Houston’s Most Anticipated New Mixed-Use Development Reaches a New Milestone — Inside The Allen’s Rise

What: The groundbreaking celebration of The Allen

Where: Allen Parkway at Gillette, overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park

PC Moment: Highlight had to be when principles donned their green hard hats, picked up their shovels and made the ceremonial photo. From that box of dirt amid the six-acre site will rise a high-end, multi-use development including the luxury brand Thompson Hotel; The Residences at The Allen, a lifestyle pavilion which will include one of the nation’s most exclusive fitness clubs; two signature restaurants; luxury retail spaces; and a world-class office building.

Leading the welcome to some 200 guests was Roberto Contreras, CEO of DC Partners, developer of the project, along with the DC Partners team, Tianqing Real Estate Development, Westmont Hospitality Group, HOK, Abel Design Group and Gary Leach of GT Leach.

“This is a significant milestone for The Allen,” Contreras says.  “Our goal is to change the way Houstonians think about high-rise living and deliver a lifestyle that is representative of luxury hotel living without sacrificing all the privacy of your own home.”

Digging in as principals in the project were Pawan Kapoor, Gary Leach, Moez Mangalji, Kathrin Brunner, Roberto Contreras, Jeffery Abel, David Du and Roberto Contreras IV.

From the grand open house party in June to the groundbreaking, momentum has been building across the city for luxury high-rise lifestyle living.

“The innovative vision and pioneering spirit behind The Allen are well-aligned with the Thompson brand‘s legacy as a disruptor in the luxury lifestyle hotel segment,” says Catie Mangels of Hyatt, which owns the Thompson brand. “Given its groundbreaking architecture, exceptional residences, modern amenities, and prime location overlooking Buffalo Bayou Park — one of the country’s greatest urban outdoor spaces — we’re confident The Allen and forthcoming Thompson Houston hotel will soon become the city’s newest luxury oasis and lifestyle destination.”

Champagne flowed as guests perused the sophisticated sales center, oohed and aahed over the models and renderings and imagined the site in its full glory.

PC Seen: Claudia Contreras, China and Roberto Contreras IV, Marita Fairbanks, Nick Pontikes, Ige Johnson, Anne Olson, Julie Kleine, James Kelly, Samuel Katz, Justin Garcia, Genevieve Kroeker, Marcus Thigpen, Matteo Scaiola, Nina Magon and Adrian Duenas.