HoustonIsHome Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 The woodlands is very far from everything except itself.Its far from many things important, but it's not really that far from the Houston Urban Area. In fact the Exxon Campus is closer to the city of spring than to The Woodlands CDP. I don't know why the Conroe/ Woodlands UA is separate from Houston UA, because the development seems continuous for a large area. But the Exxon plant will definitely cement the two urban areas together. Houston UA had 4.944M people in 2010, Conroe/Woodlands had .240M, Dallas Fort worth had 5.121M. If the Woodlands was part of Houston Urban area the totsl would be 5.184M which would make the Houston urban area bigger.It would be really odd for Chevron to build head quarters in Conroe. Now that would be out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Several comments have been removed to prevent this topic from going into the wrong direction. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Vik Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Its far from many things important, but it's not really that far from the Houston Urban Area.In fact the Exxon Campus is closer to the city of spring than to The Woodlands CDP. I don't know why the Conroe/ Woodlands UA is separate from Houston UA, because the development seems continuous for a large area. But the Exxon plant will definitely cement the two urban areas together.Houston UA had 4.944M people in 2010, Conroe/Woodlands had .240M, Dallas Fort worth had 5.121M. If the Woodlands was part of Houston Urban area the totsl would be 5.184M which would make the Houston urban area bigger.It would be really odd for Chevron to build head quarters in Conroe. Now that would be out there Being close to Conroe and Spring is still far from anything of note. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Two things:1. Can we keep this thread about Chevron tower? Posts have had to be removed, and already we're debating that Montgomery County crap again?2. Anything north of FM 1960 = boondocks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Being close to Conroe and Spring is still far from anything of note.I don't disagree 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golyadkin Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 The story I've gotten is that this tower is delayed because Chevron is diverting a lot of money to upstream development (exploration, etc.) and the money for the tower isn't there because of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 The news sucks but we still got a lot to look forward to DT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mab Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Chevron-purchases-downtown-block-5112259.php Chevron purchase a downtown block    In late November, the oil and gas giant acquired the block bounded by Milam, Travis, Leeland and Pease. The property is used primarily as a surface parking lot, but it contains a low-rise office building at its southwest corner. Also a update on the push back on the announced building About two weeks ago, Chevron said it decided to push back construction of its new tower. Explaining the delay, Higgs said the company was in a "unique, capitally intensive period" and for the time being that it would be focusing its resources elsewhere.He said Chevron was still committed to building the tower and that the delay would not affect previously announced employee moves to Houston. The decision on when to resume the project would not be made until after 2014. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Chevron-purchases-downtown-block-5112259.php Chevron purchase a downtown block   Also a update on the push back on the announced buildingwoah.. what does Chevron want with that block? thats the one south of the ExxonMobil building.. i know that along with the YMCA block at 1600, they also own the block east of 1500 Louisiana for a future 4th tower.. could the new block be for a parking garage for all these new workers?and who owns/what is the structure on the block just east of YMCA/south of the Chevron daycare block? its directly between the new plot they bought and the rest of their campus.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasota Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 That's a beautiful building on that block. I'd hate to see it razed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 That's a beautiful building on that block. I'd hate to see it razed.People said the same thing about the old Y.. I don't see chevron having a use for that building or building around it for preservation sake.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Wow. Chevron apparently still has big plans for downtown Houston and wants to make sure they don't get boxed in. Great news! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 YESSSSSS!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 So what do we think will be on the 5th site? Another tower or a parking garage to support the 4th tower? Does Chevron have enough employees in the US to fill 5 towers? Also, what is the squat building between this site and 1600 Louisiana? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) Also, what is the squat building between this site and 1600 Louisiana? Edit:  It's a parking garage. Edited January 4, 2014 by Houston19514 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanize713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Isn't the building between this new site and 1600 Louisiana the parking garage they bought to support the tower now on hold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sellanious Caesar Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 It could just be for parking and a long term investment. They could just put parking here instead of building a tower with a parking podium. Wasn't a podium in their plan for the Chevron Tower? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Isn't the building between this new site and 1600 Louisiana the parking garage they bought to support the tower now on hold? Nope. The garage they bought last year is at 1400 Louisiana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Huge Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I could have sworn I remember swstig alluding to this happening, and that it indeed will be another future tower to consolidate Chevron downtown.......swstig????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I could have sworn I remember swstig alluding to this happening, and that it indeed will be another future tower to consolidate Chevron downtown.......swstig????? Someone did tell us there was a 4th tower planned... I don't think it was Swtsig. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 It was hoothrewpoo in the Five Allen Center thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) Nope. The garage they bought last year is at 1400 Louisiana.So the building between 1600 Louisiana and the new site is a garage? I wasn't sure because of the large ventilation on the roof but I see the entrance/exits on my phone. So now the question, if that isn't the garage chevron bought for 1600, who owns that garage? It's right in the middle of chevrons properties. I agree the 5th plot could be for a future garage. Yes the new chevron tower is on a podium, but not a parking garage podium. It's filled with amenities. Assuming they follow the same trend with the 4th tower they will need another garage. Granted they could always build a 5th tower on top of a garage on the new site that serves both the 4th and 5th towers.. But I'd be surprised if they consolidated enough people to fill 2 more towers on top of the one on hold.Edit, just googled chevrons employees.. They have 60,000 worldwide. I'm not sure how many are in the US but I think it's safe to say they could consolidate more than enough people to fill 5 towers if they wanted to. Hopefully that happens in the not too distant future, along with a corporate relocation! Edited January 4, 2014 by cloud713 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClutchCity Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Someone did tell us there was a 4th tower planned... I don't think it was Swtsig.It was Hoothrewpoo saying a 4th tower would be constructed on the block which currently has a daycare covering 1/2 of it roughly around the time 1600 Louisiana was finishing up. Maybe they might try to swap parking garage blocks with Shorenstein so both entities can be more consolidated? Just speculating because 5 towers seems like a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Maybe they might try to swap parking garage blocks with Shorenstein so both entities can be more consolidated? Just speculating because 5 towers seems like a lot.So the parking garage between this site and 1600 is for the exxon mobile building? That will be interesting seeing how they work the connectivity out with the 5th site to the 4th site. Crisscrossing with the (tunnel I presume) walkway from Exxon mobile garage to its tower.I think 5 towers is doable, but forswe that being long term. At least a decade.. Who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanize713 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) Sorry for the mistake on the garage. Thanks for the correction Houston19514 I should actually know better since I have a friend who works for Exxon and who I have picked up/dropped off at that garage to get his vehicle. Also because it's the only other downtown structure that connects to the Exxon building via tunnel because of security concerns. Edited January 4, 2014 by urbanize713 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 John S. Watson told me it's for the sunken plaza and the ice rink. Expect big things, folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Short-term plans for the newest block purchase by Chevron is to use it as parking and lay-down site during construction of 1600 Louisiana. http://downtownhouston.org/site_media/uploads/attachments/2014-01-07/Downtown_Real_Estate_Update_2013-4Q.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wxman Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) I have some new information on the Chevron deal. I have a source who's family is part of the limited finance partnership for the 58-story Energy Tower project in Midland. They are exceedingly wealthy and pretty clandestine on the details but here's what I have. His dad is a very well known businessman, philanthropist and investor. Take it for what it's worth: Chevron's downtown tower is in jeopardy and might be scrapped all together. Chevron has recently shopped Tower 1 and 2 (former Enron) to Texas Pacific. By recently, he means very recently (wasn't specific). Exxon, according to my source, has set the example and both Shell and Chevron have taken notice. According to 'him', Exxon has shown that it is cheaper to build in the burbs, with the ability to spread out and own adjacent parcels of land for later expansion than it is to build in the CBD. His words, not mine. This makes sense that Chevron would be looking for cheaper capital investment projects since they're Australian project is running way over budget. Btw, he also said the HQ of Exxon will relocate to the new campus in the next few years. He said this campus was built and designed strictly for that purpose. He also mentioned that a new high-rise of some sort will be erected near the campus as an "architectural marvel" when the HQ is relocated. Chevron appears to be far more interested in the Camp Strake parcel than what we are being lead on to believe. He couldn't give me much information due to the sensitivity of the discussions taking place. When asked on a scale of 1 to 10 how serious they are of abandoning both downtown buildings and scrapping the third, my source said "8."  He had no details on a Shell relocation to Montgomery County. The info. might seem vague but it was like pulling teeth to get the aforementioned out of him. If you have any specific questions, perhaps you can send them over and I can ask him but there's no guarantee I can get you an answer. This is about as close to the horses mouth as you can get. Will try and dig for more info. later on. I just don't really know what probing questions to ask. Edited January 11, 2014 by wxman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Owl Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 If that were correct then why did Chevron just buy another plot of land downtown? Does not compute, sorry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) If that were correct then why did Chevron just buy another plot of land downtown? Does not compute, sorry.I guess we won't know until something official is announced (or until swstig says so). It would be a huge shame, but I highly doubt Downtown will empty out of all our major Energy Companies. While a suburban campus is nice, why would Chevron, after buying all these towers & property Downtown, suddenly want to sell and evacuate to the far northern exurbs? And as per other reputable sources on this site saying that Chevron is looking for other space at Camp Strake (labs?). Of course every company will have many different offices around town. No major company will be 100% located in one single spot. Edit: It's the sum of all fears that Shell & Chevron abandon Downtown and leave us with a HUGE amount of space to be absorbed. Would probably take us a decade to come back from something like that. Conversion to condos? haha jk. Before the panic spreads why don't we wait for an announcement? Edited January 11, 2014 by Montrose1100 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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