Subdude Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 The majority of vacant blocks in the picture, pretty much everything north of Dallas, were part of the land acquisition for the Houston Center project and I assume were cleared in the late 1970s as planning for that progressed. This would have been shortly before construction began on the shopping mall and convention center. South of Dallas in through the Parking District, I would guess were just cleared by different property owners. the Days Inn wasn't abandoned yet That was actually a Holiday Inn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 (edited) LyondellBassel Tower was completed in 1978, so the photo was taken in 1978, at the very earliest. And the Four Seasons Hotel was completed in 1981 and its site is a parking lot in the picture, so the picture must have been taken prior to 1980. Here's a photo of the area from 1970, when Texas Eastern bought the 32 blocks of eastern downtown for their Houston Center development. Edited March 3, 2014 by Houston19514 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Wow, odd seeing a pic of downtown Houston with no visible surface parking lots. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Wow, odd seeing a pic of downtown Houston with no visible surface parking lots. That would be odd. Have you seen one? ;-) (There are several visible surface parking lots in the referenced picture.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 The Shell building is under construction in this image and it was completed in 1971 so this image is probably 1970 /71. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 The Shell building is under construction in this image and it was completed in 1971 so this image is probably 1970 /71. Yeah. That's one of the reasons I said it was from 1970. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Sorry about that. I just realized your caption stated that. I got confused with the page change.Relax, It was my mistake. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 That would be odd. Have you seen one? ;-) (There are several visible surface parking lots in the referenced picture.) I see surface parking but not entire lots for parking. I don't see any 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 I see surface parking but not entire lots for parking. I don't see any I presume you mean you don't see any entire blocks for parking? That seems to be true. I don't think I see any entire blocks of surface parking either, but there are clearly several surface parking lots in the picture.Sorry about that. I just realized your caption stated that. I got confused with the page change.Relax, It was my mistake. It's all good. I'm sorry I did not include a wink in my earlier response. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 ^Yeah you just came off like a huuuuge dick You guys are so aggressive here 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Much of what is now The Parking District, outside of the Houston Center assemblage, also has buildings on it that were gone less than ten years later. I wonder what generated that demo derby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I presume you mean you don't see any entire blocks for parking? That seems to be true.That is what I said. What is up with you today? A lot that happens to have surface parking included isn't the same thing as a surface parking lot. Just as a grocery that happens to sell milk Isnt a dairy.I said I didn't see any SURFACE PARKING LOTS, what do you presume I meant my lot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 So do we have Texas Eastern to blame for destroying east downtown's neighborhood fabric, or was it the more organic forces of parking demand and owners not wanting structures to pay taxes on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 So do we have Texas Eastern to blame for destroying east downtown's neighborhood fabric, or was it the more organic forces of parking demand and owners not wanting structures to pay taxes on? I suspect more the latter, and that Texas Eastern was pushing against an open door. After all, there was much the same clearance of property in the Parking District where there was not one acquirer. After all, until the 1960s wholesale slum clearance was considered urban improvement, not destruction of neighborhood fabric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 New design: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 dammit i liked the old one better.. this design looks more like a skinnier/taller sovereign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 what material is the brown? Brick or concrete? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 I think I like the new design more. Construction begins the first quarter of 2015. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 This might be the most architecturally distinguished of the new downtown residential buildings, although Hines Market Square certainly wins on the lower floors. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I hope this not the new design, I like the first one better as it was much more sleek. I'm curious to know if it will have a pool. Can you make a multifamily development these day w/o one? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Honestly, I don't mind it. I think the materials and the nuances will make it good or just average. Most of these residential are starting to all look the same. I'd love to see something more original in the future - but that doesn't mean thus is bad 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClutchCity Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 The first design looked more generic so it's nice to see a change up. The first rendering looked like 1400 Texas and Hines' Market Square(as well as Hanover Montrose and the Southmore).It's nice to see Downtown getting all the variety of architectural styles! Also looks like a double height amenity deck above the garage so there might be room for a pool. Is it odd that there what looks like a sky bridge to the new convention center hotel? They going to link the garages with Hess for increased capacity? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Maybe the sky bridge so that the residents can use the pool/river at the Marriott? For a price... Of course. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I hope this not the new design, I like the first one better as it was much more sleek. I'm curious to know if it will have a pool. Can you make a multifamily development these day w/o one? I'm sorry you guys, when thinking of the "old rendering" I was actually thinking of the one two blocks from MMP. That said, I still like the old one better, even if it did look like Hines' Market Square park project. If we're gonna continue to build a bunch of buildings that look alike, this style is worth copying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 If their projected start date is the first quarter of 2015, then I'm sure there will be another render change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Money Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I'm still amazed by how narrow it is. I think it's skinnier than Mercer West even Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Reminds me of that proposed tower fir Denver. E really tall and skinny one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 It reminds me more of the infill you see on the east coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 New design: is it just me or does that look like GFR? its definitely not a garage entrance, and seems way too big (and has two separate locations) for a residential entrance or a leasing office. and speaking of garage entrances.. i dont see an entrance for the garage. unless its on the north side which would be kind of weird because thats where the LRT is going. i guess they may end up linking garages like someone suggested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Of the six projects proposed, three have been approved for the incentive program, and agreements are pending on the others. Those approved include a 33-story tower planned near Market Square Park, a 38-story building by Discovery Green, and a 10-story structure on the southern end of downtown.http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Downtown-views-call-to-many-suburbanites-5332897.php 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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