DOCSLIB.ORG

Downtown Houston

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Downtown Houston CITE 22 w Ihuli lit Main Street, 1996. ^ DOWNTOWN H O U S T O N : HOUSTON IS EMBARKING ON THE LARGEST PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT IN THE CITY'S HISTORY, ALL OF IT CONCENTRATED DOWNTOWN. THE VISIBLE RESULTS OF THE METRO DOWNTOWN AND MIDTOWN TRANSIT STREETS PROJECT SHOULD BE DRAMATIC, BUT THE URBAN DESIGN PHILOSOPHY, MECHANISM, AND DELIVERY SYSTEM ARE AS BOLD, UNIQUE — AND RISKY — AS THE DREDGING OF THE SHIP CHANNEL EIGHT DECADES AGO. J K h F R E Y C H S N E R Main Street, looking north from Dallas Avenue, ca. 1930. CITE limy in w i n I e 23 TtlOt A»fnup, laying slmTtar lioikl, 10. 1925. numrHwsIwi Mempattan Imorili (Ma. Honshu Punk fan; downtown environment m i g ht l i m i t machmes, kiosks, trash receptacles, side- J future ridership g r o w t h . The combina- walk patterns and colors, and public art tion of queuing transit passengers, pedes- will vary by district. Traditional furnish- trians, strcetseape amenities, and furni- ings, such as acorn light standards, w i l l ture n a r r o w s sidewalk space, and the rel be installed along M a m Street and ative neglect of infrastructure mainte- around M a r k e r and Courthous e squares. nance has allowed some sidewalks and Contemporary furnishings w i l l be streets to deteriorate to a c o n d i t i o n installed elsewhere. requiring m a j o r repair or reconstruction. Sequence p l a n n i n g w i l l be coordinate d As a result, M e t r o has taken the initiative with property owners and managers to for major improvements that w i l l encour- minimize disruption d u r i n g what w i l l be, age continued g r o w t h and clarity its sys- at least, a tour-year construction p e r i o d , tem of stops and routes. during w h i c h time the City of I louston Transit street improvements for will upgrade antiquated public utilities, downtown I l o u s t o n were first proposed replacing water mams and storm and san- in the IVKOs w i t h a D o w n t o w n itary sewers. Similarly, the Texas D< velopmem Plan liu.ilK to he published Department ot Transportation and the in late I99f> or early 1947. Once r o u t i n g city w i l l undertake a concurrent series of is reconfigured. M a i n Street w i l l no bridge and freeway reconstruction p r o - longer serve as a linear transfer center, jects a r o u n d the perimerer of d o w n t o w n and bus service w i l l he integrated on all during the transit streets construction , downtown streets. H D M D pushed for and project phasing w i l l also be c o o r d i - preservation ol curb parking and loading nated w i t h this w o r k . /ones wherever possible, especially in his- During each ol the 12- to 15-month REMAKING w focus on the design ot rhe public sec- imposes an annual assessment of f> cents toric areas, where buildings lack loading phases, a single construction management tor — the space between buildings per S I 0 0 land value on all 705 acres of docks and garages. company w i l l provide inspection and A— is new for this city. T h e great tor- downtown property included in the dis- \s II is now planned, rhe scope ol contractor coordinatio n on the entire tune of a b o o m i n g oil and gas economy trict. T h e H D M D p r o g r a m has t w o Metro's D o w n t o w n and M i d t o w n Transit project. H D M D is f u n d i n g improvements created an encouraging atmosphere for major components: first, a d o w n t o w n Streets I'mjcci is immense. Streets border- that are not being provided by M e t r o — flamboyant high-rise developers and their operations and maintenance effort that ing more than 4 5 0 city blocks w i l l be landscaping on nontransit block frontage, creative architects; rights-of-way between addresses the day-to-day quality of the affected; approximatel y ^4 linear miles of street f u r n i t u r e at locations other than the property lines was the sole province ot downtown environment at the small street w i l l be altered in some fashion. The transit stops and shelters, and w a y f i n d i n g traffic engineers, water and sewer mainte- scale; and second, a broad planning el I n n character ot north-south "linear streets" graphics. M e t r o anil H D M D have also nance people, a n d the utility companies. that tries to offer a long-range perspective will be consistent along their length. T h e had to resolve long-term maintenance The end ot the oil b o o m in the m i d - o n the future of d o w n t o w n H o u s t o n . east-west "district streets" w i l l have v a n - and operations cost-sharing. In general, 1980s changed all that, of course. T h e "The H D M D initiative has been joined able elements as they pass t h r o u g h differ- Metro