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arche_757

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Everything posted by arche_757

  1. arche_757
    Just buying the land was likely a heavy investment; I had forgotten they built the garage. I suspect if they move forward it would be something scaled closer to what is being done around Discovery Green. Which is certainly better than yet another parking garage! I wouldn’t mind a nice mixed use building, even a 30 floor project. Show it’s possible downtown.
  2. arche_757
    I believe this ship has sailed: My father has long thought the best use of the Dome is simply as a sports facility. He wanted to see it repurposed as a large multi-sport Olympic level training facility. Maybe it could have been made into an indoor/outdoor facility by opening some of the exterior? Could have been a solid complex for the USOC teams to use, additionally, could have had annual trials/competitions etc here. That’s not a big money/big ticket event on its own, but adding all those athletes here nearly year round, and you tap into the ready resources of the TMC and you’d have a win-win. Athletes from around the country would have travelled to Houston for medical procedures, rehabilitations and the like (I know some do already, but the draw would have been bigger). The TMC institution’s could have opened a large sports medicine complex along Fannin. You could add a 400 room hotel with some live-work type condos/apartments for reserve for athletes, and the rest available year round for events and conventions. Of course we’re in the middle of the country with a mild fall-spring and it’s an ideal training complex. I know that is very, very unlikely to happen now… but pie in the sky ideas like that are what Harris County should have been going after.
  3. arche_757
    I know Hines doesn’t own it - but any bets on Hines pulling the trigger, and buying the site just off Market Square where the once upon a time International Tower was going to rise?
  4. arche_757
    I started with the website before venturing into the forum. I think I joined the forum because I just like arguing, and what better thing to argue about (from my perspective) than Houston development/architecture/urban planning! I was a freshmen in college at UH when I really got into the forum back in 2001, and I remember having to rush my posts before running off to my architectural studio course! Made lunchtime quite hectic for me! Eventually, it just grew into a sort of obsession! Still is…sort of. But then, I see, it is quite the obsession for…well…most of us. I think this site is the lone place on the web that is 100% pro-Houston in all respects. Many, many thanks to all who have posted and enabled such a great site to prosper over the years! And a and hearty huzzah to Wayne for starting this over 2-decades ago. What a run! Here’s to another 20!
  5. arche_757
    Does anyone know what is under construction in the middle/upper right-hand corner of the last picture @cityliving posted?
  6. arche_757
    @Houston19514, far too many indeed! It’s all of these spacey out-of-towers moving here from points unknown... In general: they can’t drive when it’s raining; they can’t drive fast enough; they get nervous with the multitude of cars on the road; and they over signal their intentions when switching lanes. It is a pit maneuver - one blink while simultaneously jamming the wheel. That’s it. And lastly -this is the worst- they don’t know that you never, ever, ever intentionally stop traffic on Shepherd to turn left from the left lane UNLESS you see an opening wherein to avoid the soon-to-be traffic jam caused by the Metro bus stopped in the right lane you turn at full speed. One blink will do it! Brace yourself for the poor transition from street to driveway, and wish that your moderately priced sedan was a big fancy F250 just like the one the ***hole civil engineer that designed the grading that you’re about to bottom out on drives. With that said, welcome back, @editor! Do you feel like a sort of “prodigal son” returning to town after these many years?
  7. arche_757
    Thanks! I’m not sure why I thought that was a drone photo…? In hindsight it makes sense that was not a drone picture.
  8. arche_757
    @hindesky might I inquire as to what type of camera you are using for the drone photos? I’m completely unaware of what sort of photographic device(s) work on a drone? I’m thinking of getting one in the next year for my own purposes - work related, and just wanted to know. (No doubt there’s a Reddit group for this, but I’d trust you guys a hell of a lot more than those folks.) Thanks!
  9. arche_757
    I think what @scarface is saying that it would have been better for the skyline -at least from the north approach- if Texas Tower had been built in a location that didn’t completely hide 609 Main. Conversely, the skyline from the south approach is much more interesting than just a few years ago.
  10. arche_757
    Post will sink or swim regardless of what anyone on here wants or thinks. I do think that OMA has done a tremendous job with what was a very nondescript building. I actually find it a much better repurposed building (overlooking projected uses) than what is happening in Midtown with sHoP at the ion. (Obviously I love that the old Sears is being turned into something for the greater good, and I’m thrilled to see what will come from ion… just architecturally they’re not really equal.) In fantasy world: I think I kind of would rather have seen Post & ion swap places…?
  11. arche_757
    Sadly this sits empty. I mean they demolished it to do nothing! Reminds me of the Robinson Public Warehouse at Montrose and Allen Parkway. Torn down for nothing. To be fair, the potential value in this property was in not having a 7 lane road serving as the demising line between Clear Lake and the property. I hope something commercial that’s related to NASA gets placed here, but it will likely be apartments.
  12. arche_757
    I don’t think anyone wants this project to not be a wonderful catalyst for the area. I hope it’s very successful, and I also hope the governmental entities (local, state and federal) can work towards solidifying the Postal Bend? (Maybe we can get a Kevin Costner statue to go along with the quirky development?) Reworking the roads would be huge to making an big impact here. Additionally, reworking heavy rail to shift a station element into this project (or a future phase) would be great.
  13. arche_757
    Our population density is greater though because of the townhomes. The city changed the minimum units per lot size back in the 1990s thus allowing a building boom of townhouses where once they weren’t allowed by code. I’ll have to dig it up but Houston has an average density higher than most other sun belt city’s… LA being the exception. This has also allowed us to keep real estate costs lower than many other places. LA has recently tried to follow suit in allowing garage apartments (the technical term is lost to me). So yes, we are much more dense.
