HOUSTON | Development Thread II - Page 267

photoLith · #**5321** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 11:03 PM**

Yeah the Exxon mobile campus is a big loser for downtown.

N90 · #**5322** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 11:11 PM**

Imagine how many parking lots downtown would have lost if they built the campus in the desolate areas of Downtown, built exactly the way it was built in North Houston.

photoLith · #**5323** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 11:15 PM**

That wouldn't be good either. That would prevent a lot of future developments and residential from happening. I just wish they would have built like an 800' tower or something downtown instead.

Urbannizer · #**5324** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 11:16 PM**

Yeah, they should have chose to stay downtown in 800 Bell, and just build a supertall on a lot nearby.

N90 · #**5325** Posted **Sep 25, 2013, 11:18 PM**

Their campus is 3 million square feet. That would have easily have been a 1,400 foot tower/supertall in Downtown.

oscarinhouston · #**5326** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 1:56 AM**

I think it was a good move from the company to save a few bucks on taxes. And yeah who wouldn't like a +1000ft building in Houston.

AviationGuy · #**5327** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 2:16 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by N90

Their campus is 3 million square feet. That would have easily have been a 1,400 foot tower/supertall in Downtown.

I wonder, though, if maybe the majority of the Exxon employees who will be working at the new campus will prefer living in The Woodlands or nearby. In that respect, they would be happy that the campus was built in the northern metro.

atlantaguy · #**5328** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 2:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

I wonder, though, if maybe the majority of the Exxon employees who will be working at the new campus will prefer living in The Woodlands or nearby. In that respect, they would be happy that the campus was built in the northern metro.

I was talking with a client yesterday that lives in the Woodlands, and she said the Exxon/Mobil campus in particular is causing a big rise in home values there right now.

I have to admit as a an architecture/planning fan I love the design, but am conflicted on the location. But I love the West Houston master plan at Memorial Park even more. That is absolutely gorgeous!

TowerSpotter · #**5329** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 3:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I was talking with a client yesterday that lives in the Woodlands, and she said the Exxon/Mobil campus in particular is causing a big rise in home values there right now.

I have to admit as a an architecture/planning fan I love the design, but am conflicted on the location. But I love the West Houston master plan at Memorial Park even more. That is absolutely gorgeous!

Same conflict with the Ashby Highrise it is also causing a rise in home values.

AustinTay · #**5330** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 4:28 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TowerSpotter

Same conflict with the Ashby Highrise it is also causing a rise in home values.

There is really no correlation between the rising property values and the Ashby Highrise. It has not even broke ground. Just an observation posted on the Chronicle and nothing more.

Reverberation · #**5331** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 12:21 PM**

Home values are rising all over the metro area. There was a ULI event a while back where the panel basically said that the supply of single family homes was 3 years behind demand. Plus since the contractors are so busy, the cost of construction for new homes is up as well. So in short, it's a seller's market for the next few years. Even places like Katy and Richmond are seeing prices increase.

TexasPlaya · #**5332** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 4:49 PM**

I think the most surprising thing going on in Houston right now is the amount of renovations going on in DT, especially hotels. Houston is pretty underrated for tourism/business travel with all these "attractions" alongside rail and more hotel rooms DT will only expand on that.

toxteth o'grady · #**5333** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 7:33 PM**

Well, I guess as of this morning, this project is ready for the Construction thread.

Noble Energy to break ground on phase II of new campus today

toxteth o'grady · #**5334** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 7:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

I wonder, though, if maybe the majority of the Exxon employees who will be working at the new campus will prefer living in The Woodlands or nearby. In that respect, they would be happy that the campus was built in the northern metro.

I expect there will be a few commuting in from Lake Conroe or Huntsville when it opens. The really (fool)hardy ones will probably buy ranches in Madisonville and stop off in Buc-ee's for a coffee on the way south.

toxteth o'grady · #**5335** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 7:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by N90

Would have been perfect in any desolate area in the eastern half of the Inner Loop. Just imagine, a quarter of Houston's inner loop would look and give off a Washington DC staggering mid-rise density appeal.

Well, what the hey - there are acres of abandoned car lots along the North Freeway near Gulf Bank/Mount Houston Road that are just begging to be redeveloped as brownfield sites. That could have been the location - although it's a good opportunity for a dense complex of apartments.

toxteth o'grady · #**5336** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 7:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by N90

Their campus is 3 million square feet. That would have easily have been a 1,400 foot tower/supertall in Downtown.

United Airlines would have loved that solution. Anything to keep Southwest airplanes from landing at Hobby.

NYC2ATX · #**5337** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 9:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I was talking with a client yesterday that lives in the Woodlands, and she said the Exxon/Mobil campus in particular is causing a big rise in home values there right now.

I have to admit as a an architecture/planning fan I love the design, but am conflicted on the location. But I love the West Houston master plan at Memorial Park even more. That is absolutely gorgeous!

The way I see it, the choice of location could've been way worse. At least it's near the already burgeoning secondary core of the Woodlands. Burgeoning enough that the entire metro has been redesignated to include it as a principal city. I can totally see the entire Woodlands/Spring/North Freeway-Grand Parkway junction area becoming a huge subsection of the region if development is geared towards vital urban principals (something which is already occurring in some ways).

It could've been built in Conroe...or Rosenberg.

AustinTay · #**5338** Posted **Sep 26, 2013, 9:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatenIslander237

The way I see it, the choice of location could've been way worse. At least it's near the already burgeoning secondary core of the Woodlands. Burgeoning enough that the entire metro has been redesignated to include it as a principal city. I can totally see the entire Woodlands/Spring/North Freeway-Grand Parkway junction area becoming a huge subsection of the region if development is geared towards vital urban principals (something which is already occurring in some ways).

It could've been built in Conroe...or Rosenberg.

Springwoods Village will help had to that whole area. I am not fan of the suburbs but it looks nice and could be vibrant.

Reverberation · #**5339** Posted **Sep 27, 2013, 2:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by StatenIslander237

The way I see it, the choice of location could've been way worse. At least it's near the already burgeoning secondary core of the Woodlands. Burgeoning enough that the entire metro has been redesignated to include it as a principal city. I can totally see the entire Woodlands/Spring/North Freeway-Grand Parkway junction area becoming a huge subsection of the region if development is geared towards vital urban principals (something which is already occurring in some ways).

It could've been built in Conroe...or Rosenberg.

Or Dallas......

AviationGuy · #**5340** Posted **Sep 27, 2013, 2:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I was talking with a client yesterday that lives in the Woodlands, and she said the Exxon/Mobil campus in particular is causing a big rise in home values there right now.

I have to admit as a an architecture/planning fan I love the design, but am conflicted on the location. But I love the West Houston master plan at Memorial Park even more. That is absolutely gorgeous!

Where is the West Houston master plan? Is that City Centre?