Originally Posted by Chron

Big Changes Could be Coming to Dowtown Convention Center

Houston may be getting more than a Super Bowl by the time 2017 comes around.
Representatives of Houston First Corp. are proposing to transform the George R. Brown Convention Center and adjacent Discovery Green into a landscaped and more pedestrian-friendly city center, with more retail and less car traffic.

The renovation would bring more restaurants and a coffeehouse to the area and significantly curtail the street in front of the convention center to create a larger walkable area.

It would be the area's biggest makeover since Discovery Green opened five years ago and leave its mark on the eastern edge of downtown long after the Super Bowl LI teams and their fans have departed for home.

The project would be completed in spring 2016. It would be funded entirely by Houston First, said Ric Campo, who chairs the quasi-governmental agency that manages the convention center and other city-owned buildings in the area. He also is chairman of the Super Bowl 2017 host committee.

The street in front of the convention center, Avenida de las Americas, would go to about three lanes, from eight, and all lanes would close for special events. The eliminated lanes would be transformed into a landscaped pedestrian area with a row of trees and tables for sidewalk dining.

On the block north of the convention center would be a 2,000-car parking garage and office space. Above it, a pad site would be built for a future hotel.

The redesigned convention center would get a front entrance offering more transparency including panoramic views of downtown, said Marie Hoke, principal at WHR Architects, the project's lead architect.

Houston First initiated the proposal.

Campo said the project is still in the concept stage and no price tag has been determined. He said the Houston First board of directors has sole authority to approve or reject the project.

Full Article: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/busi...5190503.php#/1

Originally Posted by Houston Chronicle

Plan calls for hotel to perch atop new tower

One of the organizations charged with bringing visitors to Houston would like to have some of them really close. Like, upstairs.

Houston First Corp. on Tuesday announced it would begin taking proposals from developers for a hotel to be built atop its planned new headquarters in the building it will share with other Houston-focused organizations.


Exact plans will be left to whoever gets the contract, but a conceptual rendering released Tuesday shows a sleek glass-and-steel addition that would place about 400 hotel rooms above the recently announced office building that will be home base for Houston First, the Greater Houston Partnership, the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Center for Houston's Future.

The 15-story hotel would sit on top of the planned Greater Houston Partnership Building and 1,900-space parking garage directly behind it and be directly north of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Full Article: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/busi...er-5684968.php

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady (Post 6704536)

I assume that's just for the garage and the office building?

Originally Posted by Htowngrown (Post 6766756)

So the "10" story office tower is really only 7, and more accurately 6 if you exclude the lobby which will only have rentable space for a restaurant. Not trying to be a Debbie downer or anything, just think its odd that they will say it's 10 floors when the plan shows it definitely is not.

Originally Posted by Htowngrown (Post 6766756)

So the "10" story office tower is really only 7, and more accurately 6 if you exclude the lobby which will only have rentable space for a restaurant. Not trying to be a Debbie downer or anything, just think its odd that they will say it's 10 floors when the plan shows it definitely is not.

Originally Posted by photoLith (Post 6767289)

Hooray! Death to all parking lots!