HOUSTON | General Developments

[Wattleigh]

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=2#cxrecs_s

Proposed Hyde Park Hotel in Montrose clears Houston planning commission hurdle

By Jeff Jeffrey – Senior reporter, Houston Business Journal
Jan 29, 2024

A proposed 80-room hotel in Houston’s bustling Montrose area moved one step closer to breaking ground after city planners granted key approvals for the project.

During its most recent meeting, the Houston Planning and Development Commission approved a variance for Austin-based Mighty Equities’ planned Hyde Park Hotel at 704 Hyde Park Blvd., near the corner of Hyde Park Boulevard and Stanford Street. The variance will allow the hotel’s entrance to open on a street that is not a major thoroughfare.

Last summer, the commission signed off on some other variances Mighty Equities had requested.

The hotel must now go through the typical permitting process before it can break ground.

Hyde Park Hotel would be within one block of Barnaby’s Café, Buddy’s, Crocker Bar, Eagle Houston, George and Lola’s Depot.

The proposed hotel's property is currently vacant.

[Wattleigh]

Mimosa Terrace

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ks-ground.html

Houston-based Cityscape recently announced that construction work has begun on its Mimosa Terrace condo project at 2240 Mimosa Drive.

COURTESY OF CITYSCAPE

Mimosa Terrace condo project, years in the making, breaks ground near River Oaks

By Jeff Jeffrey – Senior reporter, Houston Business Journal
Feb 5, 2024

A long-awaited condominium development near River Oaks has broken ground, more than seven years after it was first announced.

Houston-based Cityscape recently announced that construction work has begun on its Mimosa Terrace at 2240 Mimosa Drive, near the Glendower Court area between River Oaks and Upper Kirby.

The midrise condo building will have 16 condo units spread across eight floors.

“The landscape of real estate in Houston has evolved drastically in recent years, reshaping people’s expectations when it comes to their homes,” said Joseph Lee, developer and construction director at Citiscape. “Mimosa Terrace is the culmination of our team’s extensive expertise in building and designing large, high-end custom homes.”

Mimosa Terrace was first announced in November 2016. However, Lee said that the project was delayed for several years because the building’s design changed to account for an evolving housing market, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

Originally designed to have 11 units — two on each floor — the building was altered to have three units on most floors, with the top two floors having a total of four penthouse units.

Lee said that change was made to account for the growing demand for condo units in the River Oaks area, as more and more residents seek out a lock-and-leave lifestyle.

Cityscape also added more parking to the building’s design to ensure each unit can have between two and three parking spaces.

Additionally, Lee noted that the project was delayed to ensure it was a good fit for the surrounding area.

“Being in River Oaks, in the heart of River Oaks, we wanted to make sure we had the right project for the neighborhood,” Lee said. “The great thing is that the building will be within walking distance of a variety of restaurants and retail offerings.”

Mimosa Terrace is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Overhead view of the site from 1 month ago c/o hindesky on HAIF

[Wattleigh]

Rye Heights

c/o hindesky on HAIF















Tempo at White Oak

c/o hindesky on HAIF













NHH Ennis

c/o hindesky on HAIF

[Wattleigh]

https://www.theleadernews.com/real_e...f6f345087.html

OHT Partners breaks ground on Lenox Timbergrove apartment building

Community Reports
Feb 6, 2024
Updated 15 hrs ago

OHT Partners LLC has broken ground on an upscale apartment community in the Lazybrook / Timbergove area.

Lenox Timbergrove, the 293-unit, 5-story complex is rising at 2825 W. 11th Street. The site is in the heart of a burgeoning area just west of the Houston Heights and north of the Washington Avenue corridor.

The 5-story, Class A complex, will feature studio, one, and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 500 to 1,150 square feet. Each home features: modern designs, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, smart-home technology and more. Community amenities include: a resort-style pool, outdoor pavilion with gas grills and kitchen, indoor pet spa, 24-hour co-working space, artificial turf game lawn, and more.

This is the second recent luxury apartment community start in the Greater Heights / Washington Avenue submarket of Houston for OHT Partners. This past May, the firm broke ground on Lenox Heights, a 359-unit community less than three miles away at 333 W. 24th Street.

