I saw this coming. Great to see it come to life. Thats a great building and will make some nice condos.

kinda upset about the one across from chase possibly being torn down. Granted it has some real ghettoness to it but i still like the look of the building and Houston does not have many historic building left and plenty of empty parking lots that could be filled instead.

Agreed.

Lets just hope the developers see it that way as well.

Assisted-living tower planned for Med Center area

Houston Business Journal - by Allison Wollam
Date: Friday, July 22, 2011, 5:00am CDT

The 48-year-old Bayou Manor assisted-living facility is building a new 14-story tower to offer more long-term health care services to its residents.

The $67 million tower, to be built at 4141 S. Braeswood Blvd., near the Texas Medical Center will include 84 apartments, under-building parking with elevator access to residences and 32 assisted-living and memory-support residences.

In addition, the tower will feature a pool and fitness amenities, dining venues and a 180-seat event center.


http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/07/22/assisted-living-tower-planned-for-med.html

^^ I'm surprised one has not been built there already.

Perfect location.

From Swamplot (http://swamplot.com/).

Harrisburg Blvd. and the East End light-rail line Metro is building along it will dip under the Union Pacific East Belt freight rail line between the future Altic and Cesar Chavez stations, Mayor Parker announced today. The city has committed $20.6 million of “existing money” to the build the underpass — in part by delaying other area improvement projects. The alternative, an 8-block-long freeway-style overpass, was opposed by many area residents and businesses.

We have found the funding for an underpass and City of Houston has committed $20.6 million to put part of the East End Metro line underground. [Twitter]
East End residents fight plan for Metro rail overpass [Houston Chronicle]

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/harrisburg-underpass-dwg.jpg

Drawing: City of Houston

Owners looking at retail for Post Oak Central
Plans are being developed at three-building office complex
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/sarnoff/7665917.html
By NANCY SARNOFF
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
July 23, 2011, 12:34AM

More new retail could be headed to tony Post Oak Boulevard, upping the competition among area landlords looking for tenants.

The owners of Post Oak Central, the three-building office complex north of Westheimer, are considering adding retail space.

A spokesman for Crescent Real Estate Holdings said plans are being developed for the property, but nothing has been decided.

"Crescent constantly looks at ways they can improve the value of properties for the customers," Dennis Winkler said. "They see some great opportunities for retail and other potential amenities."

The Philip Johnson-designed Post Oak Central contains 1.27 million square feet of office and retail space in three 24-story black glass and steel towers.

The project would join others in a new wave of retail development on Post Oak.

BLVD Place and a recently announced Houstonian hotel and office complex also have retail space to fill.

Across the West Loop, other developers are looking for tenants to fill projects they're planning to restart after being on hold during the recession.

All the new developments could add as much as 500,000 square feet of new space.

While the retail leasing market is slow, "it's not dead," Matt Keener of CB Richard Ellis said. And a lack of new space developed since the recession is adding a premium to prime spots out there.

Restaurants and other food-related businesses recently have been some of the most active tenants in the market, he said, followed by service businesses.

"The universe of expanding retailers has increased as the economy has gotten better, in particular in Houston," he said.

Houston House upgrade

The owner of downtown's Houston House hopes a $10 million renovation will upgrade the image and help fill units in the 1960s-era residential tower.

The building's lobby has undergone a complete redesign, and the ninth-floor amenity level was gutted and now contains a media room, pool table and seating area, fitness center, conference room, business center and basketball court. The outdoor swimming pool was refurbished, and modern patio furniture has been added.

The 396 units, ranging from efficiencies to two-bedroom penthouses, are still being renovated. Those that are complete and available for lease have laminate floors instead of carpet, and many have open kitchens.

One-bedroom, 600-square-foot units rent from $1,050 to $1,145. Penthouse units top out at $2,875 for 1,463 square feet.

The building's tan concrete exterior has been painted charcoal to more closely match its original look.

A cafe and market will soon open on the ground floor.

Larry Hill of Sumar Realty Corp. has owned the 31-story building at 1617 Fannin with investors since 1983. He tried to sell it several years ago, but the deal fell through. He refinanced a maturing loan on the property and took out cash for the renovations..

Trader Joe's is considering the old Alabama Theatre space for one of their new Houston stores.


Trader Joe’s considering historic theater, source says
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/08/trader-joes-considering-historic-theater-source-says/

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/08/theaters011-300x198.jpg

Trader Joe’s is eyeing the old Alabama Theatre on Shepherd and West Alabama, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Earlier this year, the grocer said it planned to open stores in Houston and Dallas. Specific locations were not identified.

Weingarten Realty, which owns the property, would not comment. Neither would Trader Joe’s.

The location could make sense.

Trader Joe’s stores are typically 10,000 to 15,000 square feet.

The old theatre space is around 14,000 square feet.

It’s been vacant since the fall of 2009 when the Bookstop closed.

And if Trader Joe’s opens there, it wouldn’t be the first time the shopping center housed a grocery store.

In its earlier days, Whole Foods operated a store in the property.

diablo234 I'm surprised one has not been built there already.

Perfect location.

I'm surprise myself, seems there would be alot of demand for senior apartments around the TMC area...

Assisted-living tower planned for Med Center area

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/07/22/assisted-living-tower-planned-for-med.html

Video Rendering of the tower
W9Hmk5kN6eI

Bankruptcy stalls plans for deserted hotel
By PURVA PATEL
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/realestate/7682441.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20houstonchronicle/business%20(chron.com%20-%20Business)
Aug. 3, 2011, 8:53PM

An investor group that bought a long-deserted downtown building with plans to renovate it into an upscale hotel has filed for bankruptcy.

New Era Hospitality, which bought the old Days Inn hotel building in 2008, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy late last week to avoid foreclosure after money woes stalled its construction plans, said partner Ray Mohiuddin of Castle Development and Construction, the project's general contractor.

The group has an unpaid mortgage of $4.2 million on the property at 801 St. Joseph Parkway, according to bankruptcy records.

The project lost its financing after the lender learned the dilapidated building had some uncorrected violations and worried the building would have to be torn down, Mohiuddin said.

Problems at the site

The Chronicle reported in May that the building was a hangout for vagrants and worse. Municipal citations have noted dangerous building parts, visual blight, unsecured entrances, and signs of urine and bodily fluids, along with 11 other violation notices in 2009.

New Era Hospitality has since spent $30,000 securing the building, Mohiuddin said.

The developer has boarded up entrances, replaced a chain-link fence at the garage entrance with a metal gate and hired a security guard to keep watch on the building from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day, he said.

'Still a good building'

Mohiuddin said the building, which has been gutted, will still be turned into a hotel, albeit on a smaller scale than previously envisioned.

"This is still a good building. It has no environmental problems," he said. "We are going to move forward as soon as we secure new financing."

The group plans to pay off the current lender, dismiss the bankruptcy and close on a $22 million construction loan within the next few months, he said.

The previous project called for $54 million in construction. New estimates put that figure at $28 million.

"We originally planned for it to be very upscale," he said. "Now we're trying to make it as economy-class as possible."

Another try

New Era Hospitality is the third group over the years to try to do something with the property, said commercial real estate broker David Cook of Cushman & Wakefield.

"All of them have come up short," he said. "I personally don't think the building has any long-term value. Everyone gets into it thinking they can do something and then determine it's really too difficult or expensive to remodel. You're better off starting with a fresh piece of dirt out there rather than having to deal with the challenges of that building."

Before New Era bought the 30-story hotel, it had 600 rooms and was owned by the Maharishi Global Development Fund, led by the late spiritual adviser Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

The hotel opened in the 1970s and was a Days Inn before it was taken over by the development fund in the 1990s. ..

Some updates on the new Dynamo stadium courtesy of their website (http://www.houstondynamo.com/dynamo-stadium-update).

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photos_gallery_view/image_nodes/2011/07/DSC01819.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photos_gallery_view/image_nodes/2011/07/DSC01827.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photos_gallery_view/image_nodes/2011/07/DSC01830.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photos_gallery_view/image_nodes/2011/07/webcam_crane_01.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photos_gallery_view/image_nodes/2011/07/DSC01807.jpg

The Shops and Apartments Planned for the Block South of the Alabama Theater

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/read-king-shepherd-alabama-render.jpg

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Read King is “gearing up to break ground on” a mixed-use project at the southwest corner of Shepherd and West Alabama, across the street from the shopping center that houses the vacant Alabama Theater. Real Estate Bisnow‘s Catie Brubaker says preleasing has already begun for 30,000 sq. ft. of “high-end” retail; the development would also include 250 luxury apartments.

http://swamplot.com/the-shops-and-apartments-planned-for-the-block-south-of-the-alabama-theater/2011-08-11/#more-31389

Delayed apartment tower set for construction

Date: Friday, June 24, 2011, 10:08am CDT

Whiteco Residential LLC is moving forward with an apartment tower in the Galleria area that has been on the drawing board since early 2007.

A 22-story building with 300 luxury units will rise on a 1.8-acre site near the northwest corner of Westheimer and Sage, west of the Walgreens drug store. The plans are somewhat pared down from the two towers originally announced four years ago, which were postponed in 2009.


http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/06/24/delayed-apartment-tower-set-for.html

Courtesy of Swamplot


Space Expansions: Big Upgrades to Ellington Field
http://swamplot.com/space-expansions-big-upgrades-to-ellington-field/2011-08-12/

Did you realize that Ellington Field changed its name 2 or so years ago to Ellington Airport? Don’t worry if you haven’t kept up, because there’s already another name upgrade in the works, this time to Ellington International Airport. (“Intercontinental” was already taken). What’s next — Intergalactic? Maybe: Houston Airports aviation director Mario C. Diaz announced plans earlier this year to transform the commercial, military, and NASA facility into a “spaceport” where wealthy passengers could embark on leisure spaceflights — at about $50,000 a pop.

Other big — but shorter-term — projects coming to Ellington: a new terminal, tower, and federal inspection station for domestic and international flights (already under construction); a new 4-story, 100,000 regional Coast Guard facility (local Guard HQ will move here from Galena Park); new training, maintenance, logistics, and battle command centers for the U.S. military complex there; plans from an “unspecified developer” for a fly-in business and cargo park on the north side of the airport, complete with warehouses and airplane parking; 2 new hangars for Ellington’s aircraft museum (and maybe another for the Lone Star Flight Museum, if it moves north from Galveston); plus $60 to $70 million worth of new hangars, which local companies will be able to lease for exciting new enterprises like training classes in aerial pig shooting.

Live like an ambassador…on San Felipe
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/08/live-like-an-ambassador-on-san-felipe/

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/08/Winfield-300x218.jpg

Winfield Gate in the River Oaks area. The tower in the background is the Huntingdon.

Developers bullish on Houston’s luxury real estate market are proposing a $30 million residential project inside the loop.

Rohe & Wright Builders and the Willis Group are planning to develop Winfield Gate, a gated community with 21 high-end homes along San Felipe between Revere and Argonne.

The project was inspired by Winfield House, a Georgian-style mansion in London that houses the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

The homes in Winfield Gate will each be named for American Ambassadords. With elevators, wine vaults and rooftop terraces with potting sheds, some of the them will be as large as 6,000 square feet and cost as much as $2 million...

Santikos Theatres plans state-of-the-art Greek-themed movie palace in Fort Bend County

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2011-08-16/Palladium_San_Antonio_theater.800w_600h.jpg

By Clifford Pugh

08.16.11 | 06:00 am

San Antonio-based Santikos Theatres is betting big bucks that Fort Bend residents want a deluxe moviegoing experience. The chain breaks ground Tuesday on the Palladium, a 22-screen movie palace adorned with 40-foot-tall Greek columns, marble floors, an upstairs Agora bar and a four-screen "theater-within-a-theater" showing art and independent films with leather recliner seats and seatside dining.

The new theater, scheduled to open late next summer/early fall, will be part of a large mixed-use complex in the master-planned community of Long Meadow Farms near Richmond, about 30 miles southwest of Houston.

It is the second foray into the Houston market for Santikos, which has eight multiplex theaters in San Antonio. In 2009, the chain opened the Silverado 19 in Tomball, where business has been excellent, CEO David Holmes said during a phone interview.

"We had have had a great experience in Tomball. But as we head west, this location is right in the path of future growth," Holmes said. "West Houston has shown phenomenal growth in Fort Bend."

Holmes acknowledges that, once the lights go down, a movie is the same in any theater, but the experience is vastly different. "You have to create an experience guests can't find anywhere else," he said.


http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/08-15-11-11-33-opa-santikos-theatres-plans-greek-themed-movie-palace-in-fort-bend-county/

It looks like H&M is setting up shop in Houston.


H&M heads for Houston
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/08/hm-heads-for-houston/

H&M, the fashion-forward retailer that recently opened in Dallas, is eying several spots in Houston, according to this report from Culture Map.

The Swedish fashion chain is looking at space in The Galleria, Memorial City Mall and The Woodlands Mall, the story says, citing real estate sources.

If you’re not familiar with H&M, the store and its designer events generate considerable hype as you can see from the photo on the right.

Its first Houston location is sure to match the same level of buzz as the new Apple store and Trader Joe’s, which is said to be considering the old Alabama Theater for its first Houston outpost.

^^

Get used to it. :) Word is that H&M might snatch up a few Borders Bookstore leases...

UTMB gets OK to build new island hospital

http://galvestondailynews.com/photos/2011.August/8-25-UTMB-Rendering-East-Towers.jpg

By John DeLapp

Published August 26, 2011

GALVESTON — The University of Texas Medical Branch has cleared a major hurdle and is moving ahead with plans to build a $438 million hospital on the island.

After years of planning and negotiating, the UT Board of Regents gave its thumbs-up to the Jennie Sealy Hospital project at its meeting Thursday. The Galveston-based Sealy & Smith Foundation then pledged $170 million to the construction project.

“We greatly appreciate the continued confidence that the regents, the foundation and Texas’ elected officials have in UTMB,” Dr. David L. Callender, president of the medical branch, said. “This new hospital represents a major milestone in the university’s recovery from Hurricane Ike.”

The new hospital has been in the planning stages for many years, Callender said.

“I got here in 2007, and it is my understanding that a hospital tower was first proposed in 1997,” he said.

To make way for the new hospital and a utility building, the old Jennie Sealy and Shriners hospitals will be demolished, Callender said.

“We don’t implode and we won’t use a wrecking ball (because of the possibility of having asbestos),” he said. “We will take them down piece by piece.”

The demolition will begin later this fall and continue into the spring, when construction will begin. Four years later, Jennie Sealy should be open for business.

“In early 2016, we should be ready for patients,” Callender said.


http://galvestondailynews.com/story/253098

Dynamo Stadium - August 25th
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2044.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2045.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2046.jpg

Link (http://s176.photobucket.com/home/andrewjackson1961)

Article on The Woodlands becoming the new prefered hot spot for wealthy mexican immigrants in the Houston area.


Woodlands a haven for Mexican entrepreneurs
Updated 09:06 p.m., Saturday, August 27, 2011 http://www.chron.com/news/article/Woodlands-a-haven-for-Mexican-entrepreneurs-2144458.php

THE WOODLANDS - Most certified public accountants aren't summoned to the airport late at night to pick up clients fleeing their home countries.

But David Matos is accustomed to the dangers his newest customers have faced and the service they expect.

"I've had people crying and sharing their stories," he said. "It's surreal."

Most of his clients are foreigners, and of those, the majority are affluent Mexicans who have relocated to this suburban enclave to escape kidnapping and murder threats in their native country, where crime has escalated during the nation's drug war.

Matos is part of a cadre of business people catering to the growing population of Mexican entrepreneurs relocating to The Woodlands.

"This is becoming a haven," said Matos, a native of Spain who was raised in the U.S. but lived in Mexico for a few years when he worked for an energy company.

In 2006, he left Mexico after receiving a threatening call from a drug cartel member who was trying to extort money by reciting Matos' daily routine. The caller politely listed what time Matos went to work, the gym and back home, then asked for "protection" money.

"I was out of the country within 12 hours," Matos said.

Attorneys, real estate agents and retail workers in The Woodlands are working more often with rich Mexicans who are starting new lives in Texas after experiencing similar threats.

A close-knit community of Mexican families and businesses serving them has grown in The Woodlands over the last few years as these newcomers try to learn the ropes.

"We have to explain everything to them" from where to go grocery shopping to what schools are best, said Elizabeth Fernandez, a real estate agent who works with her husband, Javier Fernandez.

Adriana Valencia, a financial consultant with Investment Professionals in The Woodlands, said she considers herself part of an "advisory team."

'Very, very different'

Along with financial advice, she tells her customers about where to open bank accounts and explains visa requirements.

"When you start living here, the culture here is very, very different," said Gonzalo Roque, who owns Zushi, a Japanese restaurant near Houston's Memorial Park. He moved to The Woodlands from Mexico City a few years ago.

One of the biggest differences for Guillermo Garza is that so many transactions require hiring an attorney in the U.S.

"You have to do everything with a lawyer here," said Garza, who is investing in hot yoga studios where participants perform yoga exercises in warm, humid conditions. "That's not common in our culture."

For now, Garza sees nothing more than cleared land and a pad site as construction workers toil away in a new shopping center in The Woodlands. But he envisions an Express Hot Yoga studio emerging from this space nestled among the trees. And he hopes that studio will help him qualify for a renewed visa since his home building business failed.

The new residents need lawyers for help obtaining their visas and starting their businesses.

John Meyer, an immigration attorney at Houston's FosterQuan, travels with other Texas lawyers, accountants and real estate agents to Mexican cities once or twice a year to give seminars on how to start businesses and buy homes in Texas.

Roque and his wife went to one such seminar in Mexico City in 2004, and moved to The Woodlands a few months later.

'Little Mexico'

Since then, the Mexican community has multiplied. On many Sundays, the Roques gather in a park with other Mexican residents of The Woodlands' western neighborhoods, an area they now jokingly call "Little Mexico."

The businesses that court this market are seeing their workloads multiply.

Javier Fernandez, of Uptown Real Estate Group in the Galleria area, relocated 30 Mexican families to The Woodlands in the past year. Five years ago, he helped about 10 Mexican families a year, and most were buying vacation homes. Today, most Mexican residents live in these homes year-round.

"They come here and bring their wealth and they start creating more wealth," said Fernandez, who added that many Mexican entrepreneurs are among the wealthiest residents of the area.

Indeed, the dollar value of business loans by BBVA Compass' Woodlands operations has increased 163 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same six months of 2010, said Amos McDonald, a district retail executive for the bank. Most such loans require 25 percent down payments.

Evolving culture

The new wave of residents is changing the culture of The Woodlands, lawyer Bret Strong said.

Residents are increasingly likely to hear Spanish along The Woodlands Waterway or at the mall, along with other languages, as The Woodlands becomes more cosmopolitan.

"The Woodlands is becoming an international tourist destination and an international location. Suburbia used to be considered not culturally diverse. That's changing, especially in The Woodlands," said Strong, who has lived in the area for more than two decades.

In the past year, his Strong Firm has helped establish 30 to 40 businesses owned by Mexican entrepreneurs. His clients have launched restaurants, opened warehouses or bought commercial real estate, said Strong, who works with three other attorneys who all speak Spanish.

The influx is occurring elsewhere in the Houston area as well. The Greenspoint District, which works with businesses in north Houston, is translating its marketing materials into Spanish, economic development director Regina Lindsey said. In February, former Mexican President Vicente Fox visited the district to meet with Mexican entrepreneurs in the area.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/08/Tanger-TX-11-300x160.jpg http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/08/Tanger-TX-2-300x158.jpg http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/08/Tanger-TX-3-300x140.jpg

Tanger Outlet stores revealed
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/

Tanger Outlets announced the first batch of retailers that will open in the Texas City development next year.

The stores are: Banana Republic Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Calvin Klein, Gap Factory Store, Guess Factory Store, Nine West, Perry Ellis, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger and Under Armour.

The retailers will be among 90 brand name and designer outlets in the first phase of the development, which will contain 350,000 square feet. The 55-acre site has room to add another 120,000 square feet.

Developers will officially break ground on Tuesday.

The project is off of Holland Road and Interstate 45, about 30 miles south of Houston and 20 miles north of Galveston.

The outlet is a joint venture of Tanger Factory Outlet Centers and Simon Property Group.

– Katherine Feser..

Dynamo Stadium - September 1st
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2062.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2064.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2063.jpg

Link (http://s176.photobucket.com/home/andrewjackson1961)

^^ I must say that they are making some excellent progress on the new stadium. :cheers:

^^ I must say that they are making some excellent progress on the new stadium. :cheers:

When one includes the baseball stadium, convention center, and basketball stadium to this soccer stadium development, with all of them located south/southeast of downtown, don't they all work along with the elevated 59 freeway to isolate the two neighborhoods from each other? In other words, their creation has worked to take a lot of throughstreets in and out of the downtown core area. They are all working to do exactly the opposite of what is intended which is create further development. Seems the city of Houston doesn't share in the philosophy that Dallas has of creating transitions between urban core centers.
This is just a thought. You don't have to respond.

When one includes the baseball stadium, convention center, and basketball stadium to this soccer stadium development, with all of them located south/southeast of downtown, don't they all work along with the elevated 59 freeway to isolate the two neighborhoods from each other? In other words, their creation has worked to take a lot of throughstreets in and out of the downtown core area. They are all working to do exactly the opposite of what is intended which is create further development. Seems the city of Houston doesn't share in the philosophy that Dallas has of creating transitions between urban core centers.
This is just a thought. You don't have to respond.

