102IAHexpress

Hobby Lobby serves food? I didn't know there was a Hobby Lobby in Downtown? I didn't think the restaurant scene in downtown was this bad if a Hobby Lobby counts as a restaurant. But I guess, I've seen fast food restaurants inside Targets and Wal-Marts so I guess they do count too. I've seen some fanatics regarding Costco's pizzas.

I just called Lucienne to make a reservation for dinner on Sunday. They are closed for dinner this Sunday and every Sunday. Please add Lucienne to the long list of places not fully open on the weekends in Downtown. Very frustrating. Is this place even in downtown?

Really. I didn't know that. I know those properties are mostly studio, one bedroom and two bedrooms. Does the newest skyhouse have any three bedrooms? I don't know? Though, I would imagine most families living at those properties will need more space than that as their families grow.

Well we have Phoenicia? But I guess you mean west of Main street? For a traditional grocery store you need a lot more people than what downtown west of main street has. You also need a lot of families, which all of downtown has very little of. Families comprise the regular weekly shoppers that grocery stores needs. I lived at Rice lofts for several years, I don't think i ever saw one family living there.

You're entitled to have that opinion.

@Vy65 is correct. It's a mediocre design. However, W's are really known for their architecture and design inside the hotel not their exterior design. If any thought is put on a W's exterior it's usually a cool rooftop bar. We will have to wait and see how this W compares with other W interiors. If this interior gets shortchanged, then I think that is a more fair criticism. I'm more interested in the location and what the location says about Houston. W's operate in the cool and trendy area's of a neighborhood. The investors have objectively concluded that the convention center is the cool part of downtown! Houston does an absolute horrible job marketing itself if this is the best place for a W in Houston.

Gotcha. You're right. Yeah I stayed at this property a couple months ago. Four star at best.

I snapped a picture of the W outside my apartment window. W Lakeshore Chicago. It's actually 520 rooms. Perhaps, 300+ rooms are the norm for new-construction W's? I don't know. Anyways, the one outside my window has a parking garage as its base. So W's with a base have been done before. Interesting proposed location in downtown. I'm not sure a W would fit with downtown Houston's business culture.

I wasn't aware a private venture could be a boondoggle. I suppose technically it can. But what do you care? Do you have input on better ways for Texas Central to spend their own money? Is there anyone else's money you want to control too? Personally, If Texas Central wants to spend private money for this rail line, so be it. As long as no public money is used then I don't have a problem with it. If you think this rail line is a boondoggle, then what's your opinion on Elon Musk sending a Tesla into outer space? Regarding eminent domain, as a libertarian I wouldn't have voted to extend eminent domain to certain private companies. However, libertarian or not, we live in a democracy. The people's representatives have debated it, and have enacted it into law. It's the current law of the State of Texas.

On this point the people of the great State of Texas disagree with you. Private railway companies specifically have the right to exercise eminent domain. I would refer you to Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 112.002 (Vernon): (a) A railroad company has the right to succession. (b) A railroad company may: (1) sue, be sued, plead, and be impleaded in its corporate name; (2) have and use a seal and alter the seal at will; (3) receive and convey persons and property on its railway by any mechanical power, including the use of steam; (4) regulate the time and manner in which, and the compensation for which, passengers and property are transported, subject to the provisions of law; (5) exercise the power of eminent domain for the purposes prescribed by this subtitle or Subtitle D; (6) purchase, hold, and use all property as necessary for the construction and use of its railway, stations, and other accommodations necessary to accomplish company objectives, and convey that property when no longer required for railway use; and (7) take, hold, and use property granted to the company to aid in the construction and use of its railway, and convey that property in a manner consistent with the terms of the grant when the property is no longer required for railway use.

This is mostly false. There are over 5K public airports in the US. Not all of them are huge airports that require them to be far away from a city center. And actually some large airports are very close to the city center, like Las Vegas airport. Many small European town train stations function like small regional airports. Both get you pretty darn close to the town's center but not right in the center. What we have in the NW Mall "station" is similar to a small regional airport/small train town. It has just one airline/train line that flies/travels to one other station/airport several times per day fairly close to the town center, but not as close as a huge capital city train station. I think you would be more correct if you said, -Large- airports do not function like -Large- train stations. Also, small train stations are sometimes in the town's center and sometimes are NOT in a town's center.