[Wattleigh]

3001 W. 11th Street

McNair Interests breaks ground on Timbergrove apartments, promises more development to follow

By Jeff Jeffrey – Senior reporter, Houston Business Journal
Feb 9, 2024

Houston-based McNair Interests has broken ground on a 371-unit apartment development in Timbergrove, which the company intends to use as a catalyst for future development in the area.

The as-yet-unnamed development will be at 3001 W. 11th St. and will occupy just under 5 acres near Ella Boulevard.

The five-story building is scheduled to start delivering units in the second quarter of 2025, with full construction wrapping up in early 2026.

Houston-based architecture firm Munoz & Albin designed the community, Preston Partnership from Atlanta is the architect of record, Ink+Oro from Dallas designed the interiors, and Addison, Texas-based Cadence McShane is the general contractor.

Featuring a mix of one-. two- and three-bedroom units averaging 813 square feet, the apartments at 3001 W. 11th will feature private balconies and patios, keyless entry, walk-in closets, quartz countertops, plank flooring throughout, stainless appliances, custom cabinetry and in-unit full-size washers and dryers.

The building’s community amenities will include electric vehicle charging, bike and general storage, coworking space with meeting rooms and pods, a dog park with dedicated areas for both small and large pets, a fitness center with virtual training equipment, a rooftop deck, and a pool with cabanas and grilling areas.

McNair Interests said it views the new apartment project as a catalyst for future development on the nearly 40 acres the company owns in the area. The company said future development phases will likely make use of existing buildings in the area, including steel-frame factories dating back to the 1920s.

In fact, the company’s vision for 3001 W. 11th is to use angled architecture and alternating materials as a way to blend modern and industrial aesthetics.

“The elements are meant not only to create an eye-catching façade for the multifamily project that changes with perspective, but also to humanize the building’s scale by maximizing greenspace and encouraging resident interaction,” McNair Interests said.

Drew Steffen, senior vice president of the company’s real estate development and investment team, said McNair Interests’ plan for the area is similar to the approach it took with the On the Trails community in the Westchase District.

“Much like our new and well-received waterfront On the Trails community in the Westchase District of Houston, McNair Interests has been intentional in creating an environment at 3001 W. 11th that is both seemingly off the beaten path, yet in the middle of everything. This is not an inward-looking box and courtyard building, but a community of outward-facing gardens in between living areas,” Steffen said. “Coupled with a focus on quality design and amenities that are truly useful and appreciated by today’s renters, we feel that this project will resonate well with discerning Inner Loop devotees.”

[Wattleigh]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...k-18651616.php

Magnolia Fund is planning to convert former industrial warehouses into a “food maker” campus in the East End’s Magnolia Park neighborhood. Pictured is a conceptual rendering the seller, Immaginare Facendo, used for marketing purposes. Magnolia Fund’s project would also add air-conditioned shipping containers converted into commercial kitchens.

Immaginare

East End warehouses to be converted into 'food-maker' and dining complex aimed at helping entreprenuers

By Marissa Luck,
Staff writer
Feb 7, 2024

A Houston real estate firm plans to turn a trio of old industrial warehouse in Magnolia Park area into a 1-acre "food-maker" campus with restaurants and kitchen space for food entrepreneurs, adding to the ongoing transformation of Houston’s East End.

Magnolia Fund, a real estate firm co-founded by East End native and serial entrepreneur Erik Ibarra, has agreed to buy 6600 and 6614 Harrisburg Blvd. from Houston investor Paolo Fronza. The sale is expected to close by this summer, Ibarra said. The site is about 4 miles east of downtown Houston.

The three buildings date to the 1920s and 1940s. A 4,500-square-foot warehouse would be converted into two restaurants, a bar and coffee shop. A 9,100-square-foot building would house a café, a meeting/event venue and coworking space. The firm hasn’t decided what to do with the silo-shaped structure at the site.

Between those buildings, Magnolia Fund would add two to four shipping containers converted into commercial kitchen space that could be rented out on a flexible and short-term basis to food entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, bakers and caterers. (The containers would be air-conditioned and have access to utilities.)

