright. The numerous hotel proposals should also help bring activity to the area.

Perhaps it will be like Austin's downtown. Once the momentum got going only a few years ago, it became unstoppable. At least I hope it happens that way in Houston's downtown, too.

[TexasPlaya]

Perhaps it will be like Austin's downtown. Once the momentum got going only a few years ago, it became unstoppable. At least I hope it happens that way in Houston's downtown, too.

Austin has the benefit of a 50,000+ university sharing a border with downtown. Houston's DT will be different for the most part.

[JManc]

Is/was Austin's condo boom really driven by UT? I can understand apartment complexes around the campus all along Guadalupe St but the towers downtown seem to be a result of stable professionals moving into the area. Unlike Houston for so long, Austin's downtown doesn't have the same negative stigma. Perhaps, UT has helped in that aspect; preventing downtown from being a seedy no man's land.

[Clev]

Perhaps it will be like Austin's downtown. Once the momentum got going only a few years ago, it became unstoppable. At least I hope it happens that way in Houston's downtown, too.

I hope Downtown Houston takes off like Austin did. That would be nice. A difference I noticed between Houston's proposed Downtown projects and Austin's is that all of Houston's are apartments while Austin had a lot of Condos. I'm not sure why that is, but I thought it was interesting.

[Clev]

Is/was Austin's condo boom really driven by UT? I can understand apartment complexes around the campus all along Guadalupe St but the towers downtown seem to be a result of stable professionals moving into the area. Unlike Houston for so long, Austin's downtown doesn't have the same negative stigma. Perhaps, UT has helped in that aspect; preventing downtown from being a seedy no man's land.

Why does Downtown have a negative stigma? I mean, I've been to Houston before and the areas I went Downtown seemed better than Uptown to me.

[TexasPlaya]

Is/was Austin's condo boom really driven by UT? I can understand apartment complexes around the campus all along Guadalupe St but the towers downtown seem to be a result of stable professionals moving into the area. Unlike Houston for so long, Austin's downtown doesn't have the same negative stigma. Perhaps, UT has helped in that aspect; preventing downtown from being a seedy no man's land.

I guess I misread the comment, thought it was talking downtown in general.

UT certainly kept Austin's DT going while a lot of cities had theirs hollowed out. Austin's current DT boom is due to the influx of money and better jobs spurred by the proximity of the adult playground that is 6th st. and surrounding areas. Not to mention a great investment in trails along Town Lake and creeks the feed into it.

[TexasPlaya]

Why does Downtown have a negative stigma? I mean, I've been to Houston before and the areas I went Downtown seemed better than Uptown to me.

It's generally lifeless overall in the evening, a lot more so in the past. Houston's DT has seen some really rough days but the 21st century has shown meaningful investment and improvement. Especially from now until the Superbowl.

[JManc]

Why does Downtown have a negative stigma? I mean, I've been to Houston before and the areas I went Downtown seemed better than Uptown to me.

Up until very recently, once business hours were over, DT was a ghost town and as a result, it was plagued (still is) by homeless and vagrants. There was nothing there apart from theater district that attracted anyone after hours. Since the stadiums, rail, the park and so on, interest in downtown living has increased. Still dissapointing for a city this size though.

[Dale]

Judging by the types of developments in the pipeline, I'm guessing that Houston CBD is turning the corner in a very major way.

[Bailey]

Austin has the benefit of a 50,000+ university sharing a border with downtown. Houston's DT will be different for the most part.

...and Houston has a 43,000+ University a few miles from downtown which is why, once the development starts in the third ward, we will find it to be unstoppable. Imagine a gentrified district that close to the University of Houston with rail lines (already in place) connecting it to the rest of the city.

The Third Ward is feeling the squeeze from multiple border locations (mid town, museum district, UH). All it needs is one large quality development to get the momentum started

[ktp7]

...and Houston has a 43,000+ University a few miles from downtown which is why, once the development starts in the third ward, we will find it to be unstoppable. Imagine a gentrified district that close to the University of Houston with rail lines (already in place) connecting it to the rest of the city.

The Third Ward is feeling the squeeze from multiple border locations (mid town, museum district, UH). All it needs is one large quality development to get the momentum started

University Place is one such project in the works, although I am not sure how far along the project is or if the project has died.

Here are the HAIF and Swamplot links about it.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/28766-university-place/

http://swamplot.com/a-first-look-at-the-strip-center-and-apartments-combo-that-could-go-up-between-uh-and-tsu/2013-09-23/

[Clev]

Up until very recently, once business hours were over, DT was a ghost town and as a result, it was plagued (still is) by homeless and vagrants. There was nothing there apart from theater district that attracted anyone after hours. Since the stadiums, rail, the park and so on, interest in downtown living has increased. Still dissapointing for a city this size though.

Ok. I was unaware of that. I started coming to Houston in 2010 and most of those improvements were already there. I've been to Astros' games, Discovery Green, and Alley Theatre and there was always people walking around.

