cwrm4

Just a thought, but I think you might be happier living in The Woodlands.

The Supreme Court already ruled (in the New Loudon, Conn case) that land can be seized by eminent domain and sold to developers if it will "spur economic growth" in an area. I've read somewhere recently that some states are considering legislation to limit this type of activity. However, here in Texas, with our no zoning and our big noisy freeways plopped in folks' backyards, I doubt the homeowner would stand a chance. In the end, though, everyone has a price, and I think they just dangled enough green in front of this guy.

Perhaps I missed something in the original post but, c'mon, has anyone who has ever lived at the Rice ever had kids, much less sent them to public school???

...and shifting it to the Hardy Rail Yards area.

My cousin owns a pair of yuppified blues bars in Georgia (Macon & Atlanta). As an experiment, he made the places "no-smoking" on the slowest school night of the week. Guess what? In both locations, that night became the busiest "school night". In fact, it's been so succesful, that he is contemplating making Friday or Saturday "no-smoking". Personally I abhor smoking and the smoke in bars is the primary reason I don't go out much, except to places with open decks/patios. (Maybe that's a good thing, both for my wallet and my liver). I suspect in Houston a large part of opposition to a full ban comes from all the "blue-collar" joints where 90% of the folks are smoking. While I personally think a smoking ban would increase traffic at most places in the western half of the inner-loop area, a ban would negatively impact all of the blue-collar places within the city limits. Following a full ban, the increase in bar spending by non-smoking yuppies would likely not offset the dent in tax revenue due to decreased business at the blue-collar joints. I suspect City Hall is well aware of this.

Perhaps Houston should try an experiment in the application of zoning regulations and basic urban planning for the area surrounding the next Target, as it is, after all, one of the last prime areas of undeveloped land (after the warehouses are demo'd) near downtown. Otherwise, people will be on this forum in 25 years whining about how a previous generation haphazardly developed this area and how that is resulting in its decline. "'It is better than what is there now' were the words used to justify the redevelopment of that area back in the '00s."

From everything I've heard it is only going to be a regular Target. I'm still hacked that they apparently aren't leaving space for any trees to the parking lot...

I'd like for McCain's to open some sort of deli/sandwich bar ala Eatzi's or Spec's or even Brown Bag Deli. They've got all the meat and most fixins already there - would seem to be an easy "upgrade". Since they already sell coffee and pre-made sandwiches, I wouldn't think they would be subject to that many additional regulations. If they could provide a high-end sandwich for $5, I'd stop there 3 nights a week. Minimum. Their pre-made sandwiches in the fridge are a little pricey for what you get and lack that "fresh" taste (I believe they are simply reselling someone else's prepared food?). I'd really like to see the place make it and become a neighborhood fixture; however, I'm a bit concerned about their ability to sustain purely on selling gourmet cheeses and sauces and the like.

Anyone have any updates on how "pedestrian/bike friendly" Target is actually going to be? That was one of the main themes in the original hoopla around the new Target. If I recall there was even supposed to be a bike path running diagonally across the plot. I am getting concerned that it will look and function identically to every other surburbia Target out there. At some point too I recall hearing that the parking lot concrete would be "broken-up" with trees. However, now that the concrete is poured, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Went by yesterday and the hours on the door said "Sunday - Closed". I understand and appreciate that many folks are opposed to work on Sunday, but for this type of store, I think I would be most likely to visit on the weekends. Anyway, peering through the windows at the inventory I did salivate a bit. Had they been open, I probably would have made a few impulse purchases.

A good city vibe. I've read these forums for the last six months or so, and they're a great resource, though there is a lot of complaining about lack of mass transit and a relatively dull CBD and too few cool cafes and too many strip malls and so on. (I'm probably guilty on some of these counts). Having lived in a number of major cities, including London, Paris, Singapore, Brussels, Philadelphia, Mexico City, and Perth, and visited pretty much every other major city in the world (some many, many times), I can say that from a perspective of shopping alternatives, intelligent citizens, corporations, theater, musuems, etc Houston ranks right up there. However, what Houston doesn't have that these towns do is, for lack of a better word, a "city vibe". I just don't pick up a lot of the "energy" of a city when in Houston. IMHO, You really can't pick up this energy of a city unless you are around other people continously. In a spread-out, car-culture city, you are generally alone or only with those you know most of the time, you just don't really get the beat of the city. When you take mass transit everywhere and spend your weekends walking and cabbing it from shops to a restaurant to the theater to local cafes (where you run into folks that live on your block), you do feel like a real part of the city, in a quasi-romantic kind of way. In a city like Houston (or Atlanta or Phoenix or even LA), you feel instead like you live in a giant suburbia. When people complain about the lack of mass transit and too many strip malls, I think what they really want is to generate a good city vibe in Houston. Unfortunately, while we can improve mass transit somewhat, and creater denser inner loop development, and (please) create actual zoning laws, the layout of and space available in Houston will never make it a London or New York or anything close. Which may be a good thing, because, if it did happen, I wouldn't be able to afford to live in a nice old house with a 2-car garage and a backyard and a fish pond that is 5 minutes from my downtown office.

I heard today that offer had been made on the property by....Walgreens!!! I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise given that there is already a CVS nearby on 20th.

A key to making downtown a "happening", sustainable place is to keep it busy at nights on weekdays, which means providing for out-of-town businesspeople, many of which are traveling solo. I have a large number of out-of-town clients and co-workers come to town every week. 99 times out of a 100, they choose to stay in the Uptown/Galleria area, even if they are working downtown. Why? Because, when you are braindead after a day of meetings, and have work to do for the next day, you just want something known and familiar for dinner, and somewhere to wander around for a bit to clear your head. This means: a hamburger at Chili's and a walk around the Galleria. Last year I had a co-worker in from NYC. When he arrived, he didn't have a hotel, and I pushed him towards the Magnolia. The next day I asked him how it was - "Great," he said "but I'm moving to the Westin Galleria tonight. I walked around for an hour last night and couldn't find anywhere to eat that wasn't either empty, looked like it might take forever, or had thumping music eminating from it. Plus, there's no bookstore to waste some time in".

Wow...a private residence? Nice. I've gradually watched the building take shape and felt it was too commercial-looking to be private, but too private-looking to be commercial. Glad it will be a private residence...I feared for a while that they would be jamming a parking lot in front. Regardless, I agree that it is an exceptional design.

Does anyone know what is being built at the northwest corner of Main and Montrose? I scanned the existing topics but didn't see any info. What a great lot...I hope the new building is intended for something worthwhile.

Interestingly, the latest Woodland Heights newsletter notes that a task force has been formed to revitalize Hogg Middle School, including a "restoration of the building entrance to the original facade, lobby, and auditorium". Maybe they will want their lights back http://www.woodland-heights.org/newsletters/2005/aug05.pdf

Out of curiousity, is there a conveyor belt style sushi restaurant in Houston? When I lived in Singapore, I'd hit one of those places at least 4 times a week. I often thought that one would do great business downtown Houston/Galleria/Med Center. Generally I now favour Kubo's (menu) in Rice Village, but haven't been in several months.