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C2H

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Posts posted by C2H

  1. I like the fact that they took the approach to preserve history and restore a historical building. I'm just not too crazy about the new orange-ish tan-ish color of the brick on the building. Even though the previous green color they used may have looked a little dated, they could have pulled it off if it was done right.

  2. C2H! Wow!! What a letter..can I copy it for another letter to Midway ;)

    Apologies for my previous posts. I've always had a ton of respect for you, your viewpoints and passion...since the early days of HAIF (before the first website crash). In my previous posts I was just hoping to get across what you so eloquently did in your letter to Midway. Seems like a bunch of us were hoping Alessandra would be a masterpiece and usher in a new day for architecture and development in Houston. Even so, I think these are exciting times in Houston and developers are getting better. Let's keep the pressure on these guys!

    Absolutely. Please do.

    And no worries. No need to apologize. Hopefully if we get enough letters in and they see enough people passionate about the situation, maybe they will listen.

  3.  

    My email to Midway.

     

    To Whom It May Concern,
     
    I want to start off by applauding the work of the Midway corporation and everything it has done towards improving the Houston area. Especially with City Centre and the current Greenstreet project downtown Houston. However, I am extremely disappointed in the new re-design for the Hotel Alessandra. Houston has been bombarded with poo0r, tacky architecture and underwhelming architecture in its buildings for years. It has been falling behind the curve of many of its peer cities like Dallas, NYC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and even Austin TX.
     
    With the presentation of the original design from March 2014, I had high hopes for this project and thought it was going to be the start of establishing a new precedent for architecture in Houston. Although I am grateful of the initiative and ambition of the hotel, I have to  say that the original design was much more striking and appealing.
     
    I hope to hear some sort of reply regarding this. I am interested in hearing all plans for Midway
     
    Sincerely,
     
    C2H
    • Like 7
  4. Excited for mediocrity...so Houston

    If we do not start demanding better from our development community, design professionals, management districts, elected officials, etc...and just "kick back with a six pack," as just about every apathetic Houstonian does, we'll continue to get more of these bland and predictable Hotel Alessandras...and we'll deserve it.

    I invite you to attend a development community board meeting in NYC, Chicago, LA, Boston, SF...anywhere good design flourishes, and see how many people "kick back with a six pack. That's precisely why so much Houston architecture and urban development is so underwhelming...no one ever speaks up about it.

    LargeTEXAS,

    I've begun a new approach to life which has helped me keep unnecessary worry and stress down. So I'm sorry by my applying that to this situation has left you with the impression that I'm all for mediocrity In this city.

    Now you are a poster that I happen to go way back with ever since I first joined on here more than 10 years ago before the old HAIF was hacked. I have always had a high respect for you as a poster, so the last thing I want to do is become your enemy BUT.... you got me all wrong.

    I remember one of my first posts ever on HAIF was a complaint about the downtown night skyline. It used to depress me to no end to drive from Dallas or Austin which actually seemed like vibrant cities at night with their well lit skylines to come to what was supposed to be Texas's largest city and see its dark, crummy lit skyline with Christmas light bulbs on its rooftops. You may not remember, but it was you who actually teamed up with me on the idea and made up an electronic petition to start in which I even printed out and got some additional signatures. I also wrote letters to the mayor, downtown management, and several others. Shortly after, several building owners decide to do some stupid "lights out" program and now here we are more than a decade later with an even worse lit skyline than before ( although glad to see less Christmas lights)

    Then we were all worked up with the University light rail lines plans. We had all been waiting patiently for at least a decade. Just when we thought we had gotten rid of that roadblock Tom Delay, here comes somebody else making sure he follows in every print of his footsteps. Again, here we are, the most important line in Houston indefinitely put on hold because of a few residents and some @$$hole who only cares about winning votes for another term. And I'm not even going to get into the Houston Pavilions scrapping the original residential plans and then the Embassy Suites design literally being decapitated.

    So LargeTEXAS, maybe you're right, I do feel a tad powerless. After a while of disappointments,corrupt politics, I've found that it's easiest to not get so worked up and stressed out about things is best for my OWN sanity. I'm not saying I'm one who gives up, but I have practiced on the positive side of things rather than the negative. Although midway failed us on Alessndra, we still have some other new skyscrapers coming up which offer some pretty interesting designs.