  14. arche_757
    @Texasota Yes and no. It is not downtown. You’re correct though in that IT CAN BE. It should be - or godhelpus it’ll become NoWoDo or some nonsense! 😬 I hope it’s very successful, but some of that success is out of the hands of folks developing it. The city really has needed to address the aforementioned streets/bridges for some time. It’s ridiculous what exists there now. Maybe we will all have to attend council meetings. To that end is there an official HAIF shirt @editor [edit: I don’t want to come across as disliking this project, I don’t!, i just think it’s alone; and in real estate it’s always location, location, location. It’s a lovely re-use, and I hope it works wonders for the area! So I will refrain from coming across too negatively about it by arguing more. — the better question, which @j_cuevas713 raises is what could be done to make it more successful, and attract developers to the other nearby land ripe for the taking.]
  15. arche_757
    I hope so. I think the vast majority of people who will visit this thing will largely just mill about, maybe spend a few dollars. Office workers from DT will make the trek on a nice Friday from Oct-April, but it’s too far from most offices for casual visits. You could UberEats, but then you could do that anywhere, and not just the food hall. And there are other food halls closer to offices. How many concerts will it take for OMA’s fee alone? Probably a lot. Particularly “post-Covid”. I think the mix of uses is great. I like the idea of the project, I just think it’s literally an island alone with a river, 2 interstates, a heavily used train track and several blocks of undeveloped/vacant land between it and… the back side of the theatre district. I hope it’s wildly successful. I truly do, but I’ve also got my Pessimist Hat on really tight. Its good folks like you @j_cuevas713 are excited and plan to visit early and often. I hope there are far more of you than curmudgeons such as myself!
  16. arche_757
    @j_cuevas713 One would hope. I still have reservations about just how successful this thing will be once the newness wares off. The one way to ensure it is a hub of activity is to make it a transit hub. If that happens then hospitality would be a logical add for phase 2, but you still have the problem that it isn’t really in downtown. But it would be worth a shot!
  17. arche_757
    A lot of firms had offices here in the 1970s-1980s. Then oil crashed, and crashed hard.
  18. arche_757
    You guys hating on Arquitectonica I see… also design architects for the Hilton Americas downtown next to what would later become Discovery Green. For those who don’t know Arquitectonica is a firm out of Miami, which, like many architects from the 1980s got their start designing Post Modern edifices that today border on the absurd and garish. I think both @Montrose1100 & @j_cuevas713 are correct. This project will allow similarly scaled development to become more than just a passing thought to many local and out of town developers. However, at least right now, this project appears to be the exception to the norm. That said, is there there not interest in doing something like this just up the street at Montrose and Westheimer? And DiscoKroger - which I realize is a tad differently having a more corporate driven renovation with Kroger’s.
  19. arche_757
    I seem to have misinterpreted your reasoning.
  20. arche_757
    Not to continue arguing for the sake of arguing… Your point (as I see it) is that any ballpark isn’t a decent catalyst for development because of traffic, noise etc. I just posted a picture of a vibrant (looking) neighborhood next to a ballpark. Now, San Diego had development prior to Petco Park, yet much of the neighborhood that grew around the ballpark there was vastly underdeveloped. This is despite the great views, and no doubt strong zoning/planning ordinances to push the very type of development that had yet to occur around Petco. That is all. Why has it taken longer? I’d guess: adjacent land prices too high, too many other neighborhoods in town where that sort of development is easier, oil price recessions…etc.
  21. arche_757
    So, I figured there are folks on here that would be very excited to see a site where you can purchase high quality cast metal replicas of famous high rises. There is a decent selection of Houston buildings here, including Catalyst (!!!) and 609 Main, among others. www.replicabuildings.com/products.php I’ve not purchased any of these yet, but I do want a couple! I’ve got an antique scale One Shell Plaza that needs company! It is possible this has been posted here, but I didn’t find it when I searched.
  22. arche_757
    The Petco Park neighborhood before/after. I feel that folks in virtually any city that do not live immediately adjacent to a ball park are likely not able to see the action very well if at all. [edit: of course we do not have the San Diego harbor front for our downtown…unfortunately! That said, 59/69 is nearly as effective in serving as a point of demarcation!]
  23. arche_757
    Not to digress… I didn’t know my quote was visible? 😆 😬
  24. arche_757
    I suppose one could look to Petco Park in San Diego as an example of the sort of neighborhood you could hope would build up around a MLB ballpark. I think once you have enough critical mass that it would be a fun neighborhood, developments would have cafes and bars built in. As for living there… I would think avoiding the traffic downtown wouldn’t be nearly as hard as avoiding it around NRG. Night games aren’t every day during the season, and even day games on the weekends wouldn’t be too bad if there was enough parking available that it’s spread out away from the immediate couple of streets around the park. I could also see the merit to building another city/sports authority owned garage with the possibility of another hotel and/or offices above nearby. [edit: you could nitpick anyplace to pieces. The theatre district doesn’t have any buildings with interior visibility from the outside. There is also traffic associated with that. I think living in a downtown you just accept there is a near constant expectation of activity.]
  25. arche_757
    What the above shows is how a great urban park can spur development. It is still a shame that the Superblock park in Midtown wasn’t completely realized! Thanks @Montrose1100! I used to love getting the development maps from DowntownHouston back in the early 2000’s.
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