If built, it will be a huge automobile hub; taxi's, uber's, rental cars. The developers are obviously trying to bring as many cars to the station as possible and this location allows for that. The brand will try to convey convenience as much as possible. I can envision television commercials advertising, easy parking and or valet options. Very doubtful someone will shell out extra cash for the convenience and speed of a bullet train to Houston, only to detrain and wait for a Metro bus or light rail train! lol.

Yup. Well, when the route was announced back in 2014, it was kind of sudden then too. Only fitting that it ends suddenly. Kudos to Korean Air for having the Houston route as long as they did. Right after they announced the route, United announced double daily service to Tokyo. Then Eva Air and ANA entered the Houston market. Also, without an alliance hub in Houston, Korean Air could only rely on local traffic, which is not that much between Houston and Korea.

Understood. Yeah, Miami has a central station called Miami Airport Station with Amtrak service and Florida Tri-Rail service. Also, Orlando's Orlando Station has Amtrak service and Florida SunRail service. The new Brightline service would stop at separate stations. So my question is for anyone who may know the answer, if this NW Mall station gets built as planned, would Houston be the only city in the US with more than one inter city line, yet not have at least one station where you could connect to a separate inter-city line? It seems like this would be like having two separate airports in the same city, however each airport having only one airline that flies only one route.

If the proposed Houston station gets built as planned, would this be the only inter city train hub in the US without an Amtrak connection?

Amtrak is a smart play. If the developers are smart they should partner with Amtrak and have them be co-tenants of the station. Maybe even help with overall capital costs of the station. The sunset limited runs right through NW mall so it could be a major improvement over the "station" that Amtrak has on Washington street. Once you have Amtrak on board, then it will start to feel more like a hub.

It's sad that we have to be reminded to stick to discussing architecture and quit ridiculing people we do not know. To say nothing of the fact that the people being ridiculed are nuns! Imagine if we took out the word nuns and inserted Muslims. This thread would have been shut down along time ago. This was a complete failure of leadership by the moderators of this forum. shame.

The above comments don't sound like critiques on the building. They are obviously attacks on the sisters of IWA. haters going to hate indeed.

@Texasota is an adult. If he is man enough to dish it out and pick on some nuns on an internet forum, then he is man enough to take it too.

I congratulate the sisters on their decision to expand. It would have been a lot easier to sell their land and develop somewhere else. They decided to continue their historical presence at that site. Thank you.

Then I would suggest you stick to that. If you were attending an architectural conference in New York or Chicago and someone asked you to critique and examine this building and your educated response was to call it a turd, they would think you are a crazy person and not worthy of serious architectural discussion. Same goes to the guy who committed sacrilege by Photoshoping that obscenity on the side of the building.

I love it. The academy is in the business of saving souls and this new addition will help further that mission. Also from an urban city perspective, more space means more students can enroll. More enrolled students means a larger urban downtown population. It's funny to read the loonies on here demand more urban this and more urban that (although not putting up any of their own money). Then when a school tries to expand its footprint and become a larger urban neighbor in order to accommodate the needs of the community (on its own dime), those same posters complain.

Cardinal Dinardo Blesses Campus Addition: https://incarnateword.org/website/index.php/about/news/145-cardinal-dinardo-blesses-campus-addition The Incarnate Word, is literally the word of God made flesh, Jesus Christ. Accordingly, If you Photoshop something inappropriate next to the image of the Incarnate Word, that is sacrilege.

A lot of sacrilege shown against this sacred building. Very sad. You can say the building is ugly. Fair enough. However, turd and WT? demonstrate a lack of respect and reverence.

One can also get a meal at the local Valero Gas Station. However, no one on this forum would call Valero a restaurant. Still waiting for you to post your list of 151 "restaurants" that serve food on Saturdays in downtown.