[TexasPlaya]

...and Houston has a 43,000+ University a few miles from downtown which is why, once the development starts in the third ward, we will find it to be unstoppable. Imagine a gentrified district that close to the University of Houston with rail lines (already in place) connecting it to the rest of the city.

The Third Ward is feeling the squeeze from multiple border locations (mid town, museum district, UH). All it needs is one large quality development to get the momentum started

It's not the same as UT, it's a much shorter difference without a major freeway separating them. I certainly agree that Houston's inner core has a ton of unlocked potential that is just beginning to emerge with college students, both traditional and non-traditional. All of Houston's major educational institutions are undergoing some sort of expansion.

[JManc]

No. U. of Houston is a commuter school unlike UT where bulk of students live in the area. Austin was built around UT. Houston was never a college town. I went to UofH for grad and undergrad. Most of my classmates already lived in Houston and just commuted.

[Shasta]

Reality check.

Houston's downtown is home to world class Opera, Ballet, Symphony, and Theatre companies. Downtown Houston is also home to a MLB, NBA, and MLS team (close enough). UH Downtown and South Texas College of Law are also located downtown. Not sure why Houstonians are so quick to dismiss our downtown and act as if Austin's central core is way better.

Austin has better residential options and LadyBird Lake provides a great setting, but I hate it when people act as if there's nothing going on in downtown. If you think that, you must hate the arts, professional sports, festivals, parades, parks, restaurants, and bars.

Also, between UH and Texas Southern, there are over 10,000 students living IN the Third Ward. The light rail is going to be a game changer.

[N90]

Reality check.

Houston's downtown is home to world class Opera, Ballet, Symphony, and Theatre companies. Downtown Houston is also home to a MLB, NBA, and MLS team (close enough). UH Downtown and South Texas College of Law are also located downtown. Not sure why Houstonians are so quick to dismiss our downtown and act as if Austin's central core is way better.

Austin has better residential options and LadyBird Lake provides a great setting, but I hate it when people act as if there's nothing going on in downtown. If you think that, you must hate the arts, professional sports, festivals, parades, parks, restaurants, and bars.

Also, between UH and Texas Southern, there are over 10,000 students living IN the Third Ward. The light rail is going to be a game changer.
The Dash just started playing at BBVA Compass Stadium in EaDo too.

http://houston.culturemap.com/news/sports/04-11-14-houstons-new-womens-soccer-team-grabs-celebrity-supporters-thanks-to-a-kick-start-from-alex-morgan/

[TexasPlaya]

Reality check.

Houston's downtown is home to world class Opera, Ballet, Symphony, and Theatre companies. Downtown Houston is also home to a MLB, NBA, and MLS team (close enough). UH Downtown and South Texas College of Law are also located downtown. Not sure why Houstonians are so quick to dismiss our downtown and act as if Austin's central core is way better.

Austin has better residential options and LadyBird Lake provides a great setting, but I hate it when people act as if there's nothing going on in downtown. If you think that, you must hate the arts, professional sports, festivals, parades, parks, restaurants, and bars.

Also, between UH and Texas Southern, there are over 10,000 students living IN the Third Ward. The light rail is going to be a game changer.

Houston's DT has a lot going for it, but it still doesn't have that critical mass to be considered "lively" yet.

[Clev]

Reality check.

Houston's downtown is home to world class Opera, Ballet, Symphony, and Theatre companies. Downtown Houston is also home to a MLB, NBA, and MLS team (close enough). UH Downtown and South Texas College of Law are also located downtown. Not sure why Houstonians are so quick to dismiss our downtown and act as if Austin's central core is way better.

Austin has better residential options and LadyBird Lake provides a great setting, but I hate it when people act as if there's nothing going on in downtown. If you think that, you must hate the arts, professional sports, festivals, parades, parks, restaurants, and bars.

Also, between UH and Texas Southern, there are over 10,000 students living IN the Third Ward. The light rail is going to be a game changer.

I agree with this. Downtown has so much to do, so that's why I'm so surprised at why it is just now starting to get residential buildings. All Uptown has is shopping.

[AviationGuy]

Just a few years ago Austin's downtown was lively pretty much only in the 6th and 4th street areas (aside from the riverside activities), and was largely pretty seedy, but the transformation happened really quickly once things took off. I used to be really embarrassed about Austin's downtown, and would avoid taking visitors there (as recently as the early to mid 2000s). But look at it now. It's just incredible.

I feel like Houston's downtown will change very rapidly now that people are feeling more positive about it. It will be great for Houston to have a downtown one would expect in such a large city, regarding overall activity level. Shasta is correct that there's already a lot of activity, but what's coming is going to be like the difference between night and day.

I'm betting there will be many, even within the city, who will have trouble letting go of old impressions of downtown.

[AviationGuy]

I agree with this. Downtown has so much to do, so that's why I'm so surprised at why it is just now starting to get residential buildings. All Uptown has is shopping.