I don't really see the stadiums as having an immediate effect since most of that area were just surface lots to begin with. Also with the addition of Discovery Green there has been more infill heading that way. Really the only detriment I see that one could say isolates the neighborhood would be the US 59 elevated freeway.

New Houston business park to open
By KATHERINE FESER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Published 06:00 p.m., Friday, September 2, 2011
http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/New-Houston-business-park-to-open-2153439.php

Roberts Development/Construction has broken ground on a 10-building business park in northwest Houston that will offer office and warehouse spaces for sale or lease when it opens later this year.

The Saddlegate Business Park is on 5 acres in the 10000 block of Fairbanks North Houston, south of Beltway 8 near Texas 249.

"That's been a real hot area for industrial properties," company president David Roberts said. "The oil sector is really active right now."

The $6.5 million development will feature eight 6,000-square-foot buildings and two 7,500-square-foot buildings with stone and stucco in the design. Units are expected to be ready for sale or lease by the fourth quarter.

The buildings are well-suited for machine shops or satellite offices for oil service companies and offer outside storage areas, Roberts said.

Like the company's other deed-restricted developments, the park will feature iron fencing with remote-controlled access gates, landscaping and stone monument signs for the buildings.

Mark Ward and Mark Spears with the National Realty Group are marketing the project.

The properties cost about $80 per square foot to purchase or 75 cents per square foot per month to rent. For a 6,000-square-foot building, that equates to about $480,000 to buy or $4,500 a month to rent, with the tenant responsible for taxes and insurance. Leasing with an option to purchase is also a choice.

The park represents the seventh such project by Roberts Development in 11 years. The firm maintains about a 50 percent stake in the properties it has developed. All of the complexes are fully leased.

- KATHERINE FESER katherine.feser@chron.com..

Houston public car charging stations launch this week
Posted on September 7, 2011 at 10:53 am by Tom Fowler
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/09/07/houston-public-car-charging-stations-launch-this-week/

http://fuelfix.com/files/2011/09/EVGo-electric-charging-stations-Houston1-306x229.jpg

Houston became the first major U.S. city to announce an electric vehicle charging network in November with the launch of NRG Energy subsidiary eVgo.

Now it’s finally getting the chargers to match the announcement.

A number of electric car owners signed up with the company for in-home charging stations in the past year, but this week will see the opening of the first of the network’s public charging stations.

The so-called “Freedom Station” will be located at the H-E-B Buffalo Market at the intersection of Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet Street.

The station, which workers were installing today, is located on the former site of Buffalo Grille (actually right about where the coffee serving area was — I could almost smell the pepper bacon as I stood there).

Each station allows for two cars to charge simultaneously. They will have a 480-volt DC fast charger able to charge an EV at a rate of 160 miles of range per hour (or about 30 miles in as little as 10 minutes) and a 240-volt Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range in an hour.

Three additional Freedom Station sites will open within the next two weeks at the Shops at Houston Center in downtown Houston (NRG’s local headquarters are near there, not-so-coincidentally), the Walgreens at 19710 Holzwarth Street and the Walgreens at 8942 West Sam Houston Parkway North.

There will be 25 Freedom Stations around Houston by the end of 2011 and 25 more in 2012 with additional stations located on the grounds of retailers such as H-E-B, Best Buy, and other retailers...

More growth appears on Ellington's horizon
By JENALIA MORENO, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://www.chron.com/business/article/More-growth-appears-on-Ellington-s-horizon-2160026.php
Updated 09:43 p.m., Wednesday, September 7, 2011

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1581311&width=628&height=471

Except for a big annual air show and the occasional roar of military jets, the Houston landmark long known as Ellington Field mostly has flown under the radar, obscured by Houston's other two city-owned airports.

It's about to climb higher, though, with a new control tower, a complex of aviation museums, a business park, expanded military presence and, possibly, the campus of an aeronautical university.

It also has a new name to reflect the big plans. Last month, City Council approved a change from Ellington Airport to Ellington International Airport.

"There are some phenomenal things we have planned for Ellington over the next couple of years," said Mario Diaz, the Houston Airport System's director.

He envisions Ellington as a center for recreation, education, military activity and - perhaps most ambitious of all - space exploration.

That would complement Ellington's status as the airport from which NASA astronauts flew to Cape Canaveral for launch, and where they were welcomed home after missions.

A retired NASA aircraft, positioned as if ready for takeoff, provides a dramatic entrance to Ellington.

The airport, about 15 miles southeast of downtown Houston, now serves general aviation with facilities including a private corporate jet hangar and lounge area. Unlike Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports, Ellington does not have scheduled airline service. Continental Express' service between Ellington and Bush Intercontinental ended in 2004.

Besides its civilian operations, Ellington is a base for the military, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Texas Air National Guard and Texas Army National Guard.

As to service beyond the atmosphere, Diaz said, the airport could become a space base as soon as 2016 if it can attract a space travel operator and get federal approval.

"There are a lot of ifs in that date," he warns.

Several companies are testing prototypes of systems that within a few years could take paying passengers on short trips to the edge of space, more than 60 miles above the earth's surface.

Aeronautical school

More down-to-earth expansion plans hinge on the possibility that Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will build its third U.S. campus at Ellington. The Daytona Beach, Fla.-based aviation school plans to open a $50 million campus in the Houston area or in Rockford, Ill.

Embry Riddle hired Huron Consulting Group to analyze its expansion plans and the report is due to the university's board in the fall.

"It's a big decision. Both locations have something to offer," said Mark Friend, dean of academic affairs for the central region of Embry Riddle. "Houston, I think, is a big player right now. I really see the university stepping up and doing more there."

More distinct on the horizon is replacement of a 57-year-old control tower.

Damaged by Hurricane Ike, Ellington Field's control tower now is reinforced by wooden supports. Construction will begin within the next year on a $7 million, 120-foot replacement - almost twice as tall as the existing structure.

There are also plans to build a $3 million federal immigration and customs inspection facility at the airport. That could accommodate flights, for example, by energy company aircraft returning from Latin America and Canada, Diaz said.

Private businesses

Other private businesses already are circling the field.

League City-based Webber Properties plans to develop an air cargo facility on 136 acres along the northern edge of the airport. Mark Briggs, Webber's project manager, said he's looking for the right tenant for the five-phase development on land the company has owned for a decade.

Briggs hopes to lease to a large company that moves cargo between the Port of Houston and Ellington.

World War I legacy

The airport opened as Ellington Field in 1917 to train World War I pilots. The military still has a major presence at what it officially calls Ellington Joint Reserve Base, and is expanding its facilities there.

Airport officials also hope to raise Ellington's profile as a tourist attraction with an aircraft museum district. It already is home to the Texas Flying Legends, which displays World War II aircraft. Collings Foundation is planning to build a new museum for its collection of Vietnam-era aircraft, now displayed in hangars at Ellington.

And the Lone Star Flight Museum plans to relocate to Ellington from Galveston, where its collection of vintage aircraft was damaged during Hurricane Ike. It will take about three years to build the museum...

The Cranes Come to Bunker Hill

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/945-bunker-hill-const.jpg

What’s that looks-kinda-huge project going up on the southwest corner of I-10 and Bunker Hill Rd., just east of the Memorial City Mall? A reader writes in with some info, but wants to know more: “Anslow Bryant, the company responsible for the lotus-blossom-topped Memorial Hermann Tower, is handling the project.

Permit reports taken out by the construction firm indicate that 945 Bunker Hill will be . . . an office building.

http://swamplot.com/the-cranes-come-to-bunker-hill/2011-09-02/

TCH Maternity Center Skywalk and Building almost complete, taken last week by
Jax (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/20895-tch-maternity-center/page__st__50__p__390812#entry390812).

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7110/p1010102j.jpg

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/4084/p1010100qh.jpg

Dynamo Stadium update, taken September 7th
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2067.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2068.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2069.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2070.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2071.jpg

I don't really see the stadiums as having an immediate effect since most of that area were just surface lots to begin with. Also with the addition of Discovery Green there has been more infill heading that way. Really the only detriment I see that one could say isolates the neighborhood would be the US 59 elevated freeway.

The comparison in Dallas would be the area where the convention center stretches next to the lengthy city hall building south of downtown. When added to the nearby farmers market, this would tend to block off streets into and out of the downtown area which isn't a good thing.
Consider that the baseball stadium, the convention center, and the basketball arena in Houston each block off at least a single street that was at one time used for through traffic. Now they are adding the soccer stadium along with the already existing elevated portion of 59. The result works like a wall.

I don't agree at all. There are still enough connections available.

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1556425&width=628&height=471

Luxury apartments will replace church
By NANCY SARNOFF, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Luxury-apartments-will-replace-church-2143728.php
Updated 04:31 p.m., Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Morgan Group is preparing to break ground on its third high-end apartment complex in the Greenway Plaza area.

The Houston developer just closed on the former Central Presbyterian Church property at the northeast corner of Richmond and Cummins, where it will build a four-story project with 341 studio, one- and two-bedroom units.

The church congregation merged with St. Philip Presbyterian Church on San Felipe, and the building has been vacant for about two years.

The Morgan Group put the 4.5-acre property under contract last October.

The company also built and owns two other multifamily projects in the Greenway Plaza area totaling about 800 units.

The timing is right for a third, said Carter Bechtol, Morgan's senior vice president of development, citing limited new supply and growing demand.

After a down period in the construction market, multifamily occupancy has improved as the Houston area continues to add jobs and the single-family housing market remains under stress.

The vacancy rate for high-end rental properties fell to 8 percent during the second quarter, down a half a percentage point from the first quarter, according to a report from commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.

The Morgan project, which was designed by Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects, will break ground next month and is expected to open by the end of 2012.

Units will average 875 square feet with rents ranging from $1,100 to $2,300. ..

Dynamo Stadium is going gangbusters!

Plans for a new Wyndham hotel in Downtown.


http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/InFormSolMap-FINAL2011a.jpg?v=1

Developer plans Wyndham hotel downtown
Hotel project first in Houston for developer
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/09/16/developer-plans-wyndham-hotel-downtown.html

Ocean2Ocean Development LLC is planning to build a full-service hotel with at least 250 rooms near downtown Houston that will carry one of the Wyndham hotel brands.

This is the first Houston deal for the San Antonio developer, led by CEO Jim De La Garza, which will be general contractor for the project.

The hotel site is between U.S. Highway 59 and Warehouse Live, on the block bounded by Chartres, Rusk, St. Emanuel and Walker. The area is one block away from the Dynamo Stadium, which will be completed in 2012.

The Gateway Project - Memorial City Hospital area expanding to include retail/restaurants.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6171093376_bfeaafddb2_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6171093544_2271081843_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6170560119_d09cd0fe41_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6170560261_3ed087037d_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6171094082_a556835fb8_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6171094196_bf596ddd83_b.jpg

Looks Asian.

Looks more like an suburban outdoor mall. Asian would be 4 to 5 stories tall and have ad boards and store names around the whole exterior.

I suppose I meant the highrises. They be at home in Bangkok.

I suppose I meant the highrises. They be at home in Bangkok.

That's the same thing I say EVERY time I'm on the Katy Freeway.

New Plan for River Oaks District, major downsize. :(

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/upload/jflow/1313000053.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/upload/jflow/1313000074.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/upload/jflow/1313000093.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/upload/jflow/1313000115.jpg

http://www.olivermcmillan.com/images/upload/jflow/1313000135.jpg

Previous Plans:
http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1248088767/gallery_723_64_34330.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1248088767/gallery_723_64_2960.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1248088767/gallery_723_64_12775.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1248088767/gallery_723_64_58894.jpg

The Horizon

http://www.gid.com/photos/development/block-d.jpg

The Horizon is a 290 unit luxury apartment tower consisting of 21 stories featuring panoramic views of the downtown Houston skyline, the Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park, River Oaks, and the Galleria. The building will be Houston’s most advanced high-rise residential product and is being designed to achieve LEED Sliver Certification. The Horizon will offer the most extensive residential amenity program in Houston including an 8th floor, 30,000 square foot amenity deck with sweeping views from the building’s pool, fountains, Jacuzzi, outdoor fireplaces, numerous cabanas and lounge areas, outdoor fitness areas, private resident vegetable and herb gardens, and extensive landscaping. Residents will also enjoy the private use of a state-of-the-art fitness club, library and cyber lounge, business center, club lounge, demonstration kitchen, private catering kitchen, private dining room, private theater room, as well as a sophisticated bar and gaming area.

http://www.gid.com/development/horizon.aspx

HOUSTON, TX – PM Realty Group (PMRG), a national, full-service commercial real estate firm, announces development plans for Houston’s newest luxury multifamily high-rise, a 35 story mixed-use project situated on 2.6 acres in the West Inner Loop Submarket. Along with its equity partner, PMRG closed on the land on August 22, 2011.

Fueled by strong for-rent multifamily fundamentals in Houston, and building upon the early successes of its two recent high-rise multifamily projects in Dallas, PMRG is launching a new high-rise multifamily project in Houston’s urban core. The project, located at the northeast corner of West Alabama and Weslayan, is adjacent to Highland Village and Houston’s most prestigious neighborhood, River Oaks. The project will provide residents with exceptional access to Houston’s main employment centers (CBD, Greenway Plaza, Galleria and the Medical Center), world-class retail, restaurants and Memorial Park.

The project will be owned by PMRG and Washington, D.C.-based INDURE Fund (INDURE). Upon completion, the project will feature approximately 250 for-rent luxury apartment homes and 12,500 SF of ground-floor retail, which will be anchored by an upscale restaurant that will service the surrounding community and the tenants. Construction is planned to commence in the second quarter of 2012.

RTKL, the global architecture and planning practice responsible for the project’s design, drew their inspiration from traditional architectural motifs but reinterpreted these in a fresh and contemporary way. The result fits well within the established upscale nature of the neighborhood and reflects a growing appreciation for quality design in today’s market. Inside, sophisticated and warm finishes are planned for the common areas and within each apartment, including hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, designer lighting and plumbing fixtures as well as gas cooktops. A number of the homes, which will range in size from 850 to 3200 square feet, will have direct elevator access.

Houston’s newest multi-family development will offer well-appointed comforts and amenities that the ‘renter by choice’ has come to expect, including in-building parking with direct elevator access to residential units, a restaurant, service retail, 24 hour concierge, valet parking, full catering facilities overlooking the pool, intimate lounge areas with views of the pool and a 3,000 square foot state-of-the-art fitness center.

“We have an opportunity, based on location, amenities and views, to build a project that has never been built in Houston,” said Bryant Nail, PMRG’s Senior Vice President of Development. “Our residents will have unmatched views of the Houston skyline.” Roger Gregory, PMRG’s EVP/Chief Financial Officer added that “We are excited to once again partner with INDURE to develop a world class high-rise multi-family project in our home city. Additionally, this project would not have been possible if not for the collaboration between Bryant Nail and his team on the development front and Wade Bowlin, Executive Vice President of our Central Division, and his team on the local market front.”

ARA's Tim Dosch and David Marshall represented PMRG in this transaction. "PMRG’s multi-family concept is exactly what is needed on a site as well located as this one. Located in the middle of everything, the site provides residents incredible access to Houston's best retail, largest employment centers, and most prestigious neighborhoods," said David Marshall.

Link (http://www.pmrg.com/press/releases/pmrg-unveils-plans-new-high-rise-multifamily-project)

Dynamo Stadium - As of Sept 23rd
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2091.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2092.jpg

Link (http://s176.photobucket.com/home/andrewjackson1961#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16)

City approves proposed Trader Joe’s space
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/09/city-approves-trader-joes-new-space/

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/09/bookstop1-199x300.jpg

The city’s Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission has approved the exterior changes proposed for the historic Alabama Theatre — where Trader Joe’s is planning its Houston debut.

The commission’s vote was unanimous.

The theater property is a city-designated historic landmark, so any exterior changes made to it need to be approved by the historical commission. But even if the commission voted against the changes, the property owner would have been able to make them anyway — just after a 90-day waiting period.

The interior space is not subject to review.

The commission only has final say on properties that have been designated as “protected” landmarks.

Weingarten Realty Investors owns the property at 2922 S. Shepherd Dr. near West Alabama...

New Plan for River Oaks District, major downsize. :(



Indeed. What a disappointment. The new plan looks cheap and generic. All towers scraped is heartbreaking.

The Horizon

http://www.gid.com/photos/development/block-d.jpg



http://www.gid.com/development/horizon.aspx

Not really liking this render.

The Cranes Come to Bunker Hill

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/945-bunker-hill-const.jpg



http://swamplot.com/the-cranes-come-to-bunker-hill/2011-09-02/

Ive been watching this one cause it is right down the street from me. I had a feeling it would be another office tower. That little square is ripe for development. Too bad there is a (horrible) Guadalajara there. Im waiting for them to rip up the old strip center on the corner but it seems like it will never happen. Sadly this did cause me to lose the Spec's that was right next to the ugly strip center that is empty and no one will tear down. Sucks. Im thinking my Shipleys will be the next victim.

I wonder how tall this new building will be? Could potentially ruin views for some of the new condos next door that are still being leased.

A possible return of the Ashby highrise?

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/09/Ashby.jpg

The Ashby is back (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/09/the-ashby-is-back/#loopBegin)

Updates Taken Today by Golyadkin

The Millenium - 237 Unit Apartment Building
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0450.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0216.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0217.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0218.jpg

Link (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24828-2525-mccue/page__view__findpost__p__391674)

BBVA - 2200 Post Oak - Rendering (http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/yourhoustonnews.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/a/04/3a8/a043a8d8-d0c5-5de7-a666-68ff67344e20-revisions/4daece9a07fde.image.jpg)

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0222.jpg

Link (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24729-bbva-post-oak-blvd/page__view__findpost__p__391672)

BLVD Place - Whole Foods - Rendering (http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225277_978577461136_37526399_43867479_4938361_n.jpg)

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0195.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0199.jpg

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0200.jpg

Link (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/6106-blvd-place/page__view__findpost__p__391673)

diskojoe It's for the new Nexen building which will be a 14-story office tower.

New project in La Porte

Site work and new construction of a mixed-use development in La Porte. Schematic design plans call for the construction of a 16-story office building including office space, storage space, and restrooms.

https://www.bidclerk.com/project.1100641.html

This project was just reported on Sept.30.2011

Update on the Ashby

Site work, demolition and new construction of a mixed-use tower in Houston. Working plans call for the demolition of an existing apartment complex to make way for a 23-story tower to house a five-story, parking garage with 460 spaces

https://www.bidclerk.com/project.672794.html

New apartments coming to Midtown

The company plans to build 147 units in four floors above two levels of parking as a sister property to 2222 Smith, which the company developed in 2004.The new parcel is bounded by Louisiana, Smith, Elgin and Rosalie.

Units will average 880 square feet with rents ranging from $1,275 to $2,200.

Wallace Garcia Wilson designed the project, which won’t break ground until the fall of 2013.


http://innerlooped.com/1291/new-apartments-coming-to-midtown/

It's to bad they can't get this started sooner instead of waiting 2yrs.

The Horizon - Expected to break ground in February 2012.

Ashby Highrise - Expected to break ground in January 2012.

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/tesla-park-meadows-store.jpg

Tesla Electric Car Dealership Coming to the Galleria (http://swamplot.com/tesla-electric-car-dealership-coming-to-the-galleria/2011-10-04/)

Free bus service to circle downtown (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/10/free-bus-service-to-circle-downtown/)

http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/4rmajsw98g16drxy/images/1-832d0f3cd6.png

Muy bueno el estadio de Dynamo , Ojalá en Argentina hagan estadios como ese ... saludos !!

Me alegro de que como el estadio Dynamo de nuevo. A pesar de tener en cuenta que no tienen la capacidad de decir la Bombonera en Buenos Aires.

From Swamplot:


New Midtown Apartment Building Hopes To Extend the Calais’ “Headlights on the Street” Safety Formula
http://swamplot.com/

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/calais-garage-arcade.jpg

A new 6-story apartment building is being planned for the now-cleared Midtown block surrounded by Elgin, Smith, Rosalie, and Louisiana streets — one block north of the Calais at Courtland Square apartment complex and a block west of High Fashion Fabrics. A variance request for the 147-unit building doesn’t name the developer or show any renderings, but indicates that the bottom 2 stories of the building will consist of a parking garage, topped by 4 floors of apartments wrapped around an interior courtyard.

That’s similar to the configuration of some sections of the Calais — notably the dramatic arched streetfront along Smith St. (shown in the photo above), which contributes a dynamic tableau of headlights, bumpers, license plates, and the occasional hood ornament to passersby at street level. (The view changes daily.) The developers of this new apartment building are looking to recreate some of that Calais streetside magic, according to the variance:

Dynamo Stadium as of October 1, 2011.

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/houston/files/image_nodes/2011/09/online_20110925.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/sites/houston/files/image_nodes/2011/10/online_20111001.jpg

Rendering of the 22st. tower in the Galleria.

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_10_2011/post-10093-0-93155900-1317839835_thumb.jpg

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_10_2011/post-10093-0-25862700-1317839850_thumb.jpg

from http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/25097-22-story-tower-in-galleria-area/

This one is U/C. they erected the tower crane last week.

Sundance Cinemas Houston plans pre-opening benefit parties (http://www.chron.com/default/article/Sundance-Cinemas-Houston-plans-pre-opening-2208192.php)

The cinema will open to the public Nov. 23 in Bayou Place, in the same spot where Angelika used to be.

New Renderings of Dynamo Stadium.

