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GovernorAggie

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Everything posted by GovernorAggie

  1. GovernorAggie
    The only reason that I suggested that is because I have seen this exact thing happen in another city--replacing a glass wall, no less. So it's not impossible.
  2. GovernorAggie
    While I agree that it would be better with some street treatments, the tower could easily be retrofitted with retail space and openings later. In fact, I'd say even moreso BECAUSE the entrance is on Rusk. For instance, 1000 Main wastes a lot of space on the entrance on Main.
  3. GovernorAggie
    Why not, this thing will return MORE than the $70 Million in credits to the tax base--but the question is whether keeping a part of the diamond and seatiing intact is worth $70 million, because that's what it amounts to. The credits are through the THC, and really has nothing to do with Houston or even Harris County for that matter.
  4. GovernorAggie
    I Like It!!
  5. GovernorAggie
    So Hines was last to formally disclose a building project and first to produce a rendering. Works for me. Two more towers have tentative (IMO) groundbreaking dates of January and February. If they don't slip, that'll be a minor miracle, and a great thing! Even more so, hopefully we can get a couple renderings in the next few months.
  6. GovernorAggie
    Our icon should be the lack of an icon? What are you talking about? The lack of one DOES bring us into conformity. The whole idea of an icon is that it's something that sets you or your city or your business apart. That's why companies have logos. C'mon economist Niche, how iconic would a business be with no logo, generic business cards, and products of all the same size, shape, and colors. Like it or not, NO icon is what would make Houston like almost everywhere else. No icon is why some people say, "Houston, what's there besides NASA?" Icons are why Las Vegas, Orlando, Washington, New York, and others are set apart from the Charlottes, Buffalos, Tampas, and Phoenixes of the world. No icons is why most of Sugar Land will feel just like Addison, Round Rock, Leander, McKinney, Plano, Metairie, Mesa, Naperville, Scottsdale, and Fairfax. No need of listing the states because you can be dropped in them all and not tell the difference most of the time. Thankfully Houston was started in 1836 and not 2006--otherwise there would be no Astrodome (thankfully foolish foreign Deutsche Bank saved it from the Houstonian Efficiciency Complex), no San Jacinto Monument, no Memorial Park (an open park as the "highest and best economical use of the land?"), and maybe even no NASA (today's thinkers would probably use a cost/benefit analysis and say there's no future in space exploration if their thought processes were warped back in time)
  7. GovernorAggie
    Well could it be located between GRB and MMP? The CVB seems to think it'd be a great idea according to a separate article in HBJ about the Microsoft convention.
  8. GovernorAggie
    Wasn't there some recent debate on HAIF about how unfeasible downtown is to a hotel of this caliber?
  9. GovernorAggie
    Glimcher is like the slumlord of malls. If they buy a mall, mark it down--that place will be a dump inside of 30 months.
  10. GovernorAggie
    I was a reduced-lunch and breakfast kid until high school (40 cents and 30 cents respectively back then, too). I can remember my mom filling out forms and not sending in a W-2 or 1040 or anything, but that doesn't mean that she lied, either. For that matter, I was also a free-breakfast-and-lunch-during-the-summer kid, too. Looking back on it, back then it wasn't bad--a way to keep kids fed during the day when parents had to go to work and no one could watch them but themselves. The food was terrible, but hey--it was free and you usally followed it up with some time at the playground or basketball court since it was nearby. Everyone's not out to abuse the gov't. Unfortunately it's too easy to stereotype people. I was born to a mother who was still in high school (and was eligible for the Honor Society). And she's been married to my dad for 25 years now. So a normal, two-parent, stable household who had to use the federal programs for lunch for the young-uns. My dad has worked in the same factory for the last 10 years (he was at the last factory for 8) and my mom got her bachelors a couple years ago as the only minority graduating with honors. North Forest is just like the school district I spent most of my time in--almost totally (95%) black and looking hopeless. However, North Forest's problem is not so much the administrators as much as its the parents (same for Cy Fair, HISD, KISD, and anyone else). Parents solve a school system. Ok, rant over
  11. GovernorAggie
    Hmmm, the one city with higher growth than Houston...MUCH stricter design standards! Have you seen Phoenix's zoning ordinance? It's hundreds of pages thick and they govern all the way down to the suitable plantings for residential developments in suburban neighborhoods. Maricopa County will also pass Harris County by the end of the decade in population. It's already closed the gap from 380,000 to 120,000 in 6 years. Plus, the cost of living in Phoenix is almost 1/4 more than in Houston. The median income in PHX makes up the difference but its negated some because AZ has income tax. And since 2000, job growth in Phoenix has been roughly double that of Houston--with housing costing almost 1/3 more and just as much of an endless supply of flat land in the area. Just to underscore KincaidAlum and Subdude's points--Phoenix is growing faster and is more expensive for people to live and employers to pay their workers--yet they are pickier about development there than here. Those "restrictions" also don't seem to be slowing anything down there, either.
