Here’s the latest glamour shot of Hotel Alessandra, looking sharp at the northern edge of the GreenStreet complex (and being photobombed by the former Sakowitz building from across Dallas St.). The hotel — initially planned around a 25-story question mark before it was reigned in to a less introspective 21-story design — was issued a set of floor-by-floor building permits at the end of January following its September foundation pour. Only 20 floors-worth of permits were issued, though, and Midway’s partner-in-highrise Valencia Group has updated its online description of the hotel’s specs to match the lower number since last spring.
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The tower’s height should be set in stone concrete in the next few months as construction continues; the hotel’s developers expect it to ready to play ball by the end of this year, as the area around GreenStreet prepares for next year’s Super Bowl kickoff. The hotel’s lobby, originally planned for the building’s top floor, is still intended for higher-than-it-could’ve-been Level 2 of the building, along with a lounge and a restaurant.
- Foundation poured for downtown hotel [HBJ]
- She Arrives in 2016 [Valencia Group]
- Previously on Swamplot: Hotel Alessandra Tower Redesign Loses the Swoops and Curves; Demolition Work on GreenStreet for the Swoopy New Hotel Alessandra Begins Next Week; New Mod Downtown Highrise Hotel Alessandra Will Slam Dunk Former Yao Ming Spot at GreenStreet
Photo of Hotel Alessandra construction site at Fannin and Dallas streets: ThaChadwick
So when this opens in December will it have evolved into a 4 story Motel 6?
Still disappointed that Midway went with such a bland, generic design for a luxury boutique hotel in the nation’s 4th largest city. It looks like a Marriott in Albuquerque.
Thats too funny. Theres rumors of countless coming to jesus moments between midway and investment partners. It only gets compounded when the Houston Gensler office is involved – which ensures a blown bugdet off the bat followed by systemic panic to reel in the project via value engineering during production…. CLASSIC!
This always seems to be the pattern in Houston. Plans are presented for a fabulous building, then it’s downscaled to a good building, then by the time the construction is completed, it’s just another mediocre building.
I’m hoping it looks beautiful when complete…. cause right now it’s the incredible shrinking “awesome” hotel. I don’t even live in Houston! Jojo – Los Angeles
Everyone seems quick to blame the developer for building a p
bland project. Is everyone sure that the developer didn’t have a more exciting project they wanted to do? Perhaps they were not able to for reasons that were out of their control? Could not get permits or whatever.
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Despite Houston’s “build whatever you want” reputation, it doesn’t really work that way.
People have been cussing that project for months. In addition to keeping Fannin interminably gummed up, someone doing something around that intersection has, on separate occasions, cut the power, the water and most recently the gas to office buildings in the area. The latest stunt required hazmat response and evacuation of at least one entire office building during work hours.
If the apparent planning and management of the project impacts is any indication, lowered expectations might be in order.
Alessandra’s eyes are so spell-binding.
http://www.valenciagroup.com/hotel-alessandra.htm
Who is going to even comment about her height when she grows up?
Amen, MRP! Car and pedestrian traffic in the immediate area has been a disaster for months. You can never tell which sidewalks are open and crossing at nearby intersections is a real game of Frogger. Can’t wait for this to be over.
It will be a race to get the CO and be ready to have the operator train staff in January. Cutting a floor might give them a week or two at best. Note that the room count went from 225 to 223, so they found more rooms in the lower floors or took out some amenities. This hotel was aiming to “deliver the ultimate luxury experience” which probably felt better to say at $100 oil. Getting $400+ a night looks harder now. Easy to snipe at the design when you aren’t faced with the updated economic reality.