Proposed Developments

Houston Landmarks, Land Development, Parks, Proposed Developments, Public Buildings, Renovations, Third Ward

11 Comments

Design plans for the $18 million Emancipation Park overhaul are done, reports KUHF’s Pat Hernandez, and the work —Â including renovations (as thisÂ rendering suggests) to the gym, baseball field, pool, and community center — is expected to begin at the 10-acre Third Ward park this summer.

Emancipation Park, Houston History, Houston Landmarks, Parks, Proposed Developments, Public Space, Third Ward

Adaptive Reuse

02/20/13 11:00am

Historic International Coffee Company Building Downtown To Begin Serving Kayaks

Bayous and Waterways, Downtown, Houston History, Houston Landmarks, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Tourism

20 Comments

The same architecture firm that transformed Wilshire Village into the H-E-B Montrose Market across town has been pegged to redo 1910Â International Coffee Company Building (aka Sunset Coffee Building), resuscitating the derelict shell on Allen’s Landing into use as a Downtown tourist attraction andÂ kayak rental shop. San Antonio firm Lake Flato submitted this drawing of the building at the coffee-with-cream-colored confluence of White Oak and Buffalo Bayou underneath Main and Fannin to Buffalo Bayou Partnership, whichÂ plans to begin the project in April.

Houston building steeped in history to get facelift [abc13]
Plan to renovate city’s ‘front door’ to begin in April [Houston Chronicle]
International Coffee Building [Buffalo Bayou Partnership]

Rendering: Buffalo Bayou Partnership

77002, Adaptive Reuse, Allen's Landing, Bayous and Waterways, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Downtown, Houston History, Houston Landmarks, International Coffee Company Building, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Tourism, Water

Commercial Real Estate

02/19/13 4:00pm

The Luxury Post Oak Immigrant Experience Next to McDonald’s

Highrises, Land Sales, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Uptown

20 Comments

THE LUXURY POST OAK IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE NEXT TO MCDONALD’S Randall Davis has completed the purchase of (most of) theÂ 1405 Post Oak property where that long-standingÂ McDonald’s was getting in the way of his Astoria development (the rendering of which is shown here), reports the Houston Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff: The McDonald’s that appeared in last Monday’sÂ Daily Demolition Report is expected to beÂ replaced with a smaller one near the edge of the ~~30,466-sq.-ft.~~ 1.23-acre property, making room for the 70 28-story luxury tower — with 3-bedroom units going for $1.3 million — that’s being marketed as a path of upward mobility: “Davis has been luring investors through the federal government’s EB-5 visa program where wealthy would-be immigrants can put $500,000 or $1 million into a job-creating commercial enterprise and become lawful permanent residents of the United States.” [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot] Rendering: Randall Davis Company

77056, Buying and Selling, Commercial Real Estate, Highrises, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Randall Davis, Uptown

Commercial Real Estate

02/19/13 10:00am

Grand Texas Theme Park: Riding a Cartoon Horse to New Caney

Hotels, Land Development, Montgomery County, Proposed Developments, Restaurants, Stadiums

29 Comments

Meet Lasso, yourÂ mascot for the newÂ Grand Texas Theme Park! The armed-and-friendly blond stud has been revealed as the long face of the Texas-themed theme park’s second-go-around in Texas. Back in July 2009, developer Monty Galland announced that he had a spot in Tomball for the park’s first phase to open byÂ April 2010. Well, that was then. Now, Galland’s back — with Lasso in tow — and presenting a revised proposalÂ to Montgomery Country leaders,Â reports the Tomball Potpourri: The developer’s eyeing property nearÂ New Caney, where Grand Texas might better hitch its wagon toÂ dinosaur-friendly EarthQuest.