[Wattleigh]

1730 Sunset Blvd

c/o hindesky on HAIF









Mimosa Terrace

c/o hindesky on HAIF










3360 McCue


c/o hindesky on HAIF
















The Standard at Winrock

c/o hindesky on HAIF

[Wattleigh]

https://houstonlanding.org/houstons-...m_term=Houston

Houston’s first Hispanic archive center moves forward, renewing advocates’ hopes

by Danya Pérez
February 23, 2024

A decade after city officials identified the need for a center dedicated to the Hispanic and Latino community, the Hispanic History Research Center is finally moving forward, with early plans calling for its completion in 2026.

A 25,000-square-foot industrial site on the Turkey Bend property along Navigation is currently being retrofitted to house the research center, which will serve to archive historical collections, such as photographs, documents and film, that detail the rich history of Houston’s Hispanic and Latino community.

In December, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership agreeing to purchase the property at 5803 Navigation Blvd. and pay for some improvements totaling about $10 million, but only once those improvements are completed.

The agreement drew praise and concerns from community members and the sole Latino councilmember at the time, Robert Gallegos.

“I’m excited about this item on the agenda,” Gallegos said prior to the December vote. “I reached out over three years ago asking to be included in this process, being the only Latino in city council and I was told that it was premature.”

The property is part of the Buffalo Bayou East expansion, which is slated to mimic the parks and trails built along Memorial Park west of downtown, with about 15 to 20 projects planned over the next decade across the Greater East End and Fifth Ward.

The investment is coming out of a $19.5 million budget to build a Hispanic History Research Center, the first of its kind for a city that’s home to more than 2.3 million Latino or Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data.

“There’s a significant inequity here. Latinos are 45 percent of the population,” said David Contreras, historian and archivist for LULAC – the League of United Latin American Citizens – who has advocated for the project for over a decade.

The agreement calls for the city to receive a finished unit, or building, with an open interior to be retrofitted as needed, said John Middleton, Houston Public Library’s assistant director of spaces.

“If things go as planned, and plans are very tentative, we’ll see this facility completed in early 2026,” Middleton said.

The Hispanic History Research Center made its first appearance in the city of Houston’s 2020-2024 capital improvement plan with an allocation of about $1.5 million. The next year, for the 2021-2025 capital improvement plan, this budget item grew to $19.5 million.

This project was originally considered as part of the 2017 bond issue that aimed to allocate about $123 million for Houston Public Library projects.

But years passed since plans for the center were disclosed, and in lieu of a public announcement of the project’s status, community leaders became concerned that it was not being prioritized.

Gallegos and Contreras were among those who voiced frustration over what they said was a lack of transparency on the project. Their persistent requests for information and meetings with HPL officials went unanswered, they said.

Things have changed at City Hall since that December decision, which was one of Gallegos’ last as councilman. Council member Karla Cisneros’ term also came to an end shortly after this approval. She represented District H on the East Side where the project is set to be housed.

November’s election gave way to three Latino newcomers, Mario Castillo, who represents District H, Joaquin Martinez representing District I, and Julian Ramirez serving as an at-large member.

The three councilmen made it their mission to work together to see projects that impact the Latino community move forward.

“We are walking lock step together,” Martinez said. “We are here for something bigger than our individual districts or individual positions. This is a very unique space that we are in where we have a voice, a stronger use, and we’re going to use that.”

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...i-45-widening/

New affordable housing community Rasmus-Temenos to serve homelessness amid I-45 widening

By Shaheryar Khan | 5:29 PM Feb 28, 2024 CST
Updated 5:29 PM Feb 28, 2024 CST

Temenos Community Development Corporation and The NHP Foundation, a not-for-profit provider of affordable housing, have opened Rasmus-Temenos, a 95-unit permanent supportive housing complex in Houston, in efforts to combat homelessness in the community.

The grand opening, announced in a Feb. 28 news release, signifies a concerted effort to address homelessness in the community, officials said.

Zooming in

Rasmus-Temenos, located in Midtown at 1703 Gray St., is a $34.8 million project that replaces Temenos II, another affordable housing community set for demolition by the Texas Department of Transportation to accommodate highway improvements on I-45, according to the release.

The property has a dedicated floor for at-risk youth, and it will replace the 80 units lost with the demolition of Temenos II, according to the release.

