Gulfgate Pedestrian Bridge

[sevfiv]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before -- I was looking at some aerial maps of the Gulfgate area and was wondering what the building(s) is/are on the south side of the 610 pedestrian bridge from the mall (in the red triangle). This image is from 1989 but it was all demolished by 2002 when Gulfgate Mall was being overhauled. TIA!

[gnu]

Apologies if this has been mentioned before -- I was looking at some aerial maps of the Gulfgate area and was wondering what the building(s) is/are on the south side of the 610 pedestrian bridge from the mall (in the red triangle). This image is from 1989 but it was all demolished by 2002 when Gulfgate Mall was being overhauled. TIA!

The Gulfgate Twin movie theater. Can't remember what the building was in the very top right corner of the triangle.

Edit: My sister thinks the building on the top right in the triangle (corner of Evergreen) was a gas station. Maybe Exxon.

[NenaE]

I vaquely remember a Western Auto or White's at that location. But I could be wrong. I think they primarily sold automobile tires, but they had bicycles and red wagons too.

The theater sat on a hill, the bldg. you speak of was at ground or street level. The theater property was probably sculpted as needed for bldg. and bridge elevation purposes. Would like to have witnessed the whole mall shopping center as it was being developed, in stages, just to see how it was done. The different levels always fascinated me.

[samagon]

This thread reminded me, they have redone the bridge, it looks really nice.

[NenaE]

http://mall-hall-of-...arch?q=gulfgate

This link shows the movie theater from the Gulfgate parking lot , across 610 South (originally Holmes Rd.). I like those bonsai trees, there was one on each side.

You can see how high it was elevated. Stairs led down from the theater main lobby entrance to a pedestrian pick-up drive at the foot of the bridge. Kids used to roll down the hill for fun.

The original plan was to have medical offices across the bridge. Plans were changed, obviously.

[LTAWACS]

my buddy used to work there.... got some free popcorn... back in the day.

[LTAWACS]

I saw the movie Firefox with Clint Eastwood at that place when the movie came out.

[Hunter]

I also remember seeing the movie "Firefox" there as well and the "Man from Snowy River" #1 as well. There use to be a passenger drop off point just under the pedistrain bridge. My mother use to drop my friends and I off there and we would have fun scrambling up the hill (Of course avoiding the stairs) to the top just to see who could get there first.

[Laura1406]

Here is a recent picture of the new foot bridge.

[dbigtex56]

610 pedestrian bridge

This thread reminded me, they have redone the bridge, it looks really nice.

Here is a recent picture of the new foot bridge.

I wonder how TXDOT (or whichever agency was responsible) was persuaded to include a footbridge at all. Other neighborhoods could have benefitted from such a simple improvement.

[NenaE]

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/2771-gulfgate-shopping-centermall/page__st__50__p__329557__hl__gulfgate__fromsearch__1#entry329557

here's another HAIF thread on Gulfgate, included is a b/w photo of the original bridge design. I liked the shape of the old bridge pillars.

In post #83's postcard you can see a bldg that pre-dated the movie theater, wonder what that was.

[msteele6]

I vaquely remember a Western Auto or White's at that location. But I could be wrong. I think they primarily sold automobile tires, but they had bicycles and red wagons too.

The theater sat on a hill, the bldg. you speak of was at ground or street level. The theater property was probably sculpted as needed for bldg. and bridge elevation purposes. Would like to have witnessed the whole mall shopping center as it was being developed, in stages, just to see how it was done. The different levels always fascinated me.

I watched as Gulfgate was being built in the fifties (as a small child) and I still remember that a huge hill was built up first, on flat ground, I assume that the underground portion of the mall (the store rooms, basements, the auditorium, etc.) were constructed, and then the stores proper were constructed on top of the finished basement construction. Very few buildings in Houston were constructed with basements (the old Sears on Harrisburg comes to mind) and I guess that this method of construction was chosen in order to provide stores with basement storerooms without having to actually excavate. By the way, there were at least two truck entrances that allowed for deliveries to be made under the mall, one on the 610 Loop side and one beneath Joske's.

The main impression of the mall under construction was of the enormous man made hill.

[chicocasanova]

The Gulfgate Twin movie theater. Can't remember what the building was in the very top right corner of the triangle.

Edit: My sister thinks the building on the top right in the triangle (corner of Evergreen) was a gas station. Maybe Exxon.

Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there?

[rsb320]

I watched as Gulfgate was being built in the fifties (as a small child) and I still remember that a huge hill was built up first, on flat ground, I assume that the underground portion of the mall (the store rooms, basements, the auditorium, etc.) were constructed, and then the stores proper were constructed on top of the finished basement construction. Very few buildings in Houston were constructed with basements (the old Sears on Harrisburg comes to mind) and I guess that this method of construction was chosen in order to provide stores with basement storerooms without having to actually excavate. By the way, there were at least two truck entrances that allowed for deliveries to be made under the mall, one on the 610 Loop side and one beneath Joske's.

The main impression of the mall under construction was of the enormous man made hill.

Interesting about the basement. The Midtown Sears also has a basement. Most buildings downtown have basements. Actually, deliveries to Chase Tower are made down under.

[LTAWACS]

Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there?

I think it is.

[Texasepies]

Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there?

Still there.

[Earlydays]

Interesting about the basement. The Midtown Sears also has a basement. Most buildings downtown have basements. Actually, deliveries to Chase Tower are made down under.

...and many of these downtown basements are connected by tunnels.

[DJboutit]

I remember waiting in line waiting at the bridge for the movie theater to see Superman I or was II I can not remembers I was only like 4 to 6

[chicocasanova]

I found a video on youtube.com of someone driving along that section of IH-610:

[DJboutit]

^^^ That video does not even show that bridge the video started at about 610 east & 59 north & went to 225 then east on 225 I never saw this bridge. The funny thing about the video the driver is doing about 85mph I know the video was speed up about 5 times

[jjmcge]

Yep, went over it many times while my parents were shopping. They would go to the mall. I and my friends would go to the theatre. I don't remember what the other building could have been.