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longcat

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Posts posted by longcat

  1. I haven't kept actual count, but I'm pretty sure that every time I've gone under the bridges for the past year, there has been at least 1 (and usually more) flaws in the lighting (led light sections out or wrong color or off the program...etc)  Did they make the system too complex?  I think I would have preferred a simpler lighting system that worked and didn't distract from the experience with it's "problems"

  2. The hard copy paper version mentioned specifically that they anticipated the Bissonnet location would get redeveloped and cited its proximity to West U, but without zoning since it's in Houston

    "Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages plans to close its two existing plants, one off Bissonnet and the other off Gulfgate, after moving its production and distribution operations to Pinto Business Park."

    https://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Coca-Cola-to-build-1M-square-foot-bottling-plant-12955383.php

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  3. Any hope of tying this into the light rail somehow?  It's not that far to Fannin from the site - maybe a shuttle/trolley, or moving sidewalks....I guess you have to get all the way to Fannin x Pressler for the closest station though.  Hopefully this jump starts some further redevelopment of that stretch between Fannin and Bertner

     

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  4. Hopefully oil and gas interests will get involved now as I can't imagine they will like the precedent of having the legislature take away eminent domain authority, even on an exception basis just for this project.

     

    This whole mess just depresses me with NIMBYs everywhere.  Maybe they can find a Richmond routing for the HSR that will take it through Afton Oaks on the way to downtown!  

    • Like 3
  5. I don't think it's irrelevant because without the right to resort to eminent domain, you better have a reroute available in the event you come up against a landowner that is dead set against accepting a proposal, regardless of how lucrative it might be for them.  With the number of properties and landowners likely to be involved on a route of this length, there are bound to be some that are not reasonable.

  6. Threatening may not be the right word, but all I can say is that I work in project development for oil and gas pipelines, where it does work like that.  You try and acquire the ROW through amicable negotiations (paying above FMV in most cases to make it go smoothly), but if you run into a landowner that is not negotiating in good faith, then having the ability to invoke ED helps in the negotiation.  You almost never want to actually go down that route though (as you point out) because of the lose/lose to both parties, but at least you have certainty that you can get the ROW at the end of the day.  The other way to get leverage in the negotiation is to have scouted reroutes around that landowner available so instead of getting 200% of FMV out of it, they could get nothing.

    • Like 3
  7. Said another way - having the ability to resort to eminent domain would give TCR more leverage in the free market negotiation against a truly intransigent landowner.  Nobody wants to go through eminent domain, but having it as a backup option/threat helps

    • Like 1
  8. Having eminent domain as a recourse though helps with negotiating leverage.  Probably speeds the negotiations up a bit and is the difference between having to pay 100-200% of the fair market value and having to pay 400+% of the FMV.

  9. I noticed in the print edition of the chronicle (I'm sure it's online but I can't get through their paywall) that they mentioned "He said the next step to improve will the food court area and hopefully to bring a residential component to the top of the new Saks building"  Is the Saks building being built to accomodate a future tower on top, or are they just talking about a few apartments on a single story above (sort of a modern take on the old mainstreet first floor retail, second floor living)?

  10. After reading in todays Chronicle about the new super sized Kinder Morgan, with its recent acquisitions, making it the third largest company behind Exxon Mobil and someone else and just in front of Chevron, perhaps they will decide to build a new supertall. Of course I would want them to build it on the BOSW vacant lot in the center of town.

     

    They weren't even very happy about taking over the remodeled El Paso building after that acquisition (as it was too fancy and didn't align with their low cost culture/image), so unfortunately, no matter how big they get, I can't see them ever building a super tall.  Just not in that company's DNA.

    • Like 4
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