[Wattleigh]

Rice University

-McNair Hall Expansion

Email recieved by Aggieastrowl on HAIF

Dear friends,

As part of our commitment to serving the needs of our community, I am proud to announce that the Rice University Board of Trustees has approved new building plans for the business school. The 112,000-square-foot structure was designed by Architecture Research Office to support our unprecedented growth due to new programs, including the new undergrad business major, the increased cohort to the full-time MBA program, as well as the MBA@Rice and Hybrid MBA, both of which have multiple on-campus residentials each year. The new building includes classrooms and offices, as well as dining, open gathering and private event space. We intend to break ground in the coming months.

The timing feels right to have this exciting construction coincide with our 50th anniversary year. It reflects our progress over five decades and our promise to the university, the city and the world that we are preparing graduates who are vital to organizations and ready to lead.

This project aims to achieve LEED Gold certification. In addition to our design architects, we are pleased to collaborate with project architects (Kirksey) and landscape architects (Nelson Byrd Woltz).

As the building construction progresses, we will update you on our projected timeline to welcome new students in 2026.

Best,

Peter

Paco Jones on HAIF added this

Tellepsen, who has been working on this project for over a year now, was recently notified by the university that they were going to put the project out on the street to bid. Proposals were recently submitted by multiple general contractors and the project has not yet been awarded at the moment.

[Wattleigh]

Rice University

-Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall

Rice University breaks ground on $76M Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall to create arts district

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Feb 29, 2024

Rice University celebrated the groundbreaking of its new 83,000-square-foot, $76 million Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall on Feb. 29.

The building — which is named for the project's lead donors, including the late founder of Houston's largest money management firm — will be home to the Department of Art. The new space will feature a state-of-the-art cinema, a flexible performance lab for exhibitions and performances, adaptable classrooms and workshops. The university expects the building to open in fall 2025.

Goals of the new facility are to address increased student demand for humanities courses, provide an innovative center for art faculty and students, and solidify the campus’s southwest corner as a “vibrant arts district,” joining the adjacent Moody Center for the Arts and Shepherd School of Music facilities, the university said.

“The Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall will be a vital cornerstone of creativity at Rice, uniting our remarkable programs into one creative hub, and in doing so, realizing our vision for a unique arts district on the southwest side of campus,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said during the event.

Through its design, the building will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and experimentation to produce a research-driven creative ecosystem “at the heart of contemporary art,” the university said. During the groundbreaking, DesRoches reiterated this notion — he said arts education is a foundation for learning and is a pillar of creativity that pushes innovation and curiosity.

Previously, art classes were scattered around campus, but Kathleen Canning, Rice’s dean of humanities, said this new building’s groundbreaking also marks a groundbreaking point in the university’s history because it will allow the arts to come together at Rice for the first time.

“This building fulfills a vision of academic excellence, of research and teaching, innovation and art practice,” Canning said. “Once it is open, Sarofim Hall will be alive with students day and night, weekdays and weekends. It will draw new students to Rice to study the arts, and it will lead to even higher enrollments and numbers of majors.”

Charles Renfro, a Rice alumnus, led the team from New York-based Diller Scofidio + Renfro that designed the new building. Meanwhile, the general contractor is Dallas-based Austin Commercial.

The architecture will honor the former Rice Media Center and Art Barn, which was commissioned by Houston art patrons John and Dominique de Menil in 1969. Rice says the new building will be an “inventive take on the prefabricated building.” It will incorporate exhibition areas, labs, studios, shops, faculty offices and other facilities to serve as a collaboration point for various artists.

Two three-story glass walls will cleave through the heart of the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall to essentially divide it, allowing for the making and showing of art within two rain-protected open courtyards.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

The building is expected to open in the fall of 2025.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

It will incorporate exhibition areas, labs, studios, shops, faculty offices, along with other facilities to serve as a collaboration point for various artists.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

The new building will display artwork.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

The new building will bring the arts department under one roof.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

The building has been designed in a manner that allows it to be easily transformed over time as needs evolve.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

The building will help create a vibrant arts district for Rice University.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

Sarofim Hall will feature a state-of-the-art cinema, a flexible performance lab for exhibitions and performances, adaptable classrooms and workshops.

COURTESY OF DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

[Wattleigh]

Color Factory

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...s-houston.html

Color Factory's CEO anticipates boom in experiential concepts coming to Houston (PHOTOS)

By Sofia Gonzalez – Reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 4, 2024

Walking into the Houston-based Color Factory, visitors are immediately greeted with dozens of colorful macaroons before being taken down a hallway painted in a light display ranging from red, to green, to blue.

