Trophy Property

I could be wrong, but wasn't that the Boston Sea Party?

YES, you are correct. Thank goodness it was not Pee.

Didn't the Railhead eventually turn into the Boston Teaparty? Seafood Buffet?

Actually the Railhead turned into Club 6400 and has been about 10 clubs since.

The Boston Tea Party was on Westheimer I think where Molinas now sits.

Is Michealangelos closed. I ate there a couple of years ago?

I do not see this happening. The Rodeo yeilds too much power and will get too greedy and ruin this whole concept. I am about ready to say tear the sucker down, build a hotel and a few parking garages and move on down the road.

July 18, 2006, 1:04AM

Dome hotel plan includes 610 exit

Texans officials have 'aesthetic concerns' about a proposed ramp

By BILL MURPHY

Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

A $450 million plan to reinvent the Reliant Astrodome as a luxury convention hotel includes a parking garage and new exit from Loop 610 to keep the facility from interfering with Texans games and performances of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

The 2,100-space, multistory parking garage would wrap around two-thirds of the Astrodome and markedly change the appearance of the facility once dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Astrodome Redevelopment Corp., a consortium proposing the development, favors building a ramp from the Loop 610 feeder road to the Dome.

But Texans officials so far have balked at the proposed ramp, saying they have "aesthetic concerns" about its effect on the appearance of Reliant Park, county-hired consultants said in a report.

"I really believe we will be able to resolve all these issues," said Scott Hanson, president of Astrodome Redevelopment.

A ramp would cost $5 million to $10 million, while the alternate proposal, a tunnel from the Loop feeder road, likely would cost $10 million to $15 million, Hanson said.

Astrodome Redevelopment proposes to build a 1,200-room, upscale hotel, restaurants, nightclubs, retail stores and possibly performance stages. The tentative theme is Best of Texas, re-creating Texas courthouses and town squares.

Astrodome Redevelopment has little choice but to address the concerns of the Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Their contracts with Harris County, which owns Reliant Park, allow them to demand that the Astrodome cease operations when rodeo season arrives or when the Texans play at home.

The rodeo will look to receive a percentage of revenues from at least some convention hotel operations, including the hotel, restaurants and many, if not all, retail stores, said Leroy Shafer, the rodeo's chief operating officer. "It is my assumption that since we have the ability to keep them in the dark, that this will happen," he said.

Such an arrangement isn't unprecedented for Reliant Park tenants. For example, the rodeo now gets a percentage of revenues from Aramark, which holds the concession contract at Reliant Park.

The Harris County Sports & Convention Corp., the county entity that oversees Reliant Park, and Astrodome Redevelopment are expected Wednesday to sign an agreement, called a letter of intent, that spells out each side's willingness to move forward with the project.

It is expected to say that the county is giving Astrodome Redevelopment six months to obtain financing and seven months to reach pacts on issues including parking, the hotel's ramp or tunnel entrance and profit-sharing.

Astrodome Redevelopment needs the letter to obtain financing. It will be given a year from the time the letter of intent is signed to reach a lease agreement with the Sports and Convention Corp.

The letter of intent "will be a major, major milestone," said Willie Loston, director of the Sports & Convention Corp.

There are 8,500 parking spaces at Reliant Park and an additional 17,500 across Kirby and in other county-owned lots. The Texans and the Houston Rodeo opposed sacrificing any parking to the hotel, so Astrodome Redevelopment added the parking garage to its concept.

The letter of intent says Astrodome Redevelopment would lease the Dome from the county for 50 years with an option to extend it another 20 years.

Astrodome Redevelopment would pay $2.5 million in rent the first year the hotel opens. Rent would rise 3 percent annually. The company also would pay the Sports & Convention Corp. 2 percent to 3 percent of its gross revenues.

The hotel would be modeled on Gaylord convention hotels in Grapevine, Nashville, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla. Senate Hospitality, a Nashville-based company that includes former Gaylord executives, would operate the Dome hotel. Gaylord hotels cater to groups that want hotels, restaurants, meeting rooms and convention halls under one roof.

Houston already has a convention hotel, the city-owned Hilton Americas next to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Unlike the Hilton Americas, the Dome hotel would imitate the Gaylord concept and try to attract groups looking for a self-contained facility.

"Prior to seeing the Gaylord Texan (in Grapevine), I thought it was a dumb idea," Shafer said. "After we visited the Gaylord Texan, we began to see it is a different model. But personally, I still have concerns that it will work."

That's why God invented the Valet.

He must be Nuevau Rich as all old money uses the Valet.

I think the Astroworld site should be the site of a Houston Olympic Village. There is already a pedestrian crosswalk to Reliant Park, and the rail line would go right next to it.

They can be some nice apartments to live in afterwards.

Great Idea. Lets keep an $80 million piece of porperty in waiting for an olympics we do not even have.

Hopefully one of these comes in. Though, I think Bloomies will end up at the Galleria, but a Nordstorm could work well here.

I do not think Nordstroms is going to open another Houston Store anytime soon. Just my opinion.

New Astro:

This should prove to be a good move, nothing earth shattering, but an upgrade in the hitting department. He is a young player with some upside. Lane being demoted was the best part of this deal.