w i l l maintain those items associat- city experienced a g r o w i n g recognition by the Metropolita n Transit A u t h o r i t y ot ent districts. In M i d t o w n , planned ed w i t h transit operations. H D M D w i l l that the d o w n t o w n environmen t c o u l d Harris County's D o w n t o w n and M i d - improvements are more limited . handle day-to-day d o w n t o w n operations not be complete or g r o w economically town Transit Streets Project, a large-scale In terms of overall area, the M e t r o and maintenance: e m p t y i n g trash recepta- without more sensitivity to public spaces. redesigning of public rather than private initiative is rhe largest public w o r k s pro- cles, watering trees, and maintainin g Out ut this awareness grew a private space. It is the M e t r o project that c o u l d ject of its kind in I louston \ history. seasonal plantings. M e t r o w i l l replace organization focused on planning, at have the greatest impact on the character Under Metro' s supervision, I ' C A L w i l l damaged items in the transit shelter about the same rime that rhe transit of d o w n t o w n I l o u s t o n . Refocusing on serve as coordinatin g architects and w i l l lie.is, and I I D M D w i l l handle replace- authority, spurred by public o p i n i o n , downtown's public spaces is one key to develop pro|cct-widc guidelines tor the ments elsewhere. began to redirect its spending priorities fostering mixed-use development by the final design w o r k , w h i c h w i l l be contract- from fixed-rail mass transit to street private sector, w h i c h w o u l d help trans- ed to IS engineering firms. In a d d i t i o n , The Ttonsil Slreels Project as Urban Design improvements for its regional bus system. form the area f r o m a nine-to-five c o m - five architectural and landscape firms or In 1990 the I louston D o w n t o w n mercial c e w e r i n t o a round-the-clock teams w i l l be chosen for streetscape Houston's D o w n t o w n and M i d t o w n Management Corporatio n was created to residential, commercial , .md insti- design services. Transit Streets Project is an o u t g r o w t h tax d o w n t o w n property o w n e r s in order tutional environment. Metro's goal is not to create absolute o l the American pragmatic t r a d i t i on in i n fund shared public improvements, giv- With unproved regional and local consistency t h r o u g h o u t d o w n t o w n but to urban design. As noted by George Baird, ing gi eatei aitt ntion to tin w hole em in >n bus service, transit ridership to d o w n - respect the character of each properly Americans have typically approached rhe ment — public ami private.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bayou Place Houston, Texas
    Bayou Place Houston, Texas Project Type: Commercial/Industrial Case No: C031001 Year: 2001 SUMMARY A rehabilitation of an obsolete convention center into a 160,000-square-foot entertainment complex in the heart of Houston’s theater district. Responding to an international request for proposals (RFP), the developer persevered through development difficulties to create a pioneering, multiuse, pure entertainment destination that has been one of the catalysts for the revitalization of Houston’s entire downtown. FEATURES Rehabilitation of a "white elephant" Cornerstone of a downtown-wide renaissance that has reintroduced nighttime and weekend activity Maximized leasable floor area to accommodate financial pro forma requirements Bayou Place Houston, Texas Project Type: Adaptive Use/Entertainment Volume 31 Number 01 January-March 2001 Case Number: C031001 PROJECT TYPE A rehabilitation of an obsolete convention center into a 160,000-square-foot entertainment complex in the heart of Houston’s theater district. Responding to an international request for proposals (RFP), the developer persevered through development difficulties to create a pioneering, multiuse, pure entertainment destination that has been one of the catalysts for the revitalization of Houston’s entire downtown. SPECIAL FEATURES Rehabilitation of a "white elephant" Cornerstone of a downtown-wide renaissance that has reintroduced nighttime and weekend activity Maximized leasable floor area to accommodate financial pro forma requirements DEVELOPER The Cordish Company 601 East Pratt Street, Sixth Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21202 410-752-5444 www.cordish.com ARCHITECT Gensler 700 Milam Street, Suite 400 Houston, Texas 77002 713-228-8050 www.gensler.com CONTRACTOR Tribble & Stephens 8580 Katy Freeway, Suite 320 Houston, Texas 77024 713-465-8550 www.tribblestephens.com GENERAL DESCRIPTION Bayou Place occupies the shell of the former Albert Thomas Convention Center in downtown Houston’s theater district.
