Houston Development News

[texasboy]

New group rolls out lofty plan to revamp Pavilion on Post Oak
Nancy Sarnoff
Houston Business Journal
Yet another plan has surfaced to redevelop the enigmatic Pavilion on Post Oak.


And the latest scheme includes just about every concept ever proposed for the beleaguered shopping center on Post Oak Boulevard between San Felipe and Westheimer.

The newest proposition -- currently being shopped around to banks and mortgage brokers -- includes almost 2 million square feet of space.

The plan consists of two condominium towers, a five-star hotel, office space, retail space, a private leisure and dining club, an entertainment venue, a culinary arts center and meeting facilities.

The $353 million proposal is the work of a newly formed group called Urban Resorts Development LP.

The principals include Fenner Weller Jr. of local broker-dealer shop Weller, Anderson & Co.; Gene Duckworth; and Boston-based Robert Bryant, formerly of real estate consulting firm Economics Research Associates.

The Jerde Partnership International Inc.; Rosewood Hotels & Resorts; Boulder, Colo.-based CommArts Inc.; architecture giant Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum; Economic Research Associates; and general contractor E.E. Reed/Beers Skanska are also mentioned as members of the project team.

An investment package obtained by the Houston Business Journal outlines the lofty development, dubbed RivaPlace.

Some 220 residential units will be housed in two towers.

The residents would receive 24-hour access to the hotel facilities and services, including housekeeping, laundry and room services as well as multi-lingual concierges, doormen, security and valet parking.

The hotel could include 175 rooms, including 53 suites, and additional condominiums for sale.

The materials say that after the Houston development, the team will consider launching similar projects in such cities as Miami, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, London and Berlin.

When asked to comment on the Houston deal, partner Weller shared few details, as his team is still on a fundraising mission.

"The concept is an urban resort," Weller says. "It will be very friendly to the individual -- a lot of greenery, not too concrete intensive."


One name was oddly absent from the package: Mishael Radom.

The head of Houston-based Radler Enterprises Inc. has owned the 13-acre Pavilion property for years.

In the past, Radom has been in talks with numerous developers and hotel operators, but the center has remained as a retail and restaurant hub.

The two-level enclosed mall, with an underground parking garage, contains more than 286,000 square feet of space.

Some of the tenants include Americas Restaurant, Esther Wolf, Hermes of Paris and Hunan Restaurant.

Radom could not be reached for comment.

Real estate roundup
Houston-based Igloo Products Corp. is consolidating distribution operations into one facility in the Katy/Brookshire area.

The ice chest and beverage cooler maker is building a 900,000 square foot addition to its current headquarters at 30603 Katy-Brookshire Road.

Igloo's corporate presence in the area dates back to the opening of the company's main distribution center in 1979.

When the new structure is completed in December, the entire property will comprise 1.4 million square feet.


More than 1,300 employees will work at the site.

Houston-based Core Real Estate is developing the project for Igloo.

The design construction team includes D.E. Harvey Builders Inc., Powers Brown Architecture, Haynes Whaley Associates, Walter P. Moore and Wylie & Associates Inc.

Igloo President Jim Morley says the move toward consolidation is aimed at creating a more "streamlined, leaner business unit."

Insurance and financial services company USAA is providing the capital for the transaction and will own the new building, leasing the facility to Igloo.

Jeff Everist of CB Richard Ellis in Houston represented Igloo in the transaction.

Igloo is owned by Westar Capital, a California-based venture capital firm which purchased the company from Brunswick Corp. in 2001.

Igloo was established in 1947 as a small metalworking shop producing metal water coolers for construction workers, oilfield employees and longshoremen on the docks.

In 1962 the company began selling the first all-plastic ice chest.

[texasboy]

The sales office stands in the parking lot currently in downtown.

[texasboy]

With the turning of dirt the shovels at a ground breaking ceremony later this month, Memorial Hermann Healthcare Sysstem will begin construction on the city's largest commercial construction project - the $155 million Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza. When complete, the building will be the largest medical office in the Texas Medical Center area.

Designed in partnership with one of Houston's leading health care developers, Mischer Healthcare Services, the new facilty to be located at the corner of Fannin and McGregor Strees will encompass more than 500,000 rentable square feet. This includes office space for up to 200 physicians, and a 2,400-vehicle parking garage. Services offered include an onsite ambulatory care center with either surgical suites, four endoscopy suites, and a full-modality imaging center. The ambulatory care center will occupy 100,000 square feet on two of the project's 30 floors.

Another two floors on the lobby/concourse levels will be filled by retail shops, services, and restaurants and will conveniently connect, via the existing skybridge, to comprehensive resources at Memorial Hermann and Memorial Hermann Children's Hospitals. Also easily accessible via skybridge are The University of Texas Health Science Center Professional Building and UT-Houston Medical School.

