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X.R.

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  1. X.R.
    I'm not ever really negative on HAIF, but that looks like ass when considering where this is. But I'm sure Gensler knows the significance of this site and the area, so I have faith. If they come out with a basic podium structure though, we might have to mobilize a resistance force.
  2. X.R.
    @ToryGattis with the explanation now that the construction has been unpaused. It seems like things are picking up, and that the project may be approved in pieces. For now work is greenlit for the 59 portion by midtown/museum, the part of 59 leading into 45, and the part of 45 that feeds into i-10. The Eado part is still on pause: https://twitter.com/torygattis/status/1465769685849415688?s=20
  3. X.R.
    Lisa Gray, formerly of the Chron, has her new space City Cast Houston and her first podcast covered the ION, if anyone is interested https://pod.link/city-cast-houston/episode/81b21c4013645adf54dcbe304f79746b
  4. X.R.
    Wait, based on those renderings, I'm guessing the old Fiesta is gonna get raised to the ground? Or something is at least going on top of it? If so, the minimalist improvements makes sense. Plus, the chicken place that took over shipley's old location doesn't look so out of place with its outdoor patio and stuff if Ion District will put up buildings behind it. Transformational is thrown around alot, but this is at least something very, very unique. Something we haven't seen before in the H. The renderings also highlights that the city/metro need to do something with that empty lot by Wheeler. If they don't want to spend any money, just make it a food truck park or something, easy cash flow for the city, gives people opportunity for successful business. I dunno, but if more stuff is coming, that empty lot is going to look weird.
  5. X.R.
    I'm thinking the combination of: Rice having more money than they know what to do with; the fact that the better the Ion District does the better it is for their school and internships/jobs they can market to the kids; the City clearly (local group limitations considered) willing to do what it takes to push this through; and that the Ion and Greentown are succeeding where office space is still heavily influenced by COVID makes me think we should both keep up our hopes. This thing can look LA/NY/BOS/ATL/CHI/TOR/SD I don't care, just get us 50-75% of the new stuff and it changes the fabric of Midtown.
  6. X.R.
    A target or neighborhood walmart makes too much sense. Either one would do crazy numbers, the montrose target and the lower heights/upper washington target both sometimes run out of baby wipes, some fruit and veggies, and cleaning products. Just crazy. I think this is a welcome addition to midtown. Right there by that chipotle and pho saigon, that area gets alot of foot traffic, this one should do fine.
  7. X.R.
    I was reading through some of the comments from the local groups who are celebrating this, and there may be some value in having Rice reallocate some legal capital to either making a separate agreement with the local groups or giving them a larger say in the re-investment into the area that Rice promises to make. Based on the comments online and whats been published, alot of people are passionate about this and if they can get council members to pause like this then maybe its worth listening, dunno. Buuuuuuut that is all contingent upon them getting their legal situation together. For example, Greentown Labs had quite a few medium to large law firms around town donate time to them in the startup phase here in Houston (reviewing and negotiating contracts, helping with intellectual properties, formation, ect). The local coalition basically needs to go and do the same, see if some decent sized firms in town, or nationally, wouldn't mind helping them out with negotiations and the contracting, tell them whats reasonable and whats not in their experience, etc. I cannot imagine laypersons, or a small outfit, doing this by themselves. That isn't smart, and it could cause more harm than good if they are passing up on reasonable opportunities that Rice offers for things that no real estate/govt attorney would consider possible. edit: For example, Jane from Baker Botts saying "All they want is x,y, and z and Rice should be able to accommodate this" is so much easier to gain traction on than whatever is happening now.
  8. X.R.
    Yeah, even if they didn't have such a great least I don't think corporate Dillards would want to let that space go. Free advertising b/c of proximity to the highway, it was sporadically busy during COVID (maybe people didn't want to go into the actual mall), and it has easily accessible parking. You'd prolly have to pry it from their cold dead hands (given how brick and mortar retail has been tho...). When I worked at Macy's a while back, they internally would say that Galleria Macy's was at least a top 5 earner in the country. I'm sure Dillard's has similar internal numbers for that site.
  9. X.R.
    Are we saying the women's center has character? I feel bad that the women's center isn't gonna be there anymore, but check out Pasadena, Friendswood, Deer Park, old Pearland, and Soho if you want to see brick buildings that prolly still has asbestos in the roof tiles.
  10. X.R.
    Delays caused by "architect revisions" sounds ominous. Hope it all pans out as planned. If the retail there is successful by finding some patrons in the local neighborhood, I can definitely see this becoming a "thing" with some of the other future medical spaces in midtown (of which I've seen quite a bit of proposals). I know the doc group in this instance, they could put this thing next to the Midtown McDonalds and they'll be successful 😂 so im not worried about that. Also, 😂 @phillip_white for the "erector set" comment.
  11. X.R.
    Wellllllll, it doesn't offend me. I just think its an odd look when you have Rice creating these beautiful spaces by the Ion, and later on taxpayer money will be going to beautification and public plazas/space that are right next to...large fences around parking lots that clearly are there to keep the security of the vehicles inside of it. It wouldn't instill a ton of confidence in anyone to actual utilize those spaces. Plus, they have security people around so I honestly don't understand the need. Edit: A solution: If you're gonna spend all that money to do make everything pretty, and you're in charge of making pretty public spaces, maybe just build a permanent wall with a gate?
