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Little extension toward the east end of the trail in Mason Park. North bank.

I’m counting at least 12 permits pulled so far for 3030 Buffalo Speedway (parcel 1), 3070 Buffalo Speedway (all wastewater) and 3425 West Alabama Street (parcel 2). The latter puts it in a different zip code. I also heard that the new utility poles on Alabama that were moved for the COH Alabama restoration will be removed and the lines ran underground, at the RO’s expense. They don’t want a bunch of power lines running in front of their new buildings, which is a big plus. The UK portion of the Alabama Reconstruction could start as early as July, but since these things never start on time it will likely be by the end of the year or first of 2025.

This post feels like someone trained a ChatGPT bot by exclusively reading monarch content

A plan to transform a historic Third Ward church into a mixed-use development is a step closer to fruition after the city of Houston received a $4.1 million Housing and Urban Development grant for the project. The new development — Gospel Square — will offer a live-work community, café, recording studio, courtyard and new affordable housing units, according to the city's Housing and Community Development Department. There are also plans for a proposed four-floor building adjacent to the church with a 10,000-square-foot ground floor to house retail space and parking. The second floor will have an office conference space and co-working areas for lease and rental units, and the third and fourth floors will be for the residential units, the department added. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/houston-former-wesley-church-development-19399191.php

The Med Center area has had an update:

My visit to TMCHP this weekend. There is pedestrian activity! There was an event with food and merchandise. This is a very good thing that people are starting to notice this amazing park. The park is kind of hidden. Hoping that the 30 to 40 story hotel tower will make TMC3 stand out from afar. There is actually all sorts of activities that go on here. Check out the official website for a weekly schedule! https://www.helixpark.com/ Don't want to get anyone excited but there is utility work going on outside the hotel parcel. Fingers crossed something happens soon! Dynamic One was touched up again. Now the base exterior paint matches with the rest of the building. Looking good!!

HMCT is just a beast!!

I hope they build 10 more of these. Need more foot traffic in the village

Imagine whining about a luxury mid-rise going up in your neighborhood thats in the dead center of the 4th largest city in America....meanwhile, some people in Houston are living in cancer clusters fighting a years long battle (Kashmere Gardens/Deer Park/etc), some people are losing/lost their home due to eminent domain, some/A LOT of people aren't even able to buy homes in this economy. I understand we all have a right to an opinion and thats what this platform was intended for, but omg the entitlement??? Mentioning that the homes behind it are a "MILLION DOLLARS" is somehow supposed to make us shed a tear? Finding a way to also criticize a suburb (Fulshear) by saying its all cutie cutter now Daddy was a Yankee? Ok, does he want a cookie? Sorry to break it to you, but that doesn't make your argument more important than anyone else. May this building grow another 2 stories 🙏

Didn't bother to read but here's what ChatGPT had to say: This passionate statement expresses concerns about proposed developments in the Rice Village area, focusing on a specific property owned by Randall Davis. The author emphasizes the historical significance of the neighborhood, its unique charm, and the investment of its residents. They argue against the potential construction of a 13-story building due to various reasons: The current property ownership status according to the Harris County Appraisal District. Zoning and building restrictions, including height limitations and sewer usage. Concerns about garbage pickup logistics and increased traffic congestion. Potential negative impact on nearby residential areas, including blocking views and exacerbating flooding issues. Criticism of past developments by Randall Davis and skepticism about promises made for future projects. Issues with the accuracy of building plans and potential discrepancies with existing infrastructure. Personal investment in the community and desire to preserve its character and quality of life. Overall, the author urges readers to research the proposed development and consider its potential consequences for the Rice Village community. They emphasize the importance of community cohesion and preservation in the face of rapid urban development.

She took a beating on X. And then doubled down when Rodney Ellis shared her nonsense. And then took another beating on X 😆

Will there be street signage displaying the companies at LGB1? I believe those plates on the right are removable for name changes? Let's fill those up! The flowers/plants are in-season and look amazing. Love the blue and purple flowers!

...maybe it's just me, but...maybe yes? I have no idea what this is supposed to mean .

Nah

The UTHealth School of Public Health building is rising so fast! Construction update from today. SCRB5. SOPH. SCG2.

https://www.common.com/houston/montrose/uniti-montrose

McCarthy Building Cos. to leave Greenway Plaza for Galleria area - Houston Business Journal (bizjournals.com) "St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos. is preparing to leave its current office at 3800 Buffalo Speedway after signing a lease for 38,230 square feet of office space at 2200 Post Oak near The Galleria mall. McCarthy, which is building local projects such as the Ismaili Center in the United States, has officed at 3800 Buffalo Speedway since 2016."

