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This fight would have been way more fun to watch play out in the once proposed glass sky lobby.

Down comes the crane.

Public meeting on the development tonight. Some very quick details: Tract 2 (NW corner of Nicholson & 20th) will be an 8-story, 275-unit apartment building (80% 1BR, rest 2BR) East half of Tract 1 (SE corner of Nicholson & 20th) will be a 63-unit "boutique" apartment bldg (90% 2BR, rest 3BR) Harres Exezidis (Cottonwood, Lagrange, Liberty Station) is a partner in the development for the restaurant spaces Each of the existing buildings (4000 sf reservoir, 1700 sf and 4000 sf pumping buidlings) will be restaurant spaces, with additional patio space, as well as space for food trucks. Up to 5000 s.f. will be community garden. They want to commission a sculpture made from the salvaged, excavated pipework. Planned construction start, late summer 2017, for 2019 completion. (Harres expressed a hope that the restaurant spaces would open earlier than that.) All of this is preliminary, of course. Deal is not closed, and permits have not been issued. Some photos of the posters at the event are below.

Huge projector screen inside Biggio's. The place is covered with TVs. Lighting @monarch was referring to.

11/29 update from above.

Isn't that what Shell calls their "woodcreek campus"? I don't think that has been abandoned. On the contrary, that is where they are moving the One Shell Plaza employees.

There was a fair amount of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching at the meeting, as one might imagine. Concerns expressed included: "How will this affect children coming to and going from Helms ES?" (across 21st from the 275-unit building) "It's already hard enough to cross 20th at the bike trail, now it will be impossible" "Where will all the poop go?" "That sure seems like a lot of apartments. Couldn't you build fewer?" "If people park on Nicholson (like they do around the apartments on 23rd & Nicholson) it will be impassible." The irony of wanting ever more walkability but opposing every apartment development is apparently lost on the Heights. Also, the renderings kind of make these building stick out, but they're adjacent to a hospital and across from a medical building of similar height. The value of Alliance's bid won't become public until city council votes to approve the sale, but I'm guessing it's in the low 8-figures. I wonder what will happen when Chase realizes that their drive-thru lanes are sitting on $5M worth of dirt?

Why cut the trees?

11/29 update from above.

No demo yet but barricades rest nearby, waiting to be set in place.

Park District, via Facebook:

2Q 2017 (April - June)

Will this be done before the Super Bowl?

I cant believe I'm saying this, but........they've actually managed to make the GRB....not that ugly anymore.

https://www.instagram.com/tommytenzo/

Can anyone spot the Brinks truck courier headed to Coach Hermann?

Talked with some guys taking a smoke break from working on the Pappadeaux at the GRB. Asked them if they would finish by the Super Bowl and they said of course. They said they were working 7 days a week up to 15 hours per day in order to finish on time.

Jennbin must live at Market Square or she has a drone. I've noticed several porches with furniture on them.

It's in there

Playing with some shots I got yesterday

2X9C2581 by Bill Jacomet, on Flickr

That last photo is so good. Looks like an expansion of the State National Bank Building, the two connect very well.

Whoops! Forgot this photo. Aris at Market Square by Marc longoria, on Flickr

*Click for larger picture* Downtown Houston by Marc longoria, on Flickr

Crane removal Sunday, they finished and rolled out around 4pm.

crane removal yesterday going up and over the hotel onto Dallas St <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63312119@N05/31141282695/in/photostream/" title="20161119_170945"><img

Untitled by George Zimzores, on Flickr

I wasn't sure where else to post this, so here it shall be. It's inspiring to see all of the development around GRB, but after seeing this aerial footage it dawned on me that there are almost enough contiguous vacant lots to build another equally sized convention center just to the south of the current one. Hopefully we'll soon get more adventurous pioneers like The Hamilton Apartments (but ideally with more ambition) to liven up this area of South Downtown.

Here's another drone video for your viewing pleasure. If you wait until the end of the video you'll get to see views of the Med Center, Superblock, and Downtown. Sorry for the shakiness. I was having a lot of interference, which I'm guessing was coming from the piles of steel. Let me know if there are any other sites that you would like to see from above.