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Sparrow

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Everything posted by Sparrow

  1. Sparrow
    Very little doubt in my mind that this is an Aldi grocery store.
  2. Sparrow
    The one thing about Metcalf that I think were missing here is not that he's against rail--he's against rail going somewhere else. He wants it for his county, so his strategy seems to be to stir up the pot of rural land owners to create backlash that necessitates using the I-45 corridor. This is a little different than the Culberson anti-rail agenda. If high speed rail went down 45 it would not have a station in Montgomery County at first, but no doubt such a line would lead to a station eventually--and increased land values and property taxes--one day in the future when the "economics" favor such a station. If the rail line is way out in Grimes County, Montgomery County stands to lose out on those dollar signs. He's not a NIMBY like Culberson, he's a OIMBY--Only In My Backyard (or I'll put up a big stink so nobody gets it).
  3. Sparrow
    Sure the engineering would be a challenge, but not impossible. I still say find a way to build the station on top of the GRB. That's about as central as you'll get in Downtown without tunneling. It wouldn't take much to connect it to the tunnel system. It's already along the light rail. Access via car is the best you'll achieve. Adding thousands of parking spaces near the GRB, Toyota Center, Minute Maid, and BBVA Compass would be well received. My God what a memorable first view we would give to our visitors up there. I'm sure the city could work out some sort of deal with TCR that eliminates the land acquisition costs that would be associated with a station anywhere else (perhaps allow use of the roof for free provided all engineering/construction is paid by TCR and the station is built such that it could be used for commuter rail at an undetermined future date should the city so wish). Think of how many more conventions Houston would attract with such a unique station. It'd be a great way to keep the area lively when conventions aren't going on as well. Talk about mixed use: office, hotel, retail, transportation, parking garage, and civic uses. Let's find a way to put in a residential tower too and call it a day. GRB would become one of the most mixed-use buildings in the world.
  4. Sparrow
    "Lockhard" Elementary. C'mon NewQuest. Proofread!
  5. Sparrow
    One would think selling off the current, valuable property west of Downtown would offset a large portion of the costs of a move to the Exxon building. I thought that was a given assumption. Surely the market value of that piece of land would be considered for the financial viability of a move to 800 Bell. Selling the property will increase tax revenue as it puts land back on the tax rolls. The numbers from the above referenced article come in short of $900M over the estimated 30 year lease--significantly lower than the estimated $1B+ cost to rebuild on the current property. Seems like a no brainer to me.
  6. Sparrow
    What's the diagonally oriented building at Lamar and LaBranch just to the southwest of the park? I realize it's just a potential scenario from 2011 or so, but so many other items from the proposal seem to be based on some fact. My apologies if I missed this somewhere else.
  7. Sparrow
    I'm not sure of your formula, but I'd put money on a variable that is highly dependent on the creation of a commuter rail station and perhaps light rail. What does your crystal ball predict?
  8. Sparrow
    Greenspoint. I'd play the long game. How long can an area really stay down?
  9. Sparrow
    Why all the mattress store hate? Is it a case people would rather see a more upscale Sleep Number store than a lowly Mattress Firm?
  10. Sparrow
    Wraps for the Hardy Yards are like car dealerships along freeways or public storage on major thoroughfares--they are just a mid-length income generating placeholder until a higher and better use for the land comes along. Wraps are a hedge. Wraps are a fantastic development for this large tract of land. It would be a shame for the land to be subdivided into townhomes or developed piecemeal by separate builders. Building wraps (with retail) gives the neighborhood a nudge in the right direction. The increase in density will help its own future redevelopment prospects as surrounding land will developed, likely increasing demand for the neighborhood. The "low" cost estimate of this development we have been hearing lately is just as encouraging as to the long term redevelopment prospects. If over a billion dollars were to be invested now it would take much longer to recoup the investment, and it would be much less likely future economically advantageous development opportunities would arise. I'll gladly take a half dozen TOD wraps at this location instead of a huge tract of vacant land for the next decade.
  11. Sparrow
    "...three (with the help of others)..." i.e. DFW Core Express. There are other HSR studies going on in Texas other than TCR's. Perhaps TCR sees the value of reaching different areas of such a huge region and since TxDOT is not currently doing separate studies here as it is for the Metroplex, they would do it themselves to ensure their own profitability. What good is it to build a station Downtown or at 290/610 if you're missing out on the majority of potential The Woodlands customers? What good is it to build in the Willowbrook Mall/Tomball area if Clear Lake residents rather take a plane at Hobby instead of driving across town in rush hour traffic?
  12. Sparrow
    http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/spring/news/high-speed-rail-coming-to-texas/article_b193c0a4-a8dd-5da6-a3d7-8c52248838cc.html Eckels: "To let you know how fast this train is: it's about the same distance from here (Tomball) to downtown Houston as it is from Dallas to Fort Worth. That would take about 12 minutes." Very interesting comment--just last week mind you. Perhaps they are rethinking the one station only in Houston concept? DFW will have three (with the help of others) right? Why else would he mention how quickly one could get from Tomball to Downtown?
  13. Sparrow
    The list was about multi-family developments too--so it's not 2,006 town houses. 2,006 is a rather specific number. Can't wait to see the plans!
  14. Sparrow
    Wow, really didn't expect to get station locations until the DEIS came out. Bravo TCR.
  15. Sparrow
    What are the chances that Midway caught wind of info that some other very high end hotel--as of yet unannounced but in the development pipeline--will build Downtown, and decided to aim just a bit lower than before because they know they won't be the most luxurious anyway? Speculating, but cutting your losses makes sense when you know you can't compete.
  16. Sparrow

