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HoustonIsHome

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Everything posted by HoustonIsHome

  1. HoustonIsHome
    Downtown foot traffic has picked up, while the homeless population in that spot has gone down. There is still no big draw to Main Street Square though. Forever 21 is ok, but not enough. The Park Shops and Greenstreet are too inward facing. As far as department stores go are they still popular? I'm not sure what it's going to take to Jumpstart retail but I think it has to be visual. People need to be able to see in. I think low end retail would work wonders here for now. Lower end than even Macy's. With the Galleria, ROD, Highland Village, River Oaks and Rice Village all in close proximity I don't see much high end coming to downtown soon. Don't laugh but I would put in Ross, Marshalls, Target, a general goods store, a Houston souvenir shop, A sports merchandise shop, a smoke shop, Petsmart, expand that CVS, bring in an urban version of Specs, throw in some restaurants, bars and about a dozen lower end retailers such as Rainbow, Old Navy, Bath and Body works, Lids, Sephora. That will keep the nearby residents interested. Once the crowds become regular we can step up the game. I do think we may need something like a Williams Sonoma soon. Something with home goods
  2. HoustonIsHome
    Never paid much attention to this building before. Is kinda cool looking.
  3. HoustonIsHome
    I think "Allowing extraordinary opportunities to turn into painfully unremarkable cityscapes" is a more fitting motto.
  4. HoustonIsHome
    I understand the "new and upgraded easier to sell" mantra but I don't get " the building was falling apart" mantra. Buildings are falling apart all over the world, but people do remodel buildings in far worse shape. That building can't have been in worse shape than the Days in or even Central Square or the federal building. The federal building was leaking water for years. The other two were taken over by homeless and plagued worth filth and fire. I hate the falling apart excuse. Just say what it is. The owner wanted commercial and what sells right now for commercial is easier to accomplish with new construction.
  5. HoustonIsHome
    I refer to it as both of those. Whataburger Tower And Batman Building
  6. HoustonIsHome
    I walked by this today along McGowen and just realists how huge of a set back the apartment is on that side. That thing must be 50 ft. What are they going to do with that space? You can fit another park on that spot.
  7. HoustonIsHome
    He gets it^^^ Was hoping for a reliever park to help discover green stay green. But this doesn't seem like its the space I imagined. Not going on aesthetics so don't care about finished or not. I'm going on function. Market square is an aesthetic plus for the city even if it is small, but with a lot this size I was hoping for both an aesthetic plus and a function plus in terms of having a reliever for DG in a more urban setting than BB/ ET parks. I mean you are acting like 1 midtown sized block is an achievement. Are not all midtown blocks about the size of a midtown block. But when you get a space that is 2.5 times the size of a midtown block then alot a 1 block section to park space that isn't really extaordinary. I mean a block park can be replicated on any block. But a 1 block plus park is beyond ordinary.
  8. HoustonIsHome
    New Orleans is my favorite US city to visit. The OP is right, Mardi Gras is a lot more packed than July 4th but it is usually much cooler so more tolerable. I have vids just of the trash generated by mardi gras but thankfully have not encountered poop on the street. Savannah is one of my favorite cities but no where near comparable to Nola in terms of history, culture or fun in general. Oh and the fid on NOLA for me was rarely a miss. Almost everything I tried was a hit. Even the fast food. Best burger I had was one at a place called City Diner. It was called a cajun burger. The patty was stuffed with andouille sausage.
  9. HoustonIsHome
    They do that in many other cities. Don't know why some act like NOTHING can be done to preserve some architectural history or that there is no value in spending more to building anything nice.
  10. HoustonIsHome
    It's this park going to have enough space?
  11. HoustonIsHome
    I was walking passed the Exxon building at about 6:30 one morning and looked up and that building looked so charming, so comforting, so Houston. I will be sad when it is altered. It looks so good when the sun is going down with the Enron buildings in the background. The alterations will make this building look so normal. So nondescript, so anywheresville. This building, Heritage Plaza, BOA, Continental/ Chevron, Wells Fargo all remind me of Houston.
