Kewl, a new bike path fun. Have to check that out some time...

:yes:

Yeah, I think putting that path in was a stroke of genius. Good job of capturing it.

lol I'ts funy bc I live pretty close to that area of the path :)
omg I hope to see some glass somewhere in the Pavillions pretty soon!

I'm loving this.

I was out and about again today and snapped a few pics...

One Park Place (21 stories now) against 5 Houston Center (27 stories / 375 ft)
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02664.jpg

Looking from the plaza outside Toyota Center
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02666.jpg

Facade being installed on Pavilions Tower
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02665.jpg

New Walkway between Memorial City Mall & the Gateway Tract
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02653.jpg

Westin Memorial City Site
http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02652.jpg

I just had dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse and they close down San Jacinto street at night so pretty soon we will see some glass go up on the Pavillions' bridge:) nice pics Wattleigh, it's exciting seeing all these cranes go up around the city!

Feds get on board for 2 Metro light rail projects
 

Feds get on board for 2 Metro light rail projects

The Federal Transit Administration is committed to helping the Metropolitan Transit Authority qualify for funding of two light rail lines by the end of the year, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Tuesday.

Hutchison's statement came after a closed-door meeting in her Washington office, where FTA Administrator James Simpson and Deputy Administrator Sherry Little talked with Mayor Bill White, Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson, board chairman David Wolff and a bipartisan congressional delegation from the Houston area.

Hutchison, R-Texas, said Simpson was committed to the same goal as the delegation, "and that is a full funding grant agreement by the end of the year."

Such an agreement would ensure that Metro could complete the two lines, provided it followed required federal procedures.

So far, Metro has pushed the projects forward with a series of small grants for preliminary studies.

Metro has applied for $500 million in federal aid to build the North and Southeast lines. Hutchison said the full funding agreement is important because "once that is committed to by the FTA, then it automatically goes into the budget and we don't have to fight for it."

FTA officials would not confirm statements from others that the agency had agreed to help Metro obtain $500 million, but the FTA did issue a brief statement of support.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/5573343.html

Hold on, what about the line to Uptown ? Has that already received funding ?

Doubtful.

New Discovery Tower Rendering..

Via Thehaif.com

found by ChannelTwoNews

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/5...2DB751D6__.JPG

Nice

Metro is funding that line itself. Article says so.

does anyone have any info on plans for the Rusk & Fannin corner downtown?? Its been empty for almost 4 years now........

High-rise would fail new city standards
Ashby project must be changed if it is to follow traffic revision

The proposed Ashby high-rise would not win approval under the city's new traffic-impact rules without changes to the developers' plan, Mayor Bill White said Wednesday.

Plans for the 23-story Ashby project originally called for 226 residential units, shops, a restaurant and a five-story parking garage at 1717 Bissonnet by the adjoining Southampton and Boulevard Oaks neighborhoods.

"So, if they just propose what they proposed in August, it's not going to meet our standard," White said.

The standard was contained in a set of three criteria unveiled during Wednesday's City Council meeting by White. The criteria were developed as clarification of a decades-old ordinance the mayor wants to use to force traffic revisions from the Ashby developers, if needed.

The developers of the Ashby project, Matthew Morgan and Kevin Kirton of Buckhead Investment Partners, did not return calls for comment.

The City Council indicated its support of White's approach by shelving a draft ordinance that had been the subject of debate for many months. Instead, the city will take public discussion for six months, and use an old city law on driveways to force traffic revisions from the Ashby developers, if needed.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/5576949.html

I wonder when they will schedule meetings for this issue. I say just build it but we shall see.

Here is some awesome news for the Medical Center:

Newest and Tallest: The Texas Medical Center Goes Condo

Here’s what we know so far about the new 40-story hotel-and-condo tower Medistar Corporation is planning for the corner of Main St. and Dryden, between Rice’s new Collaborative Research Center and the Baylor Clinic on the west side of Main: not a whole lot.

But at 40 stories, the new building would likely be the tallest tower in the Texas Medical Center. (The new Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is only 31.) That’s taller than those twin hypodermics, too.

A lot-line variance for the project is item number 111 before the Planning Commission this afternoon. And the request provides a few clues. Medistar wants the same 10-foot setback along Main St. that the Baylor Clinic has, so the new building can have a similar passenger dropoff and a “pedestrian friendly” entry on that side. The building’s longer axis will be perpendicular to Main. The arguments imply Medistar intends to have “ornamental decorations and balconies” on the Main St. side, and that the tower will be linked by skybridge to the Medical Center main campus across the street.