    METRORail Green Line

    Sparrow replied to a topic in Transit

    Let's cross our fingers that all the red lights will be phased out after testing is completed. Thought I read somewhere that there will be no train preemption for the Green and Purple lines. How well are the lights timed on Capital and Rusk once you get a green light currently? Forget cars crashing into trains, what a joke we would be to have a multi-million dollar train Downtown that pedestrians can keep pace with.
  17. Sparrow
    The thinking by Central Houston, Inc. back in 2004 with their Framework for the Future was to reconstruct 45 further west under this property. http://www.centralhouston.org/Home/DowntownHouston/Frameworkforthefuture/ Great illustrations and maps. Worth perusing.
  18. Sparrow
    The city is looking into moving in: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/In-surprise-move-Parker-now-looks-to-lease-6047196.php
  19. Sparrow
    Ah, some new news. The French enter the Texas HSR mix: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article8202234.html
  20. Sparrow
    What's is this "Texas transportation system" that the city is partnering with? Would you please provide some more info on where this text is from?
  21. Sparrow
    Are there any plans to connect Greenstreet to the tunnel system? Not connecting a large retail development to the tunnels in our Downtown just seems like a huge miss.
  22. Sparrow
    A couple of thoughts occurred to me thinking about a potential station and route location today: 1) Using the Hardy corridor up towards The Woodlands was likely vetoed by the HCTRA rather than the railroad because quite such a route with a terminus downtown would be highly likely to result in a commuter route piggy backing, and frankly who logically would pay $3.50 to drive their own car taking upwards of an hour one-way (plus gas and parking potentially too) when you can take the HSR commuter rail and be there in 10-15 minutes for say $10 or so. 2) While a Downtown station would ensure our CBD's supremacy over outlying districts for decades to come, a station in the area of NW Mall would have great opportunity for redevelopment (displacement) of the surrounding warehouses. 3) The further out the station is, the sooner HSR will begin service with less track to build. 4) A station in the area of NW Mall will no doubt force METRO's hand to build more rail lines. Uptown BRT extension is a no brainer (though conversion to LRT would make more sense). A Washington Ave line (BRT/LRT) would have to be constructed to facilitate travel to Downtown. 5) TCR isn't looking for government funding on this project, but if the city of Houston desired a certain location themselves in terms of planning, this would be the time to put together a 380 agreement to show "support" of a certain location/route. 6) Wherever they do build the station, hopefully they go big on the design creating an iconic landmark. 7) While obviously the Japanese folks want to sell us their existing technology, how embarrassing would it be to build a train that "only" goes 205 mph, if Elon Musk's Hyperloop experiment plays out and travels 700+ mph. Since the test track will "likely" be built in Texas, could we also utilize this HSR route if the technology comes to fruition?
  23. Sparrow
    How much money could a developer save on construction by breaking ground with the price of oil as low as it is? (labor, materials, etc.) It would be rather foolish to think oil will remain so low for the next 5-10 years. I would think the absolute best time to begin a spec building such as this would be at the bottom of the cycle so it comes online on the uptick before the peak hits.
  24. Sparrow
    Going way, way back here, but the very first glimpse of this building seems to be exactly what we ended up with.
  25. Sparrow

    METRORail Green Line

    Sparrow replied to a topic in Transit

    This turn won't be made often once daily service starts, no? I would assume only to move trains from one line to another.
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