Jump to content

CasaNova

Full Member
  • Posts

    33
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by CasaNova

  1. Still waiting. No activity.

    Update. Things are starting to pick up. There is more of the curb side streets being torn up than a few weeks ago. It is starting to get messy, so I might have to start finding an alternate route to take to work than Harrisburg. They have the street cut off on one side, and barracades on the left hand side (heading out of DT). The right side has been convereted into a two way maze of cones. I almost saw a guy eat it today when he was driving on the wrong side, onto on coming traffic. Meanwhile, one of the workers was dazed and confused almost walked across the street without looking, he almost ate his Siht when I honked to let him know I was coming through HAHA! Brown Streaks in his chones!! Good thing I was driving slow.

  2. Do any of you guys have any idea what kind and where they are going to place the jumbotron/plasma screens? I know they will probably wait closer to opening day, but I have no clue where they could possible put the screens, how many, and what kind. I kind am eager to see the finishing touches, and I hope that they meet my expectations, since many have been deflated already by the exterior design they have chosen thus far. Maybe the interior will compensate for it.

  3. they aren't that far along. i went by about 2 weeks ago and they were only doing utility work in a small segment.

    I drive through there everyday, and there is not much going on. They cleared some old buildings on the side of the road, but nothing major going on. You would even know that they are doing anything out there, related to metro rail, just a bunch of barriors alongside of the street. I want to see the streets torn up already. At this rate, they will be luck if they get it doen by 2012. I do see a lot, i mean alot of trees by the underpass just outside of downtown, thats about it though.

  4. For years I have been wondering if Sears will ever do something with this eyesore located in midtown. It has so much potential, I guess at one point it was actually considered a beautiful building. Sears really needs to think about bringing it back to its original form. Something needs to be done. I would prefer to preserve the building, instead of razing it . What do you all think?

    Article found in the Chronicle today.

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/5924010.html

    ''It's hideous!" fumes my friend V., warming up to one of his favorite rants: the unbearable ugliness of the Sears on Main Street.

    "It's right there on the light-rail line! At the entrance to the Museum District! At one of the few places where Houston can look good to visitors!"

    V., I have to admit, has a point. Sears' tan metal siding, blotched with graffiti cover-up, gives the building's upper floors the beaten-down air of an aging ministorage unit. But even that beats the urban battle fortifications at ground level.

    Someone, it appears, worked hard to make the department store defensible, able to repel invading hordes of shoppers intoxicated by Vanessa Hudgens' back-to-school ads. At the Wheeler side of the building, two sets of glass double doors, blacked out and locked during business hours, present an ominous face to the street. Opaque gray film makes the official entrance's glass doors, facing Main, only a little less scary. Bricks fill almost all the former display windows; burglar bars and more of that gray film cover the plate glass that survived. Only the most intrepid seekers of Kenmore appliances would dare breach such a bulwark.

    What's the deal, V. wonders. Does Sears think that the urban shoppers that store serves deserve less than, say, the suburbanites at the Memorial City Mall? And for that matter, hasn't someone at Sears noticed that Midtown has gentrified around the store? Isn't there a retail audience yearning to be better served?

    "Don't just return," exhorts the Hudgens back-to-school ad for Sears. "Arrive."

    V. would like that Sears to do just that.

    ...

    • Like 1
  5. I believe Metro is suppose to have a biaatch session today to talk about the bridge and about the proposed service station. I wonder if this meeting is going to be a waste of time or if something good will come out of it. I guess the chronicle will let us know tomorrow. In a city this size, it is always going to be hard to get a consensus. It will be interesting to see what come out of this town hall meeting.

  6. Hey guys, pardon me for not knowing more, and maybe some of you can clear this up for me. Is there still more changes coming to the House of Blues. I mean judging by the latest pictures HOB looks nothing like the renderings. There has got to be a lot more to this, there doesn't seem to be enough see through glass/window. Please tell me that this is not going to resemble anything close to the final product. If so I will be greatly disappointed. Can somebody who knows the scoop, tell me otherwise.

    I couldn't upload the pictures, but if you look at the latest constuctions pics out on there website and compare it to the rendering, they look nothing alike. I understand that renderings are just that but jeez! Can some one who is savy with uploads do a side by side comparison of what I am talking about.

    Thanks!

  7. sure isn't the going rate.

    Wow, man $ 3 bucks darn you can't even buy a gallon of gasoline for $3 bucks, that would put a damper on things if I was a land owner there if I didn't want to sell.

