Here’s the rendering Houston’s Hanover Company passed around to drum up the $40 million equity investment its website now indicates is committed to building the structure as part of BLVD Place, just north of the Galleria. The 358-unit apartment tower at the corner of Sky Lark and Post Oak Ln. is listed as a “midrise” in company materials, but it’s all relative: The 20-something stories depicted make the new version a bit shorter than the 57-story design the company had prepared for the site in 2007, as well as the 37-story model announced a year later, before the project got put on hold.
- Hanover Blvd Place [Hanover Co., via Going Up City!]
- Previously on Swamplot: Galleria Pocket Park Fight Ends with TIRZ Reaching into Pocket, Putting Off the Ritz: Boulevard Place Towers Stalled, Hanover Apartment Tower at Boulevard Place: 37 Stories
Image: Hanover Co.
Nice to see a tower proposal. Isn’t really a impressive design but I’m glad it’s a high rise. I still would be very surprised if it gets of the ground due to the entire BLVD Place history.
Before you know it, the Post Oak corridor will be all highrises. Eventually the market will dictate the strip centers will need to convert to a different style development.
Not the most cutting-edge design, but high rises are awesome!
Lame, but this is Houston, where most people think that something is better than nothing (like a WalMart). If you live here long enough, you learn the hard way to stop expecting much from local developers – even those who build amazing things in other cities. They don’t bother here, mostly because they don’t have to. No zoning, no planning, no architectural or design reviews, hell the 4th largest city in the land doesn’t even have an architecture critic on staff anywhere (only food and arts critics in H-town), so no bad reviews – just kudos from the press for “at least” doing something. Houston has become the land of “at least”; at least they built something; at least it’s not an empty lot anymore; at least…
Empty lots are underrated.
Would rather see good architecture, regardless of the scale. Randall Davis lowered the bar for the Post Oak corridor and Hanover is following right along. Definitely not ‘world class’.
It’s ok, certainly conservative. I like the 37 story version much more. Here’s an idea: build this 37 story design at Weslayan / Alabama instead of the proposed 35 story whale (aka “Aqua”):-)
It is sad to see Hanover come to this – after all the great projects they have in other cities. But after all, they had set an even lower bar than Randall Davis when they did 1200 Post Oak.
The Hotel and rental concept is working well in other cities….maybe Hanover could think beyond just another luxury rental? It is nice to see BLVD Place finish the mixed use development, but let’s not see another Memorial City scene with over use of one parcel….. Traffic flows better if the stores are further apart on Post Oak…. The Galleria is a huge over use of one lot and reflects the need for developers to also consider the way a building relates to the neighborhood……… Also the random store that sells “Adult” items near Post Oak Dillard’s is an eyesore Houston………..let’s stop playing spoiled child with land in popular areas and work together
From “WOW” to “Decent” to “bleh” in just 4 short years. Thanks, Hanover!
What despotic architect designs these monstrosities anyway?
@Jon…couldn’t agree with you more!
circa 1980?????
I’m pretty sure this was designed by Gromatzky Dupree (GDA), who, ironically designed 1200 Post Oak and 7 Riverway. They have done a number of high-rises over the years for Hanover.
Jon – Can you tell me where these magical cities are where developers, bureaucrats, and work together to harmoniously require every building to be a work of art?
Yeah, pretty boring. Too bad some old POS can’t be demolished and redeveloped downtown.
Why downtown? Such a boring place. More people would likely rent/buy in a building in Uptown.
I like the concept of adding residential downtown, but Midtown and other adjacent areas will need to reach critical mass before downtown really become a residential hot spot. And no, zoning couldn’t solve this problem, it would only exacerbate it.
@kjb434- Wait, what? Downtown is boring compared to Uptown? Really? Where in Uptown can you catch the ballet, symphony, opera, or broadway? Where can you watch a movie at a place as nice as the new Sundance? Where can you catch a live music act at a venue like the Verizon Arena, Warehouse Live, Toyota Center, HOB, etc…? Tell me what nights the Astros, Rockets, Dynamo, or Aeros play near the Galleria? Where’s the Galleria-area location for UH or South Texas College of Law? What Uptown parks are as dynamic as Discovery Green? You got it backwards. Uptown is boring. It’s genericville U.S.A. with drive thru Starbucks and Rainforest Cafes (is that even still there?).
@ Doofus:
Nobody goes to the opera, etc, every weekend. But you can spend a lot more money in the Galleria area, and is a much better place to be seen in your Bentley Continental GT (don’t tell anyone it’s just a fancied up VW).
Doofus,
Mike has it right. I appreciate all the things you mentioned you can do in downtown, but for the majority of us those are occasional things. They are not routine events unless you are serious patrons and donors to the the venues you mentioned. To a large chunk of potential downtown buyers, yes, downtown is boring.
Ok, so you don’t like cultural events, live music acts, major league sports, art films, iFest, Art Car Parades, public parks, unique restaurants, historical architecture, or any of the other things that you can find downtown but you want to lecture folks on what is boring? Got it. Makes perfect sense now.