  12. HoustonIsHome
    My, auto complete typed the rest of the word. But whatever that building was used for was besides the point. Just hoping that area was developed more
  13. HoustonIsHome
    Oh my gosh, we got two residential gems downtown this passed cycle. And both in Market Square. I hope next cycle we get even more gems that are as sensitive to theor surroundings as these two.
  14. HoustonIsHome
    The church just looks odd to me from the outside.
  15. HoustonIsHome
    Dr Lan it world have been awesome if they encases the church of science building in a tower like they did in Philly. We would preserve the ambiance of the lil church building but increase the use of the land.
  16. HoustonIsHome
    I agree with MM. I am not a fan of the base, but I like the building overall
  17. HoustonIsHome
    I think they have changed the blue lights to green. Anyway, you can tell that downtown had more life in areas where these units have been delivered. in interested in seeing how the already active Disco Green area becomes after the other developments get occupied. Southern Downtown With the sky houses, Houston house, and the 3 midrises seem less glamorous but I wonder if they will fill up quicker than the more glamorous ones around Disco green. I am hoping for another redesign of the one on the block bounded by Main, St Joseph, Travis and Jefferson. I am a superfan of preservation, but kinda hoping that the Days Inn and that Church of Science thing across the street goes away. it's a cool building but kinda odd for the area. Does anyone know what the population of downtown is now? Sans the involuntary residents
  18. HoustonIsHome
    I like structures that take up a long footprint. For me give me a long midrise over a skinny hi rise surrounded by landscaping any day. I like projects that take up the whole block or several blocks. I am liking this so far
  19. HoustonIsHome
    With the apartments to the northern end the park looks like it will have a more urban park feel, but both the park and the apartments would have benefited from the view if the apartments were on the southern end instead. I hope someone comes in and builds a 40 story tower right across the street and totally ruins Campos view.
  20. HoustonIsHome
    I think developments like these are going to be winners in the game. Developers who are able to finance in down periods when material is more readily available and labor isn't as hard to come by will be ahead of the game. By the time this is ready for leasing we might be in a whole other economic atmosphere. By the time Camden is ready to build downtown he might be facing steeper construction costs. I say start on the up swing of the cycle and deliver in the height of recovery.
  21. HoustonIsHome
    Went to vote today and the construction in just a few block radius was crazy. 609 main, chronicle building, Market square tower, Aris, theater square, Franklin garage. Was excited when I saw activity on this theater square lot but after reading the last few pages got disappointed again.
  22. HoustonIsHome
    That is awesome. Are the lots forv the Lancaster going to be replaced by a garage or surface parking? I assume the Chronicle lot will be surface parking for a while. I think residential in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown will boost commercial development downtown.
  23. HoustonIsHome
    Has anyone else noticed how much more pleasant it is walking along main in downtown now that it is so filled in. Not just the asthetic, but the shadow cast by the huge buildings combined with AC occasionally drifting out doors makes walking downtown more bearable in the summer than it used to be. Used to hear a lot about the concrete effect, but vertical concrete seems to help with cooling. Might get miserable on cold windy days though, as that cool air gets channeled through those man-made canyons. Anyway, shade in the summer is a good thing. Another reason why I hate surface parking.
  24. HoustonIsHome
    I disagree, but unfortunately simple is most probably what we are going to get. I think it is a waste of frontage to have parking facing the bayou. But I bet we are going to get a development like the post office site with a few buildings in the center of the property surrounded by a sea of surface parking
  25. HoustonIsHome
    This cycle was awesome, we got some nice infill. This and 609 Main are two of my favorites and both are from Hines. And it going up on a surface lot makes it so much better. Can't Wait To See What Goes Up Next cycle. Its going to be tough to beat this on the residential department and even tougher to beat 609 Main in the commercial department.
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