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MikeRichardson

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Posts posted by MikeRichardson

  1. On 1/15/2021 at 8:10 PM, Highrise Tower said:

     

    Not really surprising. Still sucks though. My old office was in that area so I was usually in that Randalls at least twice a week.

  2. I might have a pic of the Walmart in Meyerland when it was still a "Baby" (i.e. non Super Walmart) Store.

     

    The Meyerland store and then the Westview store were the last two remaining Houston area stores to not be converted to "SuperCenter Walmart".

     

    First Meyerland was converted. So the very last store to be converted was the Westview store.

    • Thanks 1
  3. Oddly enough, I think the Coronavirus has been the saving grace of Randalls for 2020.

     

    My friends mostly live in the suburbs and go to Kroger and HEB. Whereas I live off Westheimer and S. Gessner within walking distance of a Randalls, and driving distance of several other stores.

     

    At least among the informal discussions with my friends: I was the first one to find Hand Sanitizer for sale, at Randalls (9660 Westheimer). Later I was the first to find Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) for sale, again at Randalls (12850 Memorial). I shop at both stores consistently.

     

    I remember after Harvey too. I was living in the same area back then as well (Westchase). I drove first to the Kroger at 9919 Westheimer. The line literally snaked around behind the building, just to get inside. So I drove just a bit further to the Randalls. There, I could get inside right away, and they had fresh meat there, and some vegetables. I was able to pick some stuff up and then make the long awkward ~2.5 hour trek out to my mom's house. (She's around Beltway 8 and 1960, but I had to drive all the way out to the Grand Parkway just to cross the reservoirs).

     

    I really do hope Randalls sticks around at least in some form. Reduction of competition has shown to be universally bad for the consumer.

    • Like 4
  4. On 1/13/2020 at 3:59 PM, cspwal said:

    I think I would understand closing the other stores more if they were focusing on upgrading the remaining ones, but the evidence for that isn't really there.

     

    They did update the store at 12850 Memorial Dr. recently.

     

    On 1/13/2020 at 1:35 PM, Houston19514 said:

    I think the answer to the OP's question is increasingly clear.  Yes, Randall's is actively dying and no, no one cares, not even Albertson's (the owner of Randalls). They apparently decided some years ago that they could not compete in Houston, so why even try?

     

    Randalls to Close Five (more) Grocery Stores in Houston

     

    This will leave them with 17 stores, down from 51 in 2005 (and 28 just a year ago).

     

    Damnit!

    • Like 1
  5. I'll host the pictures on my personal site. The worst that could happen (and I so seriously doubt it would happen), is that I would get a "DMCA Takedown", and then I would have to take them down.

     

    You could also attach the pictures to posts here. In fact I would do both. Anything you want to remain accessible for longer than a couple of years, needs to be hosted on several different unrelated servers.

     

    The bigger challenge is actually scanning in the covers. Holding it up to a phone is going to give very unsatisfying pictures. You want to use a flatbed scanner. (Sheet-fed scanners are no good, because you would have to destroy the phone book in order to scan the cover.)

     

    You can get a scanner for less than $100, I got mine at Micro Center. But I don't have any old phonebooks, except for 1993.

  6. I am pleased to announce the availability of every single HCTRA Financial Report since 1983 (excluding 1986).

     

    https://hctra.co/financials/ (do not link directly to PDF files because I plan on standardizing all the names so as to make the list easier to use).

     

    For FY1986 I'm going to attempt to contact some county officials, that seemed to have been quite successful in getting the turnout information for the 1983 ballot measure. Althought it won't be the county clerk this time, maybe Harris County Treasurer?

  7. Somehow I only heard about this today. I knew about the ones earlier in the year.

    https://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Randalls-to-close-Montrose-area-store-13347808.php

     

    Those stores are now already closed. While I was confirming that, I found an article about a 7th store!

    https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy/news/article/Randalls-closing-surprises-some-customers-13472090.php

     

    That's 7 freaking stores closed in a single year - 2018.