According to the Southgate Neighborhood Newsletter, the tower will include a 1200-car parking facility.

http://swamplot.com/newest-and-talle...do/2008-02-28/

^ Wow. So that would have to be close to 500 feet I would think. The Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza is 430 feet.

Discovery Green's preview is this Saturday from 4-11!

http://www.discoverygreen.com/en/cms/?716

From PAC on HAIF...

WIN.

I am stoked for this :banana: i just wish i still had my apt with the balcony view to see this thing built

Wow. I just fell off my chair!

Ho hum. They're building another tower in the Med Center. Water is wet. Blah-blah-blah.

;)

Very very exciting stuff. I will be holding my breath and crossing my fingers on the design of the new Medical Tower. Since we are talking about the Medical Center, I am not expecting a flashy or funky type styled architectural design for the building, however I do hope there is a lot of glass and it reaches 500 in height. That would please me and we all know that is the most important thing. :)

The Medical Center is already a skyline in itself... adding a new tallest is great.

Here is One Park Place as of today... notice Discovery Green in the background:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00342.jpg

If it is the tallest, it won't be by much. The amount of space per floor is vastly different from a residential highrise vs. a commercial highrise. A 40 story residential tower may appear to only be 30 stories.

Twins are fine too (like Wells Fargo Plaza and Chase Tower)

Some photos from the Pavilions site this morning...

The block fronting Main Street

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02679.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02683.jpg

The second series of skybridges to be installed over Fannin

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02682.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02676.jpg

Pavilions Tower

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02681.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02684.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02687.jpg

Moving the first windows to be installed in the office building

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02688.jpg

Looking back along Dallas Street

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02675.jpg

The block w/ the House of Blues

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02674.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02672.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02673.jpg

Looking back

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...n/DSC02671.jpg

Twins are fine too (like Wells Fargo Plaza and Chase Tower)Two things from swamplot:

Here is a pic of the med center condo:
http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploa...r-tv-model.jpg
http://swamplot.com/live-on-tv-new-m...er/2008-02-29/

2:
Apparently, the roof of Discovery Tower will have wind turbines:
http://swamplot.com/discovery-tower-...es/2008-02-29/

Hmm, 431 feet?? Honestly, it doesn't look much taller than St. Luke's. Still, a ~450 foot there would be sweet. I wouldn't expect spires with the design. St. Luke's has that trademarked for that skyline.

Anybody go to the preview of Discovery Green? I was very impressed with the park. It's such an improvement to the downtown area.

Here are my pics:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/...16b57d84eb.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/...f2afd9c8d2.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/...14068555e2.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2188/...b083c955c1.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/...4cfd70a983.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3276/...d854953bc6.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3249/...76a229d410.jpg

I had planned on going to the park but something came up at the last minute. You have some great shots there though, and I love that last one! I'd been wondering how some of the water elements would be lit at night and that's definitely no let down. Can't wait for it to open!

That's a nice piece of pavement. The East Side is really starting to shape up.:banana:

And yet they won't back the light rail from Tyson's to Dulles Airport in DC.:hell:

Cool stuff. I don't get to see news about my old high school in the press often enough, and Doc Morgan deserves the recognition. Sounds like it was a swingin' time.

I am so glad to see this project getting finished (DG), it will improve downtown so much, especially in that area, where everything is just parking. It will spur a bunch of new towers, hopefully more then the 3 that are planned or are going up. I'll have to go down there, whenever I get back home to see it! I cant wait!

The beginning of Discovery Tower, Titan Floorplans and a New Future for Sharpstown Center are covered in this week's Sarnoff column...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...f/5583898.html

What is that pixelated looking piece of art/wall in the background of the picture in which people are eating at the restaurant?

Restroom.

Thanks to the engineering in a number of the buildings in and around the Medical Center, projects like the expansion of the Alkek hospital are possible and it has recently gotten underway. It began as a 13 story building but will be 22 stories when complete.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w...kExpansion.jpg

HKS Rendering, A description of the project is located here: http://www.mccarthy.com/download/pre...MDAnderson.asp

It's the entrance to the underground parking garage, not a restroom as I expected. Here's a better pic.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2139/...7abb2c56cc.jpg

The description of the Titan says 80 rooms on 26 stories. I've probably made the remark before, but that suggests either big individual units or a small floor plate.

I'm really digging the Discovery Green parking garage entrance.