From there, guests move through a series of rooms, each outfitted with its own spin on vibrant objects and activities. The idea is to stimulate the imagination and take people to place where the only thing that matters is color.

So when Tina Malhotra was offered a chance to become the Color Factory's chief experience officer in 2017 — which is when the Color Factory opened its first popup location in San Francisco — she knew she had to take a leap faith and join. Malhotra later became CEO in November 2021.

“Our mission at Color Factory is to inspire joy and meaningful human connection through the power of color and art — and that's such a special, unique mission — I think it's so important in the world,” she said.

Although the Color Factory's first location was in San Francisco, the popup was only open for a little more than eight months. It has since opened locations in New York City (2018), Houston (2019) — which is now where the company has staked its headquarters — and most recently in Chicago (2022).

Malhotra said the decision to make Houston the company's headquarters — which became official in 2023 — came down to the Bayou City having the largest location, spanning 20,000 square feet, twice the size of the New York location's 10,000 square feet.

That size alone makes it easier to test out new ideas, Malhotra said. And it doesn't hurt that she also lives in Houston.

"I think Houston could be a destination for those types of businesses," she said. "It just proves that this is an industry and a model that is working and will continue to stay in our lives."

Now, as the Color Factory continues to gain popularity, Malhotra said she's excited to see the experiential industry paint the town red and met with the Houston Business Journal to talk about what that means for Houston.

[Wattleigh]

Viva Center / Former HP / Compaq Campus

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...enx-lease.html

Former HPE, Compaq campus in northwest Houston is now Viva Center, signs tenant

About two years after changing owners, the 2.3 million-square-foot former Compaq and Hewlett Packard Enterprise campus in northwest Houston has a new name, new purpose and new tenants.

The 94-acre complex at 11445 Compaq Center West Drive, off state Highway 249 south of Louetta Road, is now called Viva Center.

The owner, Houston-based Morales Capital Group, signed a 10-year headquarters lease with hormone treatment and weight loss company SynergenX in October, and the company expanded its space to a total of 54,247 square feet in January.

Morales Capital Group is headed by Eduardo Morales, who is also the CEO of alcoholic beverage distribution company Mexcor International and several other entities under the Morales Capital Group umbrella. It is headquartered at 11177 Compaq Center West Drive, which is part of Viva Center. The 250,000-square-foot building also serves as a distribution center for Mexcor.

The group envisions turning the campus into a mixed-use tech hub with public gathering areas, events and apartments.

The redevelopment is led by VivaVerse Solutions, also a subsidiary of Morales Capital Group. VivaVerse is leasing an eight-story, 461,000-square-foot building on the campus.

Morales co-founded the company with Dallas-based tech entrepreneur Freddy Vaca, who serves as its president and chief technology officer.

The property includes four office buildings, four manufacturing/distribution buildings, additional buildings that house maintenance and/or amenity space, a full-service cafeteria, fitness center, and an outdoor covered pavilion with a kitchen area for events. Between the property's six garages and its surface lots, there are more than 6,000 parking spaces. Hike and bike trails connect to the adjacent 80-acre Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve.

Interest is strong for the manufacturing buildings, said SVN J. Beard Real Estate Greater Houston’ Brandi Sikes, who together with Liz Westcott oversees leasing of the campus.

“Revitalizing an '80s vintage campus takes vision, and the entrepreneurs who bought it are supporting that vision,” Sikes said. “So they have given us the endorsement to go out and identify the types of users who we want to attract to this region.”

Besides technology companies, the vision includes a sports complex for members of the community, urban farming and educational institutions, she said.

Some of the existing buildings could also be converted into apartments, workforce housing, assisted living or a hotel.

[Wattleigh]

Warehouse District

c/o hindesky on HAIF

















c/o 004n063 on HAIF

[Wattleigh]

The Madison

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/montrose-condominium-community-west-gray-retail-18893531.php

7-story condo project to transform West Gray in East Montrose
By Marissa Luck,
Staff Writer
March 13, 2024

A busy block of West Gray in East Montrose will soon be transformed by a seven-story condominium building and a separate project with new restaurants and retail.

The Madison, a $30 million, 35-unit development by Tannos Development Group and Wolfgramm Capital, is expected to replace four aging apartment structures. That stretch of West Gray is home to several bars and restaurants, including A’dor Kitchen & Cocktail, Midtown Bar and Grill and Barnaby’s restaurant.