    [Show full text]
  • Houston's Oldest House Gets a New Life
    PRESERVATION Houston’s Oldest House Gets a New Life By Ginger Berni The exterior of the newly renovated Kellum-Noble House in 2019. All photos courtesy of The Heritage Society unless otherwise noted. hose familiar with Houston history may be able to tell The narratives used to interpret the house have changed Tyou that the oldest house in the city still standing on its over time, with certain details of its history emphasized, original property is the 1847 Kellum-Noble House in Sam while others were largely ignored. Like many historic Houston Park. Although owned by the City of Houston, house museums, Kellum-Noble featured traditional antique The Heritage Society (THS), a non-profit organization, has furnishings for a parlor, dining room, office, and bedrooms, maintained the home for the past sixty-five years. Recently, while a tour guide explained to visitors the significance THS completed phase two of an ambitious three-phased of the building. Emphasis was often placed on discussing project to stabilize the building’s foundation and address the Sam Houston simply because he knew the original owner, significant cracks in the brick walls. Its story, however, goes Nathaniel Kellum, and Houston’s descendants had donat- much deeper than the bricks that make up the building. ed some of the featured collections. Yet the importance of Zerviah Noble’s efforts to educate local Houstonians, first using the house as a private school, then as one of its first public schools, was not communicated through the home’s furnishings. Perhaps most importantly, any discussion of the enslaved African Americans owned by the Kellums and the Nobles was noticeably absent — a practice that is not un- common in historic house museums throughout the country and particularly in the South.
    [Show full text]
  • Bayou City Music Series Continues This Fall with Concerts at Buffalo Bayou Park, Discovery Greenâ and Emancipation Park
    MEDIA CONTACTS Discovery Green: Whitney Radley, The CKP Group [email protected] / 832-930-4065 x 106 Emancipation Park: Lucy Bremond [email protected] / 832-883-1872 Buffalo Bayou Partnership: Trudi Smith [email protected] / 713-752-0314 x 103 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 15, 2018 BAYOU CITY MUSIC SERIES CONTINUES THIS FALL WITH CONCERTS AT BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, DISCOVERY GREENâ AND EMANCIPATION PARK HOUSTON, TX — The Bayou City Music Series resumes this fall with free performances at Discovery Green, Emancipation Park and The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park. The concert series, made possible by the Kinder Foundation, honors the great jazz, blues and zydeco musicians of Houston. The fall series kicks off with “The Soundtrack of the Gulf” at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park on Saturday, Sept. 15. The great zydeco accordionist C.J. Chenier—son of the “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier—headlines this concert, which features opening performances by vocalist Annika Chambers, an - MORE - Page 2 Bayou City Music Series continues this fall Iraq war veteran whose powerful voice blurs lines between jazz and blues, and Archie Bell, former lead singer of Archie Bell & The Drells, whose early funk single “Tighten Up” topped Billboard’s R&B and pop charts in 1968. On Saturday, Oct. 13, the series continues with “Jazz in the Tre” at Emancipation Park. Acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran headlines this concert. Moran, who grew up in Houston’s Third Ward, is Artistic Director for Jazz at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and a 2010 MacArthur Fellow.
    [Show full text]
  • CITY of HOUSTON Archaeological & Historical Commission Planning and Development Department
    CITY OF HOUSTON Archaeological & Historical Commission Planning and Development Department LANDMARK DESIGNATION REPORT LANDMARK NAME: Melrose Building AGENDA ITEM: C OWNERS: Wang Investments Networks, Inc. HPO FILE NO.: 15L305 APPLICANT: Anna Mod, SWCA DATE ACCEPTED: Mar-02-2015 LOCATION: 1121 Walker Street HAHC HEARING DATE: Mar-26-2015 SITE INFORMATION Tracts 1, 2, 3A & 16, Block 94, SSBB, City of Houston, Harris County, Texas. The site includes a 21- story skyscraper. TYPE OF APPROVAL REQUESTED: Landmark Designation HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE SUMMARY The Melrose Building is a twenty-one story office tower located at 1121 Walker Street in downtown Houston. It was designed by prolific Houston architecture firm Lloyd & Morgan in 1952. The building is Houston’s first International Style skyscraper and the first to incorporate cast concrete cantilevered sunshades shielding rows of grouped windows. The asymmetrical building is clad with buff colored brick and has a projecting, concrete sunshade that frames the window walls. The Melrose Building retains a high degree of integrity on the exterior, ground floor lobby and upper floor elevator lobbies. The Melrose Building meets Criteria 1, 4, 5, and 6 for Landmark designation of Section 33-224 of the Houston Historic Preservation Ordinance. HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE Location and Site The Melrose Building is located at 1121 Walker Street in downtown Houston. The property includes only the office tower located on the southeastern corner of Block 94. The block is bounded by Walker Street to the south, San Jacinto Street to the east, Rusk Street to the north, and Fannin Street to the west. The surrounding area is an urban commercial neighborhood with surface parking lots, skyscrapers, and multi-story parking garages typical of downtown Houston.
