HOUSTON | Astoria | 322 FT / 98 M | 28 FLOORS | U/C

Wattleigh · #1 Posted **Jan 1, 2013, 2:45 AM**

Larger image link: http://astoriahouston.com/img/bigimage02.jpg

Project in brief: Developer Randall Davis and businessman Roberto Contreras have plans for a residential tower with 66 units at the corner of Post Oak Blvd & Garrettson Lane across from Four Oaks Place. The unique aspect would be that the funding would come from foreign investors, who would be provided green cards through the federal EB-5 program, allowing citizenship for those who create or sustain 10 full time jobs over the span of two years.

The partnership promotes the tower as it's featured project on it's website: http://houstoneb5.com/featuredproject.html. This is where the height figure came from.

Early on, reports indicated a location had not been chosen for the tower, with the first renderings indicating a blockier structure basically pasted at the site of the BLVD Place development. In the recent past, however, it seems the location for the tower will be on the site of a former Davis proposal - Titan.

The only structure currently on this site is a McDonalds, which is supposed to be demolished in Q1 2013. A sales trailer is now sitting in the parking lot.

On HAIF, user lockmat says it may be taller than proposed...

Quote:

bidclerk says the estimated start date is in April. Page Southerland Page is the architect and GT Leach is the GC. 28 stories. This was updated yesterday (12/21).

Houston Business Journal initial story: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/p...rising-on.html

Astoria website: http://www.astoriahouston.com/

LMich · #2 Posted **Jan 2, 2013, 8:23 AM**

What a beauty. Haven't seen any serious attempts at art deco in awhile.

KevinFromTexas · #3 Posted **Jan 2, 2013, 10:39 PM**

Yeah, that's pretty nice. It reminds me of old movie theatre architecture. The whole building looks like an art-deco light fixture.

Thymant · #4 Posted **Jan 3, 2013, 1:25 AM**

This one does remind me of the former titan proposal which site its said to be on :

From swamplot.com

photoLith · #5 Posted **Jan 3, 2013, 2:00 AM**

I had forgotten about that project, glad to see something else going in at that site. I just drove past there yesterday and they just have the trailer up with a render outside. No site work has started yet though.

KevinFromTexas · #6 Posted **Jan 3, 2013, 2:04 AM**

This looks better anyway. I liked the spire and triangular shape on that other proposal, but that base. Yuck.

PEORIA · #7 Posted **Jan 3, 2013, 2:09 AM**

" GORGEOUS! " Now, THIS is what great architecture used to look like. I, SO, wish it was in my hometown!...... What's the deal with that

parking lot alongside it?

Wattleigh · #8 Posted **Feb 16, 2013, 7:39 PM**

Would've posted this sooner, but the email addy I recieve these blasts from the developer is effectively my junk one now. Used to be my primary ages ago, but we all change... Anyway, this was recieved 2/8.

Quote:

Dear *****,

Moving forward into the New Year, Astoria is making some real exciting progress. Our partnership has closed on the land, and the transaction completed. McDonald’s has closed next door, and will soon start on a new building, which is principally a small store with multiple drive thru lanes.

Uptown Houston is about finished with plans to expand the esplanades from Richmond and Post Oak to 610 and Post Oak. There will be a "Trolley" that runs the length of Post Oak, which will be a major plus for the neighborhood. Road construction is starting (I believe) in about 4 months and will take 18 months, which is close to our proposed timeline of completion. We are finishing our entire set of plans, both architectural and mechanical, over the next 45 to 60 days. We will then submit for a permit which is expected (subject to City of Houston delays) in April or May with 24 months to completion.

The final design is still a work in progress, but I am sharing a recent computer-generated image below which will better depict some of the detailing of Astoria. I am also working on the lighting at the crown of the building (this image is also shown below). More details on the coloration, materials and design elements will follow at a later date.

