j_cuevas713 Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 (edited) 11 hours ago, por favor gracias said: LOL just got back home after literally sitting on Franklin St for 25 minutes trying to get to 59 North this evening. Not that I won't vote for Metro's plan, and it will absolutely help considering the lack of alternatives, but I know I'm not the only Houstonian who would like to see a less intrusive, faster service transit system here that can really move people. It would have to be either elevated or submerged to be that efficient, and I'm not sure how feasible a subway network around, say, the inner loop area would work, but we do already have a mini-sized one at IAH, plus lots of other underground development in downtown and of course the Galleria. Is that "as far as we can dig?" I'm all for more light rail, I just hate how much our version of it interferes with street/pedestrian traffic. It creates almost as much automobile traffic as it alleviates. If subways aren't feasible, then elevate it. There's going to be 8 million people here in the next 7-8 years and 10 million by 2040....and I really don't want to imagine what traffic is going to be like if we still don't have these kinds of alternatives by then, much less moving forward. Sorry for staying off topic. I think part of what makes Metros plan great is they focused on making it affordable and they made routes that they felt could be permanent and took advantage of having rail run straight to Hobby. And best of all the way they focused on paying for it allows the city to build quickly with no affect to tax payers. That’s a huge deal. The rest of the system is upgradeable. From that point I think Houston will be more accepting for commuter rail to the burbs. What’s interesting is the suburbs, areas that at one time fought public transit, are wanting service. This is a good time to be a Houstonian and see this city develop . Edited February 1, 2019 by j_cuevas713 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angostura Posted February 1, 2019 Share Posted February 1, 2019 7 hours ago, por favor gracias said: LOL just got back home after literally sitting on Franklin St for 25 minutes trying to get to 59 North this evening. Not that I won't vote for Metro's plan, and it will absolutely help considering the lack of alternatives, but I know I'm not the only Houstonian who would like to see a less intrusive, faster service transit system here that can really move people. It would have to be either elevated or submerged to be that efficient, and I'm not sure how feasible a subway network around, say, the inner loop area would work, but we do already have a mini-sized one at IAH, plus lots of other underground development in downtown and of course the Galleria. Is that "as far as we can dig?" I'm all for more light rail, I just hate how much our version of it interferes with street/pedestrian traffic. It creates almost as much automobile traffic as it alleviates. If subways aren't feasible, then elevate it. There's going to be 8 million people here in the next 7-8 years and 10 million by 2040....and I really don't want to imagine what traffic is going to be like if we still don't have these kinds of alternatives by then, much less moving forward. We don't necessarily need grade-separated transit to reduce traffic. Every park-and-ride bus into the CBD represents 40 cars that aren't on the freeway. And having transit is only one piece of the puzzle. People have to actually choose to take it, and this will only happen when alternatives to single-occupany vehicles are either cheaper, faster, or a better experience. Adding MaX lanes on freeways, and more high-comfort buses (with wi-fi, etc.) can help with two of those, but the third (cheaper) needs to come from how we prioritize development in the city. You can't design everything for cars, and then be shocked and dismayed that people use cars to get around. Basically, it needs to be more expensive to park cars (or we need congestion pricing to drive on or inside 610). If we eliminate parking minimums, and encourage an environment in which people EXPECT to pay for parking (which is the case in the areas of the city without mandatory minimums), you get less land area devoted to parking, higher taxable value per square mile and lower vehicle miles traveled per capita (since things are closer together). The higher density will allow some people to live close enough to walk, bike or take local transit (bus, light rail) to work, and pricing parking at the cost it requires to provide it ($200-300/month) encourages transit and carpooling, which in turn reduce the number of vehicles on the freeways. Eventually, you may even get to a level of activity density to justify grade-separated transit. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdog08 Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 (edited) BisNow: Coworking Options Headed To Midway's CityCentre And GreenStreet Quote ..The Amsterdam-based company inked a 63K SF lease at GreenStreet in Downtown and 60K SF at CityCentre in West Houston. The GreenStreet location will serve as a launchpad for innovative, nimble and collaborative companies seeking to take advantage of Houston's emerging Innovation District, Lionstone Investments Vice President Fernando Urrutia said in a release. Fast-growth companies seek the flexibility and collaborative environment curated at Spaces, he said. The Innovation District is a 4-mile district from Downtown to the Texas Medical Center. Last week, Rice University revealed design plans for the former Sears building, dubbed The Ion, which will anchor the district. GreenStreet signed an office lease with MassChallenge, a startup accelerator program... Edited February 17, 2019 by kdog08 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bategeler Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Walked by the Sears building this morning, looks like demo work has started on the interior. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bategeler Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Walked by the Sears building this morning, looks like demo work has started on the interior. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bategeler Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Walked by the Sears building this morning, looks like demo work has started on the interior. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bategeler Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) Walked by the Sears building this morning, looks like demo work has started on the interior. Edited March 6, 2019 by bategeler 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 (edited) - Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Luminare Posted March 9, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted March 9, 2019 This upcoming agenda was pretty light. However, we did get a lot of stuff for "The Ion" @Urbannizer The current title is fine, but we should add "The Ion" to the front of the title. Rough Site Plan showing scope of work: Rough Sectons in relation to the streets: Elevations: 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 So they're keeping the surface lot? I thought they would replace it with a garage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 (edited) 2 minutes ago, cspwal said: So they're keeping the surface lot? I thought they would replace it with a garage From what it seems like it will be in the next phase. They have enough surface parking to forestall construction of one. My guess is that they want to put another building where the existing parking lot right next to the building. Edited March 11, 2019 by Luminare 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Ah that make sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I've been musing as to whether a "Gateway" style project, as is being discussed over the Metro TMC transit center, could work at the Wheeler Transit Center nearby to this along with the vacant lots to the south of I-69 abutting the lightrail tracks. I reckon it'll take completion of a number of other structures after the Ion to promote the kind of density needed to justify such a structure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/03/28/rice-university-president-on-innovation-corridor.html?iana=hpmvp_hstn_news_headline 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post phillip_white Posted March 28, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted March 28, 2019 54 minutes ago, Urbannizer said: https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/03/28/rice-university-president-on-innovation-corridor.html?iana=hpmvp_hstn_news_headline Quote As part of the university's strategic plan, Rice is converting a former Sears building in Midtown into Houston's innovation hub — dubbed The Ion. Last year, Rice said it would spend up to $100 million on the 270,000-square-foot project at 4201 Main St., where startups, investors and corporate partners alike will gather to collaborate in a high-density space. Leebron said that the project is still on track to begin construction in May. Quote Houston-based innovation accelerator Station Houston — which recently restructured into a nonprofit — will run The Ion once renovations are completed in late 2020. Gaby Rowe, CEO of Station Houston, also spoke at the conference and said that the emergence of The Ion is one of the most exciting things happening right now in Houston's innovation ecosystem. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Calling on @rechlin, @CrockpotandGravel - thank you guys! 🙏 https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/04/02/midtown-innovation-district-could-be-about-30.html?iana=hpmvp_hstn_news_headline 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post rechlin Posted April 2, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted April 2, 2019 49 minutes ago, Urbannizer said: Calling on @rechlin, @CrockpotandGravel - thank you guys! 🙏 https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2019/04/02/midtown-innovation-district-could-be-about-30.html?iana=hpmvp_hstn_news_headline Quote Eventually, residential developments could take up about 30 percent of the highly anticipated Innovation District slated for a 16-acre stretch in Midtown. Speakers at the Urban Land Institute Marketplace event March 27 shared plans for what this new destination could look like. Instead of looking like a large-scale corporate headquarters, the Innovation District will be more akin to a college campus: somewhere people can live, work and eat, said Allison Thacker, president and chief investment officer for the Rice Management Co. “These are not new concepts,” Thacker said. “It’s kind of like what you did as a student.” The Ion, the $100 million Innovation District hub set to start construction in May within the walls of the old Midtown Sears, is just the first phase of the much larger concept, speakers said. Houston-based innovation accelerator Station Houston will run The Ion once renovations wrap in late 2020. Rice University controls the land, and Rice Management