The newest renderings on www.theswiftbldg.com show about 90 fewer parking spots fronting the trail

Unless there are deed restrictions this will be built. They could gather their money and sue and lose like those folks who sued over the Ashby project. There are already multiple high rises in the area.

I am not sure why the animosity towards people who ACTUALLY LIVE in the Rice Village area. Many have worked hard and have invested their lives and money into the neighborhood that they call their HOME. It has been for a CENTURY a VILLAGE of small shops of unique nature which lent charm and the feeling of community to its RESIDENTIAL surroundings. I am surprised to see that someone has indicated that Randall Davis is about to close with THE OXBERRY GROUP as owners of the property when the Harris County Appraisal District still shows it as owned by a small company and the ground is still classified as a SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING within the Chaucer STREET neighborhood restrictions. As far as I am aware, unless that property gets a replat on its neighborhood which requires a public notice and hearing any building of a 13 story building is a fantasy. Mind you, the square footage of this lot is 17,500 sqft which is basically two lots wide and is by HCAD records 100x175 feet. There are in this area HEIGHT limitations and sewer usage additions that would have to be approved long before any building permits and of course, anyone who chooses can find that the only permit for this property approved as of ten days ago was one for a three story office building to have been completed in 2022 which obviously did not happen. Further to that, upon asking the Davis company rep what the intended to do about garbage pickup as the plat rendered for the building indicated that it would be wider than possible to allow access for a garbage truck to pickup a dumpster. The rep said, and I quote " the houses behind here have their garbage picked up on the street". Yes, that is absolutely true, one black wheeled bin on Tuesdays and Green recycled every other. Does Randall Davis expect the neighborhood to deal with thirty black bins sitting on the curb every Tuesday? And what about traffic? Rice Boulevard is basically two lanes with a center turning lane to help traffic for the SHOPS and the RESTAURANTS and the CHURCH AND ITS DAY SCHOOL access their very limited parking and drop off. Rice is also a main artery for Medical Center due to the confirguration of Greenbriar and Shepherd. A real estate broker I spoker with told me that when Davis built the LONDON HOUSE they blocked off San Felipe and took it to one lane. What damage would that do to the retail in the Village if their parking and access are blocked? They are already operating with very limited parking- it is a VILLAGE. When viewing the Chaucer's plans they had only reserved 8 guest parking places so where will housekeepers, repair people, friends, healthcare workers, decorators, park? In the shops parking? And what about during construction that will have to involve cranes? Chaucer Street itself is constantly used for parking both sides and is too narrow for cranes so what RICE Boulevard will be blocked off and people going to the Medical Center will be rerouted through the Rice Campus? I think not. And what of the MILLION dollar plus homes behind this approximately 175 foot tower? How would you like that looming over your HOME? And, yes, the people who bought there knew they were up against commercial but those commercial lots had HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS why do you think Hungry's new building is as tall as it is? This height based on the fact they are offering 11 foot ceilings in 2 bedrooms and 13 foot in Penthouses and four floors of parking and the obligatory build up Harris County requires for flooding- OH DID I MENTION FLOODING????? YES, this area floods. The corner of Rice and Morningside has flooded a number of times. The vet office on the corner up to the office, the shops along Rice up to their doors several times. And while this would be a high rise, getting in and out in a flood is impossible. I personally watched a man kayak down Bolsover. Has drainage improved? Of course but what do you think will happen to the system when 30 more kitchens and at least 50 more bathrooms are added? And, for you all that say oh it is progress. Yes, Houston is a growing city. One must only drive out to Fulshear and see what used to be beautiful ranches with horses now cookie cutter houses all basically the same house every fifth one. And before you shred me, I am a NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, born in Hermann Hospital, raised in Oak Forest in a middle class post WWII GI LOAN house. My Daddy, a Yankee, used to drive us down Sunset to look at the trees on Sundays and then spend a day in Hermann Park. I am glad he got to know I lived in Southampton , NOT WEST U but part of THE RICE VILLAGE for THIRTY YEARS. I have seen progress when the largest building was 20 stories went to 49 and was called the Humble Building and the observation tower had a machine that made plastic models of it. I was around when they converted the cow pasture at Post Oak and Westheimer into the Galleria and that was 1968! I have been here when Highway 59 stopped at about Voss and they were widening Highway 45 to Galveston. WAIT!!!!!! They still are widening Highway 45!!!!! The point I am trying to make is the residents, NOTE I SAY RESIDENTS, of the RICE VILLAGE, which includes RICE University, Southampton,Broadoaks, Southside, Pemberton, and the West U care about our VILLAGE. We are not afraid of RICH PEOPLE, you are correct in saying most people there are THE RICH PEOPLE and they pay A BOATLOAD of taxes to Houston, Harris County, HISD, and to their individual city entities to have the homes they do. What they don't need or want is a bunch of entitled out-of-towners who don't really want to be part of a VILLAGE to trash, overpopulate, clog up with traffic, or disrespect our century year old community. By essence the very construction of this monstrosity will kill the retail , the shops, the economy, the ECO SYSTEM as a building of that size will do nothing to help the 100 year old oaks on Bolsover. This building is not appropriate for this sized lot, the community, or our village and will only serve the line the pockets of egotistical developers. We are a diverse community of many backgrounds, cultures, religions, and age groups not forgetting it is RICE Village and is part of the UNIVERSITY - students and their interests. PLEASE, I invite you to do your homework and read about how the Hanover Rice Village got built and HOW Randall Davis promised the same sort of product and got the city of Houston to sell Bolsover to him with promises of a RESIDENTIAL parklike strolling lane which became a COMMERCIAL GARAGE,with loud, rowdy, drunken brawling street level restaurant clients and apartments above it when he backed out, sold out the community by making the OWNED CONDOS into rental units. We remember it well and all the lovely oak trees sacrificed as well. Also read about the Randall Davis Diamond Beach development that the Sales office at Chaucer touts perhaps read about how that business unfolded. Maybe talk to owners at Chateau Ten on Sunset and ask did they get what they were promised . The Sales Office at The Chaucer has a huge disclaimer that says what you are looking at subject to change or cancellation hmmm and they are taking contracts on property they do not yet own and have no permits for? Taking 10% deposits with 2% back if the deal folds when they can get 5% on YOUR MONEY and do nothing. What kind of cancellation fee DO YOU PAY? Back to the disclaimer...the groundplat for the building shows a thirty foot residential rear buffer yet the building if one adds the size of the drawings of the apartments makes the building longer than the 22 foot and the 8foot alleyway behind. The 8 foot alleyway along three properties behind has been enclosed and fenced since before 1995 so their drawing is inaccurate and would not allow for either garbage pickup or the "over sized dog park" they advertize. So BUYER BEWARE . DO YOUR HOMEWORK . This property has NOT according to HCAD RECORDS been replatted and is still a residential SINGLE FAMILY HOME subject to the same restrictions as the CHAUCER STREET properties which run perpendicular to this lot owned by Rice University and the Christ the King Church and ALL three stories or less. Why do I care? I lived for thirty years EXACTLY behind this location. I made friends and neighbors here. I have done business and still do business with many of the shops even though I must drive to them and hassle with the parking. I feed my former neighbor's cat when he goes out of town. I buy doggie treats , get my cleaning done, fill my prescriptions, have a coffee, and say hello to those faces I have known for DECADES. It is still my VILLAGE and I care that the people that live there with their FAMILIES, their cats, their doggies, have a place that they can call their community . You cannot allow this building to further destroy the Village .