    As for the over pass I am all for it. Man I live in the area. Last time I almost pulled my hair out. I kid you not, I got stuck waiting on a train on Telephone, then on the tracks by Lockwood/Harrisburg, and then again at the Harrisburge right by the darn Family Dollar. That day was horrible, and I remember saying why the hell they don't just build a freaking overpass to avoid this kind of crap. I will love this overpass.

    I grew up in DH moved to the suburbs and now I moved back. Screw the high taxes, long comute. The area I live in is being rebuild and up and coming with lofts and condos. So high property taxes are around the corner but what the heck so is my job. Love it DT is only 7 minutes away.

  8. Not only is it taller, but its structure will be concrete rather than steel. Upon completion, it'll be the heaviest building in Houston.

    Not only will it be taller and heavier. Since this place will actually have access to tunnel connection, I would imagine they have to configure and prep the land even more so, that DGT.

  9. It isn't exciting to you. I'm not excited by mimicking other downtowns, but my tax dollars will be used to excite you. You're welcome.

    Hey the way I see it it's not just your tax dollars at work, it's mine and everyone else on this board. This is a democracy and the majority rule and decide, unless of course, it directly infringes or violates minority rights, which is clearly not the case here.

  10. I was proud of our downtown when it was a skater's paradise at night. That was something unique about Houston: we all go home at night and let the Urban Animals play while we sleep.

    Not very. There's a big version of Times Square and I know where to find it, if I wanted it.

    Why resemble something else when it can be what it is?

    UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH BBBBBBAAAAAAAAA HHHHHUUUUMMMMBBBBUUUUUUGGGGGG!

    Because what it is now is not exiciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thats why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  11. when downtown can support it, it will come.

    What came first the chicken or the egg? Man most people will not want to move DT unless there is something else to do after hours. And most chain retailers don't want to venture into an unproven area, unless they can capture a share of an untapped market. HP can be a catalystic synergy that can spur other projects. We have seen historically, that in Houston one project alone will not be the answer to all, but it has to start somewhere and hope that it keeps on growing. Other cities have done this succesfully.

    What I find interesting, and someone else mentioned this earlier in different words, the downfall of Houston not evolving into a premier city has to do with what got us to be the fourth largest city. Sprawl, suburban sprawl. Our populations has grown rapidly, but it has also expanded outward. This gives us sheer volume compared to other large cities, but not so in comparison by density per sq mile. And when you got people in the outskirt in Egypt who don't give a d-a-r-n about building up Houston's DT cuz they don't live there, we will never get anywhere far and fast. To many hands in the pot. Just my opinion anyway, don't mean to offend anybody.

  12. Surface lots are an opportunity to grow. These prime lots have been underdeveloped, and thus have undercut that opportunity.

    What would've gone there had the project failed and those lots were still available in today's office market? Just think of all the highrises, all the new employees brought downtown.

    Heck, even Bill Denton remarked last year that if they had known things were going to improve this much, they would've dramatically expanded their office component....and things have gotten even better since then. Had the City just left this alone, to die like it should've in the first place, we could've gotten something better.

    I doubt it. It would have been another reason for people to whine and dog it ( no matter what that project would have been) just like this HP project is being dogged now. I mean you are never going to make everybody happy. Unhappy people always find something to bi*ch about. Nothing is ever good enough, and then they complain when nothing is ever done, go figure. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Time to take action and stop talking, that's what the city has done. Hey it's like a guy or a girl always waiting for something better, in the end they end up by themselves, with no one, or wishing they hadn't passed up on someone earlier that should have been appreciated. This is a good start (HP) and i have a feeling it will spur other developements. The subsidizing has other intangibles. If it spurs other projects, it will raise value and pay for it self.

  13. OMG, just put the damn TV screens up already! What difference does it make? I can't believe we've been arguing over whether TV screens will change the world for three pages. Let me say: they are not going to solve any problems.

    I don't see myself standing on the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon to watch CNN, but it is kinda cool to have "sizzle" around what is supposed to be a pedestrian mall. For the record: I'm smart and I like sizzle. ;)

    So after three or so odd pages the issue has been settled. Majority rule, and the verdict is in. The cool and hip have spoken. Plasma screens it is. Now lets see if we can get some decent ads to display on the those screens. Can anyone say Victoria Secret.

