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Visitor

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Everything posted by Visitor

  1. I've always been surprised by the desire for another movie theater. I feel like i can drive 10 minutes in any direction and hit one. I guess other people go to the movies more than i thought and far more than me, haha.
  2. No word on this one? Holding out hope that means it will be above average and more exciting than a regular strip mall.
  3. Was just talking about this site the other day. Would hope they take the buffalo bayou foot traffic into consideration in the design. There is almost nothing walkable from the bayou in terms of food/beverage.
  4. Me too...was just at Kroger imagining how great it would be if the stacked retail became a reality there.
  5. I stand corrected. The source i reviewed apparently was not updated, SHEPHERD STORAGE LP apparently owns that parcel now, which would fall in line with the signage for storage units. I am glad that it will be redeveloped, has long been a "hang out".
  6. Just hearsay in some circles. The bit about Turner was just a note about his recent comments relative to rail. A commuter line down 10 would seem to fit his thoughts.
  7. Still talks (TXDOT/TCR) going on about putting in a commuter line from terminus to Downtown down the I-10 corridor. Express service to downtown only. On a somewhat related note, Mayor Turner called for more focus on intercity and regional rail (amongst other things) at the latest Texas Transportation Commission. http://usa.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/01/Talking-points-Mayor-Turner-at-Tx-Trans-Commn-3.pdf
  8. Did a little searching and found that SummitPath Partners LLC (owners of this lot) also own the lot north of it including the section with the commercial building. Would be great both were redeveloped with something good for the neighborhood.
  9. They did reconfigure the bike path crossing which could indicate some impending construction work. The path now crosses slightly south of the lot for Mercantile.
  10. Too bad Party Boy isn't on the demo list...
  11. Happy to see this on the dockett for redevelopment. Would love to see that vacant lot/building across Nett done away with as well. Sounds like residential, would have preferred to see something commercial here.
  12. I personally have always presented myself as a NIMBY. To that end I would dispute your reference to territorialism; generally when people make a purchase of a home, it is not unilateraly for the x,000SF parcel but for the community and the immediate surrounding area. So it would stand to reason that projects, regardless of what they are, that impact the community would have relevance to a resident. I get that NIMBY'ism has probably prevented good projects from ever happening, and this might be one of them. But to discount what a person should and shouldn't care about, b/c they do not "own" the land in question, is an overreaction IMO. We can agree to disagree, in the long run neither of us really have impact on the decisions made.
  13. Relative to the HSR? Absolutely. But there is a general perception that the NIMBY mentality is directed at all things related to rail when its not the case. I dont oppose HSR overall, though I don't believe it will successful as an alternative travel mode.
  14. Based on a meeting i was privy to where Christof Spieler presented and took questions, Metro does not have any real intentions of expanding Light Rail or rail of any sort. They are (imo overly) proud of their bus system and any discussions related to future rail were essentially shot down with both cost and the "effectiveness" of the bus system being the main reasons. With that said, it's important if you want more rail in Houston, that you vote December 12th in the Mayoral run-off. As you know the Mayor is in charge of appointing members on the DOT Board and their vision of the city's transportation future plays a large role in what we eventually see come to fruition. The Houston HSR Watch did a questionnaire to all candidates and those responses can be found here: http://houstonhsrwatch.org/latest_information.html It is important to note that the run off is between Turner and King. Turner also penned a letter to the Houston HSR Watch which can be found on the same page under "Early 2015" Before all of the NIMBY comments come rolling in, the Houston HSR Watch is supportive of improved connectivity for Houston which includes light and commuter rail. They are not against HSR, save for the infrastructure and disruption that would have been necessary to bring it downtown.
  15. This NIMBY likes these ideas... Far more value to the community than HSR running through.
  16. Some new info on the HSR would be great. And yes, i will admit that I have a strong dislike for buses. Not that i don't see the utility of them, I just didn't get super excited about the "reimagined" routes because to me, and probably me only, it seems like Metro is patting themselves on the back and the satisfaction with their new plan will inhibit planning future rail projects. Just my two cents, not trying to spur an argument over buses, haha.
  17. On the bus v train debate, my experience is that buses cater to those that do not have a car and need them for mobility. Trains cater to those who prefer the consistency and ease of use. Yes I'm generalizing and yes there are exceptions. As a business traveler, colleagues and I take rail when it's available, but not buses. Even in a city like Chicago, it's train and walk or if the walk is too far/too cold we hail a cab. I'd be quite happy to see light rail down the washington corridor. And I'm the same person who has no desire to see the HSR go down that same corridor.
  18. I'd argue that downtown is not the center of the Houston area. This is based on my perspective of the majority of the population living west, south and north of the city. Sure there are loops that DT is the center of, but there is far less east of Houston. Also, HSR in other countries does not typically enter metro centers but terminates outside city centers and uses local rail to connect. For example the Tokyo station is roughly 7 miles from downtown.
  19. I do think the HSR should connect to mass transit. However in my opinion, a bus system does not really qualify. Here's how I see it from my perspective as a business traveler. Trains are more reliable and generally require far less effort to navigate than a bus system. I may be in the minority, but as a traveler I never take buses but will take advantage of train systems almost every time. I just can't picture someone coming to Houston and me telling them, "oh yeah, just take the bus around" Just my two cents.
  20. I agree on your assessments and have heard TRC's preference is to not go downtown due to cost. There is a strong political push for a downtown terminus though. Also, Houston still has it's back channel network of well connected individuals who can influence projects to suit their interests. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the true determining factor in all of this, and that will definitely be about money.
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