A set of skeletal construction updates are the product of Bob Russell’s downtown photo hunt earlier this week. The view above is a Hines 2-fer: Behind James Surl’s spiky Point of View sculpture is the 32-floor apartment building on its way up at the corner of Travis and Preston (now going by Aris Market Square), with a sliver of all-business 609 Main visible on the right. The office tower has been getting its last few bits of steel stuck into place this week — check out a more centered portrait of the rooftop action (plus more covert snaps of bare beams from around the area) below:
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Here’s a peak around the back of Aris from Main St., revealing its L-shaped footprint — the crane on the far left is at work on that other new Market Square apartment tower at 777 Preston. Below is the peaked roof of the Barringer-Norton building, under which currently resides Boots ‘n Shoots Whiskey + Shots:Â
Meanwhile at La Branch St., another of Trammell Crow’s Alexans is starting to sprout skyward — the 8-story Alexan Downtown at 1410 Texas (with BGGroup Place overlooking the scene from 811 Main):
Across Texas, Marquette’s Catalyst Houston apartment tower is nearing its full 28 floor height:
- Previously on Swamplot:Â Hines’ 32-Story Apartment Tower Catty-Corner from Market Square Is Going Up Now;Â The Second New Market Square Apartment Tower Set to Replace Another Downtown Surface Parking Lot;Â Confirmed: United Airlines Preparing for .7 Mile Flight to New 609 Main Tower Downtown
Photos: Bob Russell
Downtown is blowing up with apartments. Navigating downtown has gotten to be such a pain, but I do think having the livable core will benefit the city.
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It will be interesting to see if this places downward price pressure on nearby midtown apartments. Downtown is getting the new and shiny stuff and midtown is still rough in spits. Midtown homeowners are trying to gentrify like Washington avenue homeowners who want to make it less of a fratty party scene and more of a neighborhood with good restaurants. If the prices go down in midtown, young professionals who want to party will keep filling up the apartment complexes.
I believe that over the next ten years, once Market Square historic district and the theater district merge with each other with the redesign of the theater district and all of these units get filled, this area is going to be one of the great neighborhoods in the city and if they add more convenient GFR in all new project this will allow residents to walk home from work, run some errands, stop and have a drink, before going out for dinner and maybe taking in a play or the ballet or a concert over at House of Blues. All without getting in your car if you even own one.
Market Square Historic district, Minute Maid/GRB,/Toyota Center, and the Main St./Cathedral neighborhoods all have quality attractions and loads of possibility. Downtown is on the verge of a Tipping Point.