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/Dynamodowntown.JPG?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/Dynamoclub.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/Dynamolobby.jpg?v=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/10/13/slideshow-inside-the-new-dynamo-stadium.html

Former Houston cookie factory turns into lofts

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/CityLofts.jpg?v=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/10/11/slideshow-former-houston-cookie.html?s=image_gallery

Hotel Icon set for Marriott brand launch

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/icon_hotel.jpg?v=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/10/05/hotel-icon-set-for-marriott-brand-launch.html?s=image_gallery

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/studemont-kroger-facades.jpg

Studemont Kroger Would Break on Through to the Still Industrial Side
http://swamplot.com/

The Heights Life passes on drawings and details of the new Kroger grocery store and gas station planned for the former industrial property between Arne’s Warehouse and Party Store and I-10 at 1400 Studewood St. — from notes taken by a Super Neighborhood 22 representative who met with Kroger reps and council member Ed Gonzalez. Though at a planned 79,087 sq. ft. the store would be about 10,000 sq. ft. smaller than the recently renovated Heights store on 11th St. and Shepherd, it’ll look quite similar. The most interesting part of the site plan is the proposed connection of Hicks St., which turns off of Studemont south of the new store, to Summer St., which dead-ends into a parking lot currently filled with the heads of ex-Presidents, just south of the Sawyer Heights Target:

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/10/BG-Hines-200x300.jpg

Downtown tower gets exclusive environmental rating
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/

Only three buildings in the world have it. And one of those is in downtown Houston, according to its developer.

BG Group Place, the new glass and steel skyscraper at 811 Main, has been certified at the Platinum level under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Core & Shell rating system.

What makes it so green? The developer lists these features in a press release:

…a fully vegetated green roof; a landscaped “skygarden” terrace; highly efficient heating and ventilation systems; façade sunshades that result in up to 40 percent of the building façade being protected from solar heat gain without losing daylight; a condensate recovery system; and premier access to various modes of regional transportation systems including light rail, among many other features.

The 46-story, 972,000-square-foot tower was developed by Hines for the Hines CalPERS Green Fund. Architecture firm Pickard Chilton designed the building, which opened in February.

As an Energy Star building, BG Group Place is supposed to operate 53 percent more energy efficient than the average office building, according to Hines...

Developer moves forward with luxury apartments
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/page/2/

http://htmlimg2.scribdassets.com/34p3kh0tq816yuie/images/1-155dab2e97.jpg

New luxury apartments to be built near Highland Village.

Dynamo Stadium As of October 26th and 27th

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2294.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2295.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2296.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2297.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2299.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2301.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2303.jpg

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w199/andrewjackson1961/IMG_2304.jpg

http://s176.photobucket.com/profile/andrewjackson1961

More pedestrian bridges and other amenities planned for Buffalo Bayou Park.

More Pedestrian Bridges and Other Twists and Turns in the Plans for Buffalo Bayou Park
http://swamplot.com/more-pedestrian-bridges-and-other-twists-and-turns-in-the-plans-for-buffalo-bayou-park/2011-10-28/#comment-185224

Part of the $50 million plan to turn the banks of Buffalo Bayou west of Downtown from Sabine St. to Shepherd Dr. into a single, continuous linear park: a new entry plaza on Sabine St. at the city waterworks station (near the skatepark, above), a small lake at the end of Dunlavy St., and 3 new pedestrian bridges. One of the bridges is planned for a site just east of Shepherd; another across from the police officer memorial; and the third at Jackson Hill St. Also: lighting, new water features, public art, renovated trails, and a dog park. A separate, $5 million project funded and run by the Harris County Flood Control District will attempt to return the bayou to a more “natural” configuration — by removing sediment and invasive plants and building in bluffs, sandbars, high and low banks, possibly some additional twists and turns, and other more genuinely bayou-ish features. Here’s a plan of the whole thing (turned sideways to fit):

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/buff-bayou-park-plan.jpg

^^
That's awesome! The Buffalo Bayou Park should really help revitalize the core. And it's crucial that there will be some flood control improvements as well. I remember seeing some bad flooding along that stretch years ago.

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1721964&width=628&height=471


Luxury complex planned near Galleria
By NANCY SARNOFF, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Luxury-complex-planned-near-Galleria-2249257.php
Updated 07:34 p.m., Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Gables Residential plans to break ground early next year on a luxury apartment complex near the Galleria, replacing a funeral home that was recently demolished at the site.

The eight-story project, to be called Gables Tanglewood, will include 327 one- and two-bedroom apartments averaging $1,735 per month, the company estimates.

Atlanta-based Gables has owned the nearly three-acre plot at the northeast corner of San Felipe and Bering since 2007. The property, formerly the site of a J.B. Earthman funeral home, is mostly clear, said Josh Landry, development director for Gables.

ExxonMobil Video
KsGjX1hhf0k

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/11/Skanska2011-199x300.jpg

New office tower to rise near Galleria
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/new-office-tower-to-rise-near-galleria/

Skanska USA Commercial Development said today it will start construction “immediately” on a new office building in the Galleria area.

The 20-story tower, which has been in the planning stages for almost two years, at least, will go up on 2.3 acres at the site of the old Tony’s Ballroom near the Water Wall.

The company said the 302,000-square-foot project would be “self-financed.” It did not say it had a tenant in hand for the space.

“We have the highest confidence in the future of Houston’s economy. Uptown Houston is one of the largest business districts in the United States and headquarters to top corporations around the world,” Michael Mair, executive vice president and regional manager of Skanska USA Commercial Development in Houston said in a news release.

Architecture firm Kirksey designed the building, which the developer said has been pre-certified as LEED Platinum.


The building will include such features as high efficient glass façade, energy recovery wheel and occupancy monitoring systems that focuses on maximizing energy efficiency and operational savings. In addition the building will have a sophisticated lighting control system for the office and garage areas as well as water savings with a rainwater collection system used for landscape irrigation.

The building will contain 12 stories of offices atop an 8-story garage. The address will be 3009 Post Oak Blvd.

New apartment complex to be built in the Galleria area on the former site of Pilgrim Elementary School.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/11/Elan-600x313.jpg

School district gets nearly $10 million for Galleria-area land (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/school-district-gets-nearly-10-million-for-galleria-area-land/)

HISD has sold a six-acre site west of the Galleria mall to an apartment developer for $9.7 million.

The property formerly housed Pilgrim Elementary School, which was torn down a couple of years ago to make the site more marketable, said John L. Guess III, who represented HISD in the sale along with Doug Elliott of CB Richard Ellis.

Charleston, S.C.-based Greystar bought the land and plans to start a 394-unit multifamily complex on the site this month. The first units will be ready in about a year.

The property is located at the southeast corner of Barrington and Richmond. The complex will be called Elan at Avenue R. The “R” is for Richmond.

Most of the units will be one bedrooms averaging 741 square feet, said Greystar’s Trent Conner. Overall rents will range from $995 to $1,845.

Houston-based Meeks + Partners designed the project and Comerica Bank is providing the construction loan. Carlyle Group of New York is Greystar’s equity partner.

New apartment complex to be built in the Galleria area on the former site of Pilgrim Elementary School.

Ah This is so sad! I use to go to Pilgrim Elementary School. :-(

Embry-Riddle Announces Expansion Plans for Houston
http://www.fly2houston.com/0/3918858/0/83280/

Houston, TX, Oct. 26, 2011 – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide selected Houston as the city to offer new Master’s degrees in the fall of 2012 and relocate to a new facility in Houston at Ellington Airport in the first phase of a multi-year expansion program. The new degrees include:

• Master of Systems Engineering
• Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Master of Science in Project Management

“Houston is known for a talented work force that reaches for the stars and moon and has a spirit of exploration,” said Mayor Annise Parker. “We welcome the Embry-Riddle expansion because it will provide educational background that is required for the technical jobs available in the aviation and aerospace fields. Our city is an excellent fit for this higher learning institution and its great track record for advancing our future in these two fields.”

Embry-Riddle officials believe it is important to offer targeted degree programs that meet the requirements of the industry and the Houston market is perfectly suited for this mission.

“Embry-Riddle is committed to expanding the educational opportunities that serve the engineering, aerospace and business communities in the greater Houston area. Embry-Riddle opened a classroom location in the Houston area in 1997 and its current location at 16441 Space Center Boulevard opened in 2005,” said Dr. John Watret, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide.

By offering three additional advanced degrees aimed at working professionals, the new Embry-Riddle programs will enable growth as future demand requires. The Houston Airport System will work with Embry-Riddle to relocate the existing campus to a site on Ellington Airport.

.....

..

This is excellent news. Keep it up guys. I've lived in Houston for almost 30 years. I had to moved for a job but want to know the going ons in Houston.

http://media.khou.com/images/Dynamo_Stadium_Topping_Out_1114.JPG

Dynamo holds topping out ceremony at new downtown stadium (http://www.khou.com/news/Topping-out-ceremony-at-new-Dynamo-stadium-133845048.html)

by Brad Woodard / KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on November 14, 2011 at 5:55 PM

HOUSTON—There is an elaborately choreographed ballet of construction at the site of the new Dynamo stadium in east Houston.

“It’s exciting to be here as part of this stadium, but it’s even more exciting that we’re going to bring home a championship Sunday,” said Sports Authority Chairman Kenny Friedman in a special topping out ceremony at the stadium.

The team is going for its third MLS Cup in its short six-year history, but the topping out of the stadium is a milestone in itself. The grand opening is in May.

“It’s a game changer for us,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti. “Everything changes. One, our business changes. The economics are much better. Two, we’ll have a facility our players will enjoy playing in. It will help us recruit players from around the world. And, three, it helps us become more relevant in major league.”

.....

..

The new H-E-B store just opened up in Montrose.

First peek at H-E-B’s huge new Montrose store (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/first-peek-at-h-e-bs-huge-new-montrose-store/)

Urban transit village ordinance moving toward Bellaire City Council in early December (http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/bellaire/news/urban-transit-village-ordinance-moving-toward-bellaire-city-council-in/article_1d0a2201-e803-517c-9f0d-5dd33245788b.html)

Rumor about the sale of the Montrose Fiesta shopping center (across from the H-E-B that just recently opened).

Montrose Fiesta center being surveyed for possible new development (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/montrose-fiesta-center-being-surveyed-for-possible-new-development/)

I was wondering myself how that old Fiesta is doing business wise since the big new HEB just opened up. There's also that new Whole Foods on the other side.

I was wondering myself how that old Fiesta is doing business wise since the big new HEB just opened up. There's also that new Whole Foods on the other side.

Well I am sure that they have lost a fair amount of business because of new competition nearby (ie H-E-B, Whole Foods, soon to be Trader Joe's, etc) plus the chain's main target demographic has been priced out of the nearby neighborhoods. Other grocers such as Kroger's and Randalls have already updated their stores because of H-E-B's entry into the neighborhood.

Well I am sure that they have lost a fair amount of business because of new competition nearby (ie H-E-B, Whole Foods, soon to be Trader Joe's, etc) plus the chain's main target demographic has been priced out of the nearby neighborhoods. Other grocers such as Kroger's and Randalls have already updated their stores because of H-E-B's entry into the neighborhood.

There are still a fair number of students living in the area so they are still seeking deals, but you are correct it's going to be hard times for that Fiesta

Higher-density housing allowed outside the loop with new city proposal
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/higher-density-housing-allowed-outside-the-loop-with-new-city-proposal/

The city of Houston is revisiting changes to its development code that were proposed three years ago but never adopted.

The revisions include expanding the city’s “urban area” to Beltway 8 and requiring additional parking in high-density, single-family developments.

If the changes are approved, developments common in Houston’s inner city, such as compact clusters of townhomes, would be allowed outside the loop, too. Certain neighborhoods, however, would have tools to protect their traditional character.

Click here for the proposed ordinance and a summary of the changes.

City Council is set to call a public hearing on the proposed changes to Chapter 42, the city’s land development ordinance, on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 9 a.m.

The last major change to Chapter 42 was in 1999 when the city implemented urban and suburban designations for development.

..

Houston could become the new headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command, one of the Defense Department's six regional military headquarters.


Houston vies for a big military prize
U.S. office working with African nations would bring jobs, prestige
By LINDSAY WISE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 08:45 p.m., Thursday, December 1, 2011
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-vies-for-a-big-military-prize-2338798.php

Houston is among the cities vying to become the next home of U.S. Africa Command, one of the Defense Department's six regional military headquarters.

Texas lawmakers, city officials and local business leaders hope Houston's low cost of living and many diplomatic and economic ties to the African continent will persuade the Pentagon to move AFRICOM from its current base in Germany to Ellington Field in Houston.

If the bid is successful, it would bring hundreds of jobs - and a four-star general - to the city.

AFRICOM led initial operations in Libya before NATO took over. Its presence at Ellington would boost Houston's strategic importance at a time when the U.S. is strengthening military partnerships in Africa as part of its proxy war against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab in Somalia.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, has offered language in the Military Construction Appropriations Bill requiring a transparent process to the selection of AFRICOM's permanent headquarters.

....

Houston could become the new headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command, one of the Defense Department's six regional military headquarters.

That would be cool!

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1923682&width=628&height=471

Sarnoff: Apartments to rise near new Whole Foods
By NANCY SARNOFF, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Published 11:11 p.m., Friday, December 9, 2011
http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Apartments-to-rise-near-new-Whole-Foods-2393679.php

The new Whole Foods on the corner of Waugh and West Dallas is getting more than 400 neighbors.

Apartment developer Marvy Finger said construction will start in February on a six-story complex that has been in the works for several years.

In 2008, the Finger Cos. announced a large-scale retail and housing development for the site, which includes 13 acres encompassing the Whole Foods store.

Then the recession delayed commercial real estate developments citywide. The Whole Foods just opened this year.

Finger hasn't chosen a name yet for the 431 units he plans at the site between River Oaks and downtown. But rents are expected to be around $1.75 per square foot.

That's a price he thinks consumers will pay because of the property's prime location. Still, he worries that the Inner Loop apartment market is getting overdeveloped with high-end projects.

Demand for apartments, he said, is improving, "but no one's standing in line, and the consumer is most price conscious."

Houston is turning into an apartment city. If all these proposed apartment communities are built, it could change the face of at least the inner loop.

Check out the web cam you can see 3 projects going up, plus you can see all 3 cranes at one time.

http://www.earthcam.com/client/bbva/

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1966038&width=628&height=471

Bicycle-sharing program will start in downtown Houston
By ALLAN TURNER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Updated 09:31 p.m., Friday, December 23, 2011
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Bicycle-sharing-program-will-start-in-downtown-2422925.php

Imagine a Houston where you could step from a light rail station, rent a bicycle for a nominal sum and pedal to your destination. The only greenhouse gas you'd emit would be your own carbon dioxide as you huffed and puffed along. Rather than fretting about burning noxious gasoline, you could gloat about burning calories.

The Houston City Council this week took the first step in putting such a system in place by awarding a $105,000 contract to a Wisconsin company to install three solar-powered bike kiosks in downtown.

The plan for the so-called Bike Share Houston program is to intrigue residents and visitors with the technology, then raise funds to install additional locations. The effort is modeled after one started last spring in San Antonio.

The Alamo City now has 20 bike share kiosks at such destinations as the Alamo, Hemisfair, La Villita, the city's convention center and central library. About 1,000 San Antonio residents have purchased yearly memberships in the program since the first bikes rolled in April.

Bike Share Houston - a joint project of the city, Bike Barn and the nonprofit Bike Houston organization - will begin with kiosks at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Market Square and downtown's Central Library.

...

..

New Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan building for personalized cancer care.

http://www.rdmag.com/uploadedImages/RD/Lab_Design_News/News/2011/12/MDAnderrsonx250.jpg

http://www.rdmag.com/Lab-Design-News...d-Cancer-Care/

Breaking Ground:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Qgrd88hYLLY

High Street

http://www.urbika.com/imgs/projects/large/5242_high-street.jpg

http://www.urbika.com/projects/view/5242-high-street

They have restarted the High Street project which had halted during the 2008 financial meltdown.

Houston Convention Center vision

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983475&width=628&height=471

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983474&width=628&height=471

The newest vision for the eastern edge of downtown includes hotels and residential buildings in place of what are now parking lots.

Officials also picture a bustling pedestrian scene where shops and restaurants line the streets leading to the city's 1.2-million-square-foot George R. Brown Convention Center, which, too, would grow as part of their plan.

The group that operates the nearly 25-year-old convention center and other city-owned buildings will publicly unveil its vision this month.

"The economic impact over the past 25 years has been significant," said Dawn Ullrich, president and CEO of Houston First Corp. "We're going to build on that."

The 2025 Master Plan takes a long-range approach to the area, which officials hope to brand as the "Convention District." The boundaries would be U.S. 59, Bell, Austin and Congress.

The plan focuses on three main components: new hotel rooms, more amenities and an expansion of the convention center, which would happen once the other elements were complete.

Some of the improvements will be financed by Houston First, which could also purchase land to help carry out the plan.

Houston First, which is funded primarily by hotel occupancy taxes and convention center and parking revenue, has already begun improving Avenida de las Americas, the eight-lane street that runs in front of the convention center. The road is being reconfigured to four lanes of public traffic with a median and new dedicated bus lanes. The sidewalk in front of the convention center will be widened, too.

Officials hope to attract private investors to build most of the estimated $6 billion worth of new development proposed in the plan. Public support is also being considered to entice developers.


http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

This would transform downtown like never before!

I'm fine with any new highrise buildings that may sprout up in the Eastern Downtown, but I doubt the George Brown Convention Centre should expand again.

New tower may replace Galleria-area health club
By Nancy Sarnoff, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Published 10:20 p.m., Monday, January 9, 2012
http://www.chron.com/business/article/New-tower-may-replace-Galleria-area-health-club-2452499.php

A health club on a prime parcel in the Galleria area is closing this month, paving the way for a new office tower to be developed.

Documents submitted to the city of Houston reveal a 30-story building in the works for the 24 Hour Fitness site at 1550 Post Oak Blvd. The club is closing Jan. 27.

TIAA-CREF, one of the nation's largest retirement fund providers, owns the property, which is part of the Four Oaks Place office complex. The company declined to comment Monday.

Construction in this area, also known as Uptown, has been active amid strong demand for housing, office and other commercial space, said John Breeding, president of the Uptown Houston District.

Breeding estimates $1 billion in new real estate development could be built there over the next few years.

Uptown's office market is tightening.

The vacancy rate for top-class office space in this part of town was 8.6 percent at the end of last year, according to a market report from the real estate firm Trans-western. In the third quarter it was 9.2 percent.

If the new building moves forward, it will join two others under construction on Post Oak and another perhaps in the works.

Skanska USA Commercial Development is building a 20-story tower with 302,000 square feet near the Water Wall at 3009 Post Oak Blvd.

Just to the north, Stream Realty is developing a 22-story building with Redstone Real Estate. About half of the 312,000-square-foot structure, expected to open in 2013, will be occupied by Birmingham, Ala.-based BBVA Compass.

And about a year ago, office developer Hines was said to be in talks to buy land on the BLVD Place site for a project, but the company has not commented.

Plans to redevelop the health club site have been in the works for several years.

The proposed building was designed in 2008, but the project was delayed amid the economic downturn, according to a document filed with the city last month requesting a variance to reduce the setback on Post Oak Boulevard from 25 feet to 15 feet. The variance was approved last week.

Copies of renderings of the project provided by the city mention Trans-western, which manages Four Oaks and was associated with the design of the building in 2008. They also include Pickard Chilton, an architecture firm based in New Haven, Conn., that designed the building, according to a news report from 2008.

A spokesman for Pickard Chilton, which also designed downtown's BG Group Place, said its client asked the company not to comment on the project. Transwestern also did not comment.

Commercial real estate in the Houston area has outperformed other places harder hit by the downturn.

The energy industry is driving the growth locally, Breeding said.

"No matter what the economy does, energy is going be the foundation for growth, and Houston is the intellectual capital for the energy industry worldwide," he said.

The Post Oak building site has housed a health club since 1994, when the Q Club opened there.

"It was a great amenity for the area, but in the end, the property is just too valuable for something like that," Breeding said.

..

^^

Pretty weak design for a new tower this size but maybe a redesign will freshen things up...

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1287546407/gallery_723_64_17810.jpg
http://www.paynerowlett.com/#/PORTFOLIO/Architecture/7

A performing arts high school in downtown’s future
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/a-performing-arts-high-school-in-downtowns-future/

The Houston Independent School District has identified the 1300 block of Capitol as the preferred future home for a new High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

The district has been talking about relocating the school for years, but it came up again last week at a panel discussion on the future of downtown. HSPVA is now at 4001 Stanford in the Montrose neighborhood.

Despite public enthusiasm for the move, it won’t happen anytime soon. No district funds have been identified for construction, said spokesman Jason Spencer.

The downtown tract, which is now a parking lot, once housed a public school. The district-owned site also formerly served as the home of HISD’s central administration building.

..

Houston Convention Center vision

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983475&width=628&height=471

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983474&width=628&height=471



http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

Is this in response to Dallas adding a hotel and convention space to their CC???

Is this in response to Dallas adding a hotel and convention space to their CC???

They have been planning to expand the convention center for a while now.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2012/01/Fiesta1-300x199.jpg

Apartments to replace Montrose Fiesta
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/apartments-to-replace-montrose-fiesta/

Real estate developer Marvy Finger, who was rumored to be buying the Fiesta shopping center in Montrose for a new apartment complex, said he will close on the property next month.