"With its modern design, sophisticated construction, state-of-the-art services, and skybridge access to the TMC's founding hospital, this facility will be home to the best and brightest in Houston's medical community," said Dan Wolterman, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System president and CEO. "It represents, once again, our system's leadership commitment to innovation."

The Project will create 375 construction jos during the two-year construction period and 191 permanent jobs upon opening.

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Style™

very nice projects. any more news on either of them?

Any news on all of them, or certain ones?

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Style™

mainly shamrock. looks nice but with no information with it.

Encompassing nearly a full city block, Shamrock Tower is designed to integrate retail, residential and parking functions within a single structure. Utilizing cast-in-place concrete construction or tunnelform for cost efficiency, clear span retail areas, efficient structured parking and a large variety of residential units are provided without the need for a traditional transfer deck between function uses. The result of this design innovation is a significant reduction in the cost of construction. Street level retail will feature jazz clubs, dining establishments and a fast food restaurant with drive-thru. Residences range in size from 695 square foot apartments to 2,526 square foot two-story penthouses. Resident amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center and plaza level pool terrace.

[texasboy]

Finished Product


Palisade Palms is a club-class, high-rise condominium development that will consist of two modern curvilinear towers designed to provide residents with panoramic views over the Gulf of Mexico. The two towers will be built atop a three level elevated parking structure, and will be connected by a podium lobby that opens up onto the club-class pool deck. The towers will have 278 residential units ranging in size from one-bedroom homes that are just under 1,000 square feet to penthouse homes of more than 3,000 square feet

[texasboy]

Piedmont at River Oaks from the 170's to high 200's




The Advantages of a River Oaks Location

Located in the area of Houston’s most prestigious neighborhood, The Piedmont boasts great views and is located just a block from the River Oaks Shopping Center, retail boutiques, restaurants and nightlife.



Main Highlights:

One to three bedrooms with unique interior design
10 foot ceilings
High-quality construction
Large windows
Crown molding and recessed lighting
Ceramic and hardwood floors
Granite countertops
Electric wine cooler
Super-efficient soundproofing system
Secure, covered parking
Common terrace with pool, BBQ area, and dramatic downtown view
Great views from the residences
Friendly environment. The development contains two buildings with a maximum of 40 homes each
Controlled-access entry and gate
Short corridors leading to your residence

Interior renderings


Piedmont Site

[texasboy]

Update on the Harris County Civil Justice Center

[SChristopher]

It looks as though Houston is trying to go more and more coastal with its designs. You know like designs seen in Beach cities.

[texasboy]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the comments.

[texasboy]

Abandoned railyard north of the Houston C.B.D. along I-10. The site is over 40 acres with 6 existing structures that were once used as railyard maintenance facilities and offices.

The goal is to clean & restore several structure turning them into housing (loft), retail, and office facilities. Introduction of a new street grid that connects the existing residential neighborhood. The spaces in between the buildings offer opportunities for parks, plazas, and urban street environments.





In June, Jim Hill, AIA made a presentation to our Houston AIA/Urban Design Committee about Hardy Place, a redevelopment proposal for the 43 acre Hardy railyards just north of downtown. As one of the largest contiguous parcels with close proximity to both downtown and the planned extension of the Main Street light rail line, Hardy Place presents a major opportunity to introduce a dense, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly and transit-oriented development in an area of town in need of revitalization. The project will serve as the anchor development of a newly formed 230-acre TIRZ. In order to ensure the quality of development envisioned by the master plan, Hardy Place must adopt an innovative set of restrictive covenants that will, in effect, serve as a form-based zoning regulation

[texasboy]

Located by the sea, this one of a kind 15 story high rise condominium offers remarkable surroundings at a variety of exceptional and reasonable prices. We have all the amenities you and the whole family would ever want to fit your lifestyle. Take advantage of breathtaking views from our infinity pool deck with its four distinct pools, catch a show in our movie theatre, stroll along the adjacent beach, and dine at fine restaurants at our doorstep. The Crown Jewel of Galveston has finally arrived.






Amenities:
Very low, yes very low, sensible maintenance fees
Dramatic views of the gulf, beach and harbor
1 Exclusive Penthouse Floor
24 hour concierge service
Pools for everyone in the family:
166’ long infinity
Swim-in Spa
Volleyball Pool
Children’s Pool

Swim-in Pool Bar
Lobby Bar
Movie Theatre
State of the Art Fitness Centre
Children’s Playland
Teenage Game Room
Guest Suites
Individual Storage Units for Sale
Pre-wired for cable or satellite television/high speed internet


Penthouse Amenities:
Whilrpool Spas available on select terraces

12 to 13 foot ceilings heights

Wine Coolers

Complementary Storage Units

Exceptional Cabinets, Light Fixtures, and Carpet

Marble Slabs in Both Kitchens and Bathrooms

Upgraded Jenn-Aire appliance package

Flat Screen TV

Exterior Feautures:
The Emerald is to be built according to plans and specifications by Spencer Partnership Architects, with modifications by the developer during the construction process.

