diggity Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Yeah, Wanda is getting some wine bar on her side of Shepherd, and Pam screws residents of her constituency on the her side of Shepherd. The ladies were workin' the strip today. wink.gif(I'm not a moderator, so I'm callin' them out, dbigtex56 tongue.gif ).it doesn't sound like the neighbors were too upset about the compromise. Again, much ado about nothing.This was a good solution, and we disagree with the notion that Weingarten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 it doesn't sound like the neighbors were too upset about the compromise. Again, much ado about nothing.Not sure if I follow you. How does one determine whether there's a consensus among the neighbors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggity Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 (edited) Not sure if I follow you. How does one determine whether there's a consensus among the neighbors?the organization who brought the complaint against Weingarten's variance request (www.stopshepherdnoise.org) met with the company and they came up with the compromise. The headline of their website now reads Weingarten modifies its variance request with support of neighbors; Commission approves modified buildingMaybe not every neighbor was pleased is the compromise, but it seems that the group in question is. Edited January 13, 2009 by diggity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 So much for the all the hubbub over a wine bar:Tony Vallone is scrapping plans to open the bistro/wine bar in the new shoppping center. He cites the economy.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6231839.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 black eyed pea anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 27, 2009 Share Posted January 27, 2009 Or Three Brothers...too bad all that money spent to rebuild (plus the already high rents) will price out most everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Or Three Brothers...too bad all that money spent to rebuild (plus the already high rents) will price out most everyone.I remember a few years ago when someone at Weingarten talked about how those of us in the neighborhood should be grateful and excited that we would be getting a Barnes & Noble there, along with other nationally known anchor stores. Yippee. Maybe they can put an Applebee's there.I'm sorry to hear that it won't be a Vallone restaurant. I think Tony and Jeff working together would have produced a great place and I was looking forward to getting tanked on the controversial balcony. The bummer here is that whatever replaces it will probably not be as good, and may not be local. I suppose we could always use another Taqueria though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Ouch. So now it appears we lost a historic structure for what will turn out to be somewhat of a spec strip mall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memebag Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Ouch. So now it appears we lost a historic structure for what will turn out to be somewhat of a spec strip mall?I'm betting we lost my favorite Black-eyed Pea for what will turn out to be an empty strip mall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I'm betting we lost my favorite Black-eyed Pea for what will turn out to be an empty strip mall.Don't be so gloomy. They'll have the bookstore to anchor it, and I heard Lawry's Prime Rib might take the restaurant spot. They could add some huge video screens and they'll have a "Lids" and maybe "American Apparel" will finally take that spot across the street.... Oh wait, wrong strip mall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I have to admit, it would be kind of bittersweet if this redevelopment turns out to be a big failure for Weingarten. At least then I can laugh about the fact that they destroyed an historic structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I'm getting a flash-forward of myself in 10-12 years in my jammies some Saturday morning reading about the closure of this Barnes & Noble on my Kindle 9.0 in the wake of mega big box bookstores going the way of the discount showroom, video rental outlet and chain record store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumapayam Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 So much for the all the hubbub over a wine bar:Tony Vallone is scrapping plans to open the bistro/wine bar in the new shoppping center. He cites the economy.http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6231839.htmlChronicle links are SO lame.sigh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I heard that the wine bar slot is now going to be a Starbucks. Also, the Landmark River Oaks Theater is going to be ousted and replaced with, you guessed it, a Starbucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I think the entire River Oaks Shopping Center should be replaced with nuts-to-butts Starbucks, like Limehouse opium dens in Victorian London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I think the entire River Oaks Shopping Center should be replaced with nuts-to-butts Starbucks, like Limehouse opium dens in Victorian London. Heck, forget the Starbucks and line the center with opium dens! Think of all the hipsters slouching around in a daze, drooling on their messenger bags....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 That would sure take the edge off of visiting my mother-in-law.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Didn't I hear Starbucks were cutting jobs - something like 1000 nationwide? I guess Houston must be one of their better markets if they are piling in here with more stores, and that intersection must have some of the highest concentration of disposable income in the city. Why wouldn't they fill their boots? Personally I don't see what all the fuss ius about - gimme a decent cuppa tea any day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Personally I don't see what all the fuss ius about - gimme a decent cuppa tea any day.Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyphen Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I heard that the wine bar slot is now going to be a Starbucks. Also, the Landmark River Oaks Theater is going to be ousted and replaced with, you guessed it, a Starbucks.Is this true? Where did you hear it? What about the Bookstop on Alabama? Anyone know its fate?Chronicle links are SO lame.sigh.OH, they are! What is the deal with the Chronicle??? NONE of the other Texas papers have this problem. Why can't they name a link instead of number it? I'm guessing they re-use the numbers for some weird reason? I really don't get it. Don't they realize it hurts readership not being able to read a link after it expires? And it expires pretty quickly, so they direct you to find it ih the archives, but their search NEVER works, so you have to go to the cached page. It's crazy!!! I think I'm going to write a strongly worded letter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Some photos from late May: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 (edited) ^ What a bunch of crap...and I mean just that! This new building lacks cohesion in its exterior design, rather it looks like a jumble of over-used and unrelated design cliches plastered onto a retail shell. The design is unnecessarily busy, and the building appears cluttered before any signage has been put up. It's a shame, since the beauty of the original buildings lied in their sleek and uncomplicated aesthetic.Edit: Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that there wasn't too much thought put into these buildings. What's with the stucco control joint going through the middle of the can light on the second floor balcony? Edited June 11, 2009 by Dan the Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wernicke Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I'm with Dan... I don't like it either, particularly the brown/tan tile exterior. And they are probably going to carry on with a similar design as they destroy the rest of River Oaks Shopping Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 It reminds me of the many two-story strip mall complexes going up around the Westchase area, off of Bellaire.http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source...173.25,,0,-0.71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arivechi Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 why wouldn't they keep with the B&W theme of the rest of the block? what's with the tan and browns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Those tiles are awful, and a lot more ugly up close and personal. The photos don't do them justice. When you see the west side of the building coming up to it from Shepherd, it looks like giant, beige plaid golf shorts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 why wouldn't they keep with the B&W theme of the rest of the block? what's with the tan and browns?I know. I mean things have to get bigger, I expect that, but what was wrong with the black and white thematic elements throughout the shopping center? I liked that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 How can y'all not like it? I mean, it has a curve and everything! This thing is awful. Thanks, Weingarten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I know. I mean things have to get bigger, I expect that, but what was wrong with the black and white thematic elements throughout the shopping center? I liked that.Disappointing to say the least. I understand things get replaced, but it's polite to replace them with something that is as interesting as what was there. This fails. It has nail salon/day spa tenant all over it and ought to have one of those terrible names like "Vaguely Tuscan Unincorporated Harris County Style Strip Mall at River Oaks." 3 to 1 says the dry cleaner is on a downstairs corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Even though this is technically North Montrose (NoMo ) it's got the River Oaks name. Judging from this design, I guess we can refer to River Oaks as a suburb of Houston once again. Weingarten should have come up with something a little more unique for this location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 A lot of us could utter a general "Told ya so!" at this point, but there would be no satisfaction in it. I had fervently hoped that Weingarten Realty would surprise everyone. I have no idea what I must have been smoking when I thought that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 A lot of us could utter a general "Told ya so!" at this point, but there would be no satisfaction in it. I had fervently hoped that Weingarten Realty would surprise everyone. I have no idea what I must have been smoking when I thought that. An article about bookstop closing and moving to the new building. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/heights/news/6558890.html After stating that they have no plans to redo anything else and are fine with the status quo, the Weingarten rep delivers this gem... “We're very healthy there and very excited about what's going on there,” Harvey said. “If you disregard the new development section, almost every space in the shopping center is taken.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Tragedy. I adore that Bookstop. It was truly a very unique concept and the layout is just perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 From the article:The decision is less about sales than about offering more at the new store."We're able to add a full range of services that we couldn't retrofit into an old building like this."Is this a joke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Sales are great. Time for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children's area and a full-service Barnes & Noble CaféThey are bringing a coffeeshop. To the notorious West Gray and Shepherd corner with a Starbucks across from the Starbucks. What is wrong with these people?