New 30 story skyscraper in downtown (Houston, Center: 2014, new construction, taxes)

[Redrage94]

New 6 Houston Center Tower Will Put Another Notch in the Downtown Skyline | Swamplot

[xsatyr]

The rendering is new but we've known about this building for years. Looks much better than the previous renderings.

[Metro Matt]

I don't think its any secret now, 2013 & 2014 are boom years for Houston.

Its quite possibly the fastest growing skyline in America bar none.

[PedroMartinez]

I view any new construction as indications of a positive view of our future economic conditions and welcome it.

I like a booming Houston. It provides more of a tax base for improved infrastructure.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Metro Matt

I don't think its any secret now, 2013 & 2014 are boom years for Houston.

Its quite possibly the fastest growing skyline in America bar none.

I thought I saw a table, posted on CD somewhere, with the number of highrises being built in different cities, and, if memory serves me, Houston was 4th or 5th. I think (like I said - memory) Miami was number 1.

[979Texan]

It provides more of a tax base for improved infrastructure.

Sorry I am way too cynical to believe this. Improvements don't happen unless developers can make lots of money after they have lined the politicians' pockets.

[jfre81]

The rendering in the Chronicle this morning looked pretty sweet. Like a less rounded-looking Mainplace/BG Group Place.

Looks more like a Zippo than a BIC.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

It provides more of a tax base for improved infrastructure.

Originally Posted by 979Texan

Sorry I am way too cynical to believe this. Improvements don't happen unless developers can make lots of money after they have lined the politicians' pockets.

Building like this do increase the amount of taxes coming in, that's just a fact. (Yes, sometimes buildings are given deferments or temporary reprieve, but those are fairly rare, and always temporary).

I agree that it doesn't guarantee those increased funds are used for infrastructure all the time; however, the tax base that can be used for infrastructure has been increased.

As far as politicians lining their own pockets and money being wasted, that's something the TEA Party wants to straighten out, but too many people think it's a horrible idea and prefer business as usual with politicians leaving office as mulch-millionaires (I wonder how that happens? - sarcasm).

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

Building like this do increase the amount of taxes coming in, that's just a fact. (Yes, sometimes buildings are given deferments or temporary reprieve, but those are fairly rare, and always temporary).

I agree that it doesn't guarantee those increased funds are used for infrastructure all the time; however, the tax base that can be used for infrastructure has been increased.

As far as politicians lining their own pockets and money being wasted, that's something the TEA Party wants to straighten out, but too many people think it's a horrible idea and prefer business as usual with politicians leaving office as mulch-millionaires (I wonder how that happens? - sarcasm).

Unless a developer is trying to get a specific piece of infrastructure built (often through TIRZ creation or a Chapter 380), or trying to get some sort of rule relaxed, there's really no reason to pay off the politicians. In other cities, zoning and the approval process provide incentive for corruption. Here, if you're meeting the rules and are OK with existing infrastructure, the City can't deny you approval.

Now, the fact that this is Houston's approach is a result of politican-developer coziness from way way back. But, it's a good system, much better than one which encourages payoffs and kickbacks on a project-by-project basis in order to get a zoning change or a politician's public support during P&Z-type approvals where capriciousness is the order of the day. It also makes development much cheaper and helps keep Houston affordable, as well as enabling rapid large-scale redevelopment of run down areas (like Washington Avenue corridor) that benefits the city.

What people don't seem to get is that it's PUBLIC projects where the corruption occurs. Construction and engineering companies pay politicians off all the time in order to advance road/infastructure/etc. projects that they get to work on.