HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[Urbannizer]

Dolce Midtown




By Chris Olbekson on Flickr

[Urbannizer]

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/busi...#photo-8462255

Originally Posted by Houston Chronicle

Proposal would put new shine on Theater District

Now the city's tourism arm is proposing to transform the 17-block area that includes the Alley Theatre, Jones Hall, Hobby Center and the Wortham Theater Center over the next decade into a vibrant urban hub where inviting green space with surrounding cafes and restaurants allow patrons to wait out the grueling traffic with post-performance drinks or late-night snacks.

Colorful lights and projections would flash across the monolithic exterior walls of the theater buildings. It would be a place for festivals, outside performances and interactive art installations.

The work, with a preliminary price tag of $80 million for public infrastructure upgrades, would begin with an overhaul of Jones Plaza. Eventually, the huge concrete rectangle of Bayou Place might even be torn down to make way for a new hotel and smaller structures that wouldn't interrupt the flow of the district.

"The district is driven by the major performance halls, but when you look at the public spaces around it, they are pretty dysfunctional," said Bob Eury, executive director of Central Houston. "It's very clear that the Theater District needs to take introverted buildings and bring those halls out into the pedestrian realm."

He said real estate is scarce in the district and premium-priced, so planning how to use it is important.

[Urbannizer]

Houston Developers Defying National Perception with New Projects

Originally Posted by Bisnow

It’s almost trendy in other parts of the country to talk about how Houston will fail and to forget trying to get financing, Hanover Co CIO Brandt Bowden says. But they’re all wrong, and Hanover could break ground on another apartment complex here this year.

Hanover’s got two projects in lease-up, and Brandt (far right, with his fellow panelists at Bisnow’s New Construction & Development event Wednesday) says the firm was expecting a rough process at the end of last year. But he’s been pleasantly surprised; operations have remained strong. There was a huge overhang of multifamily demand—especially inside the Loop—that bled into this year.

2016 deliveries will be 40% lower than this year, and the pipeline isn’t being replenished. Hanover is considering starting construction on another development this year, and Brandt says it expects to do about three more in 2016 and 2017. If they don’t happen, it probably won’t be because of weak demand or fundamentals, Brandt says (although he does think operations might hit a snag later this year), but because there’s still been no relief on labor or construction prices.

Howard Hughes EVP Peter Doyle (center, with DHR International’s Sayres Dudley and Morris Architects’ Doug Childers) has been through seven cycles since 1965 and although he’s normally very optimistic, this time he’s prepared to hunker down. Office is getting negative absorption and he says almost every office building will end up with a sublease or two, so he expects rents to drop. But Peter admits he’s in favor of a softening in Houston and The Woodlands—the price of land, housing and leased space has increased so much that we’d started to lose our competitive edge versus other markets.

While development is easing in most sectors, retail is just coming to the table, says NewQuest EVP Chris Dray, pictured, left, with moderator Insgroup SVP Philip Wise.

NewQuest has 13 retail projects under development, including three mixed-use centers inside the Loop. One of the biggest changes is the resurgence of the big box—six or seven power centers are planned across the metro. But he’s got his eye on something that’d be a true game changer.If Gulf Coast Commercial develops vertical retail at the former Tarkett site in the Heights, it’d be the first of its kind in Texas. Nothing definitive has been announced, but Chris believes it’ll happen and says “it’ll change everything.”

[Urbannizer]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/m...rst-condo.html

Originally Posted by HBJ

Luxury builder breaks ground on first condo project

Sugar Land-based Sims Luxury Builders will break ground on its first condominium project on Aug. 14.

Riva at the Park, located at 3331 D’Amico St. near Allen Parkway and Dunlavy Street, will be a 10-story, 29-unit high-rise overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park, one mile west of the downtown Central Business District.

The project, first announced in September, was originally slated to be a seven-story building with 22 units, but CEO Chris Sims changed his plans a few months later when the condos sold faster than he anticipated. The new floor plans range from 2,350 to 3,600 square feet and were priced from $800,000 to $1.6 million as of December.

All units have been sold, and the high-rise is expected to be completed next summer.

[TexasBoi]

You can tell the density is increasing in Houston.

[Urbannizer]

Solero at The Park

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/h...o-at-the-park/

New residential development planned for Block 107 in Downtown, the warehouse will likely come down.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Houston Developers Defying National Perception with New Projects

[/B]

I know Houston is still undergoing a huge population boom that is causing an institutional boom despite oil hovering in the low 40s/ high 30s. However, I worry with all the easy money floating about, this is just a bubble.

[Urbannizer]

Update for the proposed Le Meridien @1121 Walker (former Melrose Building).

Exterior Changes:

- All existing glass will be replaced
- More glass at street level; space created for a restaurant
- The roof will become an amenity space for hotel guests which will feature a pool and bar
- Exterior brick will be cleaned and repointed where needed

More details can be seen here:

http://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Co..._MATERIALS.pdf

[Urbannizer]

Surface lot for Alexan Downtown closed off to vehicles, groundbreaking imminent.

