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University Breaks Ground on $3M Arts Center By Jennifer D. Duell HOUSTON-Cultural art lovers today will celebrate the groundbreaking of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, a $3-million undertaking tied into the $4.5-million expansion and renovation of the Wortham Theater Complex. An official groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today in the Fine Arts Quadrangle at entrance 16 off Cullen Boulevard. The center, which will be housed in the Wortham Theater Complex, will include exterior and interior work to enhance the lobby space of the existing facility, provide office area for the Mitchell Center and add new rehearsal space. "It will be a nice addition to the campus," says John Dennis, project manager for Dallas-based Cadence McShane Corp., which is in charge of the expansion and renovation. San Antonio, TX-based Lake/Flato Architects Inc. is providing architectural services for the center's demolition, renovation and construction. Dennis tells GlobeSt.com that the project will take about nine months to finish and will require 35 to 50 construction professionals to complete. Cadence McShane will initially demolish the interior of the existing performing arts center and reconstruct 15,000 sf on two floors. The area will house classrooms plus ballet practice and rehearsal rooms. "There's a lot of wood paneling, acoustical plasters, stainless steel window frames, metal panels and cut stone," Dennis describes. "[The renovations] really complement the existing building." While the theater itself will retain the name Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre, the building as a whole will be renamed to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. The project was funded primarily by a $20-million gift from George and Cynthia Mitchell, along with a grant from the Wortham Foundation and Allen Becker. The center will create a collaborative alliance of the university's premier academic and arts departments in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The alliance weds the art department, Blaffer Gallery, creative writing program, Moores School of Music and the theater school.

Rice announced the $30 million gift for College #11, Duncan College. Along with new residential college #10, McMurtry College, there will be two new LEED certified buildings for Rice (and its first Gold certification). http://www.media.rice.edu/media/NewsBot.as...;SnID=417075778 http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...63&ana=e_du

A few things I saw while driving through campus.

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I'm teaching out at San Jacinto Community College right now, and there are a few big things rumbling. I figured it was close enough to Houston city limits and big enough a building to satisfy the tacit requirements for threads here. This is the building they're currently at work on.

New Dental Hygiene & Counseling Center (Jones Hall) – Texas Womans University https://www.virtualbx.com/bid-bulletin/new-dental-hygiene-counseling-center-jones-hall-texas-womans-university/ Scope of work includes relocating the existing third-floor counseling department to the second floor of Mary Gibbs Jones Hall and relocating the dental clinic from MCL building to Mary Gibbs Jones Hall; renovation of approx. 35,186 SF of dormitory space into dental hygiene clinic and counseling clinic, including exterior renovation, public plaza, and other work, within an existing 3-story, partially occupied, approx. 64,370 SF building.

Went to Houston Baptist University today to visit the Lee and Grant exhibit. http://www.hbu.edu/hbu/About_HBU.asp?SnID=141925366 http://www.hbu.edu/hbu/MOSH_Lee_Grant_Exhibit.asp To be honest, I was not aware that this campus even existed until I looked up where the exhibit was located. I'm not from here originally. They would not let me take any photos of the exhibit. Pissed me off because this was the reason why I took my camera. So, afterwards I walked around this small campus and took some photos of the buildings. (the campus is located in the middle of the triangle created by the intersections of Beechnut, Fondren and I-59) Here they are: Adios

Former Bryan Air Force Base to be transformed into multimillion-dollar research hub and education center over next few years (May 2, 2016) Other links: Multi-million dollar research facility to anchor Riverside Campus hub Full steam ahead for RELLIS RELLIS Campus is an exciting project for Texas A&M, this community Texas A&M System breaks ground for first RELLIS facility RELLIS Campus showing signs of its commitment to the future

I attended this school around 1949-1951. It was in a separate building on the periphery of the main University of Houston campus. Our productions were presented in the Cullen Auditorium, very big deal for little kids. My first big play was "Pinocchio" and starred Robert Foxworth, the one among us who acquired actual success in show biz. Yes, I had a mad crush on him at the time, he didn't know I existed. Our leader, director, teacher was an exotic woman named Kiki Gray, whom we adored. Her husband, Charles Gray was guest Director at the original Alley Theatre (in the round) and went on to become one of the earliest Station Managers at Channel 2. He gave my mother and I tickets to all the Alley dress rehearsals, which was thrilling and later gave us a private tour of the new KPRC-TV building on Post Oak. A long shot, but has anyone here heard of this or possibly attended? Shouldn't mix things up, but old Frontier Fiesta just came to mind. Anyone frolicking there around 1953-54? My cousin, 6 years older, was a Frosh in '53 and the whole family went. I think his parents were a little shocked at how bawdy it all was, but we kids loved it. Kenny Rogers headlined one of the shows, though he was still locally known only at the time. Quality stuff and ultimate fun. Okay, so I'll lump all the show business in one post. How about the Larry Hovis Trio? Although he went on to fame in Hogan's Heroes, I'll always remember the super performances of his musical group at civic events and cocktail lounges through early 1960's.

great school or greatest school?

