Changing Skylines: 10 Time-Lapse Images Show Houston’s Dramatic Transformation
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The Bayou City ranks high on the “most wanted” list for both residents and businesses looking for a place to call home. Houston came in 11th on the fastest – growing U.S. metro areas list, and stands out as one of only two places in the country to have added more than 100,000 residents over the 2013-2014 period, alongside the DFW Metroplex, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
As more and more Houstonians choose to work and live in mixed-use, walkable communities, developers have been busy meeting that demand, with sparkling skyscrapers and top-notch mega-projects popping up all across the metro area.
With all the new construction, Houston’s skyline has been growing, no doubt about that. But which are the areas that saw the greatest changes in terms of new development?
Here is a sample of the biggest and boldest real estate projects completed sometime over the last 8 years, as compiled by RentCafe with the help of Google Street View.
Click and drag the arrows over the images to see the slides.
#1. Burgeoning Energy Corridor Fosters More Commercial Construction
West Houston’s Energy Corridor has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with developers determined to capitalize on the strong demand for Class A office space in the area.
Mac Haik Enterprises’ Energy Plaza development is one of several upscale projects that have recently been delivered to the flourishing office submarket. Energy Tower II and the Hilton Embassy Suites Hotel – Energy Corridor were completed in 2009, joining the existing Energy Tower I which was built in 1999. The 17-story Energy Tower III was completed in 2014. The latest addition to the office park, Energy Tower IV, features 450,831 square feet of Class A office space on 17 floors. It was designed to achieve LEED Gold.
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#2. Downtown Houston Evolves into Cohesive Live-Work-Play Environment
Home to several Fortune 500 companies, Houston’s downtown boasts one of the largest skylines in the United States. While many of the area’s structures house mostly office and retail tenants, the tide may be finally turning as new multifamily projects enter the market. Approximately 17 residential projects are currently under construction or in the planning stages, according to Downtown Houston.
As the first residential high-rise built from the ground up in downtown Houston in 40 years, One Park Place received many accolades and continues to impress through resort-like amenities, well-designed floorplans, and premium management services. Located across the street from the 12-acre Discovery Green Park, the 346-unit, 37-story tower welcomed its first residents in 2009.
Also adjacent to Discovery Green Park stands Houston’s first downtown LEED Platinum office building – the 29-story Hess Tower – as well as the 262-key Embassy Suites Houston-Downtown.
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#3. Mosaic’s Twin Towers Take Museum District Living to New Heights
Already popular among tourists and locals alike, the pedestrian-friendly Museum District attracts more people with its resort-style multifamily communities. One of the most recent additions to the area is Mosaic Tower Two, a high-end apartment building at 5927 Almeda Road.
The high-rise is part of the two-tower Mosaic development which includes privately owned condominiums and retail establishments alongside rental homes. It enjoys a prime location, near the Texas Medical Center and Rice University, and is a stone’s throw from restaurants, shopping, Hermann park, and the Hermann Park golf course.
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#4. Memorial Heights Residents Enjoy All-Inclusive Living in a Quiet Location Close to Bustling City Life
Located just one mile west of downtown Houston, the Memorial Heights area offers the best of city living in a tranquil setting. Among a series of upscale communities, Memorial by Windsor allows residents to experience Zen-inspired luxury living in the heart of Houston. Buffalo Bayou and Memorial Park are within walking distance, as well as great shopping and dining.
The 25-story high-rise features a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes and penthouses wrapped in the dramatic downtown skyline. It opened in 2010.
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#5. New 26-Floor Facility Added to the Texas Medical Center
The Methodist Hospital marked a new chapter as the doors of the innovative, 1.6 million-square-foot Outpatient Center opened to the public in 2010. The 26-floor facility, one of the country’s largest outpatient centers, is located at 6448 Fannin Street, next to Smith Tower and across the street from the main hospital buildings.
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#6. Green, Class A Office Towers Stand Tall in Uptown Houston
Construction activity has been picking up in the Uptown/Galleria area, mainly prompted by the growing demand for Class A office space. The first new speculative Class A office tower to have been built in the area in three decades, 3009 Post Oak Boulevard is also an example of sustainable design. The 20-story, 302,000-square-foot office building was pre-certified LEED Platinum, the highest rating for energy efficiency offered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
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#7. Downtown Continues its Ascent with Premier Office Development
Rising 46 stories above downtown Houston, BG Group Place was completed in 2011. Among several premium amenities, the high-profile office tower features 10-foot high ceilings, horizontal and vertical glass sunshades, as well as a dramatic 39th-floor sky garden recessed into the building’s form that reveals planted terraces and a five-story crystalline atrium. The LEED Platinum-certified tower was designed by Pickard Chilton and developed by Hines.
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#8. Upper Kirby Goes Swank with New, High-Rise Condos
A towering structure at 2727 Kirby Drive added a plus of vitality and grandeur to the Upper Kirby area. The high-rise condo building combines an enviable location, in close proximity to great shopping, dining and entertainment, with innovative design and an amenity-rich environment. It was built in 2008, according to PropertyShark data.
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#9. Strong Market Conditions Favor New Development in the Energy Corridor
Houston’s booming Energy Corridor has gained even more traction with the addition of Eldridge Oaks, a 14-floor, LEED Gold-certified office tower. The 349,190-square-foot property was constructed in 2009 and towers over a large 13.24-acre wooded site, which provides a park-like feel to the tenant experience. It offers easy access to the Terry Hershey Park hike and bike trails that extend approximately 12.5 miles along Buffalo Bayou.
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#10. Multifamily Thriving as Demand for CBD Living Keeps on Growing
One of the first projects to take advantage of the city’s Downtown Living Initiative, SkyHouse Houston, broke ground in early 2013. Located at 1625 Main Street, the 24-story luxury high-rise offers 336 apartment homes with high-end finishes, including stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, wood floors, expansive balconies, and high-speed wiring. The SkyHouse development partnership recently started construction on another project in the area. Dubbed SkyHouse Main, the building is a mirror-image of SkyHouse Houston, located directly to the south on Main Street, as reported by Multi-Housing News.
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As for ongoing projects, Houston leads the pack as the U.S. metro with the most new construction in 2014. Last year, Greater Houston saw approximately $25.1 billion worth of new developments take off, a 176% increase over the same period in the previous year, as reported by Forbes.
Among the most promising developments that will create new jobs and nurture H-Town’s economy is the $1 billion ExxonMobil Campus. The mega-project is located on 385 wooded acres immediately to the west of Interstate Highway 45 (I-45), at the intersection of I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road, approximately 25 miles from the cultural vibrancy of downtown Houston.
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Amalia Otet is an online content developer and creative writer for RENTCafé. She loves all things real estate and strives to live beautifully, one green step at a time.
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