Actually, Uptown has a lot of highrise and midrise residential, along with the shopping.

[Urbannizer]

Texaco Building Reno 3/30 by Triton

https://flic.kr/p/mBovTg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/13527506325_520023d191_c.jpg

https://flic.kr/p/mBnZJv

https://flic.kr/p/mBnY1v

JW Marriott: 4/10 by downtownian

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad209/houstondowntown1/IMG_0207_zps9f408688.jpg

Houston Club Demo / Capitol Tower: 4/9 by Nate99 & Triton

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/13780743754_708798c231_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7439/13780420803_6bdfbdb651_b.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7343/13780406933_c8dc64d14c_b.jpg

Sunset Coffee Building: 4/10 by Triton

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/13783196214_22d7182779_c.jpg

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Hanover Post Oak: 4/10 by LarryDierker

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SWN Energy HQ

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[Clev]

Actually, Uptown has a lot of highrise and midrise residential, along with the shopping.

I know it has high rises and mid rises. I was talking about what activities there were to do, and when I visited there wasn't much besides shopping.

[ktp7]

Actually, Uptown has a lot of highrise and midrise residential, along with the shopping.

Yes, but outside of shopping and dining, there aren’t as many major attractions in Uptown as there are in Downtown.

[Bailey]

No. U. of Houston is a commuter school unlike UT where bulk of students live in the area. Austin was built around UT. Houston was never a college town. I went to UofH for grad and undergrad. Most of my classmates already lived in Houston and just commuted.

True, but UH is way younger than UT and receives way less in state funds. The "commuter school" perception is based on some truth but the reality is that UH is second in the highest number of beds ON CAMPUS (over 10,000) for any college/university in the whole state of Texas.

I actually lived on campus while I attended so, it may be more way common place than most want to believe.

Throw in a revitalized third ward with increased housing, retail, and nightlife options for both students, recent graduates, and older alums and you might see UH have a significantly stronger "core base" than its commuter school ghost its past.

[M. Incandenza]

True, but UH is way younger than UT and receives way less in state funds. The "commuter school" perception is based on some truth but the reality is that UH is second in the highest number of beds ON CAMPUS (over 10,000) for any college/university in the whole state of Texas.

I actually lived on campus while I attended so, it may be more way common place than most want to believe.

Throw in a revitalized third ward with increased housing, retail, and nightlife options for both students, recent graduates, and older alums and you might see UH have a significantly stronger "core base" than its commuter school ghost its past.

Yeah, there is absolutely nothing in the vicinity right now (which includes TSU, don't forget) - a huge missed opportunity thus far. Perhaps becoming a Tier One school will help foment more of a community around the campus. But even if UH remains primarily a commuter school, the right kind of development could keep them in the neighborhood for socializing, which would in turn make it a better location for residential development, and so you could get a virtuous circle going. Light rail will help too. University Place seems like a good start...

[TexasPlaya]

True, but UH is way younger than UT and receives way less in state funds. The "commuter school" perception is based on some truth but the reality is that UH is second in the highest number of beds ON CAMPUS (over 10,000) for any college/university in the whole state of Texas.

I actually lived on campus while I attended so, it may be more way common place than most want to believe.

Throw in a revitalized third ward with increased housing, retail, and nightlife options for both students, recent graduates, and older alums and you might see UH have a significantly stronger "core base" than its commuter school ghost its past.

UH is actively trying to become more like a traditional college and has made great strides. However, Houston still doesn't have a "West Campus" equivalent area like Austin does and it's not even close at this point to be honest.

I think Houston's best bet is to get the COH or Harris County involved in a bond proposition for higher education residential living over a period of a decade or two. It would not only help public schools but private schools and non-traditional schools (HCC and UHD). Houston certainly can cement a brighter future by betting on higher education, especially UH and Rice University. Let our educational institutions focus on education and let our local govts finance residential living through municipal bonds.

[Reverberation]

I agree with this. Downtown has so much to do, so that's why I'm so surprised at why it is just now starting to get residential buildings. All Uptown has is shopping.

Retail/shopping is the most critical component for residential development. Basically developers look for proximity to retail first, jobs second, and (depending on the demographic) entertainment third.

You are right that the residential developments will help out in a big way to attract retail. Basically after 6pm or so downtown (in its current form) might as well be a suburb with excellent cab service and a train.

[toxteth o'grady]

Is/was Austin's condo boom really driven by UT? I can understand apartment complexes around the campus all along Guadalupe St but the towers downtown seem to be a result of stable professionals moving into the area. Unlike Houston for so long, Austin's downtown doesn't have the same negative stigma. Perhaps, UT has helped in that aspect; preventing downtown from being a seedy no man's land.

I don't think the university kids are buying into the highrises, but a lot of retirees are. Who wouldn't want to stare down at the river from a 30th floor balcony?