The parcel is located at 7900 Kirby Dr. and Main Street, lessthan one mile from two other Moody projects--the 176-unit 7575Kirby Condominiums and 297-room Residence Inn–MedicalCenter/Reliant Park at 7710 Main St., which is being renovated.Brett Moody, chairman and CEO of the local company, saysconstruction most likely will get underway at the end of Q1 2008.Completion is slated for February 2009.

Local restaurateur A.J. Droubi is the seller. Moody saysDroubi's Import & Deli, which operates out of the historicrailcars, will close down, with the cars being removed, preservedand put on display elsewhere. "Part of the deal involved the sellerkeeping those boxcars," Moody tells GlobeSt.com. "Those boxcars arepart of Houston's history."

Moody says the Hilton Garden Inn project is attractive forseveral reasons, not the least of which is the closing of twohotels in the past year to make way for more hospital services inthe submarket. "There's a tremendous demand for more hospitality inthe Medical Center," Moody adds. "We want to meet that demand." Hesays the plan includes more hotels in the submarket besides theHilton Garden Inn.