Ethanra

Think they were putting the crane up today...

Sure there is better ... But my favorite is Frank's DT.... Maybe it just taste better after drinking all night....

OMG! 4 blocks! That could be 1000 feet!

Maybe one of these would help...

When it is 100 + outside people, including myself, don't won't to walk outside and come back to work smelling like that lady in the picture..... The people eating in the tunnels are walking the same 1000'/distance if they were on street level

Little Update....

Went to HP today .... Guadalajara del Centro for lunch was good... Place was very busy, 20 min wait though..... Forever XXI was full of shoppers as well as BAM. BCBGMAXAZRIA had a couple shoppers as well... Saw people with bags from all three places... Clique Salon had customers but the Unity bank was completely empty. Work was being done inside Yaos and Petes as well as two or three other places.... I wish several other clothing retail shops would open though.

Been to HP several times but today was the best experience.. Plenty of happy people, and over-heard several positive comments from visitors talking to one another... I thought it was great to see so many people with shopping bags around HPs several blocks, including Macy's and the Tipping Points block, even with this extreme heat for June...

To whom thinks this place is "depressing, cold, and lonely", they must mean this fits their personality. HP is far from perfect but it definitely doesn't fit that description.

Whaahhh, The sky is falling. This project didn't break ground the exact day that was announced. Its dead just like I predicted. whhaaahhh...

Ugh.

Perhaps it does not help that the meter maids are on the rampage there. I received a parking ticket last week.

$65 if paid within 45 days. $100 after that.

All this because I was over by less than an hour? I think it was on a Saturday too.

UGH. No thanks.

Isn't street parking free on the weekend?

If we want more retail and better retail DT, we need not to delicate flower but to support what is there so more will come. When you need a shirt go to Macy's or if you need a book go to BAM. If you need cheap shoes, go to the payless.... If you have time hit main street for lunch occasionally, there is several decent places.

However I still think DT still has a so much competition. Its going to be a problem. You have the village, highland village, lower westheimer, river oaks shopping center, etc... all so close to DT. All good shopping areas.... I wonder if other successful DT's like Denver or Seattle have the same compettion of having surrounding neighborhoods with shopping....

Chase Tower (the tallest building in Texas) has one. Well's Fargo (the tall green one) has one.

I'm not sure which lobby you're speaking of, but the Chase lobby in the old Gulf Building is opulent. It's grandness is like going back in time.

Thanks for the help!!! Went to chase tower today and the old gulf building.. Very Cool!!!

I didn't want to start a new topic ... so I'll ask here because pf the picture in post #838. Which building(s) have an observation floor open to the public and which block would it be at)? Thanks, I have been DT thousands of times but never to an observation floor. Also, I have seen pictures of the interior of a gorgeous bank. Which building is that?

Thanks ...... Main Place is looking great!

I shall have to see, I suppose, but it's still nearly a mile away from the nearest proposed light rail station.

I'll be driving.

Do you live with a bunch of cats?

uhg

no way, your not happy with the choices?

You can get medicine?

Voted for: University of Southeast Texas

Last thing i heard from this board and the chron. is that it has financing despite the tough financial climate and it will break ground in March.

My opinion on HP. I think the HP is great. I ate a M&S for lunch. I though the atmosphere was nice but the food was average at best. This past week did some shopping at Macy's then walk across to BAM. Third time to BAM since it opened. I am very happy with this store. Went up to LIDS and the guy said they have been open for two weeks and it has had very little customers. I think the location of the store is poor.

HP is a great addition to DT. By no means should it be a center piece by itself but it should part of the DT.'s center piece.

The only complaint I have is I wish there were more retail options.

Other stores I would like see open in HP or along Main.

J. Crew

Music/Movie store

Best Buy

Footlocker

Old school small grocery store

Small Specs

I heard the field was bad. How bad?

Also, I'm glad that things are coming along, but they keep on telling us two weeks later, and we hear nothing. I keep hearing Oliver Luck on various sports stations but always catch the tail end so I don't know if he ever mentions the stadium.

He mentions the stadium almost every interview over the past week. He again says, "It is very close, Two more weeks" but lately he talks about the lawyers will do the paper work and then construction will start after the new year....

edit... The field is pathetic at best - An embarrassment to the city and university

This thing is dead. Or is govt just slowing things down?

http://www.mlsnet.com/offsite/newsletter/h...5/15_enews.html

Olive Luck just yesterday said to expect an announcement in three to four weeks.

If there is such a huge demand and/or potential for higher end developments along main their is about a dozen other surface lots that can disappear. I guess next time a developer has a 100 million + to invest DT they better ask "The Niche" or "memebag" for advice first.

Sometimes I wish we would just accept downtown for what it is: A place for business, business related activities and special events.

We are so focused on making downtown Houston look like other downtowns we can't see the forest for the trees.

Think how much there is to do a stone's throw from downtown.

Cheers ......

My point was that if there were shops downtown, those people living within a 5 mile radius would probably come downtown to shop.

That may be true but I think the number 1 problem with shops opening DT is competition. Houston is like a bunch of cities within the same one. Think about it, the village is full of shopping, eateries, and entertainment. Every where around DT is like that from lower Westheimer , River Oaks, along West Alabama, Hedwig Village etc... Even if there was more shopping DT, why would these people need to go DT to shop when their own hood has everything? I have also always thought that the Galleria area has killed DT shopping and will keep it minimal. Its a shame all of UT could have been built throughout midtown. Also the shops in the tunnels have killed street level shopping. I understand the reason for the tunnels (bad weather days and the three months of 95 degree and humidity weather) but maybe if those shops were along main street and there were entrances from in the buildings and the street like The Corner Bakery more retail would have opened next to the barber shops, nail places, food places etc.. that are all in the tunnels.

When did it start? I was there around 2 pm.

Great Pics! Started at 6PM ... so I guess people come DT on the weekends for other then games.

Drove out this way today .... I saw three cranes up for this project

In the historic district, pretty much every parking lot or garage you see used to be a 2-3 story (or in some cases 5-10 story) old building.

Thankyou very much for the information.

Please Houston, don't tear down what we have left....

All the parking lots around the historic part of DT and the drive-in banks, what use to be their? Were they all old two-three story building that were torn down? What about all the lots around MMP? What about along Main towards Midtown?If so when did all these place get torn down and why? I really would appreciate some info about this. Thank you.....

It is sad what was torn down for that parking lot. It could have been awesome apartments. Someone one time told me that the old Rice hotel was almost torn down at one time. Look what that turned into, one of the best blocks DT!

Had a customer today that is high up with this project and they have been involved with the hotel industry for his entire career. He would not give much detail about the project but he did confirm the project is moving at a good pace. They said the ritz is going to one of the most impressive hotels they have been involved with. I then asked about it being 66 stories and he said "he doesn't know about that" in a a sarcastic voice. I assume that 66 stories is not going to happen and never was.....

Welcome to Stadium City!. . .We finance them all.

At least stadium city doesn't have to rely on the outlying suburbs to build facilities for the local teams.

FYI - MainPlace is breaking ground on Monday March 3rd, two months ahead of schedule. Cap beam excavation will start the first week, with first drilling operations the following week. The site will ramp up to 3 drilling rigs by late March.

That is awesome. I think this is 3 buildings scheduled to break ground DT in the first week of March!