    [Show full text]
  • Houston Sign Code
    CITY OF HOUSTON BUILDING CODE CHAPTER 46 HOUSTON SIGN CODE NOTE: ALTHOUGH THIS SIGN CODE CONSTITUTES CHAPTER 46 OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BUILDING CODE (BASED UPON THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE), IT IS SEPARATELY PUBLISHED. Current through Ordinance No. 2020-669 Effective July 29, 2020 Compiled by the City of Houston Legal Department CONTENTS SECTION 4601--SCOPE ...................................................................................... 1 (a) General ................................................................................................. 1 (b) Toll Road Signs .................................................................................... 1 SECTION 4602--DEFINITIONS ............................................................................ 3 SECTION 4603--CLASSIFICATIONS ................................................................ 11 (a) On-premise Signs and Off-premise Signs .......................................... 11 (b) Types of Signs .................................................................................... 11 (c) Special Function Signs ....................................................................... 11 (d) ............................................................................................................ 13 SECTION 4604--SIGN ADMINISTRATION AND ENFORCEMENT ................... 15 (a) Sign Administrator .............................................................................. 15 (b) Enforcement Responsibility ...............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Houston-Galveston, Texas Managing Coastal Subsidence
    HOUSTON-GALVESTON, TEXAS Managing coastal subsidence TEXAS he greater Houston area, possibly more than any other Lake Livingston A N D S metropolitan area in the United States, has been adversely U P L L affected by land subsidence. Extensive subsidence, caused T A S T A mainly by ground-water pumping but also by oil and gas extraction, O C T r has increased the frequency of flooding, caused extensive damage to Subsidence study area i n i t y industrial and transportation infrastructure, motivated major in- R i v vestments in levees, reservoirs, and surface-water distribution facili- e S r D N ties, and caused substantial loss of wetland habitat. Lake Houston A L W O Although regional land subsidence is often subtle and difficult to L detect, there are localities in and near Houston where the effects are Houston quite evident. In this low-lying coastal environment, as much as 10 L Galveston feet of subsidence has shifted the position of the coastline and A Bay T changed the distribution of wetlands and aquatic vegetation. In fact, S A Texas City the San Jacinto Battleground State Historical Park, site of the battle O Galveston that won Texas independence, is now partly submerged. This park, C Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles east of downtown Houston on the shores of Galveston Bay, commemorates the April 21, 1836, victory of Texans 0 20 Miles led by Sam Houston over Mexican forces led by Santa Ana. About 0 20 Kilometers 100 acres of the park are now under water due to subsidence, and A road (below right) that provided access to the San Jacinto Monument was closed due to flood- ing caused by subsidence.
    [Show full text]
  • Downtown Houston V
    Cite Fall 1990 Citelines Preservation Update: Downtown Houston V. Nia Dorian Becnel Mrs. Esperson entertains guests for 1949-1990 tea in her private roof garden atop the Niels Veronica Nia Dorian Becnel, assistant Esperson Building, February 1 9 2 6. professor of architecture at the University of Houston, died Saturday, 10 November 1990. at St. Joseph's Hospital after suffering a stroke. She was 41 years old. Nia Becnel was a leader in the preservation movement in Texas. Since 1985 she had directed the preservation studies program at the vation. This is not because of the new University of Houston's College of Archi- "Main Street, Texas" brick skin by Morris tecture. She served on the Minority Architects, but because a new jail, though Heritage Task Force of the National Trust indispensable to the county, is the last for Historic Preservation, the Task Force on thing the struggling warehouse-bayou Preservation of Historically Black Colleges district needs to encourage its development and Universities of the U.S. Department of into a city attraction or viable residential the Interior, the City of Houston Archeo- and office area. No amount ol expensive iogical and Historical Commission, and the landscaping could possibly counterbalance board of directors and advisory board of the jail's detrimental effect on the future of the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance. its neighbors. Her broad interests were reflected in her memberships on the boards of directors of Perhaps the most significant current DiverseWorks Artspacc, the Acres Homes rehabilitation project involves the Niels Community Development Corporation, Esperson Building (John Eberson, 1927), and the Rice Design Alliance.
