The 25-Story Apartment Tower Hines Plans To Build in the Museum District

Here’s a rendering of that 25-story residential highrise Hines says it plans to start building in the Museum District in July. Designed by Munoz + Albin, the 259-unit, 301,000-sq.-ft. apartment building and parking garage will stand next to the Asia Society Texas Center on most of the block bound by Caroline, Oakdale, Southmore, and San Jacinto.

What’s missing from this rendering is that historic home on the corner of Caroline and Southmore whose owners chose not to sell. It appears that the property immediately west of the holdouts’ and next to the light rail line will become a 10,000-sq.-ft. “public-access park,” reports the Houston Business Journal: “In addition, there is potential for small retail space adjacent to the park, such as a café or light food services.”

Rendering: Hines

13 Comment

  • Love the generic architecture. At least design something “different”-like the 41 story edifice Hines is supposedly going to build @ Market Square,downtown.And the Gods of retail will be happy: ” there is potential for small retail space…”. Holy Moley..

  • It’s a real shame that the historic apartment building on this space will be destroyed for this ugly thing….one of the prettiest block in the area – now overshadowed by a monstrosity.

  • reminds me of the movie “Up”

  • It’ll look good with a few more 20+ story buildings around it. Will be interesting to see if anything else sprouts up in the next 5-10 years.

  • I’ve lived in a similar highrise and would never do it again, way too noisy, way too crowded, absolutely no privacy.

  • Why would an ugly building look better with other ugly buildings around it? I’ll grand you this rendering is superior to the prior one, however it’s still disappointing this bland beheamoth is being built across from the stylish Asia Society and in a neighborhood of beautiful traditional houses. What an intrusion into a lovely block, it’s shame, but when you have no zoning this is what you get, disproportionately tall structures, situated on islands in the middle of historic neighborhoods. This is why when my friends come to visit, they never speak of wanting to move here…well that and the humidity.

  • if by beautiful traditional homes, you mean dilapidated old homes and a mishmash of vacant lots sprinkled in between, then your comment is spot on.

  • That “neighborhood” of traditional homes is more like a single block, and island surrounded by all sorts of development including, but not limited to townhomes and bland low-rise office buildings. Also everyone seems to be forgetting the fact that there is already a big, bland, boxy apartment complex literally right across the street. Could Hines have picked a different lot that spared this block and homes from development? I guess. The fact that they didn’t leads me to think these homeowner’s have seen the writing on the wall for the last several years, with development encroaching in from all sides and decided it was time to sell, probably to Hines’ benefit.

  • A good start. Needs dozens more.

  • They can’t all be the best looking. I, however, have no problem with this building. Even in the best of cities, there are some ugly duckings. And hey, the parks that most people are screaming for, one will come with it. Let’s get er done.

  • Creole, of course your friends don’t like it. If you’re negative when showing Houston, then they will have your negative impression. Where are you from that is so much better? I have friends from all of the US and abroad, and they love this dynamic city. And by the way, when I was last in DC, the cab driver was complaining about how in the past 30 years they tore down all the row houses and built 8 story apartments. It looks great now, but the process was not pretty. Houston has, in my humble opinion, improved vastly in the last decade and I can’t wait to see all the progress in the next decade.

  • This is why Houston will remain voted as the ugliest city. Get a clue Houston. Fight for Zoning laws!!

  • “Traditional” means two adjacent properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Clayton Home was renovated to the tune of $14 mil and the residence is in great condition. Asia House was what, $50 mil? Dilapidated old homes? Open your eyes.

    The Hines folks missed a few days of class……
    ( Legal ? ) (Smart –) (Awkward site –) (Scale –) (Incongruous –) = Failed Project.

    Why not use the mishmash of vacant lots instead?