Exterior is composed of glass, mosaic tile, and plaster with integral color fastness. Little or no painting required.

Detailed and varied balcony railings compliment the building.
Double thermal paned windows will vary in number and size due to the variety of floor plans. The amount of total glass area will vary depending on the floor plan selected.

Spacious swimming pools on the seventh level. Four distinct and separate pool areas including a 166’ long infinity pool, volleyball pool, children’s pool, and swim-in pool spa. There will be extensive landscaping surrounding the deck and cabanas.

Building Features:
Private Movie Theatre on the 7th level.
Concierge station in the lobby.
Storage units available for purchase

First class, state of the art Fitness Centre

Guest parking on ground floor

Access to the private residential parking by transmitter.
Visitor access is through the lobby via a phone entry system that will also enable the homeowner to have video capability through their television.

Building is equipped with Smoke Alarm & Sprinkler Systems.

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Style™

texasboy, do you have a camera? if not, you need one!

Of course I have a camera. The real question is, do I have a scanner?

[texasboy]

Oct. 19, 2004, 3:55PM

City begins acquiring land for new urban park
By MIKE SNYDER
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
The city has begun acquiring property for a 13-acre urban park that is likely to trigger substantial new development on the east side of downtown, Mayor Bill White said today.

White said the city signed a contract today with Crescent Real Estate Equities Inc. to purchase 5.29 acres just west of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The city will acquire the remaining, adjacent property by the end of the year, design the park next year and start construction in 2006, White said. ADVERTISEMENT


The park should be open by 2007, he said.

"You will see an explosion of growth around the periphery of this park," White told the annual meeting of Central Houston Inc., adding that the new development would strengthen the city's tax base and enhance the continuing revitalization of downtown.

White said private contributions would pay for at least 80 percent of the park's estimated $80 million cost. The city's contributions would come from hotel and entertainment tax revenues rather than property taxes, White said.

The new park, which would be the largest downtown and one of the largest in the central part of Houston, would attract convention visitors as well as local families, White said.

The park would complement the vision for downtown development over the next 20 years unveiled this week by Central Houston and other downtown organizations. The "framework for downtown development" calls for increasing downtown's residential population from 3,000 to 20,000, and downtown leaders said parks were an important amenity to attract families to live downtown.

White said all great cities have preserved land in their centers for major parks. He said this may have been Houston's last opportunity to acquire park property downtown before rising real estate values made it impossible.

"This will be a unique urban green space that will last for centuries in this community," White said.

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Style™

on the Hardy Rail Yard:

i think the way it crosses the street there is about the coolest thing i have ever seen. very cool design for it.

I know this may sound stupid, but what exactly are you talking about?

[texasboy]

Originally Posted by Style™

in that photo. the way they chose to put something over the street [that is a street?].

Are you talking about the glass canopy? If so, I believe that is a light rail station. You can see the train approaching it. I cannot tell if it is a freeway or just an elevated road.

I believe this new development will create competition with midtown, which is south of downtown. I think that will be a good thing because both areas will be improving. This development is north of downtown.

[texasboy]

GALVESTON — Sunhill International Corp. said it would start building its multimillion dollar island project, which includes a 102-unit luxury residential tower above 65,000 square feet of retail space, by summer’s end.

The project, dubbed Piazza Blanca, is directly across from Stewart Beach Park at University and Broadway boulevards on a five-acre tract where the old Jack Tar hotel once stood. The condominium project is one of several residential developments planned for the island’s East End. (Hopefully that yellow sign says Banana on the other side of it.)

Central Plaza

Aimed at commuters, full-time residents and buyers of second homes, the project will significantly alter the area’s scenery and is of a different caliber than other multi-family projects here, say developers. Houston-based Sunhill said it’s planning a 12-story Mediterranean-style residential tower above retail and restaurants. Prices will start at about $250,000 for the units that range from 800 square feet to 1,800 square feet. The company also will market penthouses and custom build-outs for anyone seeking more square footage.

Residential Tower and Retail

With retail, the development should appeal to Stewart Beach goers, said Mayor Roger “Bo” Quiroga. And all the residential development bodes well for the island’s East End, Quiroga said. (Finally, the Houston area gets some real sidewalk upscale reatil. As shown in the rendering J.Crew will be part of it.)