  12. X.R.
    Its not thaaaaat bad now, and its much better than it was. Shipley's was doing good business, that thing was busy most of the time when you'd go in, and the homeless was much worse then. Its especially not that bad compared to other cities. Also, lulz at them being behind on taxes, thats just a bit funny. I would like the fences to come down around Greentown labs and the parking lot next door. It feels a little standoff-ish with the neighborhood. Unless they are saying things aren't done yet, then I can understand. Otherwise, take the fences down!
  13. X.R.
    y'all crazy, thats insane development when considering what it was and what its looked like for the last 20 years. The website says metro-rail access...thats a stretch, right? lol
  14. X.R.
    Wow. If this does get built and now we have more office space and retail, I don't think you can ignore how evenly split the land use in the museum district is. You have office space, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, museums, the park, the golf course, churches, apartments, condos, townhomes, free standing homes, meditation spaces, and the zoo all in a relatively walkable space. I'm not sure there's anything quite like it anywhere else in the H. And I love that the rooftop terrace made its comeback on this building.
  15. X.R.
    Agreed. But its Hines and they don't really underdeliver so I'd still have some faith. Plus, its giving me Woodlands vibes and honestly as someone with clients in the healthcare/pharma space its the type of look and feel many of my clients are attracted to given their current spaces. My clients in the woodlands like the water/pathways, and this has that too. While we may want X, Hines might have to deliver Y because its what the market wants.
  16. X.R.
    I was on the live zoom/google call, and I wish I could have given some affirmations or something. The museum district has benefited greatly from the city's initiative, and because of it we see more parents walking with strollers and kids than ever before. Also a lot of joggers, bladers, and walkers. We got significant improvements because of the bike lanes, the local elem school, and certain people requesting sidewalks and ADA improvements. I'm sure it came before other more deserving areas so it doesn't feel as equitable as I would like, but its so nice. I don't really understand why other neighborhoods aren't taking advantage of this, or why people are fighting it like the garden oaks peple: https://www.theleadernews.com/community/oak-forest-residents-at-odds-over-sidewalk/article_caa89f8a-1bd1-11ec-ab02-534e61a541e8.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share It feels like the COH is dedicated to the pedestrian experience in a very significant way and I hope it continues because it benefits people's quality of life in various ways and their property values (for those who don't engage in any of the above listed activities).
  17. X.R.
    Wish this opening sooner, you're starting to see more and more people return to DT for sports events and work. This weekend I saw groups of people bunched around this area walking their dogs and jogging and a few streets down by the Rocket's basketball area just sitting and talking and hanging out which is a welcomed sight. I know its a smaller park, but giving some green back to the downtown population is a big-ish deal, especially residents. Plus, it may entice businesses to finally lease all that space in the towers close to this park. I think this, plus the hub that has developed around the intersection of bike lanes by Phoenicia will have a bigger effect than we think. Would be a big draw for all those people that mill about trying to figure out where to go with their scooters from discovery green, or people who are there for games/work/whatever will have another place to go and a great restaurant/coffee shop/bakery to patron (assuming Tout Suite does move there) on this side of 59.
  18. X.R.
    that looks amazing, which trail is that
  19. X.R.
    Man, at first I thought it was a high end dorm that Rice decided to build in the middle of the museum district for the kids wanting an off campus experience. But now I think I love it? The glass is great, its somehow mostly ALL brick (who does that anymore), the brickwork above "boone manor" has all this detailing, and the tile is a very nice accent. My only thing is I wish the brick was a bit more grey. Had my doubts, but this is coming out real nice (I think? I'm no architecture guru).
  20. X.R.
    Reading the article, this seems huge? If they are contributing 65 mil to the effort, that means Rice is contributing its own portion to it so I wonder how much that will be. If you called me and were like "XR, your neighborhood is getting infrastructure improvement to the tune of 65 mil+" your boy would be pretty jazzed about it. I know this thread and others have argued about various issues Midtown may have, but you can't really argue with activated spaces, plazas, and general pedestrian experience improvement. A parking garage will help businesses in the area so they don't have to rely on street parking so much, and if they want to, can take advantage of the reduced parking mins around the red line. Pretty smart. Feel like its a win-win-win, other than for the HCEDD who still want their community benefits agreement.
  21. X.R.
    Holy snikies, the tile! the greenery! It doesn't disappoint! I'm hoping this is successful because man, they really did deliver. That staircase is great. Thank you @cityliving.
  22. X.R.
    TXDot hearings going on right now on this topic, they got 8200 comments, a "record number of comments" regarding this project. So I'm sure they have heard it from every angle covered in this thread and much more: https://twitter.com/Gail_HPM/status/1432734763014672394?s=20 It seems Commissioner Cagle, Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, and The Montgomery County Judge Keogh made the trip. Survey Results of said comments:
  23. X.R.
    Big news, seems like things are proceeding smoothly for the University/Richmond line: https://twitter.com/Gail_HPM/status/1430925115617914887?s=20 Quick Edit for those who don't want to click: Metro voted today to commit 40 mil over the next two years to get the project's development started and Metro's presentation to the federal transit authority was "well received."
  24. X.R.
    The Columbia TAP goes through Texas Southern and its well lit and always clean. And their security peeps are always very nice, and so are the students. Harris County has multiple bike paths going through UoH. Random people jog and bike around and through Rice and UoH and Texas Southern. So we have precedent for this. If I was the city would carve up HCC tbh if they are getting upset and remind them that, as @Texasotasaid, they are a public institution.
  25. X.R.
    What was the litigation about? Was this a visa-based investment property?
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