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 But Barnes & Noble has outgrown the Bookstop store, which it acquired in the early 1990s, he said. “Operationally, it doesn't bear much resemblance to what we usually have,” he said. That's precisely why it was a fun place to shop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 ^Exactly. And isn't there a coffee shop (or coffee-something) still on the mezzanine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HtownWxBoy Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 I drove by yesterday... I really like the way it looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Oh good grief. Did the Chronicle just have Weingarten's PR department write the article for them? The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children's area and a full-service Barnes & Noble Café to the well-heeled neighborhoods that surround it.Manager Jacques Oppinger, a native of the Inner Loop community, envisions a shared customer base and media tie-ins with the neighboring River Oaks Theater.“Operationally, it doesn't bear much resemblance to what we usually have,” he said.“The decision is less about sales than about offering more at the new store.“We're able to add a full range of services that we couldn't retrofit into an old building like this.”What exactly are the "new services" that weren't in the old Bookstop? This is really a shame, because old movie theaters are extremely difficult to redevelop and keep their historic character. Even if the structure itself survives it is unlikely to end up resembling anything like it is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Oh good grief. Did the Chronicle just have Weingarten's PR department write the article for them? What exactly are the "new services" that weren't in the old Bookstop? This is really a shame, because old movie theaters are extremely difficult to redevelop and keep their historic character. Even if the structure itself survives it is unlikely to end up resembling anything like it is now.For those of us keeping score at home, it looks like they took a building that was near 100% occupancy, and replaced it with a building that they can't get filled up. Suffice to say the plans for the rest of the center are on a long hold. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children's area and a full-service Barnes & Noble CaféThey are bringing a coffeeshop. To the notorious West Gray and Shepherd corner with a Starbucks across from the Starbucks. What is wrong with these people??Louis Black did an entire bit on those particular Starbucks being across from each other. Adding a coffee shop to the Barnes & Noble just makes it more comical. For those of us keeping score at home, it looks like they took a building that was near 100% occupancy, and replaced it with a building that they can't get filled up. Suffice to say the plans for the rest of the center are on a long hold.Maybe there's a lesson here about greed and brazen disregard to the pleas of the communities in which you operate. And maybe fewer people (myself included) will patronize those shops out of spite for Weingarten and their decimation of a local landmark. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Louis Black did an entire bit on those particular Starbucks being across from each other. Adding a coffee shop to the Barnes & Noble just makes it more comical. Yeah a picture of the intersection is on the front of the album for that CD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 All Weingarten did is chase away good tenants.I just hope that Alamo Drafthouse gets into the former Bookstop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 All Weingarten did is chase away good tenants.I just hope that Alamo Drafthouse gets into the former Bookstop.Are they trying to? Because they really need an inner loop location. I don't know what they were thinking with their placement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnmcbarnacle Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Are they trying to? Because they really need an inner loop location. I don't know what they were thinking with their placement.I had alway heard early on that they weren't in the loop simply because the rents were too high for them. This would certainly provide them with a great opportunit to jump in but I wonder if their business model can work with a single screen? I'd love to see this place turn back into a real theatre of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I think coming from Austin they probably thought that they could put a hip theater in any part of town, but Houston doesn't really work the same way.And yeah, I doubt one screen would work for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 The new store brings more books, music and DVD sections, an expanded children's area and a full-service Barnes & Noble CaféThey are bringing a coffeeshop. To the notorious West Gray and Shepherd corner with a Starbucks across from the Starbucks. What is wrong with these people??Lol...it's the end of the universe times three...http://comedians.com...of-the-universeOf course, the real end of the universe must exist on the corner of Post Oak and Westheimer where, if we count the Starbucks in the Galleria (at least 2 that I can think of), you have FOUR on one corner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggity Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 Turns out that they're making the theater move out and replacing it with a combination Gap/Starbucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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