Tenants in the existing fourplex apartments — some dating to the 1930s, according to Harris County — are expected to move out by April, when demolition could begin, said Russell Handy of Friendswood-based Wolfgramm.

Construction on the Madison is expected to start by the end of 2024 and possibly take two years. Plans call for two- and three-bedroom condos of 2,000 to 3,200 square feet. When sales begin in summer, prices are expected to range from about $1.5 million to $2.4 million.

“They’ll have all the bells and whistles, designer cabinetry, high-end appliances; very competitive to the River Oaks market,” said Louis Tannos, president of Tannos Development.

The Madison, Tannos said, includes parking for residents, a gym and pool deck. It will tower over other structures on the block, giving some residents views of downtown.

Tannos Development has been active in the Houston suburb of Friendswood, where the developer is also partnering with Wolfgramm Capital on a proposed $700 million, 106-acre mixed-use project.

Tannos said the partnership jumped at the opportunity in December to buy the five West Gray parcels because the two firms wanted to be a part of Montrose’s growth.

[Wattleigh]

Home2 Suites / Tru Downtown


c/o hindesky on HAIF





The Standard on the River

c/o 004n063 on HAIF



Covenant House Montrose Campus

c/o hindesky on HAIF











UNITi Montrose

c/o hindesky on HAIF





Mimosa Terrace

c/o hindesky on HAIF





3360 McCue

c/o Highrise Tower on HAIF

[Wattleigh]

Originally Posted by Wattleigh

The Madison

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/montrose-condominium-community-west-gray-retail-18893531.php

https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...Pos=0#cxrecs_s

Luxury condo development to rise in East Montrose area (renderings)


By Jeff Jeffrey – Senior reporter, Houston Business Journal
Mar 26, 2024

Houston’s growing East Montrose area will soon be home to a new $26 million condominium development.

Houston-based Tannos Development Group, in partnership with Friendswood-based Wolfgramm Capital, plans to break ground later this year on The Madison, a seven-story, 35-unit condo building on West Gray Street.

Wolfgramm Capital co-founder Russell Handy said his company acquired five lots running from 419 W. Gray St. to 515 W. Gray St. last year that are currently home to a series of aging fourplex apartments. Handy said the residents of those apartments are expected to have moved out by April, when demolition is scheduled to begin.

Handy said his company sees Houston as having a great deal of opportunity, especially in the condo space.

“We have located our headquarters in the greater Houston area and have fallen in love with Texas in general and the city of Houston, specifically,” Handy said.

The area where The Madison will rise is known for having a number of popular bars and restaurants, including A’dor Kitchen & Cocktail, Barnaby’s restaurant, Cecil's Pub, Midtown Bar and Grill, and Pink's Pizza.

When The Madison is competed in 2026, the 121,697-square-foot building will have 35 units sitting atop a two-story parking garage.

“We plan to offer the full amenities package one would expect for a luxury condo,” Handy said.

The third-floor amenity space will have a pool deck, a fitness center and a barbecue/game room area, among other amenities.

As for the units, Handy said each one will be customizable, with a range of high-end cabinetry, appliances and design features available to choose from.

Residents can choose from two-bedroom and three-bedroom floor plans, which will range from 2,000 square feet to 3,000 square feet.

The building will not have penthouses, per se, Handy said, because the top floor will not have a separate elevator. However, top-floor units will be larger in size, he said.

Every unit will have a private balcony, Handy said.

The units will feature “elegant and modern design features,” and each will have access to its own storage unit, Handy added.

The units will be priced at $750 per square foot, meaning that those in the 2,000-square-foot range will start at about $1.5 million. Pre-sales are scheduled to begin this summer, Handy said.

“Architecture, engineering and interior design are currently in full swing,” Handy said. “We have a fantastic collaborator in Tannos Development Group, which will act as the general contractor for this project, which brings tremendous local knowledge and a host of intangible other benefits to the project.”

