Houston Fire Station 8 At 1919 Louisiana St.

[nmainguy]

Ahhh,,,,nice thought,,,firefighters that can recognize a masterpiece. Just suppose they were shown some of these beautiful "modern" examples....heh,,,heh,,,heh................how do you suppose we got what we got??

So much fun.... and suburbs (as you aptly illustrated) have always been victims of our great architectural deed restriction committees, developer guidelines, or etc,.........ooooh full circle to bite us in the rear .....think about that one....makes you want to go into historic demolition!

Actually, a new Headquarters may have a better chance, read between the lines guys ,,,,,,,, no design precedents there.....

havin' a good time!!

Your post is a bit disjointed-not sure what all the commas are for.

Anyway, old #1 was quite avant garde for Houston at the time:

It is now the Landrys Aquarium and all we get is a JiffyLube.

[Jeebus]

Ahhh,,,,nice thought,,,firefighters that can recognize a masterpiece. Just suppose they were shown some of these beautiful "modern" examples....heh,,,heh,,,heh................how do you suppose we got what we got??

So much fun.... and suburbs (as you aptly illustrated) have always been victims of our great architectural deed restriction committees, developer guidelines, or etc,.........ooooh full circle to bite us in the rear .....think about that one....makes you want to go into historic demolition!

Actually, a new Headquarters may have a better chance, read between the lines guys ,,,,,,,, no design precedents there.....

havin' a good time!!

Jesus.. I hope you're not drawing up the plans. Then I really will believe the city chose the lowest bidder.

[Houstonian in Iraq]

This is a bit off topic. Don't recall an open thread so I'll post it here

I noticed the other day that there is a sign on a grassy lot along the rail that says something like future site of Fire Fighting Museum. Is this still what they plan to do with this land. The plot is somewhere near the Greyhound(not positive) on the right hand side if heading to Reliant.

[Jeebus]

They're still raising the capital to start construction. Fortunately its a non-profit, so the city's Building Services Division isn't involved - or else it would end up looking like a CVS pharmacy.

[Ethanra]

Trucks have been busy digging and removing dirt the last few days, maybe construction has begun....

[Montrose1100]

I think it would have been cool to see blue arches, and a cool-colored glass facade. Atleast "Boxy", if anything. That would have blended nice with the area, matching with the METRO h.q., Light Rail, Post Midtown, and all the boxy office buildings.

*edit:

Also, I don't think I'm the only one here who is getting annoyed with the thought of the city being the only excuse to take over surface lots. I mean, its better then nothing, I guess... The Park is great, so is the Pavillions (-if god should ever smile upon us), but this sucks.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Montrose1100

[Jax]

When I was driving home from downtown today, I noticed they seemed to be digging up a lot near Milam and Pierce. It was on my right side as I drove down Milam, right before I crossed the 45. Anybody have an idea what's going on there?

[RedScare]

The new Downtown Fire Station.

[Jeebus]

When I was driving home from downtown today, I noticed they seemed to be digging up a lot near Milam and Pierce. It was on my right side as I drove down Milam, right before I crossed the 45. Anybody have an idea what's going on there?

Did you see the steel frame of a building? If so that was, as Red said, a new fire station. If not (and I say this only because you said specifically "digging up a lot.."), then I have no clue.

Edited June 9, 2007 by Jeebus

[Jax]

I thought I saw them digging something up but I could be mistaken. I drove by kinda quick...

Sorry for the duplicate thread. I searched for it and did not find anything.

[CSOM]

I thought I saw them digging something up but I could be mistaken. I drove by kinda quick...

Sorry for the duplicate thread. I searched for it and did not find anything.

Here's a view of that site a couple weeks ago from the Louisiana side...

[Jax]

Your photo did not work...

[Subdude]

Merged with an existing downtown fire station topic.

[CSOM]

Your photo did not work...

Hmm... it did when I posted it. It was on a free image hosting, likely expired.

[editor]

Added the Downtown Fire Station to the ever-growing list of Houston projects.

[dbigtex56]

Any word on what's to become of the building temporarily housing Fire Station 8 (across the street from this one)?

[DMac]

I searched all throughout the forums to place this request but did not locate one for public safety. Anyway, next time some one is downtown snapping photos may I put in a request for some of the the city's new 9 bay super fire station located @ the corner of Pierce & Louisiana. I believe this is the site of the old historical Borden's Milk & Ice cream Plant. Can't seem to get any info from the HFD group @ Yahoo!

Edited December 27, 2007 by DMac

[ricco67]

The Old Borden site was (if memory serves me correctly) off Capital or Texas on the other side of 59.

The current site of #9 was an old parking lot for as long as I can remember.

[DMac]

On Dec 12th {Sunday} 1983 when the plant blew up itz address @ that time was 1900 milam. Approx. same area when station 8 is today. Itz on the back side of that block {Louisaiana} where new super station is being built. So I'm unclear as to what you mean when you say that it was off Capitol orTexas {way to far north} on other side of Hwy 59. And yes I acknowledge your statement {if memory serves me correctly}.

The Old Borden site was (if memory serves me correctly) off Capital or Texas on the other side of 59.

The current site of #9 was an old parking lot for as long as I can remember.