     

    They seem to be doing fine in Austin though, where they somehow actually managed to build a brand new store a couple of years ago. I don't think it was a replacement store or anything either.

    https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2017/03/23/austin-suburb-lands-new-retail-center-anchored.html

     

    I want to slap the people who keep repeating the same garbage about the "high prices". Yes, it was true a long time ago. It is no longer true anymore.

     

    I also shop at Kroger regularly. The prices are basically the same as Randalls. They both average out to about the same. 

  8. There is a neat little apartment complex right next to The Georgian that I never even knew existed - it's got maybe 10 units in two buildings, with covered parking spaces.

     

    That will probably survive quite a bit longer because the land is not a large enough parcel to interest the developers.

     

    Unfortunately, The Georgian is yet another example of medium-low density being replaced with medium-high density. A marginal improvement in density - but it's also understandable that they would not try for a highrise there given that it abuts directly to single family homes. (whatever happened with Ashby anyway)

    • Like 2
  9. Here's some pictures I took on the 6th.

     

    https://mikerichardson.name/tidbits/the_georgian/

     

    Wasn't going to walk too deep into the property since anything was liable to fall down at any time.

     

    I wonder how much those townhomes rented for. I've not seen those at the other Swain & Houck properties.

     

    BTW, this was the last Swain & Houck property that had remained. The first to go was off of Allen Parkway if I recall.

     

    I was one of the last people to move from the last building on Westcreek - the one that they let sit and rot for 2+ years before tearing it down, instead of renting it out and collecting money. Because logic.

    • Like 3
  10. !!! whooOooOohooOoOoooo!

     

    Come on, really?

     

     I knew the owner of the shop there.  Remember, I lived on Westcreek for over 3 years.

     

    The owner of Westcreek Market ran an honest business. He had cheaper prices than the Mobile or Exxon or whatever the hell it is at the opposite end of the street at San Felipe.

     

    I am not stupid and I understand how private property works. Westcreek Market should have owned their land but we all know that any price within the last 10 years would have been absurd.

     

    RIP Westcreek Market. If anyone around there wants a decent price on a bag of nuts or a 12 pack of coke or whatever, drive on down to the CVS, for as long as that might continue to exist.

     

    The least you can do is say, "RIP". I actually lived there. I actually patronized businesses around there.

     

    Hang me out to dry, I could give a shit. I care about honest men making an honest living. That includes: the operators of Westcreek Market, and even the workmen who build River Oaks District. 

     

    It does not include people who judge from afar, living in suburb that's not even freaking HARRIS COUNTY, based on some wet dream that they have of the inner loop, that they might happen to drive through once or twice a year.

     

    I just hope that not too many affordable places are plowed over every year or GUESS WHAT? We will wind up EXACTLY like California.

     

    Go ahead and flame me, watch me care.

  11. Still can't edit posts for some stupid reason, or this would be an edit of the above post.

     

    The IBTTA newsletters are now cut down to the relevant sections only, with those sections highlighted.

     

    The only really interesting one is 1989_7 where they talk about all this free crap they gave to the "25 Millionth Patron".

  12. County Clerk wrote me back. Here is a sample ballot from the 1983 bond election.

     

    https://hctra.co/elections/Sample Ballot-September 13, 1983 Harris County Bond Election.pdf

     

    I also asked about the voter turnout: votes for and against, that sort of thing. The information isn't readily available but they said they would research it.

     

    What I would love to get my hands on: TV news reports from September 1983.

  13. I don't know why but I can't edit posts. I just wanted to add this.

     

    The point of my site is to provide these documents and provoke discussion, and I can already see that happening. That is great!

     

    A lot of the documents you can access easily, such as recent HCTRA financials. My goal is to have a complete archive of their financials. HCTRA seems to only provide a few years.

     

    I still have dozens more documents to upload.

     

    I also want to start collecting information about Linebarger. 

     

    I hope this thread has some real and healthy debate, unlike the other thread...

  14. I live off Westheimer and the Beltway.

     

    Actually before I go into that, let me clarify real quick the names and ownership of the roads, for people that don't know.

