house567

UPDATE 8-12-2015

Traffic Engineers, Inc. has been contracted by the city of Houston to assist with conducting studies for the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP).  The process had been started with Devonshire Place and a public meeting was held on 9/26/2013. Due to construction on Cambridge, the process was stalled.  Now that the majority of the construction has been complete, we are ready to start the process again. 

It is now SIX months later than the last post. Foundations appear to be in but NOTHING has happened for the last month that I can tell. Maybe HCFCD has to get other nearby work completed before they can proceed. Anyone else have an update?

Perhaps some individuals should not be leading corporations named after themselves when the corporation appears lacking in its fiscal responsibilities.

Last week, some neighbors reported seeing surveyors on the property. I believe Moody National is behind on property tax payments to our dear city. The City has to lay off police and firemen, Brett Moody lives in a multi-million-dollar mansion.

PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES MOODY NATIONAL!

For a month now, I have seen workers digging, adding more light poles, and other stuff that is hidden from view.

Does anyone have an update since BCM has a new president?

I believe "Outer Belt" became "MacGregor" became "Cambridge" next to Memorial Hermann Hosp in the TMC over the last decade. Am I right?

Pretty good job Triton. Yes, it is about "connectivity" to Columbia Tap Trail, but I have grave reservations about using Dixie avenue as it is narrow, no bike paths, no sidewalks, and is used currently by lots by Grocer Supply 18 wheelers. Dixie has potential as it sits tangent to the Catholic Diocese Retirement Center. As a 20 year runner and biker who lives in this area, it is a "long time coming" and would not be achieved without the tenacity of Bill Coats standing up to CoH Parks and Recreation Director, according to his own account at the Groundbreaking Ceremony.

I wish they could have been more conservative on the bridge design and expense. I felt a very functional bridge could have been built for the new expanse of Braes Bayou WITHOUT clear cutting much of the thick forest on "Mount MacGregor". The cutting of the trees will allow much for traffic noise and light pollution into this small bit of urban respite.

Anyway, I support anything that moves Houston toward a more walkable-ridable community. So much potential and so much to see when we hang up the car keys.

I would hope that they would extend the ped-bike trail which passes under SH288 a very short distance furthur west under Almeda Road and east travelling MacGregor Road Bridges. The trail (as is) forces ped-bikes through TWO nasty intersections. It is all about "connectivity".

In the interests of more cyclists and pedestrians, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) has put out a call for planning studies. More information can be found at www.h-gac.com/go/pedbike.

It's all about "connectivity".

Here is a big jump for TMC. Wolf and TMC have agreed to name the parcel on Park Row, were Methodist and Texas Children's are openning hospitals, "Texas Medical Center West". TMC will get to apply it's logo to street signage and entrance marquees off of I-10, Barker Cypress and Park Row.

I'll bet the TMC officials have had "mouth watering" climaxes to get their hands on the new parking garage revenues.

Could they be the most lucrative and successful parking garage operators in the WEST? At least they don't discriminate. They charge hospital employees and visitors alike.

I'm seeing trees on top, but I didn't count the number of floors. Is that a parking garage coming out of the ground tangent to the NE corner?

Will the next bridge also have decorative columns? Will they be bigger or strangely different? Will there be a theme for all bridges in Houston? What do the columns do? As costly as the non-functional columns are; I would hope that responsible city planners and designers use those funds for completion of bicycle lanes, street repair, or toward greater human locomotion instead of auto locomotion. Alaska has the "Bridge to Nowhere." Wainerdi Bridge has the "Sidewalks to Nowhere."

You're a real trooper for attempting such a job...or like me, the first time owner of an olde house. In our case, I removed the qtr. in. sheetrock, tore off the old cloth, numbered the planks, removed each, added more electrical circuits and updated wiring (welcome to the world of knob & tube wiring), AND INSULATION, replaced the planks for hurricane strength I hope, new sheetrock, paint etc.

Good luck!

Speaking of "Forks in the Road". What are those things on the bridge? Do you think they hit budget on that?

It is a cooling tower. It is part of the TECO expansion project that supplies HVAC to many current buildings and eventually to the now defunct BCM Hospital. Rumors are that there will be an artistic mural on the exterior. Perhaps giant dollar bill signs would be appropriate.

[url="http://teco.tmc.edu/home/teco_home.php"

A little more info on parking rates from what I could dig up through non-profit internet sites.

