HINES INTERESTED IN BUILDING RESIDENTIAL TOWER ON DOWNTOWN BLOCK NEAR MARKET SQUARE PARK 
Culturemap reports that Hines is under contract to buy up a Downtown block and is planning a residential tower. How big a residential tower? Ralph Bivins doesn’t say. The block is bound by Prairie, Preston, Travis, and Main, catty-corner from Market Square Park; it’s directly across Preston from street artist Gonzo247’s Treebeards mural. It’s unclear from Bivins’s report whether Hines would build on the entire block and tear down the existing buildings — which include Frank’s Pizza and the recently closed Pepper Jack’s (and closed Cabo before that). If it seems as though Hines has been busy of late, it’s because Hines has been busy of late: The developer has also said it’s considering building a 20- or 22-story residential tower next to the Asia Society Texas Center, a 17-story office building off San Felipe, an apartment complex at the old Westheimer Cafe Adobe site, and a 41-story office tower at 609 Main. Update, 2:15 p.m.: A rep from Hines says that, though it’s too early to comment on the details of the proposed “multifamily development,” it would replace only the surface parking lot on the block in question. [Culturemap; Houstonia Magazine; previously on Swamplot] Photo of Market Square Park: Swamplot inbox
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The whole block? Including Georgia’s Market too? I really hope they don’t build up some huge building that completely ruins the view I have of Downtown, which is the only reason I chose to stay at Post Rice Lofts.
Save Frank’s Pizza!!
The picture looks like Market Square, not the property in question. The only building they could possibly tear down I think would be the old Cabo’s, but they’d sort of be shooting themselves in the foot, depleting the charm and character of the neighborhood they’re trying to sell new residents on. The buildings on the Main St. side are early skyscrapers; can’t imagine those would go.
A google earth street view dated May of 2011 shows that the parking lot there is available from R. Bowman and that there is a variance request for a new subdivision, fwiw.
So many empty parking lots around town and they pick a block that is 3/4 occupied by other buildings? I’ll never understand this town
Well that was dumb decision to live in a tower downtown thinking it would never face another tower.
If only they could buy/develop the surface parking lot across the street instead.
Georgia’s Market building will be safe. There are privately owned condo’s above it (they are super expensive). Unless they plan to buy that building too.
That block is part of the Main Street/Market Square Historic District, so it’s unlikely that any of the historic buildings would go. (Or it should be unlikely, anyway, based on the city preservation law.)
I hope they don’t do the entire block either. Frank’s pizza and those buildings are so cool and unique to the city. Hopefully they just want to build on the current parking lot.
Sorry for Frank’s and the market. Not sad for the rest of the block, though. Aside from those two, it seems like a wasteland of long-time vacancy. Much as I love the more historical buildings on Main, they’re not doing anyone any good vacant. And I’m normally in favor of preservation.
Yeah, because the city’s preservation law has saved so many other structures before…
Yeah, this was reported in the Houston Business Journal a few weeks back.
Everyone relax, the Chron article posted in HAIF says it is going up on the parking, not the entire lot.
People, they’re not tearing down the whole block for a residential tower. Ten story historic office buildings on Main are not going to be torn down for this.
Also, those buildings are not “sitting there vacant.” Need to get out of the suburbs once in awhile and actually get to know what you’re talking about.
…actually, so does the CultureMap article
The “charm and character” of downtown Houston…. Now I’ve officially heard it all.
Hines is looking at developing on the land that is an existing parking lot ONLY… NONE of the existing buildings will be affected.
Bernard – what is so difficult about this?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-a-x/285869710/in/set-72157594516581316
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-a-x/8708788446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/j-a-x/2176202670/in/set-72157594516581316/
@Mike I live inside the loop and work downtown. I drive by those buildings on Main frequently. Aside from the occasional fly-by-night club, I haven’t seen a lot of activity in those buildings. If there’s something in them, I’d be curious to find out what, because the three in the middle look mostly abandoned.
Densify, you probably haven’t seen much street activity because people are avoiding the heat. I suppose you could search their addresses on the county assessor’s website and see if there are any business/personal property accounts.
@Mike Good call. Hadn’t thought of that.
North downtown has some character and that includes the building with Frank’s. it’s the old part of downtown and if Hines viewpoint is to come in and clear cut old buildings then the north side loses its charm. Hines doesn’t seem to care about anything except how to ruin neighborhoods and shows no imagination in trying to coexist.
412 Main (the State National Bank Building) has been “sitting there vacant” and uninhabitable since a December 2011 flood.
Did a little checking. 416 Main (the building with the green and red facade between Georgia’s Market and the State National Bank building) is also vacant. The marquis that was previously there has been gone for some time and there’s a for lease sign in the window.
Looks like 410 Main recently got Clutch City Squire as a new tenant and 402 Main (Citizens Bank building) was about 40 percent leased as of a year ago. So, I guess with two vacant and two inhabited, Mike and I were both half right.
HINES DOES THINGS RIGHT KEEP BUILDING LANDMARKS LIKE WILLIAMS TOWER IN HOUSTON,TEXAS
AND LETS ALL THINK SHAQ THE BIG DUMMY CALLING HOUSTON A SMALL TOWN THAT IS THE PERCEPTION BUT NOT THE REALITY WE ARE A GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL SUPER CITY.
Calm down Anthony–nobody listens to Shaq, the guys a borderline illiterate–go back to bed