  12. GovernorAggie
    Thanks fernz! Any idea on how it may look at night? I'm just glad a new one is coming, regardless!
  13. GovernorAggie
    Taco Milagro at Kirby and Westheimer is like this I think. It's a restaurant but pretty known for Latin dancing some nights.
  14. GovernorAggie
    Yeah, I was exaggerating with the vacant building part--but Houston 19514 makes a great point...they're basically "vacant" during the day and most of the week anyway.
  15. GovernorAggie
    I say good riddance, anyway. Clubs (specifically nightclubs/danceclubs) are the biggest waste of space on the planet next to crackhouses. I can't stand them. They're good for nothing but noise, drunks, and fights. Give me a restaurant anyday--something that anyone can go to and feel comfortable. Something that will be open in the daytime during the week instead of only late at night. Or if it must be a club, make it a jazz club. If I can't have that, then just give me a vacant building instead. Dalparadise, people may not like what you've written about the nightclub scene, but I can totally understand what you're saying. I actually hope that HP avoids filling itself with nightclubs like the plague. I detest the nightclub-going scene much like TheNiche seems to not like yuppies. Sorry for the rant. Nightclubs are just a waste. A complete and total waste. Now jazz clubs--different story.
  16. GovernorAggie
    It kinda makes me think "U.S.S.R"
  17. GovernorAggie
    Great question, Trae. Fernz, can you let us in on whether or not there's any sort of spire or ornamental top? Did you get a glimpse of a nighttime image? Thanks.
  18. GovernorAggie
    C'mon, Niche I think you're splitting hairs quite bit here. Did you check his spelling while you're at it? He was basically saying that he thought it could be the hot spot of the region. Nothing wrong with that. He could've been saying that Main could be Houston's version of Madison Av., Fifth Av., Michigan Av., or Wilshire Dr. Even more so--I bet you that I didn't even have to tell you what cities those streets are in. Chill with the nit-picking. I think you get his point.
  19. GovernorAggie
    I don't think it's impossible. The yuppie playground potential has also passed, IMO. I think it could just turn out to be Houston's first real transit-based (FWIW--we ARE talking about Houston) urban district. Kicking out the clubs is gonna turn out to be a great thing, and getting rid of that shady urine block will work wonders.
  20. GovernorAggie
    Good point, but does anyone know if it was built strong enough to possibly hold a building in the future?
  21. GovernorAggie
    I don't care what it's "supposed" to be, the thing is absolutely terrible. No way around it. I've seen textured concrete and this ain-t it. Architectural concrete would be, imo, more akin to TxDOT's freeway treatments with different design elements (which by the way has a true identity of being 100% car-centric). I hope you're right and it's the contractor that fumbled the ball on this one, because it's just bad. There are areas on the thing that look like smudges or grease spots on paper. They can easily fix this by painting it and adding screens to the open areas with different designs. After all, they blocked in the area under the lowest ramp with cinderblock and painted it white. Why can't they block in the rest?
  22. GovernorAggie
    Not to get off on a tangent, but I just had to say that the Pinnacle building that PC did in Buckhead (Atlanta) is ok. However, photo #5 of the uilding on their site just gave one of the best pictures of the Atlanta skyline that I've seen in a LONG time. OK, back on topic I'll take the Columbus Office Tower (Miami), 1180 Peachtree (Atlanta), AIM Headquarters, or the 200 North Riverside Plaza (Chicago) designs for the Main St. tower! Anyone else notice how many buildings this company has done for Hines?
  23. GovernorAggie
    It has one of the Dollar Stores as well as Rama's African Boutique and it had the Metro soul food restaurant (no, METRO did not own it). I saw the "New West Building" is ripped down already and Metro is closed down.
  24. GovernorAggie
    Actually, I'm quite please with the garage built for the new Camden City Center (name may be butchered). I really blends in with the development. CSOM, though it's not local, the first several levels of John Hancock in Chicago is also parking garage. Then there's Phoenix Tower in Greenway and I'm sure several others.
  25. GovernorAggie
    Oh that's right that's your hood isn't it, Niche? Thanks. Any word on Astroworld's redevelopment?
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