While I would love for the rail line in DC to work. How much does this rail line cost compared to the these 2 lines? That maybe your answer.

from today's CHRONICLE................."twin 20-story towers in Seabrook"

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5586325.html

I think it is mostly big units. I received some sort of sales/info package in the mail. In one of the folders they show the floor plans. It seems most are quite large in terms of square footage.

I must confess that when I first read 'Titan' I was expecting a taller building than 26 strories. What would we need to call a tall building, 'Gynormous' ?

Ah very nice. yeah i can wait for it to open as well. Very kewl...

:cool:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...18&newsLang=en

Lewis Realty Advisors Announces HOUSTON HOT SPOTS for 2008

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lewis Realty Advisors, one of the oldest and most respected real estate firms in Texas, has named the 2008 HOUSTON HOT SPOTS among the city’s most vibrant commercial real estate markets.

Houston-based Lewis Realty Advisors has expertly appraised, brokered, consulted and developed commercial real estate projects since 1961. The HOUSTON HOT SPOTS forecast identifies the submarkets with the fundamental strength, market momentum and catalyst developments to outpace the rest of the city in 2008.

“The Houston commercial real estate markets are outstanding and getting even better as we look ahead in the new year. Continued job growth and surging oil prices have bolstered the local office market and industrial properties. Retail centers have been supported by the large numbers of new rooftops that have been constructed,” said Matthew Deal, co-managing partner of Lewis Realty Advisors.

The Lewis Realty Advisors 2008 HOUSTON HOT SPOTS are:

GOLD MEDAL – Uptown. Certainly Houston’s – and possibly the nation’s - biggest success story is Uptown, a mixed-use submarket that has fully blossomed in the last 10 years. Uptown boasts an even mixture of residential, office and retail. Residential development always precedes commercial development and new residential projects are going up everywhere in Uptown. These new high-rise residences are fueling commercial development. Hanover recently locked up a Wulfe Company site on San Felipe west of Post Oak for a 50 or 60-story residential tower. Ritz Carlton is building a hotel/condo on a Wulfe site south of San Felipe. These ‘customers’ will feed Wulfe’s Boulevard Place development, anchored by 80,000 square-foot Whole Foods and redevelopment of existing restaurants, including Café Annie. These developments have fueled new office building announcements on Post Oak. The bottom line: Uptown is diverse and the uses feed off each other. With improved mobility on San Felipe Road and in Uptown Park and Metro rail coming, the future is bright for Uptown.

SILVER MEDAL – Downtown. New office towers are planned by Hines, Trammell Crow and other major developers as the office vacancy has dropped to its lowest point in years. But the biggest change is Finger Companies’ new high-rise residential tower, One Park Place. This will advance the population growth to help lift the CBD over the top. Since 1997, government has invested significant capital in new CBD projects – a baseball stadium, a basketball arena, Metro rail, expanded convention center, significant street improvements and a convention hotel. But the 24-hour environment so sorely needed has not come to pass. There are exceptions, such as the Bayou Place development near the Arts District, which has a vibrant night life. But many restaurants and bars on Main Street have closed. The underlying problem has been the lack of a significant number of residents in the CBD. Finger’s new residential tower is changing this. We could be seeing the start of an Uptown-like rebirth in downtown. The new Discovery Green park could be Houston’s version of Central Park, the Houston Pavilions entertainment/restaurant project by William Denton, and discussion of a second convention hotel, all point to a more diverse, mixed-use downtown.

BRONZE MEDAL - Texas Medical Center. A city in and of itself, the Med Center GDP is greater than many entire states. Med Center ‘citizens’ are highly educated with high-paying jobs. And the Med Center is expanding, resulting in more residential development, which is attracting new retail. Real estate prices in this submarket have shot up dramatically. Periphery sites to the east along Almeda Road and to the south of the Med Center that have been lying fallow for years are being purchased for high-rise and mid-rise residential development. Office space and other commercial square footage are at a premium. Medical institutions are seeking off-site, but nearby locales, for offices for accounting functions and other back-office workers and warehouses. Med Center demographics cannot be overlooked – some 75,000 people are employed there, including 10,000 doctors or other PhDs.

Lewis Realty Advisors, founded by David M. Lewis, has appraised, brokered and developed commercial real estate for almost 50 years. The Houston-based company provides consulting and advisory services for private property owners and governmental agencies. For more information: www.LewisRealty.com.

Ritz-Carlton at BLVD Place is basically official now (almost).

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.