    [Show full text]
  • Spring Branch Management District Comprehensive Plan 2015 - 2030
    REIMAGINE SPRING BRANCH SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2015 - 2030 AUGUST 2015 SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015 C. David Schwab Position 1: C. David Schwab Thomas Sumner Position 2: Thomas Sumner Victor Alvarez Position 3: Catherine Barchfeld-Alexander Dan Silvestri Position 4: Sherri Oldham Patricia Maddox Position 5: Victor Alvarez Jason Johnson Position 6: Mauricio Valdes Rino Cassinelli Position 7: Dan Silvestri John Chiang Position 8: Patricia Maddox Position 9: David Gutierrez SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT STAFF Position 10: Jason Johnson David Hawes Position 11: Rino Cassinelli Josh Hawes Position 12: Vacant Kristen Gonzales Position 13: John Chiang Gretchen Larson Alice Lee SPRING BRANCH MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PLANNING CONSULTANTS SWA Group DHK Development Traffic Engineers, Inc. 2 CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 9 1.1 District Vision + Purpose 11 1.2 Comprehensive Plan Components 12 1.3 How to Use this Comprehensive Plan 13 2.0 Infrastructure 15 2.0 Introduction + Methodology 16 2.1 Existing Conditions 20 2.1.1 Roadway Quality 20 2.1.2 Public Utilities 22 2.1.3 Drainage 28 2.2 Known Proposed Interventions 31 2.2.1 ReBuild Houston 31 2.2.2 Capital Improvements 32 2.3 Future Unknown and Recommendations 33 2.4 Strategies for the Future 35 2.4.1 Advocate for Projects 35 2.4.2 Engage with Development 37 2.4.3 Drainage Partnerships 38 2.4.4 LID/Green Infrastructure 39 Spring Branch Management District Comprehensive Plan 2015-2030 3 3.0 Land Use 41 3.0 Introduction
    [Show full text]
  • | the Houston Theater District
    20 C i t I 34 S p r i n g 1 9 9 6 C • I 3 4 S p ' • wn\p \m* M ik % ^ Sww bin k youthful extra imports loke flake; covering the tldewolk in front ol Jonej Hall, jtonding in for Lincoln Ctnler during the filming of lorry McMuitry's ir*mgStm. Y e xe> _ fa fa | The Houston Theater District DREXEL T U R N E R IT IS A STRANGE THINCR THE LIKE OF WHICH, I THINK WILL OCCUR TO ONE N HARDLY ANYWHERE ELSE THAN IN TEXASR TO HEAR TEAMSTERS WITH THEIR CA TTLE STAKED AROUND THEM ON THEPRAIRIER HUMMING AIRS FROM "DON CIOYANNIn. Frederick Law Olmsted, New-York Daily Times, 24 April 1854 21 Mnjeslk Thtol! r Mouron I Russell, architects, 1911. When I redcnck law Olmsted, rhen a 12- Camp Logan d u r i n g the First W o r l d W a r . season in the Music H a l l in 1955), the year-old jonnialisr, visited I louston on In the early 1950s my parents watched I louston Ballet Foundation , and the rIn return leg of his journey through the t o u r i n g c o m p a n y of South Pacific in Society for the Performing Arts (SPA), Texas in spring IK54, he observed that un-air-conditioned c o m f o r t in the a u d i t o - a n o n p r o f i t presenter f o r m e d to fill the the town of not yet 5,000 showed "many rium, w h i c h was also the site of Friday gap left by the death of the impresaria agreeable signs o f .
