Earlier today, we introduced the first category in the Swamplot Awards for Houston Real Estate, covering the year’s best and most. And now nominations are open in a second category: Best Project Cancellation or Delay of 2008.
Putting a project “on hold” is tough. Giving up on a project is tougher. Allowing future plans to remain future plans indefinitely? Unaccountably difficult. The handling of any such maneuver requires considerable skill and finesse. Which Houston development deserves this kind of recognition for the efforts of its promoters over the last year?
You can help your nominee win this award by introducing your choice well. If you’d like to make a nomination, we suggest reading the brief instructions summarized here. The comments (and the Swamplot tip line) are now open for your nominations in this category.
How about the Archstone Memorial Heights redevelopment? Management indicated that they would start in the second quarter, and here it is year’s end with the plans on an unannounced hold.
The hold, alas, was not soon enough to prevent the stripping of fixtures and air conditioners from two of the three buildings slated for Phase 1. The final building was lucky to have been untouched long enough to be used as temporary housing while Hurricane Ike forced tenants from other buildings.
For sure, Boulevard Place. I was really excited about that new developement. Houston was so close to having something that was so beautiful and spectacular. Along with Houston’s first Ritz-Carlton.
I can’t see how this could go to anything other than the Sonoma project on Bolsover. First there were delays as Randall Davis had to convince the city that they could close the public street and sell it to him, then there was an announcement that he would build phase II before phase I, and then there were more delays as he tried to sell enough units to get enough financing to start even one of the phases, and finally the announcement that the project was on hold, but he has until 2015 to do something with the property. Meanwhile, a perfectly good strip center with several popular restaurants and hangout spots (RIP TeaSpot) was torn down, and the neighbors get to look at a work in progress for the next 7 years.
I don’t have a particular project to mention, but wanted to point readers interested in this topic to a short editorial I just read in last week’s New Yorker. It talks about the effects of the economic downturn (now there’s a euphemism for you) on in-progress real estate developments in NYC. Great little read. Enjoy!
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/12/08/081208ta_talk_paumgarten
I nominate GoogleMaster’s post above as the best post of the year. I have nothing to add except Hell Yeah!
I agree, Sonoma is it.
Sonoma, for the attendant soap opera GoogleMaster so hilariously describes above.