HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[Urbannizer]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/m...o-replace.html

Originally Posted by HBJ

Luxe condo to replace former museum in Houston’s Museum District

A Houston developer plans to replace a former museum in the Museum District with a luxury condominium.

Oxberry Group is planning to build The Mondrian, an eight-story, 20-unit condominium project at 5104 Caroline St., on the former site of The John C. Freeman Weather Museum. The 13,000-square-foot plot — located on the southwest corner of Caroline and Palm streets — is near the Asia Society Texas Center on Southmore Boulevard.

The Mondrian, designed by the Houston and Washington, D.C., offices of Perkins + Will, will offer one- and two-story condo units averaging 3,000 square feet.

Plans for The Mondrian are scheduled to be heard by the city of Houston planning commission on Aug. 20. If plans are approved, Oxberry Group plans to demolish the 5,097-square-foot Weather Museum building — built in 1930 — and begin construction on The Mondrian in the coming months. Presales, which will be managed by Houston-based Sudhoff Cos., are expected to start in September.

[toxteth o'grady]

And what happened to the Weather Museum?

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

And what happened to the Weather Museum?

Permanently closed in 2012, the building has sat unoccupied since then.

[Urbannizer]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/m...-as-hotel.html

Originally Posted by HBJ

Historic downtown building reopens as hotel

Maryland-based RLJ Lodging revamped one of Houston's most historic downtown buildings into a hotel and opened its doors on Aug. 24.

The SpringHill Suites by Marriott in downtown Houston is located on Dallas Street in the former Humble Oil Building complex, which was placed on the national register of historic places in 1999.

The company first acquired the complex's three towers, which span an entire city block, in 2013 for $79.5 million. The previous 82-unit apartment tower has now been converted into a 167-suite hotel.

[Monarch]

^^^ the new SPRINGHILL SUITES, shall have to perform an upgrade to their landscaping. as it currently stands, it seems quite ragged. however, if one should behold the beauty of the well coiffed main street medium directly in front of the hotel.... now that is a thing of beauty.

[The Best Forumer]

Was their occupancy too low?

[DBGHouston]

photo link to nextcity.org https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/hou...ta-los-angeles credit Astronautilus

From NextCity an interesting take on the unique opportunities that the Bayou Greenways Project presents vis a vis related projects in L.A. and Atlanta. The figure that jumped out at me...300 miles.

With Phase One opening in October, the Greenways hopes to reclaim about 4,000 acres of that channelized space, turning the land around Houston’s bayous into public parks and roughly 300 miles of continuous hiking trails and bike paths. But the vision doesn’t end there. According to the Bayou Greenways website, it will eventually sync up the entire city via non-car transport.

“We may have a sprawling city, but the sprawl of our city is powerfully matched by the sprawl of our waterways,” an intro reads. “Our bayous cut through every neighborhood in Houston — they connect them all.”

[Urbannizer]

http://www.chron.com/business/real-e...wn-6479478.php

Originally Posted by Houston Chronicle

Hines has contract to purchase Chronicle building

Houston-based Hines is under contract to buy the Houston Chronicle building and parking garage put on the market earlier this year, as the newspaper plans to move from downtown to a location on the Southwest Freeway.

John Mooz, senior managing director of Hines, confirmed the company's plans to acquire the property late Tuesday but would not expand on what it plans for the site or provide any other details.

The sale is likely to close sometime in the fourth quarter, Paul Barbetta, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Houston Chronicle Media Group, said Tuesday.

[Urbannizer]

Chelsea at Museum District

http://crowd-lender.com/CampaignDetails.aspx?campid=14

Deccan Development (Sponsor) is constructing a 95-unit, luxury multi-family complex (“The Chelsea”) in Houston, Texas. This project is located in the highly desirable Museum District area, within 2-3 miles of the two major employment hubs, Texas Medical Center and Downtown Houston. The Chelsea fills a need in the Museum District for luxury high-rise apartments that are competitively priced, have a full set of amenities, and have a more exclusive feel compared to older buildings or newer luxury complexes that are much denser.

The total project cost is estimated to be $34.5 million, of which $14 million (40.6%) is equity, and $20.5 million (59.4%) is debt.

The land has been procured, and pre-development work is well under way. The City of Houston has granted planning pre-development approval; Soil testing and environmental surveys are complete; Architect and Engineering plans are close to completion. Developer expects to break ground in October, 2015. The construction period is 18 months.

[DBGHouston]

The Carter is about half up...

[Urbannizer]

Houston Maritime Museum: New home for the Museum, hoping to break ground by 2016.

http://www.buildhmm.com/

[Urbannizer]

Blossom Hotel Houston: New 9-Story hotel in the Med Center, catty-corner from the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.



Elgin at Scott: More student housing coming to UH, the project also contains a retail component.



Mt. Vernon Montrose Lofts

[Cory]

Where's the museum supposed to be? The student housing and hotel designs wouldn't be as offensive design wise if they simply tamed things down and removed those "crowns".

[AviationGuy]

If the Blossom Hotel really ends up looking like that, it will be major ugly.

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by Cory

Where's the museum supposed to be? The student housing and hotel designs wouldn't be as offensive design wise if they simply tamed things down and removed those "crowns".

Along Buffalo Bayou near the Port of Houston turning basin and Hidalgo Park. The current museum is just outside of the TMC, along Holcombe.

[Urbannizer]

Alexan 5151: 397 unit complex under construction at 5151 Hidalgo by TCR.

http://tcr.com/new_development/alexan-5151/

[natenate]

Can someone post the pictures in this link for me please? My iPad shut safari down every time I click this image tag. I came across this proposal and I'm not sure what exactly it is or if it's just a fantasy mock up. Thanks !!

It's amazing btw so click!

http://www.archello.com/en/project/d...uston-proposal

[Urbannizer]

Originally Posted by natenate

Can someone post the pictures in this link for me please? My iPad shut safari down every time I click this image tag. I came across this proposal and I'm not sure what exactly it is or if it's just a fantasy mock up. Thanks !!

It's amazing btw so click!

http://www.archello.com/en/project/d...uston-proposal

It's a nice fantasy. The article does not give any info as to this being an actual proposal, but I would love to see see something like that built just outside downtown along Allen Parkway.

[Urbannizer]

Museo Plaza

Yesterday the Chron published a new article on Aurora and this interesting tidbit of info was given on another project in the design phase by Philip Johnson/Alan Ritchie:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/loca...er-6482739.php

And Ritchie and Dasigenis have another project brewing in the Museum District. Stay tuned.

On their website, you'll come across this under the residential tab. Museo Plaza, a mixed-use development compromising three blocks. The project consist of a ~45-story high-rise and two other buildings with office and retail space.

A forumer on HAIF with good inside info also confirms this as an actual project.

http://www.pjararchitects.com/#!museo-plaza/cem1

[Sic'EmBears]

Despite being seemingly isolated, the design appears to be fairly interesting.