Texas Medical Center, as it is known to the Dept of Treasury, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, was formerly known as Texas Medical Center, Incorporated, (TMC Inc). I guess that name sounded a bit too business-like. As a non-profit institution, it must file FORM 990 with the IRS each year. These documents are open to public view, so please don't think that I am spying...hey transparency is in, right?

Form 990, Part III, Year 2007 What is the organization's primary exempt purpose? ANSWER:

"Texas Medical Center was organized as a Texas non-profit corporation 1945. Today, it 1. Aquires and donates land to serve as related campuses - known as The Texas Medical Center (The 'TMC Campuses') - in the city of Houston for sale, lease, or gift to separate non-profit or public institutions which are engaged in healthcare, education, and research, 2. Serves as a coordinating body for such institutions and other area non-profit, public healthcare, education and research institutions or entities ancillary thereto (collectively referred to as 'Member Institutions'), and 3. Improves, operates and maintains selected common use of facilities for the Texas Medical Center, including parking facilities, internal rights-of-way, conference facilities, certain amenities, and a multi-use office and research building. There are currently more than 45 member institutions. Most are located on the campuses."

"Form 990, Part VII, Year 2007, Line 93 - Program service revenue: (a) parking fees...$57,975,651.00"

OUCH!

The bike racks (if you can find one) are still free. Make good lifestyle choices most of the time and try to avoid this place. If you have to be here, I hope you are under the care of some of my friends who are compassionate and caring individuals.

Yawn. Ugly building. Why not hire the architects that did the UT nursing school. It won a bunch of awards.

Can anyone explain the purpose of the florescent white lighting on top of the building? I interpret it to say that UTHSC can waste money on lighting that serves NO function, but only pollutes the tangent neighborhoods and increases cost to everyone's sick-care insurance.

So I heard a rumor Baylor is having some financial issues and may have trouble staffing and operating this hospital once it is built out... Anyone know what the deal is?

I have heard that the Administration has increased the payment of EACH clinic from 10% to 20% of clinic revenues. That's tough when insurance payments and Medicare cut-backs are already major problems to many practices. But ermember, this is only heresay. I can't verify it.

KHOU, Channel 11, ran a story last Thursday dealing with construction noise eminating from Tellepsen contractors on the BCM new hospital. http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...e.aac17d6c.html

Sure is noisy over here in Devonshire Place.

They're baaack!

Yesterday Centerpoint began digging a 12-16' deep trench on Wyndale to bury aan electrical conduit to provide more power to BCM construction.

The City issued a permit to work from 7 PM - 5 AM!!!

Boy was it noisy, dusty, and bright last night at 10:00 PM at the intersection of Staffordshire & Wyndale. Do we have a noise ordinance? Could this cutting of the street be accomplished during daytime hours? Am I on somebody's "payback" list?

KHOU, Channel 11, ran a story last Thursday dealing with construction noise eminating from Tellepsen contractors on the BCM new hospital. http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...e.aac17d6c.html

Sure is noisy over here in Devonshire Place.

My understanding is that many hospitals in TMC are so called non-profit origanisations. Then, why do they squeeze every penny out of your wallet for parking ? It appears the average rate on a week day is $ 10 (for 2+ hours, for a normal 'visitor/patient'. Texas children's has outrageous rates. $16 !!!!!

It is easy to non profit when the top dog makes;

Appendix 3: Top 20 Highest-Paid Leaders of U.S. Non-Profit Organizations

Leader Organization 2005 compensation

1 Harold Varmus Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center $2,491,450

2 James J. Mongan Partners HealthCare System $1,518,113

3 Peter Traber Baylor College of Medicine $1,237,200

from Institute for Policy Studies, http://www.ips-dc.org/getfile.php?id=130

If he got McNair to donate 100 mil, maybe he's worth it.

The Spires is way off to the right. I'm not quite sure what the short brown building is beyond the two cranes, but I'm guessing it could be Grocer's Supply.

I believe it would be the former Catholic Retirement Home on Almeda now converted to apts. and surrounded by more apts...and more apts...and more...

I just loved the part from Dr. Sollenburger "how BCM is working with the neighborhoods".

NOT!!!

I wonder if developer, T. Sharma, will be a NIMBY. He hasn't shone any concern for the residents of other neighborhoods.

Interesting that the principles of Buckhead Investments live in the protected zoning of W.U. and Southampton. http://www.southamptoncivicclub.org/