    Back to not giving up, I still attend city hall meetings, show up at every election time, voice my concerns, etc. Some people will change the world. Maybe you're one of those people and perhaps I am not. I just now am more focused on controlling what I'm able to: my health, my finances, my career, etc. Because at the end of the day, everything we bicker about on these boards comes down to those with $$$$$ in which I have none.

    • Like 1
  5. Couldn't agree more with por favor gracias and Monarch. To also use the word of one of my favorite posters...DUDES, I don't usually get into this kind of hyperbole, especially on a website like this, but, heck, oh well. We on this board probably represent the most passionate voices on architecture and development Houston has. That's valuable and we should use it.

    I find it sad that C2H and others feel such powerlessness and disillusionment as to say that Midway and other developers "owe us nothing." That's simply not true. We are residents, businesspeople, students of this city. We entertain our clients, families, selves here...spend our money, make our lives here. Developers develop the buildings and spaces where we do those things - spend our money and build our lives. They sure as heck owe us, the city, and everyone who makes it possible for them to build and profit from their developments a great deal.

    We need to feel more empowered to make changes we'd like to see here. The faster we do, and more vocal we are, the quicker we'll start seeing really awesome s#%t! Developers do take notice of what people say. They are ultra-sensitive to the market and to their friends', neighbors', cousins', sisters' co-workers' input.

    On a totally different yet somewhat related topic - I happened to be in a meeting with TXDoT the other day and they have completely reimagined their plans for I-45 and 59 around downtown because of "all the uproar" residents in the surrounding neighborhoods made. It was remarkable to hear how TXDoT has changed their tune and are now considering things we'd only dreamed of a couple of years ago such as tunneling highways and creating parks on top of them. All because of the input people gave them! They actually admitted to that very thing. The only neighborhood that they said didn't create a "big stink" was the Near Northside. So, guess what, no plans to radically change I-10 there. The elevated freeway will likely remain.

  6. Call me an optimist or whatever.

    But I don't see what continuing to whine and complain about what we can't change is supposed to do other than make our lives further miserable. Promises or not, in reality, Midway owes us nothing. None of us ponied up any $$$ for this so why should any of us expect anything? I'm more inclined to believe Stonian's story because at least it somewhat softens the blow, because happy or not, this is what we're getting.

    Misery loves company. Am I happy with the new design? He'll no. But what I'm gonna do is kick back with my six pack beer and watch some of you all cry about whats not changing while I rejoice that we're getting a unique hotel to Houston above a mixed used development that Houston has never seen before amist much other construction and development, in a new time that also Houston hasn't seen before.

    • Like 1
  7. Children behave or I swear I will turn this car around.

    They are tearing the new rendering apart on swamplot. Not with any solid ground to stand on, just the usual pseudo-elitist stuff.

    I read this to mean that maybe there's hope that the developer might change back to the original design due to the outcry of the swamplot comments. Wish it was enough.

    I too am extremely disappointed. Such a missed opportunity and is a painful relived moment of the ES hotel. Still glad it's getting built nonetheless.

    • Like 4
  8. It's terrible it closed but I mean downtown is becoming a hot be for development. Don't be surprised if something better fills that spot. I was in downtown about two weeks ago and saw a few empty spots where restaurants used to be, and like two days later I read that 4 new restaurants are coming downtown and filling those voids. Barnabys and PepperJacks to name a couple. I used to be very sceptical when something was proposed downtown because I felt it had little chance of surviving, but in the 26yrs I've been alive, I've never seen Houston go through such a rennaissance of new development and better planned infrastructure. This is an exciting time to be from Houston. The attention we've lacked for years nationally is about to explode.

    You take bad news pretty well, i must say. :)

    I'm sorry to be a debbie downer, but this doesn't pose as any good coming out for downtown. Just think how Main Street square (or what used to be) has completely gone black at night. Pretty much void of any nightlife whatsoever. Driving through downtown at night looking for the blocks of activity it once literally brings a tear to my eye.

    I really had high hopes for downtown when i moved here just under ten years ago. I thought after all the additions downtown has added over the last few years, it would add to what was already there. With all these closings, it takes something away and it almost seems like downtown is having to start all over again from scratch. The nightlife has almost gone non-existant and is more scattered around which takes away from the vibrancy of it. Main Street Square 2004/2005ish and even through part of 2006 seemed to be a little glimmer of hope that downtown was on the rise as an entertainment area.