  14. I was simply commenting on the fact that your webcam of Dallas doesnt disprove Tierwestah's statement that HP will not be as isolated as VP hence drawing people from nearby buildings. I see that your webcam proves that VP isn't very popular. So video screens don't bring crowds. We all knew that. The point that Tierwestah was trying to make was that if you want to put up video screens its best to do so where there will be people to actually see them, and since HP is in a good location with potential to draw people from nearby buildings, they would most likely work better than in VP (which is apparently empty most of the time).

    Nobody here is trying to make the statement that video screens on their own will draw crowds.. The whole point is that if you have a public place which is popular and crowded, video screens might make sense for advertisers to use, and they might look better to certain people (tourists, for example.) than rusty old billboards.

    Maybe if membag is lucky, they might install some rusty billboards as well just for him to enjoy.

    I agree. Very well stated!! :P

  15. Great impression of Joel Kotkin and Tory Gattis. Have you considered taking your act on the road (or should I say toll road)? ;)

    You know at first I thought Houston was just bad at getting anything done. I actualy feel a little better knowing that there are other cities that have a bigger issue on getting anybody to agree on anything. ie. Kansas City.

    http://kansascitylightrail.org/

    http://www.kansascity.com/743/index.html

    http://kclightrail.com/2008/01/20/does-light-rail-to-prospect-even-make-sense/

    http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/606500.html

    http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/11530

    At least we got our rail, maybe now we will get our plasma screens and I don't care if other cities had them first. I want one. C'mon how is that different from when your neighbor invites you over to watch a game on a 60" screen. Once you see it you want one too.

    Hey is Kansas trying to copy our little choo-choo!

  16. I agree... there's just more room for screens on Dallas... they will be close enough to Main to still look nice.

    Heck I agree. Some of the old renderings (if you look closely) show these screens on the skywalks on both San Jancinto and Fannin, as cars are approaching the underpass. The rendering is what got me excited, now this is starting to look like a watered-down project. They should also put the darn screens on Mains Street as well. This will help entice more retail, such as the Sakowtizs project. We can't be conservative, it hasn't worked. If we want to inject new life into our downtown, we need to go modern. Besides downtowns are suppose to be energized, bustling, and thriving. Let all the old foggies compaining about the noise and light to buy a cheap pair of earplugs, and a sleeping mask for crying out loud!.

  17. I would like to see a little restaurant/cafe on the first floor. I think a Starbuck's is already in the works.

    I hope so. I definitely would like to see another Starbucks closer. Right now I have to go to the one at W. Grey close to Bagby to get a cup of the most expensive best tasting coffee I can get my hands on. To bad they don't have one inside the HCC Campus they would make a killing. Why hasn't anyone thought of that. Instead all we get is a SubWay close by, bummer!

    The 24 hrs fitness is going to be awesome. I can get a little workout in, after night class, or go early in the am, shower and go straight to work DT, but not before getting my Starbucks!!

  18. Their website says 1111 Main St. Coming Winter 07/08, whatever that means.

    Yeah I guess winter 07' is out of the question duhhh! You figure that they would at least try to keep their website updated, just to at least give an impression that they give a d-a-r-n.

    Oh well I guess a parking garage is better buisiness at this time and it will have to do. Anything is better that an open surface parking lot. Thanks for the info!

  19. We went to The Grove a number of weeks ago. I really liked the aesthetics of the interior, the music, and the crowd. I was less impressed with the menu (just couldn't find anything I wanted), and the service was quite poor. We had a party of 8 and they put us in the "party room," which was their overflow room. The room had a banquet hall feel (not very decorated, no music piped in, very detached from the rest of the restaurant), and there was only one other large party there. Once they left, we were the only ones in the entire room. And this was with a reservation. I'm sure they will remain popular, but it isn't a place I will frequent.

    Drove by the park this weekend and this baby is going to be ready to roll on the 13th of April. Last week I was under the impression that they would not make the deadline, but it looks like they already poured in the concrete for the lake and made headway on the landscaping, awesome!

  20. Hi guys, I am new to this forum, although I have been recently reading many of the posts in the past, since all this recent activity has began to take full steam in downtown. One of the the threads in another post was referenceing the possiblity of American Apparel coming to DT, maybe as a tenant in the old Sakowitzs building. That was a while back ago, since then I haven't even seen the AA poster in the old garage. Sorry if you guys have already discussed this in another thread, but is this deal dead or is this deal postponed temporaily until HP opens up. Anybody have any update on this. Thanks!

×
×
  • Create New...