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jghall00

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Everything posted by jghall00

  1. The relevant influence that I failed to see mentioned is money. Without taking sides, rappers do what they do because they expect to earn a profit, as do the billion dollar record companies that promote and distribute their music. That's not a justification, but in many cases, these guys are getting pimped as bad as the women they disrepect in their songs. I love hip-hop and grew up on it, but I don't recognize the music that Casual Observer talks about. If you listen to the radio, or watch TV, then yes, you'll see a ton of negativity. But that's true for most mainstream Media. The hip-hop artists I listen to don't glorify violence, wanton sex, drugs, etc. Try listening to the artists the records companies don't push quite as hard, and you'll see what I mean. Check out the Houston Public Library, they have albums by Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Reflection Eternal, De La Soul, J-Live, The Roots, Dilated Peoples...the list goes on and on. Expand your horizons before you criticize and generalize about a whole genre of music. Look deeper before you place blame.
  2. What do you think of putting the parking underground, like it is near Bayou Place downtown? That would maximize the surface space available for other uses.
  3. I see your point, but I think the complex can definitely become something better then it is now. I haven't viewed the football stadium up close (just from kirby), but I think the baseball stadium would not have done any damage to downtown had it been further west. To a certain extent, having that much land devoted to one use does preclude further urban development, because it consumes so much available space. In the case of the Reliant complex, the facilities and parking area could be developed to support a multitude of uses. I would consider not doing so a failure of imagination. The area adjacent to the complex on the west was turned into a parking lot that sits empty more often then not, pretty much precluding that section of Main from developing into any sort of urban thoroughfare. In that, I saw more of the same provincial thinking that seems to permeate projects in Houston. Perhaps I'm overly critical or impatient, because development is coming, albeit too slowly for me. But we need more projects here in Houston that bring people together. Being situated on the rail line, the Reliant complex is as good a place as any. How about high density housing (condos and townhomes) where the parking lots sit, and a plaza and park as part of the reliant complex, with a family orientated sports facility in the Dome? The parking could move to North Main and the southern terminus of the rail line.
  4. I can't address the expense of modifying the structure, but I disagree with your assertion that whatever the building is used for by necessity should incorporate the uniqueness of the dome. The dome has a shoddy location, amidst acres of parking, in a relatively isolated area. The location is really detrimental to the structure, so the structure needs to have a use that will compensate for the location. What better use then as a facility where people and families can connect to one another? How often would residents visit a museum? You go once when it opens, and thereafter when there's a special exhibit. I really enjoy museums, but visiting one is not something I do every month. We need a facility that will add to the miniscule number of public spaces available in Houston, one that people can enjoy ALL of the time. In my opinion, Houston is NOT a tourist magnet. On the other hand, creating things that improve the quality of life for residents will also benefit tourism. If you ask me, the entire Reliant complex needs to be redeveloped into something more urbane and pedestrian friendly.
  5. This project sounds really interesting. It could lead to a partial renaissance in uptown, with the recent rail proposal. I think definitely think the developer should go urban, ala Rice Village, but with residential units and even greater retail and commercial density. Buildings with proximity to the street can't help but attract attention. I've been hoping escalating land prices would push developers in this direction, and it seems it has. Now, if we could just get some park space to complement the increased density. The land adjacent to Hildago would be perfect, especially if HISD puts a school there too.
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