The timing for the new development is still being determined, but Finger has plans to build 390 multifamily units in as many as 8 stories at the site. The nearly 4-acre property is located at the southeast corner of Dunlavy and West Alabama, across from a new H-E-B.

The complex, Finger said, will have a Mediterranean design. Wallace Garcia Wilson is designing it.

“We’re going to try to create something really beautiful,” he said.

..

THE SOVEREIGN

http://www.gid.com/photos/development/sovereign-1.jpg

http://www.gid.com/photos/development/sovereign-2.jpg


The Sovereign is a 290 unit luxury apartment tower consisting of 21 stories featuring panoramic views of the downtown Houston skyline, the Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park, River Oaks, and the Galleria. The building will be Houston’s most advanced high-rise residential product and is being designed to achieve LEED Sliver Certification. The Sovereign will offer the most extensive residential amenity program in Houston including an 8th floor, 30,000 square foot amenity deck with sweeping views from the building’s pool, fountains, Jacuzzi, outdoor fireplaces, numerous cabanas and lounge areas, outdoor fitness areas, private resident vegetable and herb gardens, and extensive landscaping.

http://www.gid.com/development/the-sovereign.aspx

PM Realty Group LP plans to build a 35-story apartment building

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/12.9.jpg?v=1

http://www.bizjournals.com/mobile/houston/print-edition/2011/12/16/2011-largest-deals-largest-high-rise.html

^^

Pretty weak design for a new tower this size but maybe a redesign will freshen things up...

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/gallery/1287546407/gallery_723_64_17810.jpg
http://www.paynerowlett.com/#/PORTFOLIO/Architecture/7

I like the design, I know its nothing spectacular but it will add to the density of uptown. Also it has been approved so construction should start soon.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/01/goodbye-post-oak-health-club-hello-office-tower/

Apartment towers. Finally! Looks like banks are starting to lend again in Houston. I wonder how many more shelved designs for towers in Houston are getting dusted off right now? ;)

Looks like Direct Energy is moving it's hedquarters from Toronto to Houston.

Houston Chronicle: Direct Energy will move HQ to Houston (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Direct-Energy-will-move-HQ-to-Houston-2573137.php)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/anadarko-second-tower.jpg

ANADARKO PETROLEUM announced to its employees last week that the company is ready to begin constructing a second office tower just west of its existing headquarters building in The Woodlands Town Center, a source tells Swamplot. The new building will fit on the corner of Lake Robbins Dr. and Woodloch Forest Dr., just south of The Woodlands Mall, and like the current tower will be visible from miles south on I-45. At the announced 31 stories, the new structure would be one floor shorter taller.

According to the report, parking will account for the building’s first 10 floors, though the renderings included in the announcement (above) appear to show a garage a bit shorter than that. The remaining floors are planned to accommodate company growth. Construction is expected to be complete by the spring of 2014. Anadarko did not announce the building’s contractor or architect.

Update, 1:25 pm: Groundbreaking is expected in a few weeks, our source adds; workers are beginning to clear the lot this week.

Link (http://swamplot.com/second-woodlands-anadarko-tower-a-bit-more-boxy-but-almost-as-big-as-the-first/2012-01-17/)

NBC Sports seeks incentives to put studio downtown (http://www.chron.com/business/article/NBC-Sports-seeks-incentives-to-put-studio-downtown-2653814.php)

So far Houston is competing with Stamford, CT for the new facility which could add 135 jobs in downtown.

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/heritage-west-bikeway-downtown.jpg

New North Downtown Bikeway Close to Almost Ready To Open (http://swamplot.com/)

It looks like large portions of the 2.8-mile-long Heritage West Bikeway connecting Stude Park to UH-Downtown are close to completion, but the path along portions of the former UP railway won’t open until summer, according to the city. One important still-missing link: a pedestrian bridge over Little White Oak Bayou. Past the University, the 10-ft. wide trail will connect to the Heritage East Bikeway, which continues along White Oak Bayou to Lockwood.

....

..

Houston's Big Airport To Undergo Big Changes
January 23, 2012
by Pat Hernandez

http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1327361110-Houstons-Big-Airport-To-Undergo-Big-Changes.html

Ground was broken on Phase 1 of a three-phase redevelopment project. The $160 million renovation will create a new Terminal B south concourse dedicated to regional jet operations.

Mario Diaz is the director of aviation for the Houston Airport System.

"It's clear, that an aesthetically appealing terminal is important, and that's why the work that we commence today is and will make a difference to the importance of the flying public. And it requires that we make the investments that are so needed in order to complete the process and the trip for the passenger."

United Continental Holdings is a major player in the terminal renovation. Pete McDonald is United Airlines executive veepr and chief operations officer. He says since Houston is the airline's largest hub city, Terminal B was in need of a massive makeover.

"This project will enable us to increase its size, improve the concessions, improve the efficiency for us, gives us the opportunity to expand in the future. The 787 is coming to United mid-year, and one of our first routes will be Houston-Auckland, which we're very excited about."

He says the investment in the Houston hub will allow the airline to accommodate more customers and more aircraft types, provide new amenities for travelers, and improve efficiencies. The event marks the first ground breaking for the new United. Kay Gebo with United says the employment rolls will increase significantly:

....

..

Houston Convention Center vision

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983475&width=628&height=471

http://www.chron.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1983474&width=628&height=471



http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-officials-will-unveil-sweeping-plan-for-2434156.php

I would love to see some rail lines added to lead to this area. If they can get multiple lines from different directions feeding into DT this could really boom as a convention district. But anything that gets rid of another one of those hideous parking lots is greatly encouraged imo.

I would love to see some rail lines added to lead to this area. If they can get multiple lines from different directions feeding into DT this could really boom as a convention district. But anything that gets rid of another one of those hideous parking lots is greatly encouraged imo.

The East End Line and Southeast Line which is currently under construction will already pass thru this area.

http://www.ridemetro.org/CurrentProjects/RailExpansion/pdfs/EastEnd-Line-Map-Oct-2011.pdf

http://www.astoriahouston.com/img/side/photogallery/001_big.jpg

Houston condominium developer Randall Davis hopes to raise $40 million for a proposed high-rise in the Galleria area using a federal program that offers foreign investors green cards in exchange for their greenbacks.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as EB-5, which sets aside permanent residency cards for investors who create jobs and promote economic development. Houston-based DC Partners, a venture formed by Davis and local businessman Roberto Contreras, received approval last month from the immigration agency for an EB-5 regional center.

Link (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/01/27/randall-davis-galleria-tower-rising-on.html)

Website (http://www.astoriahouston.com/aboutastoria.html)

http://blogs.ridemetro.org/images/write_on/maindesign3.jpg

Metro has just announced a new “contest” asking for feedback regarding a new “Central” station to be built Downtown. This will be a transfer station that will move riders between the new rail lines at Main Street between Capitol and Rusk. While five cool designs have been submitted, Metro asks:

"We invite you to submit written comments which will be considered by the jury in the selection of the winning design.

Please help us by making your comments specific.

If you like or dislike a design, tell us why. Is it the shape? The color? Something else? Does the design look like an iconic or landmark structure? Do you think it represents Downtown Houston? Will the design enhance your daily experience?"

You can view all of the station designs (and submit comments) here (http://www.gometrorail.org/go/doc/2491/515699/?utm_source=Downtown+Happenings&utm_campaign=62846df4a1-Downtown_This_Week_11_03_1111_3_2011&utm_medium=email).

Link (http://innerlooped.com/1559/metro-central-station-contest/)

Number 1 is the best. Number 5 is great too. It's Houston and it rains there and that will save you somewhat. Number 2 should be in the trash.

Chateau Ten

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/07/51/22/2004113/3/628x471.jpg

Randall Davis, a developer known for large loft projects, is going small for his latest endeavor.

His newest project, a 10-unit condominium building called Chateau Ten, is planned for near the corner of Kirby Drive and West Main close to a Carrabba's restaurant.

The building will have two units on each level and parking on the first floor. An elevator will take residents to their floors, and the doors will open into their units.

"It's like owning a residence without all of the things some people find bothersome in a high-rise," Davis said, referring to long hallways, having to park far away and common-area odors.

Each unit will be 3,000 square feet, and buyers can customize their interiors.

The building won't have a gym, swimming pool or other services typically associated with high-end residential buildings, so maintenance fees will be lower.

Residents will pay 15 cents per square foot per month, compared with as much as 65 cents per square foot in other buildings, Davis said.

http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Loft-developer-goes-small-and-exclusive-2447404.php#photo-2004113

http://asiasociety.org/files/101028_astc_construction_blog.jpg

Asia Society to open facility in museum district (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8525216)

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/Original-Ben-Taub-Hospital-Garage-View.jpg?v=1

Harris County launches $38M Ben Taub renovation (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/01/27/harris-county-launches-38m-ben-taub.html)

The East End Line and Southeast Line which is currently under construction will already pass thru this area.

http://www.ridemetro.org/CurrentProjects/RailExpansion/pdfs/EastEnd-Line-Map-Oct-2011.pdf

Nice one!

Discount grocery chain Aldi's is finally setting up shop in the Houston area (they already have a few locations open in DFW).


A new grocer in town, but don’t forget your own bag
http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/02/a-new-grocer-in-town-but-dont-forget-your-own-bag/

The Aldi grocery store chain — one of several new grocers coming to town — has bagged at least one site for its Houston entrance.

The German retailer purchased 2.5 acres on Mason Road at Oak Park Trails near Cinco Ranch. Brokers Stan Creech and Ed James negotiated the deal.

Aldi, a discount grocer, operates on a different business model than its peers.

Almost 95 percent of its products are sold under exclusive Aldi brands. And customers must pay a 25 cent deposit for a grocery cart — a system that cuts down on carts stacking up parking lots, the company says. The store charges for bags, too.

The chain entered the U.S. market in 1976 and now operates more than 1,000 outlets across the country.

Also Wal-Mart is building another store inside the Loop at I-45 and Wayside in the East End.

Sarnoff: Expansion in store for Wal-Mart (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Expansion-in-store-for-Wal-Mart-2764355.php)

Discount grocery chain Aldi's is finally setting up shop in the Houston area (they already have a few locations open in DFW).



Also Wal-Mart is building another store inside the Loop at I-45 and Wayside in the East End.

Sarnoff: Expansion in store for Wal-Mart (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Expansion-in-store-for-Wal-Mart-2764355.php)

I really hope this wal mart does not destroy the momentum of increased urbanity in the east end by building a suburban style store. Why is it that Washington DC can build urban targets and walmarts but Houston cant?

I really hope this wal mart does not destroy the momentum of increased urbanity in the east end by building a suburban style store. Why is it that Washington DC can build urban targets and walmarts but Houston cant?

While I am as fustrated as you are in that Houston somehow can't build any big box stores with an urban format (like in Atlanta, Miami, DC, New York, Chicago, etc) that location isn't very "urban" anyways since there isn't much there except for gas stations, fast food joints, etc. However it will provide East End residents with another sorely needed retail option as retail in that area is extremely lacking.

Progress being made on the new Houston Dynamo Stadium or BBVA Compass Stadium.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/423078_10150506647506150_20105631149_8999867_1076275964_n.jpg

http://www.houstondynamo.com/stadium

While I am as fustrated as you are in that Houston somehow can't build any big box stores with an urban format (like in Atlanta, Miami, DC, New York, Chicago, etc) that location isn't very "urban" anyways since there isn't much there except for gas stations, fast food joints, etc. However it will provide East End residents with another sorely needed retail option as retail in that area is extremely lacking.

To be fair, the new wal mart stores in Chicago are pretty suburban themselves.

From Swamplot

36105945

Enormous Plan To Build Bayou-Side Parks:
http://swamplot.com/enormous-plan-to-build-bayou-side-parks-the-movie/2012-02-10/#more-36549

Here’s the feel-good Houston bayou hit of the season: a dreamy, 11-minute-long video talking up a $5.4 billion plan (that’s the proposed budget, anyway) to build a new interconnected system of parks and trails out of “derelict” properties along Houston’s extensive network of bayous. The goals: better air and water quality, reduced flooding, and economic development.

Properties not directly located along bayous would also be included. In all, the plan calls for acquiring 3,800 acres of land and turning 3,200 acres of them into parks and stormwater detention sites. The remainder would be “set aside” for future redevelopment. Continuous greenbelts would be established along 10 major Houston bayous, connecting parks and community gathering places. In all: 300 miles of trails and 1,600 acres of linear greenway space.

But that’s just for Houston.



* * *

The proposal is part of a “Redfields to Greenfields” research project funded by New York hedge fund manager Michael Messner’s Speedwell Foundation — for a national economic stimulus program that would turn “in-the-red” properties in major urban areas into job-creating, real-estate-value-enhancing parks (and gather up raw land for future development). Financing for the economic-recovery proposal would come from banks, but would be made possible by a $200 billion “land bank” and parkland acquisition fund established and administered by the U.S. Treasury Dept., the FDIC, and the Federal Reserve.

The above video comes from a “second tier” of city studies; A glossy report (PDF) laying out how Houston could take advantage of such a program was produced last year. It includes this map of potential buyout (and future park) sites:

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/bayou-park-map.jpg

More progress on the BBVA Compass Stadium.

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/01/20/2364441/3/628x471.jpg

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/01/17/2364369/3/628x471.jpg

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/00/61/2362477/5/628x471.jpg

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/11/00/61/2362478/5/628x471.jpg

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/11/01/17/2364394/3/628x471.jpg

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/11/01/17/2364381/3/628x471.jpg

Photos courtesy of the Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Dynamo-fans-excited-as-new-stadium-takes-shape-3219715.php#photo-2364381)

Discount grocery chain Aldi's is finally setting up shop in the Houston area (they already have a few locations open in DFW).



Also Wal-Mart is building another store inside the Loop at I-45 and Wayside in the East End.

Sarnoff: Expansion in store for Wal-Mart (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Expansion-in-store-for-Wal-Mart-2764355.php)

I hate walmart. This isnt related to your story necessarily but to walmart as a whole. Its a good short read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/05/walmart-blacklist-abp-pension-fund_n_1186384.html

http://www.astoriahouston.com/img/side/photogallery/001_big.jpg



Link (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/01/27/randall-davis-galleria-tower-rising-on.html)

Website (http://www.astoriahouston.com/aboutastoria.html)

Moths will love this, lol. Seriously though, it looks nice!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n05INsflyLs/Tz0HljEe0kI/AAAAAAAACnc/y7GnomHHImU/s912/IMG_6665.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_R8HKZFc34/Tz0Hkz08zmI/AAAAAAAACnM/XxImb6MGqi8/s912/IMG_6666.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fjXd0y3Xan8/Tz0Hls3quLI/AAAAAAAACnQ/f0yABg0Wf_s/s1600/IMG_6667.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_0cbsUPCt84/Tz0Hm5T-tQI/AAAAAAAACng/x8Y-OVbrTbM/s1600/IMG_6668.JPG

Link (http://goingupcity.blogspot.com/2012/02/35-story-tower-apartment-tower.html)

Moths will love this, lol. Seriously though, it looks nice!

^^ :cheers: THAT is some STYLISH architecture! Seems we're upping the bar here.

This needs to be stickied

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/11/46/30/2516528/3/628x471.jpg

Sarnoff: River Oaks-area high-rise gets revamp
Updated 12:06 a.m., Saturday, February 18, 2012
http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-River-Oaks-area-high-rise-gets-revamp-3340718.php

The Willowick, a 1960s residential tower built by the man whose real estate firm developed the Galleria mall, Pennzoil Place and the Williams Tower, is getting its first major face-lift.

The changes include swanky new outdoor amenities such as a swimming pool, deck, water fountain features and a pavilion with a fireplace and an outdoor kitchen. New landscaping has been designed.

Other improvements are not visible. The water pipes were replaced, and a new fire sprinkler is being added. The underground parking garage has been rebuilt.

The 114-unit property at 2200 Willowick Drive was built by prolific Houston developer Gerald Hines and his Houston-based firm. It opened in 1963 as a rental building but was later converted to for-sale condominiums. Neuhaus and Taylor originally designed the building.

...

.....

From Swamplot

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/post-richmond-elevation.jpg

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/post-richmond-plan.jpg

Post Properties Says It’s Ready To Build Those Richmond Ave Apartments
http://swamplot.com/post-properties-says-its-ready-to-build-richmond-ave-apartments/2012-02-23/

A mere four-and-a-half years after it first announced the project, Atlanta REIT Post Properties says it’s just about ready to begin construction on a somewhat revised 5-story, 242-unit apartment building on Richmond Ave, just west of the Downtown Spur. The latest First Montrose Commons Newsletter features these black-and-white images of the project, along with a few more details that were announced to the neighborhood organization last month. Unlike the Post Midtown, this building on the 5-sided block surrounded by Richmond, Jack, Colquitt, Garrott, and Milam won’t include any retail space. A parking garage tucked into the structure will have 1 1/2 spaces per bedroom and point driveways toward Richmond and Colquitt. The Wheeler light-rail station sits 3 blocks east of the construction site, on the other side of Spur 527.

Construction is scheduled to start in March and take 22 months.

More progress on the BBVA Compass Stadium.

http://app1.kuhf.org/_images/content/photos/dynamo-orange-seats.jpg

http://app1.kuhf.org/userfiles/dynamo-painting-orange-wall(1).jpg

http://app1.kuhf.org/userfiles/dynamo-painting-orange-seats.jpg

http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1329953091-Workers-Put-Seats-In-New-Soccer-Stadium.html

Houston leads in corporate expansions, openings
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Houston-leads-in-corporate-expansions-openings-3374347.php
Updated 02:30 p.m., Thursday, March 1, 2012

The Houston region added 195 new and expanded corporate facilities last year, more than any other large metro area, according to Site Selection magazine.

Chicago was in second place with 167, according to the publication aimed at professionals in economic development and corporate real estate.

Texas was second to Ohio among states, tallying 464 projects compared with Ohio's 498.

..

Some news on the Ashby highrise.

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ashby-highrise-negotiated-plan.jpg

In a letter sent to Southampton residents, Mayor Parker says she is recommending that the city settle the lawsuit filed against it by the developers of the proposed Ashby Highrise. “Unfortunately, the city has no legal basis for stopping” the building from being constructed, she writes: “Even success in the courtroom in the City’s litigation against the developers . . . would not halt the project, since the developers would still be able to proceed with their current permit application, which mirrors that which the city was compelled to approve in 2009.”

Instead, Parker writes that the settlement will allow the city to “ensure some control” over certain aspects of the multi-story residential tower: “It will also eliminate any possibility that the developers can build a project as large as that sought in 2007, or that the City may be subject to damages for its failure to approve that permit applications, either of which can happen if the City loses the current litigation.”

http://swamplot.com/

More updates of the BBVA Compass Stadium. The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, 2012 against D.C. United.

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside1.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside2.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside3.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside4.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside5.jpg?v=1

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/dynamoinside6.jpg?v=1

Photos courtesy of Houston Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2012/03/05/slideshow-dynamo-stadium-on-track-to.html?s=image_gallery).

http://www.multihousingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ave-R-thumbnail.jpg

Construction Underway on Avenue R Development in Houston
Headline News, News, South, Today's HeadlinesMar 5, 2012
By Jeffrey Steele, Contributing Writer
http://www.multihousingnews.com/news/construction-underway-on-avenue-r-development-in-houston/1004050134.html

Houston—The bustling and cosmopolitan Galleria area of Houston is the site of a new Meeks + Partners-designed community being developed by Greystar. Construction commenced recently on the approximately 400-unit development to be called Avenue R, for its strategic location on Richmond Ave. at Barrington Rd., just outside Interstate 610. The development is slated for completion in summer of 2013, but first units will be ready for occupancy late this year.

“Avenue R will add to the vibrant lifestyle of the Galleria and Uptown District through its urban character and design,” Meeks + Partners CEO Don Meeks tells MHN. “The property also follows Houston’s green building initiative, making Houston a more sustainable living environment.”

Avenue R will feature four residential stories constructed around a six-story pre-cast garage. Exterior finishes were selected with the intention of imbuing the neighborhood with distinctiveness and character. They will feature contemporary woven metal, limestone, burnished block, metal panels and glass balcony rails.

An open-concept entrance and four-story clubhouse, along with outdoor canopy seating, will deliver the atmosphere of a multi-use structure to the Richmond Ave. frontage. Among the clubhouse features will be a first-floor cyber lounge with conference rooms, game room and a two-story, fully equipped fitness room with yoga and tanning spaces. Outstanding views of the Galleria area will be afforded by a fourth-floor sky lounge available for resident parties.

The property will also feature a distinctive dog park that will allow residents to avoid the busy streets nearby when offering their pets some needed exercise.

Houston’s Uptown district has long been renowned as a hub of commerce and shopping. It is home to almost 2,000 companies as well as Galleria, the largest indoor shopping center in the Lone Star State. “Virtually every inch of the area is occupied with the amenities that urban living can offer,” Meeks says.

“Avenue R’s convenient location on Richmond Ave. provides residents with easy access to everything the Uptown District has to offer, while still affording them the ability to access major highways.”

.......

..

Midtown Superblock: Future Park? (http://innerlooped.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/midtowncolorsheet.pdf)

http://innerlooped.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sbls.jpg

Specifically, the park will have 140 underground parking spaces, as well as 7,000 square feet of new restaurant and retail space. The rendering also shows a water feature/splash area type thing, and appears to be from the McGowen@Main corner looking towards Camden Travis. Even more interesting… poking through the trees appears to be a new apartment building looking down upon the park. We were told that you can expect this awesomeness Spring 2014.