Sales are VERY, VERY GOOD - we have sold 30 of the 69 residences! This was accomplished in a short 5 months. Congrats to our sales manager, Gloria. We have also increased the height of the Astoria to 28 floors, as a client has purchased an entire floor with a pool. So we begin the month of February at 44% SOLD, and have several more clients in serious negotiations.

MORE TO COME SOON!

R D

RANDALL DAVIS COMPANY | 1210 W. Clay, Suite 10 | Houston TX 77019 | 713.526.3222

And the renderings...

Actually included a couple of pics of the McDonald's demo as well...

Shasta · #9 Posted **Feb 18, 2013, 2:48 AM**

I love the art deco look, but this is Randall Davis we are talking about. The likelihood of this tower being tacky is quite high.

See The Cosmopolitan, The Renoir Lofts, The Gotham, The Manhattan, etc... for examples.

i have a feeling the base of this tower is nothing more than garage floors. Remember how the Cosmo's base was supposed to originally look (water feature and ivy but instead just build with blank concrete walls...)

Urbannizer · #10 Posted **Feb 25, 2013, 9:52 PM**

2/23 By Skylineview:

Urbannizer · #11 Posted **Mar 1, 2013, 3:59 AM**

Earlier today by Golyadkin:

Urbannizer · #12 Posted **Apr 29, 2013, 7:07 AM**

Astoria will rise 28 floors, at a height of 322' ft.

http://houstoneb5.com/featuredproject_features.html

toxteth o'grady · #13 Posted **May 2, 2013, 5:20 PM**

This is an incredibly curious business arrangement: foreign investors get the opportunity to invest in Houston real estate and establish residency (citizenship) in the United States. This appears to exploit a loophole in immigration law that favors foreign nationals who bring some investment dollars with them, allowing them to cut in line. The question is how many other highrises will be marketed to overseas investors in the same way, and what does this do to the anti-amnesty crowd, whose numbers include the likes of Ted Cruz and Louie Gohmert.

Urbannizer · #14 Posted **Jul 3, 2013, 7:48 PM**

They've sold 70% of the units, expected to break ground sometime at the end of the month. The McDonalds was rebuilt to make room for the tower.

By skylineview on HAIF:

toxteth o'grady · #15 Posted **Jul 8, 2013, 6:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

They've sold 70% of the units, expected to break ground sometime at the end of the month. The McDonalds was rebuilt to make room for the tower.

By skylineview on HAIF:

It sure looks like they rebuilt it on the same footprint. Is there room for the tower?

shakman · #16 Posted **Jul 9, 2013, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

It sure looks like they rebuilt it on the same footprint. Is there room for the tower?

It looks to have been built about 10 ft to the left of the aerial photo? IMO the McD's should been part of ground floor retail as oppose to another suburban style garbage.

toxteth o'grady · #17 Posted **Jul 10, 2013, 1:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by shakman

It looks to have been built about 10 ft to the left of the aerial photo? IMO the McD's should been part of ground floor retail as oppose to another suburban style garbage.

It's going to look very strange bracketed by those two residential buildings. Like those homes in between skyscrapers in China because the owners refused to sell.

shakman · #18 Posted **Jul 10, 2013, 5:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

It's going to look very strange bracketed by those two residential buildings. Like those homes in between skyscrapers in China because the owners refused to sell.

These are the type of few instances where I wish Houston has some zoning regulations in order to prevent this.

Urbannizer · #19 Posted **Jul 13, 2013, 8:57 PM**

Astoria site by Skylineview, the trailer has been removed.

Bailey · #20 Posted **Jul 13, 2013, 10:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by toxteth o'grady

It's going to look very strange bracketed by those two residential buildings. Like those homes in between skyscrapers in China because the owners refused to sell.

Don't think for an instance that McDonalds is not a serious player in the real estate industry. They know exactly what they are doing. The price of building a new McDonalds is negligible when compared to the potential for the land value of that parcel of land.