For the past 25 years Texas Southern University has been a joke. The school has no real admission standards (no ACT or SAT required for entry), its administrators are constantly caught up in verifiable scandal, and the school is constantly in financial trouble. The article below id further evidence of this. The alumni who have gone on to succeed after graduation have probably done so IN SPITE OF, rather than because of the value of a Texas Southern University Degree. Barbara Jordan would be outraged and probably hanging her head low right now. I challenge all TSU alumni, administrators, faculty, students, and Houstonians in general to show some pride and demand better from this institution, otherwise I'm all for a "hostile takeover" by U of H or another state school. Drastic times call for drastic measures. ______________________________________________________________________________ Jan. 26, 2007, 12:58AM Perry orders regents to fix TSU finances 'Not happy' with the officials, governor gives them up to 45 days to plan By POLLY ROSS HUGHES AND MATTHEW TRESAUGUE Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle AUSTIN — Startled by the depth of Texas Southern University's multimillion-dollar financial woes, Gov. Rick Perry has ordered its board of regents to start making "tough decisions" to fix the problems or resign. "It can't be a Mickey Mouse deal," Perry spokesman Robert Black told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday. "It can't be a Band-Aid." In private meetings last week, Perry demanded that TSU's regents come up with a concrete plan within 30-45 days to start fixing problems plaguing the university's finances this year. Next week, the terms of three of TSU's nine regents expire, giving Perry the opportunity to name new members. Perry also plans to announce a blue-ribbon panel that will develop a long-term plan for TSU, including defining its academic mission. One fear, which the governor's office said it hopes to avoid, is that TSU would be merged into another university. Houston Democrats Sen. Rodney Ellis and Rep. Garnet Coleman underscored the importance of protecting the historically black university and keeping it independent. They noted its long history in shaping Houston's black middle class. "TSU is in the neighborhood where I grew up. It isn't just an institution I represent," Coleman said. "It's more than that. TSU represents some of the best of black Texas and black Houston." Ellis said he is a graduate of the university, along with political notables including the late U.S. Reps. Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland and lawyer and former U.S. Congressman Craig Washington. Ellis, complaining that Texas' two historically black universities have been underfunded since their inception, said he hopes Perry's actions will prove positive for TSU. "I'm glad he's stepping up to the plate," he said. "Let's hope he's correcting that historical wrong." Yet, with TSU asking the Legislature for millions in emergency funds and financial help while its money matters are "in shambles," Black said, lawmakers are apt to lose patience. "It can't be the same old, same old. They're going to have to make the hard decisions to correct these issues," he said. . . Read the rest of the article here.

Has this been posted before? On google maps the ring road already exists http://www.jpra.com/thegrand.html

Docomomo US Diversity Tour John Chase, FAIA, Texas Southern University and the Third Ward Houston Mod invites you to join us Sunday, October 13, 2019 for a walking tour of the Texas Southern University Campus at 2:30 PM and Self-guided driving tour of the Third Ward Walking Tour Start South side of TSU East Parking Garage - 3711 Cobb Street (enter parking garage from Tierwester Street, north of Cleburne Street; fee $1/hr up to $3 max; usually free on Sundays) Martin Luther King, Jr. School of Communications (1969) John S. Chase FAIA (1925 - 2012) was from Baltimore, Maryland. After serving in WWII, he earned a degree in architecture from Hampton University in Virginia. In 1952, he earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Texas, becoming the first African American person to do so. He soon became the first registered African American architect in Texas. Unable to find work, he started his own firm, specializing in the design of churches and houses. His early work was inspired mostly by Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian ideals. He moved to Houston to accept a position at Texas Southern University, the beginning of his involvement with the campus. Through his office in Houston, he designed a number of buildings for the TSU campus, where the largest collection of his work can be found. John Chase’s legacy extends beyond his own work. As a founding member of NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) in 1971 and throughout his long career, he continued to advocate for and support minority architects. Texas Southern University Campus Walking Tour: Come join us and tour the heart of the TSU campus and view the buildings designed by John Chase that established a new direction for the campus master planning and architecture in the 1960s. We will start at the East Parking Garage (Smith & Company 2006) and walk south to the Thurgood Marshall School of Law (John S. Chase 1976). At the entrance to the central campus plaza, we will pass by the newest campus building, the Library Learning Center (Moody Nolan 2019). The tour extends west to the first campus building, Fairchild Hall (Cato, Austin, Evans 1947), home to the University Museum (founded 2000). Prominent art pieces by internationally renowned African American muralist painter John T. Biggers and sculptor Carroll Harris Simms are on display in the Museum and on the campus. Following the TSU Walking Tour, we encourage you to take the Self-Guided Driving Tour of the Third Ward (map will be available online). On the tour you will see buildings designed by John Chase including churches and residences. Additional prominent Third Ward sites designed by other architects are also highlighted.