PDF with park and bagby st improvements (http://innerlooped.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/midtowncolorsheet.pdf)

Here's a pic of what Bagby St in Midtown will look like from Innerlooped.
http://innerlooped.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/bagbyrender.jpg

Look like the new convention center hotel is starting to pick up speed:

It's full speed ahead for new convention center hotel and it's going to be Texas big (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/03-08-12-its-full-speed-ahead-for-new-convention-center-hotel-in-houston-and-its-going-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-hotels-in-texas/)

PDF by Houston First (http://www.houstonfirst.com/First_Houston_Corporation_HQ_Hotel_RFQ_issued.pdf)

Plans to build a second convention hotel in downtown Houston are moving ahead as organizers have begun an official search to locate a hotel developer.

The hotel, to be built just north of Discovery Green park near the George R. Brown Convention Center, is expected to have 1,000 rooms, making it one of the largest hotels in Texas.

The new hotel would join the Hilton Americas-Houston as an important part of the city's convention package. Officials say Houston has an inadequate number of downtown hotel rooms, so it is eliminated from consideration on the shopping list of the nation’s largest meetings and conventions...

The hotel project could also be accompanied by residential and retail development if the private developer chooses to add those elements to the project, Houston First said in a “request for qualifications” document...

The organization’s long term plan, stretching out to 2025, calls for four new hotels to be built around the George R. Brown.

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/11/74/44/2607388/5/628x471.jpg

Mall houses American Indian museum
By Louis Casiano
Updated 11:30 p.m., Saturday, March 10, 2012
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Mall-houses-American-Indian-museum-3397164.php

Expect Native American garb and powwow dancing to become regular sights at Northwest Mall, where retail shops and eateries cover almost every square inch of the facility.

The mall just added as a tenant the Southern Apache Museum, a 3,500-square-foot facility that had its grand opening ceremony Saturday.

The museum's owner, Chance Landry of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, said part of the reason for the museum is to make the public aware of Native American culture in Texas and to counter stereotypes people may have.

"I wanted to open this (museum) up to educate the people in Texas, to educate the people in Houston," she said. "People have said to me they didn't even know there were Natives in Texas."

The museum walls are covered with paintings documenting Native American history in Texas and traditional artifacts.

One painting titled "Into The Shadows" shows Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas, tearing up a peace treaty as Native Americans are forced to flee the state.

Representatives of seven Texas tribes attended the opening ceremony Saturday.

Fidel Castro-Trinidad of the Lipan Apache Band Tribe of Texas came from San Antonio to participate.

.......

..

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BB3IMEV7Ccg/T0bqYE4ADJI/AAAAAAAAC34/oaBrAPenNck/s640/IMG_6703.JPG


Known Information:
•Developer: Vit Nuova
•Architect: ZDA Architecture
•6 stories
•20 condos
•9,0000 square feet of retail
•Underground parking for residents
•2 above ground levels of parking for retail customers (2nd & 3rd levels)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/studewood-lofts-01.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AkhpQheV0p0/T0A4Dt34Q7I/AAAAAAAACwk/XL6G3xXrMGM/s640/Skanska+Post+Oak.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hq10DCNq43s/T1LkJnr4YbI/AAAAAAAADBw/0J7nxbRioww/s640/IMG_6801.JPG

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LenJRK7ICy8/T1LmH6YzObI/AAAAAAAADCQ/ohfkZIzjX7U/s640/IMG_6804.JPG

Known Information:

•Developer: Post Properties
•Architect: Looney Ricks Kiss
•5 stories
•242 units

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/2355/richmondlanding1im7.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vTjBEN8ahkg/T1LjesfCJAI/AAAAAAAADBo/NG_F3HjDasY/s640/Archstone+Tescano.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OzZIb-eGQ7A/T1LjOfcpcEI/AAAAAAAADBY/zkPdWmdt3zE/s640/IMG_6858.JPG

Known Information:
•Developer: Archstone
•2900 North Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77025
•474 units

http://www.archstoneapartments.com/NR/rdonlyres/097FFA0C-3382-4B6C-96B8-2876E7E34715/56870/Toscano_200x150.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iT40LyuW2o0/T1LqLT_DnoI/AAAAAAAADDM/seX5XvFQZUk/s640/IMG_6810.JPG

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kgNhFJ7qgKc/T1Lq-_vN4HI/AAAAAAAADDU/Ef9YmwP_YFE/s640/IMG_6811.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9EQYpQUMkhM/T1Lr6-xsHLI/AAAAAAAADDo/OJ2sdQooJ38/s640/IMG_6814.JPG

Known Information:

•Developer: Post Properties
•124 apartment units

http://innerlooped.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/post-481x300.jpg

Montrose parcel is up for grabs (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Montrose-parcel-is-up-for-grabs-3401135.php)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hp2g-Fx_hPQ/T1u2hjTYmMI/AAAAAAAADN4/FqlnTWFOm0A/s640/IMG_6838.JPG

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u6EmQwAus5g/T1u0ub01CKI/AAAAAAAADNQ/H7d5u2vzCYM/s640/IMG_6834.JPG

Look like the new convention center hotel is starting to pick up speed:

It's full speed ahead for new convention center hotel and it's going to be Texas big (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/03-08-12-its-full-speed-ahead-for-new-convention-center-hotel-in-houston-and-its-going-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-hotels-in-texas/)

PDF by Houston First (http://www.houstonfirst.com/First_Houston_Corporation_HQ_Hotel_RFQ_issued.pdf)

I wonder if renders exist for this new hotel?

I wonder if renders exist for this new hotel?

I am still assuming it is in the design phase, as I have yet to see any renderings be released anywhere.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/sovereign-1.jpg

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w208/houtosme/sovereign-2.jpg

GID Development is currently developing The Sovereign – Houston’s premier luxury high-rise apartment tower in the heart of the Inner Loop.

The Sovereign is a 290 unit luxury apartment tower consisting of 21 stories featuring panoramic views of the downtown Houston skyline, the Buffalo Bayou, Memorial Park, River Oaks, and the Galleria. The building will be Houston’s most advanced high-rise residential product and is being designed to achieve LEED Sliver Certification. The Sovereign will offer the most extensive residential amenity program in Houston including an 8th floor, 30,000 square foot amenity deck with sweeping views from the building’s pool, fountains, Jacuzzi, outdoor fireplaces, numerous cabanas and lounge areas, outdoor fitness areas, private resident vegetable and herb gardens, and extensive landscaping. Residents will also enjoy the private use of a state-of-the-art fitness club, library and cyber lounge, business center, club lounge, demonstration kitchen, private catering kitchen, private dining room, private theater room, as well as a sophisticated bar and gaming area. The building will also include pet spa areas such as a dog wash/dry facilities, pet grooming room, and a private and secure pet-friendly park featuring fountains, exercise areas, benches, and landscaping. Resident services will include concierge, valet parking, and on-site management, leasing, and maintenance teams.

Houston No. 1 relocation center, report says

Houston is the No. 1 U.S. destination city to relocate to for the third year in a row, a report from U-Haul International Inc. shows.

The report, titled "The 2011 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities," ranks destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, U-Haul said in a statement. Data was compiled from more than 1.6 million U-Haul truck transactions in 2011.

Every U.S. city is considered for the report, regardless of size, though data is not stated as a percentage of population nor is it reflective of overall growth, U-Haul said.

Dallas and Austin also made the top 25 cities, and Plano and Fort Worth made the top 50.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2012/03/houston-no-1-relocation-center.html

Latest Hines project in Houston gets splashy unveiling next week

Houston Business Journal by Jennifer Dawson,
Friday, March 30, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Hines , the homegrown mega-developer of office buildings and all things related to commercial real estate, plans to announce its newest Houston project April 4 at the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors’ Commercial Expo 2012.

Could it be a new downtown skyscraper? Possibly. Houston-based Hines is on the record saying the surface parking lot it has owned for years on the downtown block bounded by Main, Texas, Fannin and Capitol is being held for future development.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/03/30/latest-hines-project-in-houston-gets.html

Latest Hines project in Houston gets splashy unveiling next week

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/03/30/latest-hines-project-in-houston-gets.html

Oh yeah! I can't wait! :D

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6OdeJ5lFV84/Tzp3DFb__hI/AAAAAAAAAyE/Fz2NlpTLMtQ/s1600/dis-gon-b-gud.gif

Can't wait! :banana:

Look like the new convention center hotel is starting to pick up speed:

It's full speed ahead for new convention center hotel and it's going to be Texas big (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/03-08-12-its-full-speed-ahead-for-new-convention-center-hotel-in-houston-and-its-going-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-hotels-in-texas/)

PDF by Houston First (http://www.houstonfirst.com/First_Houston_Corporation_HQ_Hotel_RFQ_issued.pdf)

I'm confused. How is this good news? Is no one concerned about this? Wasn't the first convention center hotel supposed to do the trick by filling up existing hotel rooms and spurring even more free-enterprise construction of hotels? And isn't the city competing with itself and the county owned convention center located south of the Texas Medical Center next to Reliant Stadium?

Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Complicated-development-rule-changes-in-Houston-3450145.php)


Complicated development rule changes in Houston await vote
By Chris Moran

Updated 10:00 p.m., Saturday, March 31, 2012

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/12/42/44/2763044/9/628x471.jpg
Washington Court, a group of detached family residences by Weekley Homes, is shown under construction on Friday in the Rice Military neighborhood. The city is looking to revise its Chapter 42 regulations on development.
Photo: TODD SPOTH / © TODD SPOTH 2012


Houston's patchwork of neighborhoods, many with their own sets of land-use rules through deed restrictions, has large seams where developers have much more leeway in choosing how big and dense to build.

One of those seams runs along the southbound side of Gessner in Sharpstown. Two-story apartment buildings look out on the street and back at a fence that separates the complex from a neighborhood of single-family homes. It's locations like this where Peter Acquaro, president of the Sharps*town Civic Association, sees the promise and peril in the first major update in 13 years of city rules on how land can be carved up for development. With the right rules, Acquaro said, the aging apartments someday could be replaced by modern, upscale townhomes that would give a push to the momentum he is trying to establish toward Sharps-town's rebirth. "My concern is we don't want to have an Ashby high-rise situation in the middle of Sharps*town," he said.

The planned construction of a 21-story tower in a single-family home neighborhood near Rice University has become a flashpoint for those who have become wary of what they consider intrusive development in residential areas. Selling the new rules to civic leaders such as Acquaro is part of why city officials have labored for three years on the rewrite and still have no scheduled date to present it for City Council approval.

While some civic activists worry that changes to what, essentially, is a technical manual for home construction could give developers an opening to push through projects over neighborhood opposition, city officials counter that the changes do not trump deed restrictions - and, in fact, make it easier for unprotected neighborhoods to mandate less density.

Waves of growth

"I think it's taking longer because it's in some ways complicated. It's not an easy learn," said former Councilwoman Sue Lovell, who spent her last three years on the council trying to deliver a finished product to her colleagues for a vote. The changes went on the agenda last December, but were pulled back when super-neighborhood leaders - some of the best informed people in the city when it comes to neighborhood issues - said they did not fully understand the proposal and wanted more time to consider it.

With that, the clock ran out on Lovell and other term-limited colleagues. Seven new council members took office in January, and they, too, need time to study the changes.

Next wave of growth

Developers and city officials say the first major revisions since 1999 to the city's density rules, known as Chapter 42, are necessary to accommodate the next wave of Houston's growth. U-Haul recently announced that Houston is the No. 1 destination in the country for movers for the third straight year.

Projections are for Houston's population to grow by more than 27,000 people a year in coming decades. Without rule changes, they will not find affordable places to live in Houston, Mayor Annise Parker warned. "We have to continue to find ways to preserve a range of housing opportunities for our residents. We don't want to become a city where if you have lots of money to spend you can find a place to live and if you have very little money to spend you (don't) have good housing stock available," Parker said.

Only 27 homes per acre

The heart of the Chapter 42 amendments is taking the cap of 27 houses per acre that exists inside the Loop and extending it out to the Beltway. That would allow many more houses to be built than currently allowed on typical 5,000-square-foot lots. "We're not getting new single-family residential being built from 610 to the Beltway," said Joshua Sanders, a lobbyist for developers. "We're losing a lot of our population to the county and to the surrounding cities." That means longer commutes and fewer city property tax revenues.

Increased density means cheaper houses because developers can fit more of them on the same piece of land. Depending on the location and the type of dwelling, the new rules could knock $100,000 off the sales price, Sanders said.

[...]

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/12/42/55/2763607/3/628x471.jpg

Office Building Planned For West Houston (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2012/03/wile-interests-stream-realty-partners.html)


An affiliate of Wile Interests Inc. that bought acreage in west Houston in 2008 for an office development is finally pulling the trigger on the project, which it will build with Stream Realty Partners LP .

The partners will break ground by the end of the year on a 250,000-square-foot, Class A office building in the Energy Corridor. The project will be constructed on a 12-acre site at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and Greenhouse Road.

When I wrote about Wile purchasing the tract several years ago, the company said it would wait for the economy to improve before moving forward with development. Houston-based Wile, founded by President Randolph Wile in 1991, apparently thinks the timing is right, seeing how Class A office vacancy has dropped to the single digits in west Houston.

This is the fourth local building project for Dallas-based Stream, which is on a roll in the development arena.

BBVA Compass Stadium, opening in May

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6983985805_f8cb9d3e5d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdew/6983985805/)
Almost Game Time (http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdew/6983985805/) by ScottDeW (http://www.flickr.com/people/scottdew/), on Flickr

So much for that "big new tower" announcement! :lol:

Hines Takes On Sprawling Industrial Complex (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Hines-takes-on-sprawling-industrial-complex-3460224.php)

http://amycanterbury.com/pintopark/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pinto-business-park-map.jpg
http://amycanterbury.com/pintopark/


By Nancy Sarnoff

Published 10:16 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Houston-based Hines is taking on a major industrial project in hopes of capitalizing on the city's recovering economy.

The commercial real estate developer, whose worldwide portfolio includes office, industrial, residential and mixed-use projects, is partnering with Pinto Realty Partners, a subsidiary of Cockrell Interests of Houston, to complete the development of the Pinto Business Park near Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The 1,000-acre parcel at Interstate 45 and the North Belt is largely vacant. In 2010, Sysco built a 585,000-square-foot distribution center there, leaving 970 acres to be developed. Ultimately the park could house 9 million square feet of industrial buildings worth more than $900 million, said W. Palmer Letzerich, managing director of Hines.

Letzerich said the area's strong energy sector bodes well for the industrial market, and especially this part of Houston, where space is tight.

Across the Houston area, the industrial vacancy rate fell to 4.6 percent in the first quarter from 5.7 percent a year ago, according to data from research firm Delta Associates.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing employment is expected to grow, according to the Greater Houston Partnership, as a boom in drilling activity has boosted demand for industrial and oil field equipment.

Hines plans to develop buildings for specific tenants as well as on a speculative basis - or in the hopes of luring tenants. "We're in negotiations on several opportunities right now," Letzerich said. The company also will sell land from the site, which has frontage on Beltway 8.

Chron.com (http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/memorial-news/article/Apartment-buildings-rise-in-Uptown-3456389.php)


Apartment buildings rise in Uptown
By Alan Jones
Published 03:36 p.m., Tuesday, April 3, 2012

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_10_2011/post-10093-0-93155900-1317839835_thumb.jpg
Whiteco apartment tower

Residential development is showing a strong resurgence in the Uptown Houston District with multiple apartment buildings popping up, the district's president reported.

Towering above most of the new residential projects is the 22-story, 300-unit building by Whiteco Residential LLC being built near the northwest corner of Westheimer Road and Sage Street, John Breeding said Friday during a presentation to Galleria Chamber of Commerce members.

Other projects under way include Gables Post Oak, a mid-rise apartment community being built by Gables Residential at Post Oak Park and Post Oak Place, just inside Loop 610 near San Felipe Street. The apartment community is planned for 316 units.

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2011/06/Gablespost-Oak.jpg
Gables Post Oak Houston Chronicle

Apartment developer Dinerstein Cos. is building its third Millennium-branded project at 2525 McCue Road. The five-story, 237-unit apartment project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2013.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff345/bppedersen/Architecture%20Photos/DSC_0450.jpg
The Millennium 2525 McCue

Real estate developer Hines plans to construct a new apartment complex in Uptown immediately west of Waterwall Park. According to a district newsletter published in the fall, the Hines development is expected to be completed in 2014.

In addition, national multifamily development company Greystar is also constructing an apartment building in the area, said Breeding, whose district levies a property tax and focuses efforts on economic development.

The district reports that the residential property market has grown from a little more than 1,500 units in the 1960s to more than 3,000.

"I really think we'll begin to see a lot more very dense residential development in this market," Breeding said. "It doesn't generate quite as much traffic as an office does, but the combination of evolving land uses, improvements in mobility and public infrastructure will lead to long-term healthy growth in this area."

Residential buildings make up 30 percent of Uptown Houston's land use, compared with 34 percent for office space, 23 percent for retail space and 11 percent for the 31 hotels, which include more than 7,100 rooms.

------

Adding to office property will be a 380,000-square-foot office building under construction at 2200 Post Oak Blvd. BBVA Compass bank will be an anchor tenant in development, a joint project by Redstone Cos. and Stream Realty Partners LP.

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/04/50/51/1215057/3/628x471.jpg
BBVA Compass Bank Tower Houston Chronicle

The 20-story building is part of a development that is expected to include a second office building, a hotel with residences and parking garages. Redstone plans to develop a hotel with spa and fitness center similar to the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. The hotel will include 150 to 250 rooms, Breeding said.

http://www.urbika.com/imgs/projects/large/4572_3009-post-oak.jpg
Skanska USA tower Urbika

Among additional office developments listed by the improvement district, Skanska USA Commercial Development is constructing a new 20-story office tower on 2.3 acres at 3009 Post Oak Blvd. near Hidalgo Street.

[...]

So much for that "big new tower" announcement! :lol:

Hines Takes On Sprawling Industrial Complex (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Hines-takes-on-sprawling-industrial-complex-3460224.php)

http://amycanterbury.com/pintopark/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/pinto-business-park-map.jpg
http://amycanterbury.com/pintopark/

Actually Hines still plans on building a 48st. Tower from what I've read on the Houston architecture forum.

20-story tower planned for Energy Corridor

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/12/55/10/2806327/6/628x471.jpg

By Nancy Sarnoff Published 10:38 p.m., Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A high-end office development is being planned in the Energy Corridor, potentially adding 1.5 million square feet of space to this part of west Houston, where oil and gas companies dominate the corporate landscape.

http://www.chron.com/business/article/20-story-tower-planned-for-Energy-Corridor-3476117.php

Look like the new convention center hotel is starting to pick up speed:

It's full speed ahead for new convention center hotel and it's going to be Texas big (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/03-08-12-its-full-speed-ahead-for-new-convention-center-hotel-in-houston-and-its-going-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-hotels-in-texas/)

PDF by Houston First (http://www.houstonfirst.com/First_Houston_Corporation_HQ_Hotel_RFQ_issued.pdf)

I had a cool idea for that location a while back. They should build the hotel out of cargo containers like this....
http://design.spotcoolstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/container-city-1.jpg

But paint it to match elements of the park like the block buildings that hide stairs like this...
http://0.tqn.com/d/houston/1/0/q/A/-/-/discovery-11.jpg

it would be cheap and durable plus it would fit well with the park.

In case anyone here is interested Southwest Airlines has started a online petition to start expanding the existing US Customs service at Hobby. This will allow Southwest Airlines to start direct flights from Houston-Hobby to various destinations in Mexico and the Carribean and will provide some much needed competition for United Airlines.

Southwest Airlines: Free Hobby Airport (http://www.freehobbyairport.com/)

I am not sure if any of you have seen this before but this is my first time hearing about it!

http://www.generationpark.com/index.html

http://www.generationpark.com/video.html

Look like the new convention center hotel is starting to pick up speed:

It's full speed ahead for new convention center hotel and it's going to be Texas big (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/03-08-12-its-full-speed-ahead-for-new-convention-center-hotel-in-houston-and-its-going-to-be-one-of-the-biggest-hotels-in-texas/)

PDF by Houston First (http://www.houstonfirst.com/First_Houston_Corporation_HQ_Hotel_RFQ_issued.pdf)

I cannot wait to see what they come up with! I hope the design of the hotel looks great!!!:D:rofl:

Photos of the new Dynamo Stadium courtesy of their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/houstondynamo).

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/309/dynar.png

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9260/dyna1.png

^^

Very cool! :cheers:

Is EpiCenter back on?? http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/04/20/mysterious-mixed-use-plans-surface-for.html


The topsy-turvy real estate ride continues at the former Astroworld site.

Vanguard Equity Holdings LLC is circulating new information about EpiCentre Houston, a $200 million mixed-used development that’s been on the drawing board for four years. A marketing consultant is lining up potential developers for the perpetual project. And 20 to 30 acres of the 104-acre site now have changed hands, sources say.

Put the pieces together and it could mean the proposed development is progressing on the site across from Reliant Stadium that has been vacant since 2006.