Plat submitted:

Reducing lanes from 2 to 1 makes turning easier and safer because it's fewer lanes to cross.

Here's a photographic update.

I think the construction post that was mentioned the other day may be from the group that had it under contract last fall. They dropped the contract in December. There has been a group negotiating on the entire portfolio, but nothing has been agreed to. And I think you are right about the typo with the city.

Gotta love them (presumably) actually listening to some feedback. It would really dampen that part of the hike and bike trail if there was suddenly a big parking lot to your left

Big day for IAH news I guess, as KHOU had this article up today reporting that the combined processing area for Terminals D and E is expected to be open in the winter. https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/bush-airport-international-terminal/285-e90cf4de-d81e-46c3-8a11-a2248ccff6f0

More renders/plans for the new cruise terminal:

Surprising someone still is encouraging this person to keep trying at a political career by getting her appointed to the METRO board as privileged whiner-in-chief. Boy did we dodge a bullet (wish we could say the same about Whitmire). I mean, seriously, even if she believes this (which is questionable at best) does she think it is a winning argument for most Heights residents? The fact she still loves her ridiculous campaign photo provides further proof of her absolute cluelessness. I believe the word is “shrill.”

Construction update this week. Going fast! BCMCT (Baylor College of Medicine Cullen Tower)

Crawler crane on site and rebar in the ground. Let's go!!!