Retail

Already, two restaurant chains have signed leases with Sunhill International, including Austin-based Texadelphia, a sports bar known for its cheesesteaks. Houston-based Berryhill Hot Tamales Corp. plans a new concept, called Berryhill Beach Club, which will serve up baja-style cuisine with cocktails. Berryhill traces its roots to 1928, when Walter Berryhill sold his homemade tamales from a pushcart along the street corners of Houston’s posh River Oaks area. Other retail names floating around are donut purveyor Krispy Kreme and hot dog hawker James Coney Island.

Retail

Piazza Blanca’s design is defined by domed spires, white stucco and mosaic tile work. The structure’s private sixth-floor residents’ lobby will open onto a landscaped pool deck with a 100-foot infinity pool that spills over the building’s façade. Increasingly popular in style among luxury lovers, the pool is meant to create the illusion that it’s edgeless, and water blends with the sky. Also, the sixth floor will include a concierge desk, fitness center and suites with caterer’s kitchen for private events.

[texasboy]

[texasboy]

The Flagship Hotel will be turned into a hotel styled after the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. I will try to get more info on the project.

[texasboy]

Oct. 20, 2004, 7:12AM

Downtown's new color: green
City's plans for a 13-acre park will spur development, White predicts
By MIKE SNYDER
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

An expanse of asphalt and vacant land will soon be transformed into a major urban park that will help east downtown blossom into a residential and retail center, Mayor Bill White said Tuesday.


Within three years, White said, Houstonians, tourists and conventioneers will be picnicking, running or relaxing in the 13-acre park. The location is a quick walk from the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Toyota Center and Minute Maid Park.

The city signed a contract Tuesday morning with Crescent Real Estate Equities to buy 5.29 acres on the site. The city owns part of the remaining property and is negotiating to acquire the rest, White and his aides said.

The park, not yet named or designed, would be by far the largest in downtown Houston. It would strengthen the city's tax base by promoting new development in the surrounding area, White said.

"You will see an explosion of growth around the periphery of this park," White told the annual meeting of Central Houston Inc., a downtown business organization that wants to increase downtown's residential population from 3,000 to 20,000 by 2025.

White said private donors would provide 80 percent of the estimated $80 million cost of the park, a figure that includes the value of land the city already owns on the site. The city's contribution would come from hotel and entertainment tax revenues rather than property taxes, White said.

The city has reached "general agreements in principle" with donors who will contribute $35 million to the project, said White spokesman Patrick Trahan. The city and its private partners will continue to raise money during development of the park, White said.

The project is on a fast track, with the city expected to complete land acquisition this year. The park will be designed in 2005, built mostly in 2006 and opened in 2007, White said.

Park advocates and urban-development experts said the project fills a long-neglected need for a major park downtown.

"That's so exciting; I can't believe it," said Glenda Barrett, the executive director of Park People, a nonprofit group that promotes park development in Houston. "We just don't have very much open space downtown."

The park site, just west of the convention center, now contains surface parking lots and privately owned green space with landscaping and trees. City acquisition of the property will ensure that it is preserved for a park rather than being sold for other development, said Bob Eury, Central Houston Inc.'s president.

White's prediction that the park would prompt new development is well-founded, said Tom Bacon, a partner in the Lionstone Group, a real estate investment firm that invests in land within urban cores.

"Parks create value and build a tax base, and they do it in an incredibly positive way," Bacon said.

Downtown Chicago's Millennium Park, a $400 million, 25-acre lakefront project that opened officially in July, is expected to generate development valued at $2.5 billion by 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The location chosen for the Houston park is excellent, Bacon said. The site's proximity to the convention center and the sports venues is an advantage, he said, and east downtown has abundant land for development.

White said Houston's chances to develop a major park downtown were diminishing because of rising land prices.

"This is the last opportunity that Houston has to acquire a large tract of land" downtown, White said.

For legal reasons, White said, he could not immediately disclose the price of the land the city is buying from Crescent. He said the city was getting a "very good deal."

Tuesday's announcement followed several years of discussion among city officials and downtown leaders about the need for a major downtown park. White said he began working on the idea three to four years ago, before he was a public official, on behalf of a philanthropist who wanted to help with the park.

The discussions intensified after he took office in January, White said. Downtown organizations, meanwhile, were working on a 20-year development vision that emphasized parks and other public amenities.

Barrett, of Park People, said the park will be important in the effort to attract more people to live downtown, where dense, multifamily housing precludes residential back yards.

"It's so important to have green space in that kind of situation," Barrett said. "There are a lot of vibrant cities around the country that are designed that way."