HOUSTON | Development Thread II

[TexasPlaya]

I really like this MKT project. Here's an aerial posted by emmanume @ HAIF:



The Standard @ MKT apartments are already completed directly south of this new Swift project along with the MKT promenade (MKT phase 1) which is west of the Standard apartments.

MKT Promenade and info from TheSirDingle @ HAIF :



Their website has a 360 degree interactive panorama of the development and the areas around it: https://www.themkt.com/location

Someone mentioned on HAIF that there will be a parking structure between the Promenade and Standard apartments.

[JManc]

My wife and a couple of friends of ours went to a fantastic Indian joint there earlier this week.

[Double L]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

There are lots of underground garages in Houston. All over Downtown (Library, Tranquility Park, Jones Plaza and all the venues surrounding it, Discovery Green to name a few) and under the Galleria… even under the Whole Foods on Elgin. It just costs money to do it.



The entire building is an unimaginative eyesore.

Yes, I am saying it is more expensive to build. I would appreciate more constructive criticism than “it’s an unimaginative eyesore.” Somebody else put a lot of work into that designing building and something tells me you couldn’t design a building as good, probably couldn’t even take the time to do it.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by JManc

My wife and a couple of friends of ours went to a fantastic Indian joint there earlier this week.

How was the crowd? Busy? Thinking about going here next weekend or maybe the Post HTX downtown.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

How was the crowd? Busy? Thinking about going here next weekend or maybe the Post HTX downtown.

Good turnout for a Tuesday night. Lot of stuff to do there and still a lot of still unopened spaces. Haven't been to Post HTX yet.

[TexasBoi]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

Yeah, but it doesn't have to be as ugly as that.

Yeah. That medical building is just as ugly as that hotel. Wonder how much of that ugliness could be limited if Houston rid itself of parking mininums.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by Double L

I would appreciate more constructive criticism than “it’s an unimaginative eyesore.” Somebody else put a lot of work into that designing building and something tells me you couldn’t design a building as good, probably couldn’t even take the time to do it.

There is so much that's laughable in that post. From the assumption that I care what kind of criticism you'd appreciate to the idea that putting a lot of work into something has anything whatsoever to do with the quality of a design to the implication that I can't criticize something unless I can do better. Not to mention the out-of-the-blue personal attack. It's all ridiculous.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

Yeah. That medical building is just as ugly as that hotel. Wonder how much of that ugliness could be limited if Houston rid itself of parking mininums.

Which hotel is that? There are so many butt-ugly hotels in Houston.

[AviationGuy]

It's like there's competition here to see who can be the most negative about projects. It's nice that the city successfully moves on in spite of all the negative comments.

[CaptainJilliams]

As someone who lived in Houston for 4 years, yes, there are many buildings that look ugly or value engineered. But at the same time there are plenty of beautiful buildings and neighborhoods that are far more iconic and recognizable to Houston. To say it's all or mostly bad is just poor criticism.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by TexasBoi

Yeah. That medical building is just as ugly as that hotel. Wonder how much of that ugliness could be limited if Houston rid itself of parking mininums.

Parking is probably something that shouldn't be skimped out on for a medical building. This isn't like some trendy mixed use development where people can park a block or so away or walk.

[TexasPlaya]

I feel like out of the 4 projects that were posted the last page, 3 look very nice and 1 looks like a value engineered medical office building. One of them incorporates an historical building which is above and beyond for Houston.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by CaptainJilliams

As someone who lived in Houston for 4 years, yes, there are many buildings that look ugly or value engineered. But at the same time there are plenty of beautiful buildings and neighborhoods that are far more iconic and recognizable to Houston. To say it's all or mostly bad is just poor criticism.

As someone who lived off-and-on, in-and-around (mostly in) Houston for 47 years (most of my adult life and about half of my childhood), I am too frequently disappointed by the mediocre quality of many of the smaller developments in my hometown. It makes it even harder when I see on this forum so much that is more interesting (IMO) being built in Austin and Toronto an L.A. and Chicago and New York. If your last sentence was referring to any of my posts, you've misread or misunderstood my intentions. If people think I'm too critical that's not my problem. I think Houston deserves better and should do better.


If any of you guys want to see some real bitching about new developments in Houston, checking out the Going Up forum on HAIF. https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/...um/7-going-up/

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

I guess, I don't think it's that bad since it's just a medical office.

I think we should expect better. Especially of something of that scale in relation to its location.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by JManc

Parking is probably something that shouldn't be skimped out on for a medical building. This isn't like some trendy mixed use development where people can park a block or so away or walk.

Yep. My thoughts exactly. The amount of parking space in this project goes way beyond any COH parking minimums.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

It's like there's competition here to see who can be the most negative about projects.

Seems like an exaggeration to me.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

Not the prettiest W Hotel, but it's in a great location. Hopefully Main St in north downtown gets back to pre-Covid levels with the great food and drink.

It's hard to tell what the materials are. It could turn out to be pretty nice, if not all that exciting.

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by bilbao58

I think we should expect better. Especially of something of that scale in relation to its location.

Why? It's a medical office.

You seem to cherry pick quite a bit. What do you think about the other projects proposed?

[TexasPlaya]

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

It's like there's competition here to see who can be the most negative about projects. It's nice that the city successfully moves on in spite of all the negative comments.

It's a bit annoying to so overly focus on the "bad", but that's the internet. There's quite a few mixed use developments in the pipeline, under construction, or completed in the Heights, Montrose, and Eastside that are quite nice.

[bilbao58]

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

Why? It's a medical office.

Because if we have to live with it, especially when it's as big as this is, it would be nice if it added to its surroundings instead of taking away.

A better question is "Why not?"

(Deleted photos)

Any building of any use can be nice (or at least interesting) if its developers want it to be.

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya

What do you think about the other projects proposed?

I gave the Swift Building reuse a literal thumbs up and said I thought the W Hotel, if done with the right materials, could actually be nice.

Again, hang out on the HAIF forum and you'll see a lot of fierce defenders of Houston expressing their distaste and/or disappointment in a lot of proposed or recently finished projects.

I'm not going to pretend to like something just because some here are annoyed when I voice my opinion.