77357, Attractions, Commercial Real Estate, Hotels, Land Development, Montgomery County, New Caney, Proposed Developments, Restaurants, Splendora, Stadiums, Theme-Parks, Tourism

02/15/13 4:08pm

A Museum District Construction Tour

Commercial Real Estate, Construction Materials, Land Development, Medical Buildings, Mixed Use, Museum District, New Construction, Office Buildings, Photography, Proposed Developments, Renovations, Retail, Senior Living, Streets

11 Comments

Ah, Friday: Why not take a stroll down Binz St. in the Museum District and have a look at what’s going on? Let’s head east from here: the corner of La Branch and Binz, near the Children’s Museum.

Our guide, Swamplot reader David Hollas, provides the photos and the observations:

77004, Apartments, Commercial Real Estate, Construction Materials, Lots, Medical Buildings, Museum District, New Construction, Office Buildings, Photography, Retail, Senior Living, Street

Magnolia Grove

02/15/13 11:00am

Federal Grill Replacing Tavern that Replaced Pool Hall

Openings and Closings, Proposed Developments

No Comments

Chef David Grossman is closing Branch Water Tavern and selling the menu and recipes to Bistro des Amis owner Matt Brice, who says he will open The Federal Grill in the Magnolia Grove spot shown above at 510 South Shepherd Dr. sometime this spring. Grossman opened Branch Water Tavern here 3 years ago behind thatÂ wood-and-rusted-steel facade in the building that used to house Cue & Cushion. Grossman tells Eater Houston that he is taking the Branch Water name with him — maybe somewhere outside the Loop, where he will plan a less expensive menu; Grossman means as well to help his fiancee Julia Sharaby get her Fusion Taco truck into a freestanding spot and off the streets.

77007, Openings and Closings, Proposed Developments, Restaurants, Shepherd Dr.

Airports

02/14/13 2:00pm

Southwest Spending $150 Million To Expand Hobby Airport for International Flights

Hobby Airport, New Construction, Proposed Developments, Transportation

7 Comments

Yesterday, city council approved an agreement that will allow Southwest Airlines to go ahead with plans to expand Hobby Airport for international flights. The short-pants airline will foot the $150 million bill to add up to 280,000 sq. ft. to the terminal, including a new concourse and ticket counter, six security lanes, five gates, and a customs inspection hub. The plan, pictured above, also includes restructuredÂ roadways and a new parking garage with 2,500 spaces, mutating one of theÂ wings of an airport designed as though it might be itself ready for takeoff:

77061, Airports, Hobby Airport, Parking-Garages, Proposed Development, Transportation

02/12/13 4:15pm

Fairmont Museum District Adding Phase II, Filling Up That Gap On Richmond

Montrose, New Constructon, Proposed Developments

10 Comments

Renderings aren’t ready to be released, says Assistant Manager Lindsay Fouchee, but under-construction Phase II of the Fairmont Museum District at Richmond and Dunlavy will have more units and more amenities. (The photo directly above shows the excavation of what will be the parking garage.) The 4-story, 210,933-sq.-ft.Â apartments back up to the dog run and baseball diamond at Ervan Chew Park and U.S. 59. Phase I was completed in 2007; Fouchee expects Phase II to be done within 14 months.

The Fine Art of City Living [Fairmont Museum District]

Photos: Allyn West

77006, Apartments, Montrose, New Construction, Proposed Developments

02/12/13 2:00pm

Artist Renovating, Moving Into Washington Ave.’s Old Huston’s Drugs

Old Sixth Ward, Proposed Developments, Renovations

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The lights are coming back on inside the old Huston’s Drugs at 2119 Washington Ave.: Long for sale, the stout mid-century building was purchased at the end of December by Houston-based artist Chris Bramel, who tells Swamplot he is renovating the interior that’s still partially stocked with apothecary bottles and swivel-stools lined up in front of an old soda fountain into an art gallery, shared studio space, and apartment for himself.

77007, Apartments, Galleries, Old-Sixth-Ward, Renovations, Washington Ave.