    Oh well, i'm going to end my rant by saying that maybe i'm ignorant to all the things that may be moving forward. I don't frequent downtown as much as I used to, but the few nights that I've gone was dissapointing to say the least.

  9. Denver Pavilions, although much smaller has more energy as a result of the spillover affect from pedestrian activity off the 16th street mall. The developers really screwed the design phase of the Houston Pavilions project up big time. It all started with them eliminating the condo component. At first, i didn't think it was a big deal because i knew how successful Denver's was without them, plus i knew One Park Place was opening up right down the way and thought it serve to fill that void.

    Also, the loading docks are very unattractive and quite a turn off. There's been countless number of times i've been hovering around the House of blues while they're loading/unloading merchandise and the pedestrians have to go around it. Who wants to see all of that? The design also being enclosed inward didn't really help create a vibrancy.

    I'm somewhat glad to see that other developers will take over. Hopefully, they can fix some design flaws as an earlier poster pointed out.

  10. so it being typical to other shopping centers means its nothing to get excited about. I don't get why its so difficult for Houston to land urban style shopping developments especially in this part of town? Not trying to throw Dallas in this, but they seem to have no problem getting them.

    • Like 1
  11. I agree with Nick G and largeTEXAS on many issues. I don't think people should come down so harsh on him just because they don't understand his POV. Face it, The homelessness is unattractive and does tend to shoo people away from downtown. I'm not saying that is the only problem, but it is a problem. It's just the way it is. I'm not degrading them as human beings, but the problem really is in the location of the homeless shelters such as sheltering arms, star of hope, and others being directly under the pierce elevated. If those homeless are denied entrance to those facilities, where are they going to go? Under a bridge downtown.

    I also agree with largeTEXAS that more lighting needs to be put downtown, and yes that includes a few neon signs. He and i have been in agreement on this issue for years since i first joined HAIF. I always felt Downtown's subdued lighting looks boring and doesn't really stand out enough to attract people. There's plenty of venues downtown, but you don't know it because of its not visible.

    I moved to Houston in 2004. While i was impressed with the "then" newly redeveloped Main Street/light rail segment, I quickly learned that the rest of downtown was pretty drowsy. I honestly expected more when i visited the downtown of the 4th largest city in the U.S. Even Denver, Colorado (which is 1/2 the size of Houston) has a pretty hopping downtown that almost feels like a mini-mini Manhattan. People said that downtown had come a long way then since 1999. That must have meant that downtown Houston in the 90s was in reeall bad shape!

    Now, to end my btch rant, I applaud what has been going on in downtown's eastside in the recent years. It seems like they're really making efforts to create a sense of place. The new Embassy Suites Hotel (abeit the ugly design) sitting right on the park and the new Phoenicia grocery store have breathed new life to that side of downtown. Although I am a little disappointed that Houston Pavilions hasn't really taken off yet, I am appreciative of it as a development and the few new things it's added to downtown such as: HOB, Lucky Strike, and Books a Million, and the other 2 or 3 pieces of retail stores it added. The Buffalo Bayou walk in Buffalo Bayou park, and the new symphony building are all nice. I also appreciate the developments of the 90s such as: Bayou Place, and the Cotswold Project, MMP, and the new millineum Toyota Center.

    We have to get more people living downtown and that means filling the voids by making the venues more visible. Phoenicia Grocery store was an awesome addition. More pronounced lighting on the buildings and some signage would be a great start. Then we will be able to see these developments begin to thrive.

    C2H (ComingtoHoustion)/stoneclaw

    • Like 1
  12. Maybe its some of the other buildings that need to follow suit of Wells Fargo and light up there structures, not necessarily to the same degree as Wells Fargo, but there's a way they can still be interesting and tasteful too. The Reliant Energy plaza (1000 Main) used to do the color-changing band on top of their building. Hasn't been lit up in a few months. The former Continential building was cool with the blue and even the white Crown.

    It makes since that Wells Fago is being dominant at night, which it should since it is a dominant structure in the downtown skyline. I think the rest of downtown could stand to not necessarily follow suit of WF, but back it up a little and light up a little. But Please, and I repeat Please, no year-round beige Christmas lights on the building's rooftops like they were doing in the middle part of last decade. That made the 4th largest city look cheap. It remined me of a neighbor who left his Christmas lights on during the 4th of Juky. I would rather a dark skyline than to go back to that.

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