I'm surprised I wasn't able to find this on HAIF. I ran a few searches, but nothing came up. Apologies if this is a repeat thread... Swamplot reported in May that the Univ. of St. Thomas will be building a new performance arts center near the Menil campus. The article indicates that the building will be four stories and just under 100k square feet. Here's the accompanying rendering: University of St. Thomas's Performing Arts Center Moving in Next to Menil Campus

I am a graduate student at SHSU, and I've noticed a few quite large construction projects going on around campus. The one large enough to cause a furor in some places in Houston in the South Residential Complex, which I snapped a few pictures of today. Though doing some research I found some renderings and pictures. (http://www.shsu.edu/dept/facilities-management/south-residential-complex.html) My pictures are of a much more finished structure.

Improvements include: New exterior signage with improved lighting to increase building visibilityNew first-floor lounge and enclosed patio on south endRemodeled atrium and entrance corridorNew glass entrance vestibule with upgraded front deskAdvanced swipe-card security system at entranceLiberty Bell relocated to atrium for student celebrationsLarger digital information monitors for up-to-date announcements and informationBefore: https://www.google.com/maps/@29.753117,-95.3654,3a,75y,99.71h,81.23t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sHu6ALxOzWNg-TT7wiWTXew!2e0!6m1!1e1 Proposed: More renderings/info: http://www.stcl.edu/construction/index.html

Stumbled across this on PGAL architecture's website. https://www.pgal.com/projects/texas-am-university-at-galveston-academic-building-complex-phase-1

Press Release: http://www.ci.rosenberg.tx.us/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=8235 Chron bit: http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/fortbend/news/article/Rosenberg-area-picked-as-site-of-technical-college-6207455.php (Unsurprisingly, they got the location wrong. The intersection they mention doesn't even exist in reality.

Work in Progress. Please Stand By

I was cruising through Scotch's imgur album of Kyle Field pics and saw this. It looks like there is a basement component (or another pool) to the expansion off the old weight room area. This place was pretty nice when they opened it in '95, still would be if they kept it up. It's going to be a palace. Long way from Deware Field House.

Apparently one of the options coming out of the Populous Group design study. I don't have any more information...

Some people were talking in another thread about the current "arms race" going on amongst major universities. Some of us are fresh out of college (or maybe still in school) who have seen the arms race first hand, others are older and have watched from a different perspective as their alma mater jumped into this ongoing competition for the finest facilities. What are everyones feelings on the arms race? Is it good for the schools? Which Texas school is winning this race?

Lone Star College is slated to begin construction on a new Creekside Satellite Center at the southwest corner of Kuykendahl and New Harmony Trail. The campus will be just southwest of the new Creekside Village Center currently under development.

http://texasleftist.blogspot.com/2014/04/msnbc-coming-to-texas-southern.html “NOW with Alex Wagner” will broadcast live at 3 p.m. CT from Texas Southern’s University Plaza, near the Tiger Walk, just in front of the Sterling Student Life Center. MSNBC hosts and contributors will also be onsite for meet and greets with fans from noon to 7 p.m. local time. Growing Hope is a MSNBC initiative that invites viewers to engage with the brand and share their hopes for change around issues that impact their communities. The “Growing Hope” series will include live events, online activations and special on-air programming. By sharing hopes online, at events, and through social media, the MSNBC audience can grow together as a community with the power to make a difference. The MSNBC space was one of the most popular at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans last year, remembers TSU Associate Vice President Eva Pickens. “People from all walks of life were tweeting their hope for America, then running to take pictures as their statements showed up across the reflection pond. It was very interactive and exciting to see. Of course, we expect hundreds of thousands to show up at Texas Southern as well. We are definitely inviting everyone and planning for a huge audience.” They just did a cut-in from campus in an earlier news show as well.

I think there was once an HP building on this site that was demo'd a few years back but my memories are vague.