02/12/13 11:45am

Good Brick Award-Winners Beginning Work on 113-Year-Old Fifth Ward Building

Buildouts, Fifth Ward, Historic Preservation, Houston Architects, Mixed Use, Office Space, Proposed Developments, Renovations

18 Comments

At 2020 Hardy St., this building dates to 1900. Previous owners the Espinosa family managed rental properties from here; it’s also been home to the Monte Carlo Lounge and pool hall and a grocery. The 5,000-sq.-ft. building, lying about 2 miles north of Downtown in the Fifth Ward, was bought in early January by 2011 Good Brick Award winnersÂ David and Bennie Flores Ansell, who have spent the past month sweeping and clearing out the interior — which came to them unbidden with cases of unopened tostadas, garbage bags of discarded mail, shelves stocked with ’80s perfume, sunglasses, and self-help videos, broken billiards trophies with tattered replica baize, etc. They hope to have the building transformed into offices and apartments by this summer.

77026, Apartments, Buildouts, Fifth Ward, Historic Preservation, Houston Architects, Office Space, Proposed Developments, Renovations

Openings and Closings

02/12/13 9:30am

River Oaks District To See Action, Adventure

Proposed Developments, Quicklink, River Oaks

6 Comments

RIVER OAKS DISTRICT TO SEE ACTION, ADVENTURE The last we heard the River Oaks District was providing “move out concierges” to help Westcreek Apartment residents get off the property west of Highland Village where the upscaleÂ mixed-use cluster is going; now it appears that something’s moving in, theÂ Houston Chronicle‘s Nancy Sarnoff reports: Florida-based iPic has signed a lease to build a 560-seat octoplex. It might not end up looking like the rendering shown here, but it will be called “Escape,” reports Sarnoff, and it will allow moviegoers to pick — get it? — among escalators,Â self-serve ticket kiosks, beers on tap, recliners, and pillows and blankets. [Prime Property; previously on Swamplot] Rendering: Oliver McMillan

77027, Movie-Theaters, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, River Oaks District

Graffiti

02/11/13 4:00pm

Some Happy Guerilla Architectural Disagreement in Montrose, Ya’ll

Montrose, New Construction: Residential, Proposed Developments, Signage, Townhomes

94 Comments

Quite a few of you have sent in similar photos of this befaced sign at Hyde Park and Waugh for Urban Living’s proposedÂ Hyde Park Maison — that’s French for a 4-story, 3-bedroom townhouse. According to the development company’s website there will be five suchÂ maisons, ranging from $589,000 to $689,000, squeezed onto the corner lot bound by Waugh, Hyde Park, Fairview, and Upas, just north of Westheimer. Want to see them without theÂ commentary?

77006, Graffiti, Montrose, Proposed Developments, Signage, Townhomes

Proposed Developments

02/11/13 12:00pm

Funding the Post Oak BRT

Quicklink

39 Comments

FUNDING THE POST OAK BRT Metro board chair Gilbert Garcia throws in his $.02 on Uptown Houston’s proposed Post OakÂ bus rapid transit system that Swamplot reported last month: “There are transit needs everywhere. We know all about them. But Metro’s resources are finite,” Garcia tells the Houston Chronicle‘s Dug Begley. “‘If we can solve the transit needs in this region without stretching Metro resources, like this does, that is great.'” The project is expected to cost $177.5 million, Begley reports, though TIRZ-powered Uptown Houston will pay up to $92 million of that. “The rest would come from $24 million in state transportation funds, and a $45 million grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council, using federal money the region received,” Begley reports. And the buses could start running as soon as 2017. Uptown Houston’s president John Breeding adds, ‘”We’re the guys who put arches across the street. . . . We’re the guys who put giant granite balls from China at the entrances.'” [Houston Chronicle ($); previously on Swamplot] Image: Uptown Management District

77056, Post Oak, Proposed Developments, Public Transportation, Quicklink

Proposed Developments

02/08/13 3:00pm

Rodeo Houston Doesn’t Care What Happens to the Astrodome — As Long As the Rodeo Gets To Use It