[Urbannizer]

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/...d-use-project/

Lovett closes on downtown Post Office site to build mixed-use project

Lovett Commercial has closed on the 16-acre U.S. Post Office site in downtown.

The Houston-based developer, which builds neighborhood shopping centers and urban redevelopment, did not elaborate on plans in a statement announcing the purchase. Previously, Lovett said it expects “to attract multiple uses such as retail, creative office, residential and/or a boutique hotel. Tenants that we have visited with are extremely excited about the project, its location and the possibilities.”

The purchase price was not disclosed.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/m...mixed-use.html

"It's extremely rare to find a downtown site with direct, easy access to Interstate 10, Interstate 45 and numerous adjacent neighborhoods in Houston,” Burdette Huffman, vice president for Lovett Commercial, said in a statement. “Our goal is to create a very special mixed-use development that leverages the Bayou, the theater district and the significant scale of the property."

[JManc]

Kind of hope they can keep and reincorporate the Barbara Jordan building into what ever they develop.

[rellott]

Mutha F! Lookin at their portfolio for Houston sites there is a 90% chance it's gunna end up like a suburban retail strip center with "office" above. Expect an H-E-B or Target with a Chipotle, Great Clips, a dry cleaners, nail salon, Dollar General, and of course a bank. Hell, lookin at that image they wouldn't have to change the footprint very much for it to fit their portfolio.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by rellott

Mutha F! Lookin at their portfolio for Houston sites there is a 90% chance it's gunna end up like a suburban retail strip center with "office" above. Expect an H-E-B or Target with a Chipotle, Great Clips, a dry cleaners, nail salon, Dollar General, and of course a bank. Hell, lookin at that image they wouldn't have to change the footprint very much for it to fit their portfolio.

I guess you didn't read the text in quotes? This is what most consider the most prime site downtown due to its size, location and potential.

The developer is behind Sawyer Yards. A project that includes the renovation of industrial warehouses into artist studios and retail, and also new construction of apartment buildings w/ retail.

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/37/70/06...5/920x1240.jpg

[glowrock]

Originally Posted by rellott

Mutha F! Lookin at their portfolio for Houston sites there is a 90% chance it's gunna end up like a suburban retail strip center with "office" above. Expect an H-E-B or Target with a Chipotle, Great Clips, a dry cleaners, nail salon, Dollar General, and of course a bank. Hell, lookin at that image they wouldn't have to change the footprint very much for it to fit their portfolio.

I think you're jumping to entirely too many conclusions, rellott. Might want to lower your caffeine intake a bit, you're entirely too jittery about a development in which we have no design proposals for yet.

Aaron (Glowrock)

[The Best Forumer]

Originally Posted by rellott

Mutha F! Lookin at their portfolio for Houston sites there is a 90% chance it's gunna end up like a suburban retail strip center with "office" above. Expect an H-E-B or Target with a Chipotle, Great Clips, a dry cleaners, nail salon, Dollar General, and of course a bank. Hell, lookin at that image they wouldn't have to change the footprint very much for it to fit their portfolio.

Don't forget a 24-hour check cashing place, car title loan place, liquor store, injury trial lawyer, and Turistas Americanos bus station.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Surface lot for Alexan Downtown closed off to vehicles, groundbreaking imminent.

Alexan Downtown


Photo by Tanith27 on HAIF

500 Crawford


Photo by hindesky on HAIF

Block 384


Photo by hindesky on HAIF

Block 387 and 384


http://imgur.com/AO895pM


Buffalo Bayou Revitalization






By Bayouboomtown on HAIF

Riva at The Park


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sims-Luxury-Builders

Mid-Main


By Cloud713 on HAIF

Pearl at The Mix





MATCH




By hindesky on HAIF

Elan Memorial Park

[Urbannizer]

Surge Homes Breaks Ground on Parc at Midtown

73 Modern-style one- and two-story condominiums, three-story townhomes and single-family homes on 1.7 acres at 2401 Crawford St. in Midtown. Sizes range from 465 square feet for a one-bedroom condo unit to 1,528 square feet for a three-bedroom single-family home, and prices start from $150,000 to $463,000.

[Urbannizer]

A 182-unit Residence Inn is proposed for 7807 Kirby Dr, just outside the Med Center.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/h...7807-kirby-dr/

[rellott]

Originally Posted by glowrock

I think you're jumping to entirely too many conclusions, rellott. Might want to lower your caffeine intake a bit, you're entirely too jittery about a development in which we have no design proposals for yet.

Aaron (Glowrock)

Just bein pessimistic. That way if anything better than a suburban style strip joint is proposed I'll be pleasantly "surprised"!

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Surge Homes Breaks Ground on Parc at Midtown

That's a lot of units for that little space, pretty impressive.