Here's a nice fly-through of Dynamo Stadium:

c-LBveiBYgY

Swamplot (http://swamplot.com/7-story-southwest-freeway-audi-dealership-gets-go-ahead-will-split-momentum/2012-05-14/)


7-Story Southwest Freeway Audi Dealership Gets Go Ahead, Will Split Momentum

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/audi-2120-rendering.jpg

Expect to see workers moving dirt on the 1.5-acre site at the northeast corner of Greenbriar and 59 within the next few weeks; the city’s planning commission last week voted to approve a variance granting permission for a 7-story auto dealership building at 2120 Southwest Fwy. to poke a few feet further toward Greenbriar (at left in the above rendering) than regulations allow. The result: the country’s largest — and tallest — flagship Audi dealership, featuring a 2-story car display case on the corner of the third and fourth levels that’ll bring the latest models up to eye level for drivers on the raised freeway who aren’t looking where they’re going.

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/12/72/44/2861373/3/628x471.jpg
http://www.chron.com/business/article/7-story-Audi-dealership-on-Greenbriar-to-be-among-3510909.php

[...]

Univ. of St. Thomas's New Performing Arts Center Moving In Next To Menil Campus (http://swamplot.com/university-of-st-thomass-new-performing-arts-center-moving-in-next-to-menil-campus/2012-05-10/)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/st-thomas-performing-arts-center.jpg


Here’s a view of the 4-story, 93,760-sq.-ft. performing arts center the University of St. Thomas plans to build on the northwest corner of its Montrose campus, on the full city block bounded by West Alabama, Yupon, Sul Ross, and Graustark. A feature article on the project in the university’s magazine describes the site provocatively as being “adjacent to the Menil Collection,” but it’s really catty-corner to the Menil block that contains the Rothko Chapel, a long block east of the Menil’s famed shielded-by-bungalows main building. In the drawing above you’re looking at the new UST center from high above the Rothko Chapel’s east lawn, toward the corner of Sul Ross and Yupon.

Whiteco Tower underway:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oXZS4zH3DXY/T6l8YQELC6I/AAAAAAAAEDY/0aUrtCw9TEQ/s1600/IMG_7660+%25281%2529.jpg
http://goingupcity.blogspot.com/

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hryeusl3u2g/T6l8ZFbiT9I/AAAAAAAAEDo/WNOGu3et0ho/s1600/IMG_7661+%25282%2529.jpg
http://goingupcity.blogspot.com/

Houston Braces Itself For 30 Aldo Stores (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/05/discount-grocer-aldi-plans-30-houston-area-stores/)

http://www.savingaddiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/111.jpg

Houston Braces Itself For 30 Aldo Stores (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/05/discount-grocer-aldi-plans-30-houston-area-stores/)

http://www.savingaddiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/111.jpg

Huh, I thought they were already in the Houston Area....

Mac Haik to build Energy Corridor tower

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/Energy-Tower-III-Rendering.jpg?v=1

Houston Business Journal by Jennifer Dawson,
Reporter Date: Friday, May 18, 2012, 5:00am CDT

Mac Haik Realty plans to start construction in July on Energy Tower III, becoming the latest developer to enter a rush to build the next Class A office space in west Houston’s tight Energy Corridor submarket.

Houston-based Mac Haik is fast-tracking plans for a 451,000-square-foot office building near the northwest corner of Interstate 10 and Kirkwood that will be built on a speculative basis, meaning no tenants have preleased space in the facility.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/05/18/mac-haik-to-build-energy-corridor-tower.html

~And,


http://fuelfix.com/blog/2012/05/18/new-tower-to-energize-west-houston/

Car dealer and real estate developer Mac Haik plans to break ground this summer on a 17-story office tower in west Houston’s Energy Corridor, the second project of its kind to be announced in the past two months.

The 450,532-square-foot building will be in the Energy Plaza development on the northwest corner of Interstate 10 and Kirkwood.

Construction will start in July and the building should be completed by February 2014, according to Mac Haik Realty, which already developed two office towers and a hotel on the site.

“We’ve done a pretty good bit of development in the area,” said Haik, who also owns two car dealerships nearby. “It’s one of the better markets in the country.”

Occupancy for top-class buildings in the I-10/Katy Freeway submarket was 93.2 percent in the first quarter, according to a report from Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate firm.

The lack of available space has led to a surge of proposed projects.

Last month, Trammell Crow Co. said it would build as much as 1.5 million square feet of office space at the southwest corner of I-10 and North Eldridge Parkway. The company, which is developing the project with Principal Real Estate Investors, said it will be built in phases. The first, a 20-story tower with 530,000 square feet, should break ground this fall, the company said.

Huh, I thought they were already in the Houston Area....

As of right now Aldi is only operating in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Area of Texas although they have been planning to expand to other areas for a while.

As of right now Aldi is only operating in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Area of Texas although they have been planning to expand to other areas for a while.

Yeah I know.... I'm a Fort Worthian.

But I thought Aldi was already in the Houston area. At least, with a couple stores in some places.

Hanover high-rise in greater detail (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/05/hanover-high-rise-in-greater-detail/)

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2012/05/HanoverNew1-439x600.jpg

Here’s a much better version of the Hanover high-rise planned for BLVD Place. Yesterday’s version came from a very early site study. Other details have trickled out. The tower will be 29 stories and designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz of Chicago.

..

Developer makes new pitch for luxury apartments (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/05/developer-makes-new-pitch-for-luxury-apartments/)

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2012/05/hanover.jpg

It looks like Hanover is attempting to revive the upscale residential tower it announced in 2008, but called off a year later. The 37-story building was slated for a site in BLVD Place, the mixed-use development at San Felipe and Post Oak Blvd.

The above rendering is on the company’s website in a section called “capital markets” where the developer lists proposed projects that need funding. According to the site, the $100 million building is is now a midrise with 358 units. GoingUpCity noticed the new info.

Update: Perhaps this rendering was just a placeholder on the website. The picture has been replaced with “Coming Soon.” Hanover could not be reached this afternoon.

..

Astrodome Bait And Switch? (http://swamplot.com/noticing-the-astrodome-arena-bait-and-switch/2012-05-25/)


A major focus of the report on the future of the Astrodome endorsed this week by the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. was a proposal to spend an additional $385 million to replace the neighboring 1974-vintage Reliant Arena. (That’s almost $115 million more than the estimated $270.3 million the team of consultants estimated it would take to raise the floor of the Astrodome and turn it into a smaller “multi-purpose” facility.)

And of course, county budget officials are quick to shoot down the resulting proposed $523 million tax-supported bond issue for a new county building, even if the name “Astrodome” is attached to it. But a comment from Ed Emmett quoted in today’s Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Plans-for-Dome-arena-likely-would-bring-tax-hike-3584450.php) makes it appear the county judge wants to call the bluff: “‘The way it was trotted out, we’re going to re-purpose the Dome and we’re going to replace the arena with a new building,’ Emmett said. ‘If we’re doing that, why don’t we use the Dome for the purposes the arena was being used for? Because that would obviously cost less.’”

Possible new development in Midtown featuring an Alamo Drafthouse in the works.



http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/2901-louisiana-mix.jpg

Midtown Alamo Drafthouse Cinema To Sit on Top of New Milam St. Parking Garage
http://swamplot.com/midtown-alamo-drafthouse-cinema-to-sit-on-top-of-new-milam-st-parking-garage/2012-05-31/

Triple Tap Ventures officially announced 2 new Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas locations yesterday: One in the fake-Venetian Vintage Park Shopping Village off Tomball Parkway and Louetta (reported back in April), and another in Midtown. The company didn’t provide extensive detail about the planned Midtown location, though: It’ll be part of a new mixed-use development by Crosspoint Properties at 2901 Louisiana St. And it’ll sit on top of a 3-level parking garage. A lobby bar will be visible from Milam St. and feature views of Downtown; there’ll also be a ground-floor lobby entrance.

But a variance request submitted earlier this year for Crosspoint’s development adds to the picture. It included the “conceptual” rendering above — for the new parking structure facing Milam St., one block north of Van Loc Restaurant. A movie theater would sit on the top floor of the parking garage, the variance explained. The parking would serve the theater as well as new retail spaces (on the first floor) and offices (on the second floor) inserted into the 1957 building on the west half of the same block, which faces Louisiana St.

Houston-Hobby Airport will finally be able to recieve international flights in 2015 after an expansion to the terminal is built. :cheers:


Hobby expansion approved, international flights planned for 2015

http://blog.chron.com/houstonpolitics/2012/05/hobby-expansion-approved-international-flights-planned-for-2015/

City Council has approved a deal to have Southwest Airlines build a $100 million expansion of Hobby Airport to open it to international flights for the first time in more than 40 years.

The 16-1 vote authorizes five international gates and a Federal Inspection Services facility at Hobby. Southwest will pay for the expansion in exchange for control of four gates, an exemption from rent on the newly constructed facilities and a rebate linked to any increased sales at the airport once the airline starts its routes to Mexico and the Caribbean in 2015.

Houston Airport Director Mario Diaz promoted the expansion as having the potential to create 18,000 jobs and inject $1.6 billion a year into the local economy. He also predicted that the “Southwest effect” of lower fares would take hold if the airline were allowed to compete with United Airlines, which with its partners has a near monopoly on Latin American routes out of Bush Intercontinental Airport.

“Today’s historic vote is going to allow the creation of international and federal facilities at Hobby,” Councilwoman Melissa Noriega said.

United and Southwest engaged in a furious head-to-head battle over whether Houston should get a second international airport. They hired lobbyists, spent lavishly on print, broadcast and billboard advertising and repeatedly packed Council chambers with employees.

Council approved the plan under the assumption that Southwest’s entry into the international market will lower fares, increase the number of fliers, and create jobs. The expansion plan also assumes that Houston will be able to get the customs officers to staff a new Federal Inspection Services facility at Hobby.

The Federal Aviation Administration must also sign off on Southwest’s proposed new routes.

..........

..

Astrodome Bait And Switch? (http://swamplot.com/noticing-the-astrodome-arena-bait-and-switch/2012-05-25/)

I still dont understand why they didnt just use the dome for the dynamo or the football team they built a stadium for next door. I just dont get it. They act like tax payers want to spend millions on sports teams that spur almost no development for surrounding areas they are in.

I still dont understand why they didnt just use the dome for the dynamo or the football team they built a stadium for next door. I just dont get it. They act like tax payers want to spend millions on sports teams that spur almost no development for surrounding areas they are in.

You don't get why the Texans didn't play in the Astrodome....?

You don't get why the Texans didn't play in the Astrodome....?

YEAH

YEAH

No new NFL franchise would play in an old stadium with multiple problems.

In fact, I think there are certain standards the NFL has for building new stadiums and the Astrodome didn't come up to code.

Some news on swamplot regarding a possible extension of the existing lightrail line to Missouri City.


Missouri City Rail Route: To Bellfort or Not To Bellfort?
http://swamplot.com/

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/southwest-rail-map-alt-1.jpg

A public meeting at the Together We Stand Christian Church tonight is the third of 4 Metro has scheduled to discuss the possible route of a new 9-mile light-rail leg connecting Missouri City to the southernmost stop on the existing light-rail line, roughly paralleling US Route 90A. Metro isn’t anticipating construction of the extension before 2017, but there are a couple of kinks to consider: The main difference between the 2 route alternatives being considered is the northeast end of the journey. The first alternative (above) jogs off 90A to follow Bellfort into the existing Fannin South rail station, while the second (below) takes the Holmes Rd. route in:

Some new renderings of the RIver Oaks District I found on SSP courtesy of () T (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114123&page=193).

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7172134693_7190ccba3c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7172134903_6731528ca7_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7171653811_52ed026bc4_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8019/7356869304_8008cf98c6_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7081/7171654043_da7616c422_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7171673201_f30705ac15_b.jpg

Also the River Oaks District Sites Plans (http://www.olivermcmillan.com/river-oaks-leasing-plan) and the River Oaks District Brochure (http://www.olivermcmillan.com/river-oaks-brochure), both have been updated as well with additional information.

Not sure what to think of that Missouri City extension. It runs through an extremely suburban area, that is probably loosing population. If they built it I imagine a little bit of ridership would come from intersecting bus routes, but does it justify light rail?

My mom grew up in the subdivision of Fondren Park and my grandmother lived there for many years, which is basically where the line terminates according to the map.

The Greenlink bus service is finally up and running which will provide a free shuttle service around Downtown.



http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/06/25/17/1659875/3/628x471.jpg

Getting around downtown just got greener
By Caroline Ward
Updated 10:01 p.m., Monday, June 11, 2012

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Getting-around-downtown-just-got-greener-3626064.php

Longtime Houston natives remember the ease and convenience of the free downtown trolley.

That may be gone, but the Greenlink bus service was launched Monday as a free offering for tourists and locals alike. The 18-stop route makes the rounds of eight hotels, the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Central Library, Discovery Green, City Hall, Main Street Square, Houston Pavilions and Macy's, among others. Buses run weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

"People who work downtown have another option for getting places they need to go, and even people who come and visit Houston ... it gives them an easier way to get to the downtown destinations," said Stephanie Dedeaux, a native Houstonian and a public relations representative for Hess Corp. The first-time rider who was en route to meet a friend for lunch learned of Greenlink from an office flier.

If not for the buses, she would have made different plans, since high heels are not practical for walking downtown.

Few want to brave the heat and trek across town for lunch, and many who work downtown eat in the office or choose restaurants close to work. But the addition of the seven Greenlink buses, which arrive every 7-10 minutes, will allow more flexibility for lunch plans.

Marlon Chambers, a Greenlink bus driver, believes the service could benefit downtown businesses. He said that by riding the buses throughout downtown, passengers "can ride around and see everything for themselves." By venturing out, Houstonians could learn about what downtown has to offer by seeing it themselves, said the veteran bus driver of 20 years.

A project seven years in the making, the idea to create Greenlink began when the trolley circulator system was shut down in 2005, and Bob Eury "heard pretty loud and clear from downtown ... that there was a real need to be able to circulate without one's car."

Eury is the executive director of Houston Downtown Management District, which Eury described as the "program owner of Greenlink."

click on link to read more ........

Not skyscraper related, but interesting.

The Tyranny of Houston (http://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2012/06/13/the-tyranny-of-houston/)
The fraction of US permits issued to Houston’s has been growing since the mid 1990s and really took off after 2005, suggesting that its underlying growth was stronger than the rest of the country.

Thought I would post this since I had not seen anyone post a story about it.

Houston now has bike rentals downtown. This was a Niko Niko's @market Square. Dont know if there are any other terminals.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7291164260_82b57a2037_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/diskojoe/7291164260/)
_DSC4255 rent o bike rack (http://www.flickr.com/photos/diskojoe/7291164260/) by DiskoJoe (http://www.flickr.com/people/diskojoe/), on Flickr

^^ According to their website there are only three bike share terminals in Houston.

Anyways I think it's great that Houston finally has a bike sharing program.

Bike sharing has been proven to be really popular in cities like Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, Washington DC, and London so I am interested to see if B-Cycle has any success here.

New office Tower For Memorial City Area (http://www.chron.com/business/article/New-office-tower-for-Memorial-City-area-3674881.php)

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/13/76/30/3139107/3/628x471.jpg


A Houston developer is expected to break ground next month on a 14-story office tower near Memorial City Mall, after pre-leasing a little more than half the property to Murphy Exploration & Production Co.

The energy company, a part of El Dorado, Ark.-based Murphy Oil Corp., has signed a lease for 173,000 square feet in the building slated for 9805 Katy Freeway between Bunker Hill and Gessner.

Murphy, which will have naming rights to the building, plans to relocate in October 2013. It will move out of 145,000 square feet at the Offices at Park 10 at 16290 Katy Freeway.

The company had multiple options for new space in the area and farther west in and around the Energy Corridor, as developers have identified at least 15 sites where buildings are proposed.

Like other oil and gas companies, Murphy has been growing from increased activity in the Eagle Ford Shale and other areas.

"They have no more space in the building they're in," said John Burke of Jones Lang LaSalle's Houston office, which represented Murphy in its lease negotiations.

Not all of the new buildings will come to fruition, as many of the developers will be required to pre-lease a substantial amount of the proposed space.

"If the energy markets were not positive, you would not see this type of development," said Preston Young of Stream Realty Partners, which is planning a building with Wile Interests along the Katy Freeway at Greenhouse Road.

1717 Bissonnet May Start By Year's End (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Goya-buys-property-as-it-grows-west-3638514.php?cmpid=twitter)

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/05/25/65/1400137/3/628x471.jpg
Just one of several iterations of this controversial development


Lawsuit settled

A lawsuit accusing a Houston architecture firm and the developer of 1717 Bissonnet - better known as the Ashby high-rise - of using designs that weren't theirs has been settled.

The suit was filed late last year by Dallas-based Humphreys & Partners Architects, which said the architectural plans for the proposed tower infringed on a copyrighted design.

Developer Buckhead Investment Partners and EDI Architecture raised numerous defenses in the case, according to a statement, including that Buckhead paid Humphreys for its early work on the project, and therefore had been granted the right to use it.

The parties released some of the settlement's details last week. Humphreys said Buckhead will pay it for a retroactive license and give the firm credit in marketing and other materials stating the conceptual design of the building was based on Humphreys' work.

Buckhead said the agreement states that there is no "admission of liability by any party concerning the matters settled" and that it settled to avoid the time and expense of litigation and to move forward on the project.

A federal judge in Houston dismissed the case on May 31, closing another chapter in the saga of the Ashby high-rise, a residential development that has sparked a heated battle between the developers and many neighborhood residents who don't want to see it built.

The developers said they are continuing to make progress on the building's planning and expect to break ground by year-end.

Unique Design on Proposed Inner Loop Tower (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/06/unique-design-on-proposed-inner-loop-tower/)

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2012/06/PMRG-Tower.jpg


Here’s an image of the high-rise planned for the site of the old Confederate House restaurant (and later the State Grille). Developer PM Realty Group says it hopes to break ground on the 39-story tower in the third quarter, but it first needs to hire a contractor and secure a construction loan. The RTKL-designed building is planned for the northeast corner of West Alabama and Weslayan. It will have 254 rental units.

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/14/03/74/3161862/3/628x471.jpg http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/14/03/77/3162089/3/628x471.jpg

Shovels ready to turn in Buffalo Bayou Park makeover
By Mike Morris
Updated 10:46 a.m., Friday, July 6, 2012
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Shovels-ready-to-turn-in-Buffalo-Bayou-Park-3687079.php

The jogging and biking trails that wind through Buffalo Bayou Park west of downtown are about to get a bit more circuitous as a $55 million effort to transform the area into an iconic green space for Houston begins in earnest this month.

The end result, project boosters say, will be a green gem in the heart of the city, sporting miles of added trails and new amenities, with footbridges for better access and improvements to the bayou's ability to handle flooding.

The nonprofit Buffalo Bayou Partnership, which is leading the mostly privately funded overhaul, will turn dirt next week.

The Harris County Flood Control District will kick off $5.1 million worth of earthwork along the bayou next month, dredging silt from the channel, fixing erosion problems and pulling or planting vegetation.

"It's a very popular area. The challenge is leaving the park open for the public to use while we have large construction equipment in there," said Sandra Musgrove, infrastructure division director for the flood control district. "I just hope people will be patient and tolerate all the construction, because the end result will be a really nice park."

The district generally will work westward, reaching Shepherd by December 2014. The partnership will follow, extending the landscaping, distinctive blue lighting and waterside jogging trails it built between Bagby and Sabine to Shepherd by spring 2015.

.....

..

Houston Chronicle (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/07/report-duncan-family-to-buy-shell-hq/)

http://www.downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-03-05/One-Shell-signature-small_800x600.jpg


Jul 06, 2012

Report: Duncan family to buy Shell HQ

The family of late billionaire Dan Duncan is buying Shell Oil’s downtown headquarters for about $550 million, according to a report from commercial real estate publication Real Estate Alert.

If the deal closes as reported, the transaction would shatter Houston’s price record for office properties. That purchase price amounts to $307 per square foot for the two-building, 1.8 million-square-foot complex. The current record is downtown’s Hess Tower which recently was sold to Canadian real estate investment trust $442.5 million.

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, who is listing the properties for owner Hines, would not comment. The Duncan family could not be reached late Friday.

After considering a move to the suburbs, Shell recently renewed its downtown lease for another 15 years. The company occupies 804,491 square feet at One Shell Plaza at 910 Louisiana and 471,934 square feet at Two Shell Plaza at 777 Walker.

M.D. Anderson’s New Little Corner Building

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/md-anderson-pavilion.jpg

Originally Posted by Swamplot
UT’S M.D. ANDERSON Cancer Center plans to build this 8-ish story pavilion, called The Pavilion, in front of the Alkek hospital at the corner of Bertner and Bates streets in the Med Center — replacing the pavilion-like rotunda that stands there now. The new building will house the center’s interventional radiology department (on its third floor) as well as 11 new operating rooms. The 185,000-sq.-ft. structure, designed by Dallas’s HKS, includes 2 partial-height floors for maintenance above the operating rooms plus a mechanical floor at the top. Construction is expected to cost $102 million, and be complete by the end of 2015. An accompanying $96 million renovation of the adjacent Alkek hospital will extend into 2019.