    [Show full text]
  • Discovery Green®- Downtown Houston, Texas
    Discovery Green®- Downtown Houston, Texas Photo by Katya Horner DISCOVERY GREEN • 1500 MCKINNEY• HOUSTON, TX 77010 TEL: (713) 400-7336 • FAX: (713) 800-4797 • DISCOVERYGREEN.COM FACT SHEET WHAT Discovery Green DESCRIPTION Discovery Green, Houston’s premiere urban park, opened in April 2008. What will you discover℠ amongst the park’s 12 acres of urban green space? Features include a one-acre lake; a children’s playground; interactive water features; a multi-use amphitheater stage and sloping lawn; small and large dog runs; various public art works; Houston Public Library Express office; large lawn space; and great dining from The Grove and The Lake House restaurants operated by Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group. The park has active FREE Spring, Fall and Winter programming seasons featuring cultural art performances, films, live music, exercise, flea market, hands-on children’s activities, writing workshops and more. The ICE at Discovery Green presented by Houston First, along with beautiful temporary public art, punctuate the Winter season. The ICE, the largest outdoor ice skating rink in the Southwest United States, is made from recycled water from the park’s model boat basin. LOCATION Downtown Houston, 1500 McKinney Discovery Green is located across Avenida de las Americas from the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel. Toyota Center, Houston Center and Minute Maid Park are only blocks away. SIZE 11.78 acres GREEN Discovery Green is committed to sustainable design and operation. Located in the OPERATIONS middle of an urban center with access to public transportation, Discovery Green provides storage for cyclists and is served by REV Houston, the free electronic taxi for downtown and midtown.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mdi Superfund Site and Houston's Fifth Ward
    Linking Cleanup and Reuse www.epa.gov THE MDI SUPERFUND SITE AND HOUSTON’S FIFTH WARD Introduction Visitors driving along neighborhood roads in Houston in 2004 This case study explores the working relationships and key would not have noticed much activity at 3617 Baer Street. Amidst dynamics that have led to the successful cleanup and planned homes, vacant lots, a vinegar plant, an electric utility, and a reuse of the MDI Superfund site. In particular, the case study community school, the 36-acre area remained fenced, enclosing describes the Agreed Order on Consent and Covenant Not to Sue, debris piles, paved areas, and a few remnant structures. the first-ever agreement between EPA and a non-liable party for the cleanup of a Superfund site, which was signed in September The area had been a hub of industrial activity for decades; metal 2006. This agreement facilitated the acquisition and cleanup of casting foundries had created specialty molded steel parts that the site by a private party. served as the foundation for industrial, railroad, and mining operations across the country. A chemical recycling facility had The case study also explores the roles of the site’s various left thousands of abandoned catalyst drums behind. stakeholders, including EPA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the site’s bankruptcy trustee By 2004, the area had been idle for 13 years. Industrial and prospective site owners, community residents, and operations had contaminated soils and ground water, and the U.S. local government officials. The cleanup and redevelopment Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed the area – the planning process at the MDI site highlights how market forces Many Diversified Interests, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Living Downtown in Historic Buildings
    Living Downtown in Historic Buildings Urban sociologists are strong advocates for the idea that high-density residential/retail/cultural districts are essential elements for a dynamic city in the 21st century. Since Houston has always aspired to be a dynamic city, it is taking this advice seriously and developing high-density centers. Downtown Houston is becoming a popular one by recycling historic buildings as comfortable places to live. In preserving these buildings, environmental concerns are also being addressed by preventing tons of building materials from being deposited into landfills. In 1993 the concept of residential lofts was introduced by the adaptive use of two buildings. There were two apartment units created in the 1889 W. L. Foley Co. Building (214 Travis Street) while the ground floor of the former dry goods store continued to be used for commercial ventures. Dakota Lofts (711 William Street) was carved out of the 1910 Bute Paint Co. Building, located in an area of older warehouses north of Buffalo Bayou. The Warehouse District became an artists’ haven as smaller buildings also provided housing units, such as the San Jacinto Lofts (915 N. San Jacinto Street) that were built into a 1914 warehouse. In 1995 the 1921 Hogg Building was redeveloped into Hogg Palace (401 Louisiana Street). With 80 units topped by a penthouse and rooftop garden, it was the largest adaptive re-use accomplished H ermann Lofts during these early years. In 1997 a long-awaited conversion occurred when the 1913 Rice Hotel—a legendary Houston establishment—was transformed into the Post Rice Lofts (909 Texas Avenue), containing 312 rental units.
    [Show full text]