This week's construction update.

oh.... this kind of looks rough 😅

https://www.common.com/houston/montrose/uniti-montrose

Below is a rendering of Chardon's dining room shared in a Facebook group. Chardon is a French brasserie that's planned for Thompson Hotel / Thompson Houston. It's scheduled to open this summer at 1717 Allen Parkway (address may also be 1711 Allen Pkwy.)

Dang! These folks are starting the party EARLY!

Historic Hollywood Cemetery is undergoing a 2-year restoration, including a new mosoleum. New Floral and Park Regulations have been adopted and will be enforced, eliminating much of the existing clutter on existing gravesites (i.e., flags, balloons, pinwheels, fences, etc.) This is a welcomed turn of events! From TSHA... HISTORIC HOLLYWOOD CEMETERY. Historic Hollywood Cemetery in Houston was founded in 1895 when Confederate veterans and brothers Samuel B. Moore and William James Moore made a series of land purchases that totaled approximately fifty-five acres. Their enterprise first appeared under the name of Hollywood Cemetery Co. in the 1895–1896 Houston City Directory. The cemetery’s name came from the Hollywood family—the family was admired by the founders and was later buried there. The original entrance crossed a single-lane bridge over Little White Oak Bayou near the intersection of Cottage and Trimble streets, through the Strangers Rest section for burial of anonymous (and often indigent) deceased. Baby’s Rest sections accommodated victims of high infant mortality rates experienced before 1900. One original brick road remains, to avoid damaging the underlying roots of large old trees. Some notable burials include Houston librarian Julia Ideson; Japanese naval officer Shinpei Mykawa, who helped introduce rice agriculture in the Houston area; Lawrence Shipley, Sr., founder of Shipley Donuts; suffragist and pioneering attorney Hortense Ward, the first woman to register to vote in Harris County; Andrew George Simmons, inventor of the ice cream cone; and Confederate spy Mollie Bailey, the “Circus Queen of the Southwest.” Other notable burials include Sarah Jane Gillis (1826–1938), who, before her death at age 111, recounted her story of the Texas Revolution and how she (at nine years old) hid in the woods and watched Gen. Santa Anna’s troops burn her home along with the rest of Harrisburg as he marched to fight Sam Houston at the battle of San Jacinto. With no money available for a headstone, she is buried in an unmarked grave between the Avey and Archer plots. Blacksmith Fritz Hahn (1875–1935), cofounder of Gulf Coast industrial equipment supplier Hahn and Clay, is also buried in Historic Hollywood Cemetery. His chromed anvil serves as his headstone and is topped with miniature tongs and a hammer.

your scenario is while valid, seems to be a bit of an edge case. 3' sidewalks are unacceptable, they do not even allow for people walking to even pass each other and stay on the sidewalk without getting into personal space. they are far too narrow. 10' is great to provide complete coverage for almost every situation possible, including yours. 5' provides for the most common scenarios, while perhaps still causing issue for the edge cases. people are able to walk on the sidewalk without stepping off to pass people going the other way, and also for groups to walk 2 wide going the same direction. 3' encourages people to not walk, 5' provides a solution for most who might want to walk and won't discourage people from choosing a walk instead of a drive. 10' is great where there is ROW, but I'd submit if the ROW can support 10' sidewalks on both sides, maybe there should be 5' sidewalk, and 5' bike path, rather than a 10' sidewalk.

Artist Boat today announced they raised the required $6.5 million to protect the Anchor Bay property, a 140 acre tract of land sandwiched between the current bounds of the Coastal Heritage Preserve. They'll close on the land in June.

That will increase to three once the Quitman overpass is built. It's too bad that the plans don't include a Cavalcade overpass/underpass at the railroad. I frequently see trains stopped on the West Belt track there.

‘Now’s the time’: Amtrak leader urges momentum on Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail

Site visit today. I haven't taken any photographs of the two vacant parcels in a few years. I'm sure something tall will go here. It will, however, take a few years to plan out. I'd love to have a mixed-use tower. A single tower containing office, apartments, residences, and retail. Vacant lot a long Westcreek Lane. Vacant lot a long Westheimer Road.

This is one if the nicest condominium towers in Houston. Really love this building! Photo I took this week:

All 4. 5. Pass out on new Mattress Firm mattress (or on the display in the store).

They need to get this mayor to walk down the sidewalks of this road with a bunch of people and see just how narrow and broken the sidewalks are in spots. We need wider sidewalks here.