Link (http://swamplot.com/m-d-andersons-new-little-corner-building/2012-07-06/)

A lowdown of West Houston office projects:

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/07/the-lowdown-on-the-projects-in-the-energy-corridor/



Mason Creek Office Center
Developer: Myers Crow & Saviers
Location: Northeast corner of I-10 and Mason Road
Size: 2 stories, 135,000 square feet
Architect: Powers Brown Architects
Status: Proposed

Greenhouse Office Park
Developer: Stream Realty Partners/Wile Interests
Location: Southeast corner of I-10 and Greenhouse Road
Size: 5½ stories, 220,000 square feet
Architect: Powers Brown Architecture
Status: Proposed

Energy Crossing II
Developer: Lincoln Property Co.
Location: Southwest corner of I-10 and Texas 6
Size: 6 stories, 240,000 square feet
Status: Groundbreaking scheduled for August; 80,000 square feet pre-leased to Atwood Oceanics

Future building site, not named
Developer: Skanska USA
Location: 15375 Memorial Drive
Status: Proposed

Eldridge Oaks II
Developer: Transwestern
Location: 1080 Eldridge Parkway at Enclave Parkway
Size: 14 stories, 350,000 square feet
Architect: Kirksey
Status: Proposed

Energy Center Three
Developer: Trammell Crow Co./Principal Real Estate Investors
Address: 935 N. Eldridge Parkway
Size: 20 stories, 546,000 square feet
Project cost: More than $150 million
Architect: Kirksey
Status: Proposed

Woodbranch Development
Developer: PM Realty Group for Stena Realty
Location: North of I-10 between Dairy Ashford and Kirkwood on Wickchester
Size: Planned for two buildings; each between 175,000 and 200,000 square feet
Architect: Kirksey
Project cost: $45 million for first building
Status: Proposed

Energy Tower III
Developer: Mac Haik Realty
Location: Northwest corner of Interstate 10 and Kirkwood in Energy Plaza
Size: 17 stories, 450,532 square feet
Architect: Morris Architects
Status: Proposed

CityCentre Three and Four*
Developer: Midway Cos.
Address: Southeast corner of the West Belt and the Sam Houston Parkway
Size: About 120,000 square feet each
Status: CityCentre Three is under construction; Four is proposed


Murphy building
Developer: MetroNational
Address: 9805 Interstate 10
Size: 14 stories, 320,000 square feet
Status: Groundbreaking scheduled for this month; Murphy Exploration & Production Co. has pre-leased 173,000 square feet

Beltway 8 Corporate Centre
Developer: Panattoni Development Co.
Address: Westway Park Boulevard at Corporate Centre Drive
Size: 2 stories, 100,000 square feet
Architect: TBD
Status: Proposed



Clay Beltway Office Complex
Developer: Transwestern
Location: Northwest corner of W. Sam Houston Parkway and Clay Road
Size: Two buildings: 14 stories with 350,000 square feet and 12 stories with 300,000 square feet
Architect: Odell
Status: Proposed

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/wp-content/blogs.dir/1876/files/renderings-of-energy-corridor-projects/8westcentre.jpg

8 West Centre
Developer: Core Real Estate
Address: 3505 W. Sam Houston Parkway North
Size: 4 stories, 228,000 square feet
Architect: Powers Brown Architecture
Status: Proposed


CityWestPlace 5 through 8
Developer: Thomas Properties Group
Size: Four buildings from 307,000 square feet to 640,000 square feet
Location: Near the northwest corner of Westheimer and the Sam Houston Parkway
Status: Proposed


Granite Briarpark Green
Developer: Granite Properties
Location: 3141 Briarpark Drive
Size: 12 stories, 300,000 square feet
Architect: PGAL
Project cost: $75 million
Status: Under construction; no tenants yet

Westchase Park* Developer: Simmons Vedder
Address: 3600 W. Sam Houston Parkway South
Size: 270,000 square feet
Status: Proposed


Two Oak Park
Developer: Means Knaus Partners
Location: 6006 Rogerdale Road
Size: 6 stories, 150,000 square feet
Architect: Gensler
Project cost: About $35 million
Status: Proposed; will not start without pre-leasing

Houston apartment magnate Marvy Finger has purchased the old Art Institute of Houston office building in the Galleria area for a new apartment project.

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-07-09/Art_Institute_of_Houston.800w_600h.jpg

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/07-09-12-from-art-institute-to-apartments-marvy-finger-strikes-again-gobbling-up-a-building-to-convert/?utm_source=sf_facebook

Some updates of various projects around the city taken from Skyscraperpage.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8157/7510063562_01974a398e_b.jpg
BBVA Compass Bank in the Galleria area

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7510065880_53af933995_b.jpg
The Skanska Building, right across the street from the Transco Tower.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/7515023458_38bd9a6bf6_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7515021274_3472cdecfd_b.jpg
Hanover at Rice Village

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7140/7523467818_3f2ee0fcdf_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7523470762_2c8f30098e_b.jpg
New midtown development in old Freedmans Town on Cleveland St.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7523464324_84ffbd442a_b.jpg
This is the huge urban themed Fingers development next to the Whole Foods in Montrose. It will be massive and about 5 stories tall once completed.

Photos courtesy of photoLith (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5760771#post5760771).

Inner-loop tract slated for huge mixed-use project (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/07/inner-loop-tract-slated-for-huge-mixed-use-project/)

A Texas real estate investment firm has assembled a 12-acre tract inside the West Loop where it hopes to create a mixed-use development with a hotel, offices, shops and apartments.

The property is at the northeast corner of Westheimer and Mid Lane and was assembled in three separate transactions by an affiliate of Stonelake Capital Partners LLC. A portion of the property had been subject to a ground lease that has been dissolved, the company said.

Stonelake has hired the Gensler architecture firm to plan the development.

“This site represents one of the best redevelopment opportunities in Texas based on its location inside the 610 Loop, its frontage along Westheimer and proximity to Highland Village Shopping Center and River Oaks,” Tom Fish, executive managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle, said in a statement.

Stonelake was founded in 2007 by Kenneth Aboussie and John Kiltz and has offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston. The company manages institutional capital for some of the country’s largest college endowments, foundations, family office and pension funds.

...

I thought some of you might find this article to be interesting. Basically it is talking about the gentrification of Upper Kirby, along with efforts to make the street more pedestrian friendly.

Houston Chronicle: Upper Kirby's going upscale with 'cool' factor (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Upper-Kirby-s-going-upscale-with-cool-factor-3706578.php)

The expansion plan for Hobby Airport if anyone here is interested.

http://ronenews92fm.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/photo-1-3.jpg

New mixed use building being built in the Museum District.

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dermedica-rendering.jpg

Monday, July 16, 2012

The Museum District’s New 4-Story Skin Building

It turns out the construction work Swamplot readers noted last week on the vacant lot at 1401 Binz St., catty-corner from the Children’s Museum, is for a 4-story structure combining ground-floor shops, 2 floors of medical office space, and a top-floor residence — all in less than 30,000 sq. ft. A small courtyard will separate the building from a linked multilevel 160-car parking garage. Half the office space, reports the Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff, will be taken up by medical clinics operated by UT dermatologist Stephen Tyring; he also owns the property and is an owner of the development firm, Dermedica Property Group. Bailey Architects notes on its website that the building “will reflect the architectural fabric of Houston’s premier museum district buildings.” Sarnoff’s translation: It’ll look Modern. Contractor Arch-Con expects construction to be complete early next year.

http://swamplot.com/the-museum-districts-new-4-story-skin-building/2012-07-16/

Wilson Building (built 1931) @ 500 Fannin

Prior to renovation
Photo courtesy of Houstonian in Iraq on HAIF (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24755-renovation-of-the-wilson-building-500-fannin-street-in-downtown-houston/)
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a272/ig281978/P2110484.jpg

Rendering (http://zieglercooperarchitects.blogspot.com/2012/05/ziegler-cooper-architects-and-fretz.html) and Info (http://www.bisnow.com/houston_commercial_real_estate_news_story.php?p=24377)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fbxPbGyQKio/T7qOvV0LamI/AAAAAAAAArE/1wvvsiSE-TY/s1600/500+Fannin.jpg

And a photo of the almost finished project courtesy of Jax on HAIF (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24755-renovation-of-the-wilson-building-500-fannin-street-in-downtown-houston/page__st__30)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7409672952_68727e55b8_b.jpg

Carter Building (built 1910) @ 806 Main across from BG Main Place

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/files/2012/07/806-Main-207x300.jpg

The city of Houston is considering loaning the owner of a downtown building $7.35 million to help redevelop the property into a luxury hotel.

The building at 806 Main is known as the Carter Building and some call it Houston’s first skyscraper. The 16-story building was developed in 1910 by Samuel Fain Carter...

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/07/city-may-give-financial-help-to-redevelop-historic-building/

New Rendering of Astoria, up from 24 floors to 25.

http://www.astoriahouston.com/img/side/photogallery/001_big.jpg

Website (http://www.astoriahouston.com/index.html)

Midway Cos. breaks ground on new CityCentre building

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/CityCentre-Four-Rendering.jpg?v=1

by Shaina Zucker, Reporter
Date: Friday, July 27, 2012, 5:00am

Houston-based real estate and development firm Midway Cos. has just broken ground on a new six-story, mixed-use building in the CityCentre complex.

CityCentre Four, at Beltway 8 and Interstate 10, will be nestled next to CityCentre Three, also under construction. The first floor of the 132,500-square-foot building will be reserved for retail, and the upper stories will accommodate Class A offices.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2012/07/27/midway-cos-breaks-ground-on-new.html

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/14/31/33/3249872/5/628x471.jpg

Sarnoff: Close-in tract attracts luxury apartment builder (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Close-in-tract-attracts-luxury-apartment-3742397.php)

Adding to the flurry of multifamily construction inside the Loop, a 7-acre site north of Washington Avenue is being redeveloped into a high-end apartment complex.

Houston-based Kaplan Cos. recently purchased the tract that sits along T.C. Jester between Allen and Schuler streets. The property's northern border is a railroad.

"The Washington Avenue corridor has kind of come alive in the last decade," said Geoffrey Simpson, Kaplan partner and CFO.

Areawide, apartment occupancy has been steadily rising this year, with upscale properties inside the 610 Loop seeing particularly strong gains. More than half of the 9,500 units under construction are in the Inner Loop or near the Galleria.

The new Kaplan project will be called the District at Washington and is expected to open next summer. The four- and five-story complex will have 396 units with around a 60/40 split between one- and two-bedroom apartments.

The developer is piling on the amenities, it says, in part because of the large site.

"Because it's 7 acres, we're able to do some courtyards that are a third of an acre," Simpson said, noting additional features including an 11,000-square-foot clubhouse, fitness center with a yoga and spin bike area, a lap and lounging pool, and dog parks.

Rents will range from $1,209 to $1,959 on units between 708 and 1,250 square feet.
.....

http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Close-in-tract-attracts-luxury-apartment-3742397.php

Wilson Building (built 1931) @ 500 Fannin

And a photo of the almost finished project courtesy of Jax on HAIF (http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24755-renovation-of-the-wilson-building-500-fannin-street-in-downtown-houston/page__st__30)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7409672952_68727e55b8_b.jpg

Very cool! :cheers:

Some updates on various projects courtesy of photoLith on SSP.

Galleria area developments, I missed a few, actually a lot but these are a lot of the major ones from today.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7708448428_7347d9779d_b.jpg
High St.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7708450220_e1428220a1_b.jpg
Gables at Post Oak

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7708451322_56cd47d839_b.jpg
Astoria, setting up their leasing office on the lot where they are tearing down that two story McDonalds.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7708457890_be44c5443f_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7708455996_0dfb65a13b_b.jpg
BBVA Compass Bank

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7708456992_7caa4ab628_b.jpg
The Mellinium Apartments/Condos with the BBVA building in the background.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7272/7708458902_5b0af60383_b.jpg
Gables Tanglewood

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114123&page=200

Some updates on the new Marriott hotel downtown courtesy of photoLith (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5796553#post5796553) over at SSP.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7770003148_d3d3dc4e4d_b.jpg
So, work is for sure underway on this historic building which will become a Marriott supposedly. They have gutted the entire lower floor and have started to take off the crap paneling which covered up the beautiful brickwork below.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7770000290_ff1b55ef71_b.jpg

And here is a rendering of what the building will look like in the future along with a photo of what it used to look like.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7771071038_7ef9c5e883_b.jpg http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/7771046714_ef8a372b34.jpg

http://www.cardcow.com/290703/carter-building-houston-texas/
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=vJ7&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1919&bih=896&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsz&tbnid=P_pE851u_OEbhM:&imgrefurl=http://mgaia.com/portfolio.html&docid=gDVL3vM_b65WeM&imgurl=http://mgaia.com/images/port_14l.jpg&w=561&h=1000&ei=pnUoUMWEPKSxyQG3hoGoBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1145&vpy=169&dur=728&hovh=300&hovw=168&tx=90&ty=167&sig=107362793279800386692&page=1&tbnh=130&tbnw=72&start=0&ndsp=56&ved=1t:429,r:51,s:0

Repost from Skyscraperpage. Photos and info courtesy of photoLith (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=114123&page=202).


Some random updates from today with my 50mm lens after I destroyed my 14-24 lens.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7792936060_3a654051ab_b.jpg
Post Midtown Lofts new phase.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7792924236_22d09d16b5_b.jpg
A different section of almost complete Post Midtown Lofts. It even looks like there will be ground floor retail and such. Dont know about that doofy ass looking crown they have going on, I dont know why but for the past 6 years or so it seems that developers love putting these weird crown like things on top of their buildings. This is really evident in Austin, and it seems to have spread from there to other cities. Dont know where it first started though. Im sure in the future architectural historians will call this strange style something and look back and think, what the hell were they thinking?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8428/7792933646_02fd56e382_b.jpg
5 story urban development on West Grey and Gillette St.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7792929720_cf3205fe97_b.jpg
This is the huge urban themed Fingers development next to the Whole Foods in Montrose. It will be massive and about 5 stories tall once completed. They completed part of the ugly parking garage for it so far. Hopefully they cover it up in something nice and its not just bare concrete.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7792927548_ca22813636_b.jpg
It looks like they have started construction on that 21 Story building, which is pretty effing sweet. Its right across from the New Whole Foods. This will be nice to watch go up. It will be the only high rise that I know of going up at the moment inside the 610 Loop.

http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/14/54/75/3329887/3/628x471.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/7792922150_6b84ecf2a3_b.jpg
Then another mid rise on the corner of W Gray and Waugh Dr. Its built where The Tavern and crap tons of parking used to be, and a few old bungalows unfortunately. This is the backside of the development thus far. I havent seen any renders of it, but Id surmise like most other projects going up on W Gray St., it will be around 6 stories tall probably. Hopefully there will be some ground retail, but it doesnt look like there will be at this point judging from the construction, but I could be wrong.

^^

Really nice pictures. Kudos to the photographer! :cheers:

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/14/54/75/3329885/5/628x471.jpg http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/14/54/75/3329887/3/628x471.jpg


Houston Chronicle: High-rise kicks off major urban development (http://www.chron.com/business/homefront/article/High-rise-kicks-off-major-urban-development-3788652.php#photo-3329885)

A long-delayed residential project near downtown, primarily targeting well-paid professionals with upscale apartments and condos and a cluster of retail, entertainment and offices, is finally under way.

More than five years after announcing plans for the 24-acre Regent Square project off Allen Parkway, GID Development Group has begun construction on the first building, a 21-story apartment tower called The Sovereign.

It represents an important milestone for GID, which had planned to break ground before the national economy went into a tailspin.

"We went through a tough cycle in the real estate market and the overall economy," said James Linsley, president of Boston-based GID.

The project was one of several that were shelved or canceled as demand for space dried up and lenders stopped financing major commercial real estate projects.

GID said it remains committed to Regent Square, which is to go up in multiple phases on land abutting Allen Parkway near Dunlavy and Dallas, on the site of the old Allen House Apartments. The development could take 10 years to complete.

Plans include about 400,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space; more than 1,500 residential units; and 250,000 square feet of office space in what the developer refers to as an "urban district" where residents can walk to everything. The walkable nature of the project extends beyond its borders, Linsley said, with a pedestrian trail around Buffalo Bayou and high-end shops and a new Whole Foods a short distance away.

click here to read more (http://www.chron.com/business/homefront/article/High-rise-kicks-off-major-urban-development-3788652.php#photo-3329887)..............

I saw this pop up on HAIF:

Bordering Birdsall, Venice, and Knox in the Rice Military area:

http://www.sunriseluxuryliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/apt.png

http://www.sunriseluxuryliving.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Birdsall-Site-Zoom-In-View-Aerial.jpg

http://www.sunriseluxuryliving.com/development-pipeline/birdsall-memorial-apartments/

Magic Johnson is going to buy Houston Pavilions.

Magic Johnson’s company buys Houston Pavilions | Prime Property | a Chron.com blog (http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/08/magic-johnsons-company-buys-houston-pavilions/)

Maybe this can revamp it. That place is a ghost town.

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ballpark-apts-crawford.jpg

Swamplot: Stores or Restaurants To Take Place of Ben Milam Hotel Shops, Bells & Whistles (http://swamplot.com/stores-or-restaurants-to-take-place-of-ben-milam-hotel-shops-bells-whistles/2012-08-24/)

A ground-floor plan of the Ballpark Apartments developer Marvy Finger is set to build on 2 downtown blocks beyond Minute Maid Park’s leftfield fence shows a couple of retail spaces are planned for the southern end of the 7-story complex. They’ll face Texas Ave. between La Branch and Crawford. The larger space, on the corner of Texas and Crawford, will take the place of what are now vacant retail spaces on the ground floor of the (long-vacant) Ben Milam Hotel. (It’s at the far bottom left of the Crawford St. rendering above.) A smaller space will take up the ground floor of land now occupied by the more recently shuttered Bells & Whistles Cafe, at the corner of Texas and La Branch. The plans, leaked to HAIF earlier this week, were prepared by Atlanta architects Niles Bolton Associates.

Some updates on the Ashby highrise project and the new Waterwall Place apartment project.

Sarnoff: Ashby high-rise developers request first construction permit (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-Ashby-high-rise-developers-request-first-3832588.php#photo-3396224)

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/14/75/12/3396224/3/628x471.jpg
This rendering shows the WaterWall Place apartment project in the Galleria area. Construction began in July on the 322-unit development.

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/14/41/41/3283050/3/628x471.jpg

Sarnoff: First Ward sees uptick in construction (http://www.chron.com/business/sarnoff/article/Sarnoff-First-Ward-sees-uptick-in-construction-3761930.php)
Published 11:58 p.m., Friday, August 3, 2012

A recent burst of construction activity is taking place in the First Ward, a neighborhood bisected by railroad tracks where new three-story townhomes mingle with bungalows, shotgun houses and old Victorians.

The area has been dubbed the "First Ward Arts District" for its collection of artist residents and studios. A bike trail runs through the area, which is one of the closest neighborhoods to downtown just north of Washington Avenue.

Giant busts of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin - sometimes referred to as "Mount Rush Hour" - greet motorists who drive into downtown from the north and west sides.

Young professionals have been moving in, but there are others.

"We're seeing empty-nesters who want to live close to downtown and near the restaurants," said Greg Burton of InTown Homes, which is developing townhouses in the First Ward. "The main thing is to 'Get rid of that drive.' That's what I hear more than anything."

The company's new project, Silver Commons at Silver and Dart streets, will have four-story units with rooftop terraces with skyline views. The smallest units may start in the mid-$300,000s and reach into the $400,000s.

Other developers have signs on vacant lots touting new projects.

Burton said as land got more expensive along the Washington and Memorial corridors closer to Memorial Park, builders started looking closer in.

While land in the area is still reasonably priced, Burton said, bids are getting more competitive. He said there can be three or four bids on one property at full price or more. He recently noticed a 5,000-square-foot lot for sale on Summer Street that went from $148,000 to $160,000 in a week.

"All the builders are down here," he said.

..

....

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-08-29/GIDYang_Liu-Jingpool-b-04-rev.800w_600h.jpg

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-08-16/Regent_Square_development_Houston_aerial_rendering.800w_600h.jpg

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-08-29/GID2.800w_600h.jpg

New 21-story apartment tower aims to be a walkable Inner Loop mini city with high-tech perks
By Whitney Radley
09.01.12 | 02:14 pm
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/09-01-12-new-21-story-apartment-tower-aims-for-a-walkable-inner-loop-lifestyle-and-lots-of-high-tech-perks/


After several years of delays, ground has been broken at Regent Square, a mixed-use, multi-story, mini-city-within-the-city that will occupy 24 acres of inner Loop land. This is just phase one of the construction, which is expected to take place over the next 10 years.

Scott Ziegler, principal at Ziegler Cooper Architects, tells CultureMap to expect a lifestyle arrangement at Sovereign Tower, the 21-story, 290-unit apartment complex that comprises the first phase of the project.

"We're trying to give up the car as much as we can in Houston," Ziegler says.

In order to make that happen, his firm has, in conjunction with the GID Development Group, developed an urban district with everything a resident needs — restaurants, retail, office space and entertainment — in one space.

It's all about the pedestrian, a solution to suburban sprawl.

And it doesn't hurt that Regent Square is situated just steps from the Buffalo Bayou trail system, and only a couple of blocks from the Whole Foods Market that went up while the project was on hold.

Zielger expects to attract young professionals to the Sovereign Tower when it opens in March 2014. "This demographic wants an urban lifestyle without yard maintenance . . . at a lower cost of living than owning a home," he says.

......

..

Plans to possibly convert the downtown portions of I-10/I-45/US 59 into a giant roundabout.

Houston Chronicle: Here's a roundabout way to ease traffic congestion (http://www.chron.com/news/article/Here-s-a-roundabout-way-to-ease-traffic-congestion-3836900.php)
It's one of many alternatives officials are considering
Monday, September 3, 2012 | Updated: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 1:04am

Imagine driving into downtown Houston on interstates 10 or 45, or U.S. 59, and having to merge with all other incoming traffic onto an elevated, one-way traffic circle around the cluster of skyscrapers.