I remember Tinsley's being here, but not much else about it. I graduated from BHS in '79. I guess I killed too many brain cells back then...

I too remember seeing those. I was born in 71 so they must have lasted until the 80's at least or I would have never heard of the chain. I could not tell you where I have seen these stores.

This does not suprise me since Soutwest dominates both Hobby and Love. Southwest may be Greyhound in the air but for short jaunts there is nobody who gets you there faster and with a smile. I fly SWA at will for work and am always amazed at how quickly I get through the airport. IAH is another story.

I would protest this with all my heart. The River Oaks theatre is so old and beautiful and truely a piece of history. Not only the theatre, but the entire shopping center! It's the second oldest in the world! (I think). But I won't start crying just yet, it's only a rumor. I doubt a high-rise would go up so easily without River Oaks NIMBY's, and everyone who loves the strip center.

As Redscare said, the Theatre & Black Eyed Peas are on complete opposite sides of West Gray.

That would be weird for them to put a highrise in that spot, instead of further down westgray. And (as said before) very strange to put the parking garage on the black eyed peas spot...

This seems odd to me as well. I believe Weingarten owns the entire River Oaks Shopping Area. This includes the Black Eye Pea, The Theatre and extends all the way to the Kroger center. They are not in the condo development game at all. I had heard rumors of the enitre center where the Black Eye Pea being demolished and a new center going up in its place, but I would be amazed if this Condo plan is for real. I guess Weingarten could sell the area to a condo developer, but this seems remote at best.

That was actualy a "Sage Drugs" which was an off-shoot of the Sage stores. Sage was the orignal "big box" store/mass merchandiser. It was the precursor in Houston to K-Mart and Walmart. Sage Drugs were smaller stores and were more in-line like a Walgreens.

You are correct. That is what I remember.

A rendering thought you guys might like to see...

I do like it. Thanks.

What a find! KFMK was the first 'free form' FM rock station of the late 60s and preceded KLOK and KAUM. Check out KILT's special about drugs on Houston's college campuses.

http://vasthead.com/Radio/radio_works.html

Ha. that is great. I listened to the KRBE link from 1970. I was sort of expecting something different. I was pleasantly suprised not to hear Sam Malone and his retard crew.

About half way into the broadcast they do a weather report. The DJ clearly called a number which gave him a recorded report. The DJ talked through it which was pretty humorous.

I guess this was the Beattles hour as all the songs are tunes from them.

Great find. Thanks.

anyone know who the tenants are going to be?

Maybe CVS. They have a store 200 feet away, but if they turn it around they can get the North Bound traffic too.

i believe this is the building where adecco's offices are located. there is a luxury car rental on one side. it's on the south side of westheimer and occupies a triangular space where alabama begins. if you are traveling east on westheimer, before you get to the galleria, westheimer curves left and the far right lane turns into alabama.

Very interesting. AMReit has some solid properties around town. I would think they will put something nice there. Time will tell !!

"You have been banned from this forum."

can anyone post some pics here?

EDIT: I got someone to send me links to the pics which I could get to. Thanks.

Skwatra, what did you do to get yourself banned from a Six Flags forum. That is hillarious. >

That is the same feeling I got. The reason they booed Willy was because they had lost the lead. Typically they are booing there own team at that point. I am not a fan of White Sox fans either, but I did not see much wrong with that booing.

The Astros need to get their act together. Playing the Tigers is going to be no easy feat. Lets hope we can take 2 of 3.

welcome back! thanks for posting the pictures!

We miss you SqautterKid. Come back and do some more squatting. We love your posts and especially your pictures. Goodluck in Cali.

I am pretty sure there was Sage on Westhiemer and Stoney Brooke (just due West of Hillcroft). Today it is a Guitar Center. Since I grew up in the 70's in Briarmeadow I remember going there to get perscriptions with my mom. The toy aisle was pretty shoddy, but I always managed to find something to talk my mom into buying for me. We used to also shop at the Weingartens right next store.

It's open!

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4298949

Anone been here yet. I would be interesed as to thoughts. I am sorta of interested, but probably will blow it off as I hate crowds.

I would love it if someone took their camera along. I would like to see what the old dome is looking like on the inside these days. Thanks.

Is this referring to the southwest corner of the Brazos/Webster intersection? I saw a parking lot being dug up there today. A sign says retail/retaurant in the lot, but what site doesn't have that sign in Midtown these days? I'd love to know what the plans are for the site.

Someboby on here must know something about this site. As a previous resident of Midtown I am somwhat interested.

i have been to several places around town where smoking was permitted inside

It was my understanding that the smoking oridinance allows smoking in bar areas. Most restuarants do not have smoking sections anymore. I too have noticed a few places that still have smoking sections. I would be interested to know why. Being a part time smoker, I like being able to smoke in the bar area (if I am out drinking). when I am dinning out I love having the whol restuarant be non smoking.

the implosion was...interesting...no warning, just BAM BAM BAM!

did anyone take any photo's ??

Did you get a "year" on that?

2010

Astros lost again tonight. They are so hot and cold. It is brutal to watch. Luckily for me I did not watch..