[neuman]

On Dec 12th {Sunday} 1983 when the plant blew up itz address @ that time was 1900 milam. Approx. same area when station 8 is today. Itz on the back side of that block {Louisaiana} where new super station is being built. So I'm unclear as to what you mean when you say that it was off Capitol orTexas {way to far north} on other side of Hwy 59. And yes I acknowledge your statement {if memory serves me correctly}.

I think that the confusion here stems from the fact that there were two Borden plants in or around downtown. There was a plant east of 59, though I do not recall if it was on Capitol or Texas, that was demolished in the 90's. It was a white, two or three story building with large plaster milk bottles as ornamentation and red metal letters spelling out Borden. I have one of the milk bottles in my back yard and the "O", from Borden, in my attic.

Edited December 27, 2007 by neuman

[dbigtex56]

I searched all throughout the forums to place this request but did not locate one for public safety. Anyway, next time some one is downtown snapping photos may I put in a request for some of the the city's new 9 bay super fire station located @ the corner of Pierce & Louisiana. I believe this is the site of the old historical Borden's Milk & Ice cream Plant. Can't seem to get any info from the HFD group @ Yahoo!

There's a thread dealing with the new Fire Station #8 here.

There's a thread on Borden's here, which you started earlier this month.

Please post replies or photos to the respective thread.

[DMac]

I'm not sure I understand your meaning of additional floors to accomodate more apparatus. I'm pretty sure that when 8's opens you will find that all 8 bays {when looking @ renderings. note that 2 of the bays will have squared doors not framed w/an arch} will have apparatus in them w/some having 2 & 3 each depending on size of apparatus. ALL bays will be quite deep for the reasons just stated. I also thank that when the house goes N2 service that it will be a double house, i.e. 2 of everything {Eng's, Trk's, Medics}+ support, command/ctrl & Chief officers to make up for the fact that located w/n the inner loop HFD has only 1 {a single house} station to accomodate the billions of $'s in high value structures. Any other major city in the country would most likely have a minimum of 3 or 4.

So from the git go the new super house will probably be maxed out w/both apparatus & personnel. There is also a possibility that the configuration of the finished plan will have access for apparatus to respond out onto both Louisiana & Milam. This was a common practice for old central's many years ago when it was located @ the corner of Preston & San Jacinto. I believe there were 6 bays that faced Preston & 4 more that faced San Jacinto. Any way upon completion, 8's will fill a badly needed void downtown, but again Houston is without a central or station #1. HQ's, shops, logistics & 911 are all located on Girard @ Elder, in the shadows of the high canyons. Key Map 493 G&L

Danny

I don't see anything wrong with the design aside from the fact it seems to me they should have made it a multi-story building to allow for more trucks and eqiupment if the need arisis.

Maybe they didn't want any poles to slide down while they were sleepy.

Unlike the other design posted by nmainguy, I WANT a firehouse to look like a firehouse. It's easier for someone that is not from the area to recognize it in an emergency.

Edited December 28, 2007 by DMac

[Jeebus]

I'm not sure I understand your meaning of additional floors to accomodate more apparatus. I'm pretty sure that when 8's opens you will find that all 8 bays {when looking @ renderings.

They probably meant (I'm too lazy to scroll up and read the original post..) that if the firefighters quarters were built over the bays, then you could add that many more bays where the first floor quarters are now.

[DMac]

They probably meant (I'm too lazy to scroll up and read the original post..) that if the firefighters quarters were built over the bays, then you could add that many more bays where the first floor quarters are now.

8's house is really quite large for a fire station. I thank you'd be hard pressed to drive about Harris or any of itz 7 surrounding Cnty's & find an 8 bay house. You will find several 4 & 5, maybe evan a 6, but 8 is rare. I thank Bellaire has some discabobalation of 6 or 8, but I thank that a couple of them are sealed shut. The former 1's @ Bagby/Preston {which is now a restaraunt} had 4 double doors as access to 8 bays, & prior to that were the 10 @ old Central's Preston/San Jacinto. I don't even thank the big airports have that many bays & they house some damned big assed ARFF apparatus, multiples of them.

[musicman]

[texas911]

What an atrocity! I think to make it match the station, the firemen should use horse drawn water pumpers. Red brick in that part of downtown looks totally ridiculous!

[RedScare]

Red brick in that part of downtown looks totally ridiculous!

Yeah, like the brick building across the street.

[texas911]

Which red brick building is across the street? Are you talking about the ones across the Pierce Elevated? Not really part of downtown is it? I stand by my opinion, its atrocious. That's what's wrong with Houston, no one wants to look to the future, there isn't a sense of progress, just badly rehashed styles.

[travelguy_73]

They way I see it, the design firm had two options: Ultra-modern-design-statement or something more traditional with a nod to the past. Not surprisingly, they (and the City) chose the safer route. I find the design to be a bit tame (why not really go retro and mimic a true classic?), but it is certainly not atrocious and better than many of the totally non-descript fire stations across the city.

[ricco67]

My only real disappointment with the firehouse is the fact that they didn't take the opportunity to make it into a fully functional multi storey project that can house support staff offices.

it would have been a great opportunity to allow some of the staff to make their commuting a BIT easier and allow for some additional amenities compared to the isolation of their Dart address.