If downtown isn't your final destination, you would stay on the circle until you got to the point where your freeway picks back up. Otherwise, you would pick an off-ramp to exit.

For now, the concept - a first-of-its-kind roundabout fed by multiple major highways rather than surface streets - is one of many untested and undeveloped ideas that local transportation entities will entertain as they begin taking a more creative look at how to relieve congestion in the highly developed area inside Loop 610 in an era of declining state funding.

The Texas Department of Transportation stresses the preliminary nature of the idea, saying that studies may prove it's not even feasible. But it is one of the "innovative" solutions the agency is floating as transportation leaders realize using the state's limited funds to build more and more roads isn't the best or only way to solve congestion in Texas' major cities.

"That is currently on the table with a universe of options," Raquelle Lewis, transportation department spokeswoman in Houston, said of the Texas-sized roundabout.

Ted Houghton, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, which governs TxDOT, turned heads when he described the concept as both "fascinating" and "feasible" during a breakfast address in Houston in early August.

...

http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/14/77/23/3405053/6/270x488.jpg

http://uhdskyline.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/buffalobayourendering-e1337269209574.jpg?w=750

POSTED BY UHD ⋅MAY 17, 2012

We are pleased (and very excited) to let you all know that the Houston First board of directors approved the BBP/Houston First contract for the International

redevelopment. As you all know, this has been an extremely difficult project for our organization due to many factors. This successful outcome with Houston First is a win/win for of all most and entities both downtown Houston.

We will be reporting on our next steps at our June 1 board meeting.

The restoration of the International Coffee Building is central to the Allen’s Landing revitalization project. The building is one of the few remaining industrial buildings on Buffalo Bayou and a contributing structure within downtown’s Main Street/Market Square Historic District.

http://skyline.uhd.edu/2012/05/17/houston-first-approves-international-coffee-building-contract/

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/willowick-ne-b-alabama.jpg

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

WHAT’S GOING to replace the Willowick Court Townhomes (at right) at the corner of West Alabama and Las Palmas, west of Weslayan? Newer townhomes — at least for the strip along the west side of Las Palmas, on the western edge of the property. It’ll be covered with 38 3-story townhomes, about a dozen of them with rooftop patios. For the larger portion of the 11-acre site, Martin Fein Interests is planning 2 big blocks of apartments. The block pictured above from West Alabama will have 325 units in 6 stories on top of a 2-level parking garage, with a garden and pool in the courtyard and towers at the corners. Another 188-unit block lining West Main will have 7 stories on top of a single-level garage and feature an 8th-floor wine bar on the southeast corner (at left in the above image), a source tells Swamplot.

http://swamplot.com/the-townhomes-and-apartments-coming-to-willowick-court/2012-09-05/

The latest renderings of BLVD Place:

http://www.blvdplace.com/Images/Gallery/RetailPlans/Large/1.jpg

http://www.blvdplace.com/Images/Gallery/RetailRenderings/Large/6.jpg

http://www.blvdplace.com/Images/Gallery/RetailRenderings/Large/1.jpg

http://www.blvdplace.com/Retail-Renderings.htm

^^

It would be nice to see an urban H-E-B. Whole Foods is nice but expensive.

^^

It would be nice to see an urban H-E-B. Whole Foods is nice but expensive.

The new Montrose H-E-B was originally going to be an urban formatted store, with parking on the roof, but somehow the design process got screwed up and we ended up with just a somewhat nicer/upscale version of their typical strip mall store. :doh:

Anyways for what it's worth at least the Randall's in Midtown has an urban format with parking below the store.

The new Montrose H-E-B was originally going to be an urban formatted store, with parking on the roof, but somehow the design process got screwed up and we ended up with just a somewhat nicer/upscale version of their typical strip mall store. :doh:

Anyways for what it's worth at least the Randall's in Midtown has an urban format with parking below the store.

You know they just love surface lots in Houston.

You know they just love surface lots in Houston.

What is even more annoying is that both Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, and even Charlotte have "urban" big box stores (such as Target, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc) and supermarkets with multi-level parking, and for the most part they are laid out very similar to Houston as well. I just think developers here are just too indifferent/cheap to think outside the box and try anything different.

Actually although I have never been there, I guess the Costco on Richmond could be considered to be "urban" as well since it appears to have parking on the roof according to Google Earth.

New Downtown Convention Center Hotel (Plans):

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/Rida-proposedhotel-092512.JPG?v=1
http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/news/Rida-proposedhotel-092512.JPG?v=1

Houston First Corp. said Tuesday it has selected Rida Development Corp. to enter into exclusive negotiations to develop a downtown convention hotel.
HBJ reported earlier this month that Rida Development and Dallas-based TRT Holdings/Omni Hotel were the only two teams still in the running to develop the hotel.
The 1,000-room hotel will be developed on the block immediately north of Discovery Green and will connect to the George R. Brown Convention Center via a skywalk.
Houston First expects the new hotel will increase the city’s convention business, Houston First Chairman Ric Campo said in a Tuesday statement.
“We look forward to the day when Houston competes among the best convention destinations in the United States,” Ira Mitzner, president of Rida Development, said in the statement.

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2012/09/25/houston-first-selects-rida-development.html

^^
Way cool!



Deal to build tower on church land benefits city and county (http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Deal-to-build-tower-on-church-land-benefits-city-3900764.php)

http://houstonsfirst.org/assets/1142/6_mem_point_super_hi_res.jpg
houstonfirst


A recently finalized deal to build an office tower in a church's parking lot could add more than $1 million in tax revenue to local coffers.

Earlier this month, Houston's First Baptist Church said it plans to lease its nearly 4-acre parking lot to the Hines development firm. Hines has proposed constructing an office building and parking garage on the now tax-exempt parcel located along a busy stretch of Interstate 10 near the West Loop, converting the property into commercial use.

The parcel would then become subject to city, county, school and related taxes for the first time in decades. Harris County Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Jim Robinson said that's a rather unusual occurrence.

"Normally, once a property goes exempt for a church it usually stays exempt," Robinson said.

The amount of taxes owed would depend on the new building's value.

The cost to erect a high-rise office structure, similar in size to what Hines has proposed, ranges from $100 to $120 per square foot, according to a construction cost report from Kirksey Architecture.

At a 3 percent tax rate, that could amount to a tax bill of at least $1.2 million just for the office building. The 1,500-car parking garage, which likely would be taxed as well, would generate an additional amount.

As a nonprofit organization, First Baptist still would be exempt from paying taxes on real- estate income generated by the deal, church spokesman Steven Murray noted.

Under the terms, Hines would lease the land from the church for at least 99 years. The church did not disclose the value of the lease.

First Baptist has cited a lack of parking as the impetus for the arrangement.

On Sunday mornings, the church at 7401 Katy Freeway parks about 800 cars off-site. As part of the agreement, the 25,000-member congregation would be allowed to use the parking garage on Sundays and after business hours.

The agreement would allow Hines to build an office tower of approximately 16 stories and 400,000 square feet on the site of the parking lot on the church's west side.

^^ Great use of land. If only Dallas could get rid of some of those nasty asphalt eyesores.

Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc. Announces Plans for Development of New Office Tower at Houston's BriarLake Plaza (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/behringer-harvard-reit-i-inc-announces-plans-for-development-of-new-office-tower-at-houstons-briarlake-plaza-2012-09-18)

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/uploads/monthly_10_2012/post-11442-0-90420200-1349073027_thumb.jpg


DALLAS, Sep 18, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Behringer Harvard REIT I, Inc. announced today its plans for the development of an office tower at BriarLake Plaza. The new property, named Two BriarLake Plaza, will consist of 332,000 rentable square feet in 12 stories of office space built on top of a seven-level parking pedestal.

Two BriarLake Plaza, the final phase of the complex, will be constructed on a 1.5-acre site at the corner of W. Sam Houston Parkway and Briar Forest Drive in the heart of the Westchase Management District, one of the strongest office markets in Houston.

Half the space slated for development at Two BriarLake Plaza has been preleased to Samsung Engineering America Inc. to serve as its North American headquarters. Based in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung Engineering is a global engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) and project management company delivering services to hydrocarbon, industrial and infrastructure customers.

"Samsung Engineering has been active in Houston since 2008, providing front-end engineering services. We are in the process of expanding our Houston capabilities to provide full-scope engineering, procurement and construction services to the North American EPC market," said Mr. Steve Fludder, President and CEO of Samsung Engineering America Inc.

http://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-10-04/Starbucks_Infographic_October_2012_this.800w_600h.jpg
Starbucks selected Houston for its 2012 Global Leadership Conference and plans to pour $22 million into the city.

Culture Map Houston: Starbucks managers and power players flood Houston: 10,000 coffee folks are on a mission (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-05-12-starbucks-managers-and-bigwigs-flood-houston-10000-coffee-folks-are-on-a-mission/?utm_source=sf_facebook)

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/15/50/14/3572520/0/385x218.jpg

29-story tower will rise near the Galleria (http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/29-story-tower-will-rise-near-the-Galleria-3937132.php)
By Nancy Sarnoff | Wednesday, October 10, 2012 | Updated: Thursday, October 11, 2012 12:00am

A luxury apartment tower is set to break ground early next year just off Post Oak Boulevard, developers said Wednesday.

The project represents the continued progression of BLVD Place, the redevelopment of 21 acres at the southwest corner of Post Oak and San Felipe into an urban-style complex.

Construction started back up at the Galleria-area site last month, three years after the first building opened. BLVD Place was among numerous projects that were delayed or dropped altogether as a result of the economic slowdown.

At completion, the development is expected to include high-end shops and restaurants as well as office space, a boutique hotel and 1,000 high-rise residential units.

"We're really creating an urban center," said Ed Wulfe, chairman of Wulfe & Co., managing partner of BLVD Place.

....

..

Not bad. Houston looks set to boom...big.

Above the Galleria Whole Foods Hole (http://swamplot.com/above-the-galleria-whole-foods-hole/2012-10-19/)

http://swamplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/whole-foods-galleria-const-hole.jpg

http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/56/3668892/4/270x297.jpg http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/16/3666841/0/385x218.jpg http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/16/3666845/0/385x218.jpg http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/16/3666839/0/385x218.jpg http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/16/3666840/0/385x218.jpg http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/15/77/16/3666842/0/385x218.jpg

Development in Midtown on an upswing
By Nancy Sarnoff | Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | Updated: Wednesday, October 31, 2012 10:54am

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Development-in-Midtown-on-an-upswing-3994538.php

After more than a decade, a plan for a six-acre "Superblock" in Midtown is finally taking shape.

A high-end apartment building is slated for one end of the site, and a public park is planned on the other end.

"It's been a long time working on that deal," said Ric Campo, CEO of Camden Property Trust, the Houston-based developer that owns half of the land and will build the apartments there. "It's one of the most significant sites on that part of town."

Find homes for sale in the Midtown area here

Midtown, a patchwork of a neighborhood just south of the Central Business District, has seen its residential population explode 65 percent over the past decade, to approximately 8,600 today.

It's experiencing a new wave of retail growth as well, amid the city's bustling economy.

Restaurants and bars are opening where others may have failed or in spaces that had been overlooked.

The wildly popular Mongoose Versus Cobra opened earlier this year in a historic building on McGowen that originally functioned as a grocery before having different occupants and then sitting vacant for years.

The craft beer and specialty cocktail bar is under the same ownership as 13 Celsius, another Midtown bar in a restored old building.

Hear how one Houston woman is paving her way in the beer industry

On the southern side of Midtown, developers recently converted a 77-year-old structure and rundown shopping center into artist studios.

New residential development is filling up some of the empty lots.

Camden expects to break ground on its project in about a year. The apartments, which will contain about 300 units in a seven-story building, will go up on the southern half of the so-called Superblock, a long parcel of land undivided by cross streets bordered Main, McGowen, Travis and Anita.

The Midtown Redevelopment Authority is planning a three-acre park on the northern portion of the property. The authority, which oversees public improvements to the area, also plans to build an underground parking garage beneath the park and retail space on its two northern corners.

Fewer gaps

Gaps in this area are starting to fill in.

"Midtown's resurgence really speaks to the residents who live here and their desire to stay in this neighborhood," said Matt Stovall, vice president of Crosspoint Properties, a local developer that owns several retail centers in the area.

Its newest project will be a two-story building with a nine-screen Alamo Drafthouse Cinema occupying most of it.

On Louisiana between Tuam and Anita streets, the 50,000-square-foot building will have a five-story garage next door.

The company hopes to break ground in the first six months of next year.

Apartment complex

Last year, Crosspoint sold some of the land it owns in Midtown to the Morgan Group, a Houston-based apartment developer planning its second complex in the area.

The 154-unit project, dubbed Pearl Midtown, will be built on the block bounded by Smith, Elgin, Louisiana and Rosalie streets.

Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects designed the building, which will have four stories of apartments above two levels of parking. Construction is expected to start next month.

Midtown's resurgence began after a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone was formed for the area in the mid-1990s. A TIRZ is typically put in place to revitalize blighted areas by pumping tax dollars into public improvements like parks and decorative streetlights.

...

..

ABC News | Developer: New apartment complex, businesses in Midtown's future (http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8870246)

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A popular area among young adults and professionals near downtown is seeing a boom in development. Plans are in the works for several new businesses and high-end apartments in Midtown.

It's all about timing and location. Apartments are very much in demand because homes are a lot harder to come by. A lot more people are moving to Houston because of its economy. Combine that with the largest remaining acreage near downtown, and you have what's called the superblock.

It was built in the boom of the late 90's and given the name of Midtown to define its location, which is sandwiched between downtown and the Texas Medical Center. It features a collection of apartment developments, retail and restaurants that's still going strong today.

"We take our puppy all the time and just sit outside. You can have a beer or eat outside. There's really nothing like it," Midtown resident Matt Hughes said.

The area is attracting so many that parking can't keep up with people visiting the businesses there. In fact, that's the main complaint for Serena Blanchard, the owner of Sweet Lola, a gourmet yogurt shop.

"They're just driving around, driving around, driving around and there's no place to park," Blanchard said.

So Midtown development is expanding, and Camden Properties has the last big parcel of land -- a six-acre site -- ready for the next generation of Midtown. The company plans to build a seven-story complex with 300 apartment units on half of the land. On the other three acres, a green park space atop underground parking will be built by the local tax reinvestment zone.

"Not just park their car but find a green space to hang out in and to enjoy like any other citizen," Camden Properties CEP Ric Campos said.

It's called the superblock and will feature retail and restaurants as well.

Nearly 9,000 people live in Midtown now. In a few more years, that is expected to double. And Houston's inner court isn't just growing out, it's growing up.

"It's happening in every city in America and Houston is going along with the same kind of urbanization that the rest of the country is going through," Campos said.

Construction on the project is scheduled to start next year.

..

..

Developer of Twitter headquarters eyes purchase of Exxon Mobil tower for extreme makeover (http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/11-05-12-11-38-developer-of-twitter-headquarters-eyes-purchase-of-exxon-mobil-tower-for-extreme-makeover/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2189615334_df4af5f258.jpg


Shorenstein Properties, a prominent San Francisco-based developer, is negotiating to buy the 44-story Exxon Mobil building in downtown Houston in what could become a catalyst for redevelopment in the southern end of downtown.

Shorenstein recently reaffirmed its expertise in reworking classic office space with its acclaimed redevelopment of the historic Market Square building in San Francisco for the headquarters of the Twitter social media company.

If the sale proceeds to closing, Shorenstein is expected to pay around $50 million for the Exxon Mobil building. As part of the deal, Exxon Mobil would lease back the tower for a couple of years until its new campus is completed.

Exxon Mobil is selling its aging 1.1 million-square-foot downtown tower in conjunction with its relocation to its huge new corporate campus, which is under construction in Houston’s northern suburbs.

Shorenstein declined to comment on the deal, but sources in the real estate community said the San Francisco developer would place the Exxon Mobil tower in one of its powerhouse investment funds — Shorenstein Realty Investors Ten, which is capitalized with $1.23 billion.

The Exxon Mobil building, which opened in 1963, is viewed by some as an outdated property. The tower lacks a connection to the downtown tunnel system, a flaw that prevents it from being on the top rung of preferred office locations. Surrounded mostly by surface parking lots on the southern end of downtown, its location at 800 Bell is a bit removed from the prime office addresses on Louisiana or Smith Streets or the Houston Center complex.

Originally known as the Humble Oil Building, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi when it opened 50 years ago. Located on the top of floors of the building, the renowned Petroleum Club has been the venue of countless business lunches and banquets.

If the sale proceeds to closing, Shorenstein is expected to pay around $50 million for the Exxon Mobil building. As part of the deal, Exxon Mobil would lease back the tower for a couple of years until its new campus is completed.

2929 Weslayan officially breaks ground

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/wp-content/blogs.dir/1876/files/2929-weslayan/highrise-ext.jpg

Houston is getting another very tall tower.

This rendering is an image of 2929 Weslayan, a new apartment building that just broke ground at the northeast corner of Weslayan and West Alabama.

At 40 stories, the building will be one of the tallest residential buildings around and perhaps the tallest rental tower in the city. The project was 35 stories when it was announced last year.

PM Realty is developing the building. RTKL created the design, which the developer said is “inspired by a flowing evening gown.”

:cheers:

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2012/11/apartment-tower-to-soar-40-stories/

http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/willowickrendering2.jpg?v=1 http://assets.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/rendering1willowick.jpg?v=1



Martin Fein to begin construction on three inner-loop multifamily projects
Houston Business Journal by Shaina Zucker, Reporter
Date: Friday, November 16, 2012, 3:52pm CST
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/breaking-ground/2012/11/martin-fein-to-begin-construction-on.html

Houston-based Martin Fein Interests Ltd. said Friday it would begin demolition on the Willowick Court Townhomes within the next two weeks to make way for new multifamily projects on a 10.3-acre tract of land inside the Interstate 610 loop.

The multifamily developer acquired the Willowick Court Townhomes in September 2011 for an undisclosed amount.

Fein will start vertical construction in March next year. The project is slated to begin delivering units in the third quarter of 2014.

One of the new projects, Aria at Willowick Park, will have 325 units over a two-level structured parking garage and will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom designs averaging 862 square feet.

Another, Olympia at Willowick Park, will be a 189-unit project situated over a two-story garage and will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans averaging 1,462 square feet

....

..

The Port of Houston's Bayport Cruise Terminal is about to get new service from Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruise Lines, after being empty for five years.


http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/16/21/32/3741375/0/385x218.jpg http://ww4.hdnux.com/photos/16/21/16/3740595/0/385x218.jpg http://ww2.hdnux.com/photos/16/21/32/3741349/0/385x218.jpg

Bayport secures two new cruise ship contracts
http://www.chron.com/business/article/Bayport-secures-two-new-cruise-ship-contracts-4040859.php
By Kiah Collier | November 16, 2012 | Updated: November 16, 2012 8:31am

The only time cruise ships have called on the Bayport Cruise Terminal was for several weeks in 2008 after Hurricane Ike damaged the Port of Galveston. Since then, the 96,000-square-foot facility in Pasadena has sat empty.

It won't for much longer.

On Thursday, the Port of Houston Authority's governing board announced the cruise terminal's first-ever regular service in the form of two contracts with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, which used to call on a terminal at Barbours Cut but left in 2007.

The agreement with California-based Princess is for the 2013-2014 season with 27 planned departures; the agreement with Florida-based Norwegian begins in 2014 and spans for a total of 75 departures. The latter includes an option for a two-year extension.

Princess' inaugural trip on the 3,080-passenger Caribbean Princess, a benefit cruise to support veterans, is scheduled for Nov. 5-9, 2013. In the fall of 2014, Norwegian Cruise Lines will begin operating the 2,374-passenger Norwegian Jewel from Houston on week-long cruises to the western Caribbean.

"Securing this cruise business helps fulfill our commitment by building the cruise terminal to spur job creation and economic development for the entire greater Houston and Pasadena region," Jim Edmonds, chairman of the authority's commission, said in a statement.

The release did not include financial details, but it estimated each cruise line will have a $50 million annual economic impact, including nearly $1 million in state and local tax revenue, according to economic consulting firm Martin Associates. Nearly 100 new jobs are predicted.


click on link to read more (http://www.chron.com/business/article/Bayport-secures-two-new-cruise-ship-contracts-4040859.php)
...

https://static.culturemap.com/site_media/uploads/photos/2012-11-12/SkyHouse_high_rise_Midtown_1625_Main_St._rendering.525w_700h.jpg

Main Street high-rise gets big tax incentives: The $67 million SkyHouse is set to rise
BY WHITNEY RADLEY
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/11-15-12-10-03-main-street-high-rise-gets-big-tax-incentives-the-67-million-skyhouse-is-set-to-rise/
11.15.12 | 10:14 am

News broke last week that Novare Group, an Atlanta-based developer, was partnering with two other firms on plans to build a 24-story, 336-unit high-rise apartment at 1625 Main Street — but only if the City of Houston gave it a significant tax incentive to do so.

Well, the Downtown Redevelopment Authority board voted to approve a residential incentive plan for the developer Tuesday afternoon, despite the fact that the project lies outside of boundaries for the Downtown Living Initiative Chapter 380 passed by Houston City Council in August.

That program was meant to entice developers to the area with a $15,000 per unit rebate in hopes of doubling the number of downtown residences by 2016, with an incentive for the first 2,500 residential units under contract.

.....

..