robot

Here's all I've come up with so far: http://www.pps.org/info/projectexp/houston_park Originally, if I remember correctly, this new GRB fronting park was imagined to be similar to Bryant Park in Manhattan. Bryant Park is roughly a great lunchtime gathering spot with a patch of grass for free concerts, lined with trees around the park's perimeter, adjacent to the main branch of the NY Public Library. It works really well there, and that concept could also work really well at our convention center since it is adjacent to the office buildlings and would attract office workers of Houston Center buildings and the conventioneers from the GRB and Hilton Americas Hotel. It may also spur residential high-rise growth along it's borders. There is a small rendering on the above website url link. Hope that is helpful.

I thought I just read in the houston business journal that this location is going to be leased to a starbucks franchise.

i agree. i too lived in san francisco pre-ipod/digital internet music days and loved walking three blocks from my apartment to the virgin megastore and listening to music, reading/perusing books, and having a bite in the virgin cafe. the new nordstrom here pales in comparison to the west coast nordstroms, so i can only assume that a downtown houston virgin megastore (if ever realized) may be a middle america/second-tier version as well. but i suppose we could keep our fingers crossed.