Renderings from article

[Wattleigh]

https://communityimpact.com/houston/...gospel-square/

Former Wesley AME Church near Historic Third Ward to be redeveloped into Gospel Square

By Cassandra Jenkins | 4:46 PM Mar 27, 2024 CDT
Updated 4:46 PM Mar 27, 2024 CDT

The city of Houston approved an ordinance March 27 authorizing the purchase and sale of 62,500 square feet of land located at 2209 Emancipation Ave., Houston, near the Historic Third Ward. The land will be sold to The National Housing Partnership Foundation for redevelopment.

The big picture

The NHP Foundation is a nonprofit real estate organization dedicated to preserving and creating affordable housing.

As the developer, the foundation will renovate and redevelop the property, which is located within the Third Ward Complete Community, into a dynamic mixed-use development that will be renamed Gospel Square.

Gospel Square is expected to function as a live-work community with:

-A cafe
-A recording studio
-A courtyard
-New affordable housing units

The former Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Church located on the site will also be renovated and will be transformed to include a community center, event performance space and a gospel museum. Renovations will include infrastructure and energy-efficient improvements.

According to the NHP Foundation, the church will maintain its existing exterior structure in honor of the building’s historic nature.

Previous info from COH Housing & Community Development

• Video Link

[Wattleigh]

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/rothko-chapel-campus-expansion-montrose-19406023.php

Renderings of the aerial view of the Suzanne Deal Welcome Center, Administrative and Archives Building and program center from phase two of the Rothko Chapel's $42 million "Opening Spaces" campus expansion and capital campaign.

Courtesy of ARO and Nelson Byrd Woltz

Exclusive: First look at new renderings of Rothko Chapel's phase 2 campus expansion in Montrose

Inside construction plans for a new meditation garden, administration building and program center.

By Amber Elliott,
Staff writer
April 17, 2024

Conversations surrounding the Rothko Chapel's "Opening Spaces" campus expansion and corresponding capital campaign began in 2016, five years shy of the Montrose institution's 50th anniversary. By the time that milestone rolled around in 2021, phase one was complete. The Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome House, a new addition, and the then-newly restored Chapel with its re-imagined skylight, light design and entryway were open for business.

On Wednesday, phase two kicks off with a groundbreaking ceremony. Over the next two years, Architecture Research Office and Nelson Byrd Woltz will manage the construction of the new Administration and Archives Building and the Kathleen and Chuck Mullenweg Meditation Garden in addition to a program center, guest house for resident and visiting speakers and fellows, plus a shaded, shared plaza.

"The whole master plan development was a very heavy research and collaborative process," says David Leslie, executive director of Rothko Chapel. "We thought about, 'How does this honor the vision of the founders?' The de Menils and (Mark) Rothko? They had no idea how it was to grow, or generate such interest. We wanted to have a lot of fidelity to the past."

Rendering of the plaza from phase two of the Rothko Chapel's $42 million "Opening Spaces" campus expansion and capital campaign.

Courtesy of ARO and Nelson Byrd Woltz

[Wattleigh]

Warehouse District





https://www.houstonchronicle.com/bus...g-19400037.php

Essential workers can rarely afford downtown Houston living. A new 500-unit district could help

By Marissa Luck,
Staff Writer
April 14, 2024

A Houston developer is planning a nearly 500-unit district in downtown Houston offering housing priced for low- and moderate-income residents — a unique offering for an area with some of highest rents in the region.

Urban Genesis plans to open three midrise apartment complexes this year in a project dubbed the Warehouse District, set to rise on former warehouse sites north of Buffalo Bayou, just south of Interstate 10, on McKee and Nance streets.

A wave of new apartments boosted downtown’s residential population to 11,000 in recent years, according to the economic development group Downtown Houston, though most of the new housing caters to affluent renters.

“With 25% of our employment base working in the service industry and similar jobs, providing housing for them is an essential ingredient of a healthy downtown economy,” said Kris Larson, CEO of Downtown Houston.

Within Warehouse District, about half of the units will be reserved for people making $33,570 to $59,680 annually, with rents restricted to $1,119 to $1,492 monthly, according to Urban Genesis.

The other half of the units will not be rent-restricted, but Urban Genesis said it was attempting to keep rents reasonably affordable for essential workers.

Rents for market-rate units in Warehouse District range from $1,400 for a 613-square-foot unit to $2,000 for an 868-square-foot unit, before leasing specials and discounts. The average asking rent for a new Class A apartment downtown is $2,178 monthly, making downtown the most expensive apartment submarket in the metro, according to MRI Software.