Co., which manages the Rice University endowment, is overseeing the project. Gaby Rowe, CEO of Station Houston, said she wants to make sure programming lets those “curated collisions” happen, where small startups can sit next to tech-focused corporate giants and the general public can find a place to learn. And programming won’t only cater to young tech workers because the reality in Houston is different, Rowe said. In her time at Station Houston, Rowe discovered the average tech company founder in town is 41 years old. This fall, pilot programs for the public should start inside Station Houston, Rowe said. A mix of two- and four-year institutions — Rice, the University of Houston, UH-Downtown, the University of St. Thomas, Houston Community College, Texas Southern University, Houston Baptist University, San Jacinto College and the South Texas College of Law — are creating those programs. Quote 10 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 3 hours ago, CrockpotandGravel said: ************** Guys and gals, let's try to not to hotlink images from news sites and other websites. Upload them through Imgur or another site or screenshot and upload. I screenshot and upload when I post. ********************** Back to our regularly scheduled program. Right, because stealing copyrighted material is always fun. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 According to a Rice representative’s presentation to the Museum Park NA, the Ion is to open 4th quarter 2020. However, that will be followed by “Phase 1 of the Innovation District” in 2023. Unfortunately, I only have the slides to the presentation and couldn’t make the live version to ask questions. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 On 4/8/2019 at 8:21 PM, houstontexasjack said: According to a Rice representative’s presentation to the Museum Park NA, the Ion is to open 4th quarter 2020. However, that will be followed by “Phase 1 of the Innovation District” in 2023. Unfortunately, I only have the slides to the presentation and couldn’t make the live version to ask questions. Mind posting the presentation here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 13 minutes ago, Urbannizer said: Mind posting the presentation here? https://www.museumparkna.org/resources/Documents/Museum Park Presentation - The Ion Project Overview.pdf 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Based off of that last map, they seem certain that the Metro Next vote will pass with BRT on Richmond. This is extremely exciting for Houston in becoming a tech hub. Now all we need is for TMC3 to take off. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainJilliams Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 Even though BRT won't be quite as nice as light rail would, any rebuild of Richmond is a win. I can't tell you what a pain it is commuting just 1/2 mile down that road. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmitch94 Posted April 12, 2019 Share Posted April 12, 2019 2 hours ago, CaptainJilliams said: Even though BRT won't be quite as nice as light rail would, any rebuild of Richmond is a win. I can't tell you what a pain it is commuting just 1/2 mile down that road. I'm pretty sure the fields of Verdun in 1916 had less holes than Richmond. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 On 4/2/2019 at 4:08 PM, rechlin said: A total flurfhole with amazing potential. thanks for posting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 2 hours ago, jmitch94 said: I'm pretty sure the fields of Verdun in 1916 had less holes than Richmond. Can confirm! Been to Verdun (circa 2007). Routinely travel down Richmond. Richmond has more holes! More a**holes too! In all seriousness Verdun, France is really impressive and immensely somber to visit. Well worth the detour from what might be a more common travel path from Paris to better known provinces. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, CaptainJilliams said: Even though BRT won't be quite as nice as light rail would, any rebuild of Richmond is a win. I can't tell you what a pain it is commuting just 1/2 mile down that road. BRT will be largely automated in the next decade (same with rail), and will be efficient and maneuverable in ways LR isn’t. If traffic is bad busses will re-route thru designated streets, and avoid crashes/obstacles on the routes where possible. Don’t get me wrong I think we need more LR, but the busses will do the job. I do think the rail should serve as a spin with the busses as limbs extending forth.. maybe Station Houston will be the home to the autoBus startup that’ll change things? Edited April 13, 2019 by arche_757 Substance 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted April 13, 2019 Share Posted April 13, 2019 (edited) - Edited July 12, 2019 by Timoric 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinsanity02 Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 1 hour ago, Timoric said: 5G make expensive rail un-necessary with the self-driving vehicles? we already have the pavement ????? Can you explain what you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted April 14, 2019 Share Posted April 14, 2019 Will self 5G driving vehicles swerve to avoid our spectacular collection of potholes or navigate Houston’s embarrassingly broken, third world quality roadways? I mean really...How will this situation and damaged resulting from vehicles be managed? Let alone the occupants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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