Parking posed problem for Pavilions apartments

More on Houston Pavilions, the three-block retail/office/entertainment complex to be built at Main and Dallas downtown: We noted earlier this week that plans for 200,000 square feet of residential space in the project have been scrapped despite a supposedly hot downtown residential market. Now we have a reason for the change in plans from project developers Geoffrey Jones and William Denton: The parking would have made rent too high.

Jones and Denton said the residential units would have required underground parking, and the construction costs associated with that would have pushed the rent beyond what people are willing to pay. It sounds like a reasonable problem, but Houstonist can't help but wonder whether spaces couldn't have been found in the multi-story garage at Main and Polk on the south side of the project, which we heard is going to be the official garage for the complex.

At any rate, the apartmentless Houston Pavilions is still scheduled to open in the fall of 2008. It'll include 360,000 square feet of retail space and 200,000 square feet of offices; among the restaurants that have signed on for the project are Lawry's The Prime Rib, McCormick & Schmick's, Yao Restaurant & Bar, Antica Osteria, Red Cat Jazz Café and Tuscany. "We have the five major food groups covered," Jones said. Steak, seafood, Italian, Chinese and coffee — yep, that about covers it as far as we're concerned.