     

    The actual toll lanes, are called Sam Houston Tollway. "HCTRA" owns these roads, except HCTRA is not an actual separate entity, it is really just a brand name and an "enterprise fund". So, Harris County owns these roads. It is important to note that these toll lanes are NOT one continuous road! Immediately before I-45 heading East, until somewhere after the airport, is a free road owned by the state. Also, several of the stacks are actually owned by the state, which is why where is a free entrance right before the ramps.

     

    The free lanes (the feeders), are called Sam Houston Parkway. They are owned by the State of Texas, and because of this, they have a numeric designation from the state: Beltway 8.

    If you look at the address for any business on the Beltway - let's look at the West Road Kroger, that address is 9125 W Sam Houston Pkwy N. You will never see an address for a business on the Tollway directly.

     

    I will also clarify here that no private entity has any ownership interest in any HCTRA toll road. This is one of the few "right/correct/good" things about the HCTRA system. If you want to see an example of what happens when a private entity is involved look at the Chicago Skyway. Their tolls are atrocious, some of the highest in the country.

     

    Now, like I said I live off Westheimer and the Beltway. About every weekend I drive up to see my mom, she lives off 249 and Grant Road.

     

    I used to take the tollway, and now I don't. On the weekend, the parkway/Beltway 8 is not that much slower. It costs $4.50 in tolls one way. Compared to the free lanes, and the way I drive, I would be surprised if the toll lanes save 9 minutes. One way to look at that is  that I'd need to earn at least $30 an hour just to break even.

     

    Also, after I-10 was rebuilt, they very thoughtfully installed an overpass for Beltway 8, saving at least 5 minutes. Sadly, they did not do this at 290.

     

    My experience says nothing of a Monday-Friday commuter though, unfortunately that is the type of person who is proably getting soaked in monthly tolls.

  15. https://hctra.co

     

    The primary purpose of this site right now is an information dump.

     

    I put some of my opinons on the front page, but I may remove them. The information about Texas Tag is important though - more proof that HCTRA is being run as if it were a profit seeking entity, rather than in service to the residents of Harris County.

     

    I am open to rational debate. I also accept submissions for the site.

     

    I am not opposed to the basic idea of toll roads either, but I think HCTRA has been actively abusive to their customers, and privately, I believe that one or more of these documents will reveal malfeasance. They are posted for public review as I don't have the time myself to go through them all.

     

    I know that this site is already receiving some traffic from people mistyping "hctra.com", so I have mentioned how an existing EZ TAG holder would need to go to hctra.org to service their account.

  16. 17 hours ago, IronTiger said:

    But...I had already started my own version hosted on my own site (linked in my quote) that has a lot more information. I'm missing 5, 9, 16, 44-46, and the exact address for 55. I don't know where I read that 55 was in fact Humble, probably a newspaper or yellow pages, but that begs the question of why I don't have the address. Chronologically it fits, all the numbering of Randalls is subsequent up until they were bought by Safeway. (Look at the numbering, notice how they start accelerating in the 1980s starting with #11 in 1980 and going up to #48 by the end of the decade, then dries up by 1994, so much so that they skip 1995, and only open about five more before being sold to Safeway).

     

    http://www.carbon-izer.com/retail/albertsons/randalls.html

     

     

     

    Your is on a static site. Mine is on a Google Sheet and so it could be collaborative. Also I did start mine several years ago but just didn't share it until now.

     

    The informaton is public domain; use it on your site if you like.

     

     

    10 hours ago, Firebird65 said:

    I made a few changes to #8 on your spreadsheet. I used to have the exact opening date and the grand opening ad for Randall's #8, but didn't keep it as it didn't relate to my research. It didn't help that it was a very poor-quality pdf. There was also a "planted" story in each newspaper talking about the store and giving the name of the first manager. 

     

    I found the Randall's grand opening ad while looking for the opening date of the Deauville Theatre. The Randalls either opened the week before or the week after the cinema in July 1975.

     

    For some reason I don't see any edit, also, you should only be able to comment unless I add you as an editor.

     

    Is Deauville Theatre related to Deauville Malls at all?

     

    Also, here are pics I took of store #35 when it was closing. http://www.mikerichardson.name/tidbits/randalls/

     

    I also have some pics of store #22 before the partial remodel. This is an interesting store because it's in a sort of poor neighborhood but does good business.

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