Brooklyn173

I think the sign means that nothing will be done soon.

I think the renderings had a sort of swoopy red paint treatment on the very top of the building. That's seems to have been forgotten to a point where it now looks almost forlorn.

San Diego State was at JW Marriott.

Between this and the relocated Printing Museum, maybe this part of Midtown is becoming Museum District Light 🙂

Not sure this is the right spot for this, so feel free to move it as appropriate.

It would be nice if Houston had a similar agreement with US DOT (especially considering all the highway funds that are about to start flowing)

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/us-dot-austin-texas-22-billion-transportation-emerging-projects-agreement/644291/

There are a bunch of bus stations closing, each creating its own impact.

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/Greyhound-bus-station-closures-create-problems-intercity-bus-riders/643419/

Megabus moved out of the parking lot near the Metro building almost a year ago, though they may still use the curb as a stop for some of their routes. Flix bus still uses a parking lot nearby on Gray but there are no facilities (ticket office, waiting room, etc).

From my experience in other cities, the curb works well for the bus company but transfers a lot of issues (litter, traffic, vagrancy, crime) to the neighborhood without any identifiable party in charge. That's why some cities prohibit curbside pickups.

Any rumors in where Greyhound will go? There are intercity bus facilities in East Downtown. Would that work? You want an easily accessible bus terminal but not an eyesore. It's a delicate balance. You can't just put a bus terminal out in the prairie as some have hinted.  I sometimes take long haul buses, and you don't want to be dumped in a suburban strip mall. 

I was asked to allow my pictures to be use for another site (I had nothing else to do with the story). That site has a MUCH better story about Micky D.

https://houstonhistoricretail.com/?p=14932&preview=1&_ppp=39aaf94794

The Chronicle should be embarrassed.

Maybe the worst attempt at journalism that I've ever seen. More of a Google search than any real reporting.

Houston's most infamous McDonald's has finally closed https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/Downtown-Houston-McDonalds-Greyhound-bus-station-17724996.php

I, like others on this forum, am very excited about the potential of the 'bus corner' becoming something nicer. Even grander. But two things come to mind:

1. There are a bunch of other already empty blocks in the larger area. A rough count for a corridor from Clay St south to Stuart St, 2 blocks east/west of Main Street, finds that there are nine mostly empty full city blocks. A couple are used for parking, one has a vacant bank, an empty CVS and the others are just dirt. This does not count the bus depots/McDonald sites or the soon to be relocated Cadillac dealer. There is already plenty of supply if there is a real demand. I'm not sure if the bus terminals' availability will change that dynamic.

2. Having said that, I wonder if a decision has been made that only the well connected are aware of, reflected by all the recent activity near the Pierce Elevated. Is that about to come down and the smart money is getting ready for a redevelopment surge? I'd be OK with that.

I won't be around in "a few decades" but I am happy with hopes of a quicker, even modest, improvement.

My condo is down the road a bit. About 50 cents per sq foot maintenance fees, but a much smaller building.

We had FSresidential until about a year ago. Best of luck...

CMI stands for Carnegie Management Inc. The address is in a bank building in Williamsburg Brooklyn. None of that is glamorous but you never know. It seems most of their business is tenant management all over NYC. I tried sending an email to the email address listed but it was bounced back as 'undeliverable'.

There is another CMI in Houston (Central Management) but at a different website. https://cmirealestate.com/ I don't think that they are related.

This project seems very much out of the ordinary for what I could find out about CMI Brooklyn. In size and complexity and location. It doesn't mean that they couldn't do it but I'd lean more towards the possibility that they are buying the property for a private trust or the like.

My hopes are high but my expectations are very tempered.

It was open this evening (Jan 12) with people inside, when I passed by.

I must have been right behind you. I spoke to one of the workers and asked if the building was coming down and he said yes. I asked what was next and he just shrugged his shoulders.

Scaffolding still up, but to this untrained eye, it looks complete.

According to documents recently filed to the Harris County Clerk's office, the parcel where JW Marriott Hotel Downtown Houston is located has been sold. The building is also known as S.F. Carter Second National Bank Building. 
     
    Documents indicate SWVPHouston Hotel LLC  acquired the hotel property at 806 Main. SWVPHouston Hotel LLC is an entity of Southwest Value Partners, a San Diego-based real estate investment company. 
     
    A termination agreement was also filed this month between Marriott Hotel and AVR Houston 806 Main Street LLC, a JW Marriott franchisee and previous property owner of 806 Main St.
 
https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/22874-jw-marriott-hotel-downtown-at-806-main-st/?do=findComment&comment=667033

5 hours ago, hindesky said:

Midtown Map for those who don't know the boundaries.

https://www.houstontx.gov/ecodev/tirzmaps/tractmaps/tirz_2.pdf

Off topic, but do you know why there is that strange spur off to Caroline at Rosedale?

I think the issue is the rodeo. I think I've read that they have contractual rights to the property during the entirety of the rodeo.

And the astrodome has Texas Historic designation. It's not going anywhere.

I couldn't find any posting about the Downtown Holiday Inn on Main, so this is sort of related to the above mural. Feel free to move this post if this is in the wrong place.

Anyway, a brightening of the area.

The McGowen side of Greensheets Building.