Jump to content

Project Green: Mixed-Use Development On Allen Parkway By Hines


editor

Recommended Posts

-National Museum of Funeral History - Houston (good for the Goth kids) B)

On a just-barely-related note: Many people know that Service Corporation International, the world's largest funeral home company, is headquartered in Houston.

What most people don't know is that there is a cafeteria in the basement of their building.

Even fewer people know its nickname is "The Coffin Cafe."

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 12 years later...
On 5/23/2018 at 4:45 PM, wxman said:

They have begun demolition on the old KHOU studios. Sort of sad to see a legacy stations building that's been there since the 50s come down because of Harvey. It's amazing how many scares are still all over Houston.

 

Harvey was the final straw. 

 

The building had flooded in the past, notably prior to this with Allison, though that wasn't nearly on the scale of the more recent storm.

 

IIRC, after Allison it was proposed to the then-owners (Belo) that a floodgate or similar preventative system could be installed to mitigate the risks but cost was a factor and thus it never happened. The current owners (TEGNA, formerly Gannett) pretty much saw all that needed to be seen and decided to invest in a location further away.

 

FWIW, I think all I will miss from that location is the tower & signage. Always liked that they actually kept the 1991-era logo for over a decade after they stopped using it on-air. And seeing the "H-O" blinking during the holidays was a nice touch.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Elseed said:

Anyone know what the land is gonna be used for next? Condos, townhomes, building...

Whatever will be built there, if the city allows the first floor or any of the parking or other infrastructure to be a thing less and 20’ above grade, the City should be held to task.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 8 months later...

Saw them about to build the AT luffer on my way home after my bicycle ride. I stopped to take a pic and one of the guys came up to me and said they were going to fly up a 40,000 lbs chiller on top of the Service Corporation International building. 8 hrs to build the crane out, 30 minutes to do the job and 8 hours to take the crane apart. Expensive job but who wants to work in a building without air conditioning?

 

MtAxeKp.jpg

  • Like 7
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
13 hours ago, hindesky said:

High rise catacombs?😎

I had a studio instructor in architecture school who thought it would be a great idea to turn the old rice silos along Allen Parkway into a columbarium for cremains. I don't think he envisioned individual urns but to just pour ashes into the silos much like the grain had been stored. Novel or bizarre, or both? 🤔

  • Like 4
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

While riding through the Heights several months ago I happened to talk to a guy that worked for SCI. He mentioned that they had plans to build their new HQ's here. He wasn't involved in the planning and didn't know about a timeline. Lots of surveyors stakes all around.

aGWw1ks.jpg

OVpbHDy.jpg

 

Edited by hindesky
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, apendido said:

I hope their caskets can float. 

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, thedistrict84 said:

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

I always assumed they were in the import/export business. Felt like a company George would have made up.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Service Corporation International is an American provider of funeral goods and services as well as cemetery property and services. It is headquartered in Neartown, Houston, Texas. SCI operates more than 1500 funeral homes and 400 cemeteries in 43 states, eight Canadian provinces, and Puerto Rico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Corporation_International

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, thedistrict84 said:

I’ve always found the generic name to be almost sinister, like an evil company in a video game angling to take over the world or something. I guess Service Corporation International has a better ring to it than Dead People ‘r’ Us or whatever.

I find it fascinating that maybe 90% of the population has no idea what industry the company is in, and I’m sure funeral services would be one of the least likely guesses.

When you think about it though, that is pretty much the word for what they do - a service.

"Someday, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me."

Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service  for me - YouTube

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • The title was changed to Service Corp International: New Headquarters At The Old KHOU Ch.11 Site

The guy I talked with in the Heights who works at SCI told me they would demo the old office once the new was complete, wild guess but I assume the old building could be for a future parking garage. Yes, they bought the old KHOU site. The new build will be much taller than the old building and again I assume they will have it built on much higher piers to account for any future flooding.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...