That will be such a HUGE improvement over what currently exists. It also looks like there will be FOUR hi-rises in the complex. Also interesting to note that there will be boutique office space added. That is a sign that the local market is doing quite well. This is expecially good news considering the Uptown/Galleria office market had been rather dormant for quite awhile.

Can't wait to see it happen!

Any news on the site across Post Oak from Blvd. Place? IIRC, the owners of the current shopping center announced a similar plan for that site as BLVD Place, but it would be smaller in scale. I haven't heard anything else about it in months, however.

Restaurants confirmed for Houston Pavillions:

____________________________

Houston Pavilions adds upscale eateries
Houston Business Journal - 4:42 PM CDT Mondayby Allison WollamHouston Business Journal

Houston Pavilions has secured six new restaurants to add to a lineup of tenants that already includes Houston's first House of Blues and Lucky Strike locations.

The nearly 800,000-square-foot entertainment complex, located in downtown and bounded by Dallas St. to the north, Polk St. to the south, Main St. to the west and Caroline St. to the east, is slated to open in October 2008.


New restaurant tenants at the Pavilions include:

Lawry's, The Prime Rib: The restaurant will feature prime rib specialties in what will be its first location in the Houston area and only its fifth location in the U.S.

Tuscany: The old world gourmet coffee shop's third Houston location is headed for the Pavilions.

Yao's Restaurant and Bar: The second Houston location for the sports-themed restaurant, owned by the family of Houston Rockets superstar Yao Ming.

Antica Osteria: One of the most popular Italian restaurants in the city, will serve northern and southern Italian delicacies that its loyal patrons have enjoyed in the restaurant's existing location on Bissonnet for years.

Red Cat Jazz Cafe: Already one of the top live music venues in Houston, Red Cat Jazz Cafe will feature soulful blues and cool jazz with its Creole and southern cuisine at its second downtown location.

McCormick & Schmick's: The Pavilions will be the second Houston location for this nationwide seafood restaurant.


http://houston.bizjournals.com/houst...ml?jst=b_ln_hl

Interesting... When I first read the Red Cat Jazz Cafe I just assumed they would be closing their original location just a few blocks away. Will be curious to see if they can pull off two locations.

This is a good mix of local and national chains. Downtown is lacking on the national side so it is nice to see McCormick & Schmick's and Lowry's on that list. This project is going to make such a huge difference for downtown. I'm really excited about the whole deal!

A new Downtown Tower?
 

Downtown might be getting a BIG office tower (up to 1,000,000 square feet) according to the latest Houston Biz Journal...

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houst...3/story13.html

wat do u guys think about this it's not such a big report :shrug: would be nice though

Well, I'd like to think that any firm that's aggressive with buying commercial real estate property would be planning for the possibility of building a new highrise (makes good sense) but of course the reality of bringing such a project into fruition depends on whether or not the CBD's currently estimated 14.5-15.0% vacancy rate will go down another two points.

Typically, 12.0% is a pretty healthy point to bring in a new highrise on such a level (1,000,000 square feet or more). Keep in mind that the Pavillions will add around 300,000 feet of office space once its completed.

Current downtown buildings in that square footage range include the following buildings containing between 900,000 to 1,100,000 square feet;

Center Point Energy (741 feet)
Continental Center I (732 feet)
Three Allen Center (685 feet)
ExxonMobil Tower (606 feet)
Two Houston Center (579 feet)
KBR Tower (550 feet)
Devon Energy Plaza (521 feet)

Would be a tower (or two) that would change our skyline.

I am sure I am not the only one who was confused by how the mixed use above the TMC Transit Center would work out, a very nicely designed transit stop by the way, since it is pretty much surrounded with new development. Here is a more revealing rendering of the transit oriented project on Fannin.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/8519/asp4.jpg

Also, across the bayou at the southwest corner of South Braeswood and Fannin is the proposed Slosburg Medical Village. 1.8 million square foot transit oriented development. It's about time somebody notices the TMC's potential outside of its campus' borders.

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/323/afc9.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/4593/aazo0.jpg

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/2419/aa2ky8.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/6687/aa3ms3.jpg

It seems like there will be a nice urban corridor from the Museum District to the TMC Transit Center. All stations are properly developed in my opinion or will be in the near future. The MFAH station could use a similar mixed use near MFAH on Binz but I would not be surprised if that will be used for expansions.

Great updates everyone. I am amazed at all the stuff that is continuously coming to the TMC. I guess we can see the differnece between sprawl and good land use now dealing with the Barker Cypress Texas Children's and the TMC's. 55 acres? Unnecessary. Looks like that will be a nice walk from what looks to be the parking garage.

Texas Southern University's new Public Affairs Building
http://www.satpon.com/images/tsu-publicaffairs.gif

Here's a link to a rendering for The Wesleyan. I think this is going up at Wesleyan and US 59 on the site of the old motor hotel. Anyone know for sure?
http://www.meekspartners.com/project...heboards&pos=1

I drove by that site yesterday and although I did not know it was going under development I do not remember seeing any type of activity as far as signs. Just a decaying Comfort Inn I believe it twas.

im just curious...but can anybody tell me the location of the williams tower in relation to downtown houston?

About 8 miles west.

wow....thats a lot further than i thought...

Shasta, what is the web site for the new Texas Southern Public Affairs building?

Re: Williams Tower

Actually, not to nitpick, but it's closer to six miles west of downtown. But either way, it's further than most outsiders believe, sure.

And great updates Shasta and WG, especially those TMC project renderings. I've always wondered how the proposed Transit Center mixed-use development would "look" in relationship to the transit platform. Looks like an 8-10 story building with ground retail.

Anyone hear about the new Alexan apartments going up on the 2000 block of Westheimer, west of Hazard? There is a rendering on site. The current property, Westheimer Square is suppose to be demolished next month for the 244 unit building. It's a six story building. Four floors on top of two story garage.

Ricco67 at HAIF put up this photo on the new 42 story high-rise next to the Williams Tower Waterfall:

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l1...7/DSCN0355.jpg

holy crap, that will dramatically alter the area!