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Okay, Seriously Now: Project #3


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I can't post the infrareds, Monty, but it's the empty block east of the southbound platform of the Red Line @ Preston Station. To the south is Suedea, Boaka Bar and th Mercury Room. Across Main Street are Opus, M Bar and Saba. Above it is Live! and Subway.

Hope that helps.

How about a fountain with fancy lighting? I realize Market Square is nearby but a city can never have too many public spaces, IMO.

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I like the idea of public space here. It's central to the downtown area, and surrounded by clubs and bars. It seems like a natural gathering spot. I don't think you can compare this spot to other "failed" public spaces...like Market Square, which are poorly designed and in bad locations. I think you would need a lot of private money to make it happen though. Take a stroll through NYC's Central Park. Just about every major attraction has been "generously underwritten with funds from so-and-so". I would like to see more of that in Houston.

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I can't post the infrareds, Monty, but it's the empty block east of the southbound platform of the Red Line @ Preston Station. To the south is Suedea, Boaka Bar and th Mercury Room. Across Main Street are Opus, M Bar and Saba. Above it is Live! and Subway.

Hope that helps.

How about a fountain with fancy lighting? I realize Market Square is nearby but a city can never have too many public spaces, IMO.

I think I remember which one, It just would help with the map, as it did before...

Have a good day! :D

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I'm always the nay-sayer. :( But I just don't think "mixed-use residential" is the highest and best use for every single property. This block is surrounded by bars. Sorry, but not all that many people want to spend their money to listen to drunks hollering at 2 AM and smell stale beer and sick on the sidewalks when they get up in the morning. A hotel might make sense if not for the glut of hotel rooms downtown and the proximity of the Magnolia and Icon hotels. It is those ugly real-life facts that make blocks like this a challenge to develop.

I thought the idea in the old forum of a Deco Diner or Dennys was a good one, although they obviously wouldn't fill the whole block. Maybe a fire station on the Fannin side?

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So far, this is all the retail that is occupied on MAIN STREET ...

Empire Bar

Speakeasy

Blank Canvas Cafe

Bank Jean-Georges

The Whiskey Bar

El Rey

Cava Bistro

St. Pete's Dancing Marlin

F2

Pearl

The Hub

Clark's

Dean's Credit Clothing

Mia Bella

M Bar

Opus

Saba

Sammy's Deli & Snacks

Subway Sandwiches

Live! Sports Cafe

Suede Lounge

Mercury Room

Boaka Bar

Slainte Irish Pub

Mint Lounge

McCoy's Fine Cigars

Cafe Complique

Grasshopper

Shay McElroy's Pub

Chipotle

Java Coast

(future home of) Azuma Sushi & Robata Bar

Sambuca

State Bar

Bossa

Cafe Express

Zula

Flying Saucer

Mantra

The Vault

Barcode

Domino's Pizza

Murphy's Deli

Super Stop Food Market

Downtown Jewelry & Gifts

Metro Restaurant

Rama's African Boutique

Beauty Supply Store

Just A Dollar

(future home of) CVS

(future home of) Stallone's

Payless Shoe Source

Krispy Kreme Donuts

Document Solutions

UPS Store

Jason's Deli

Main Street Food Store

Foley's

The TUNNEL retail...

1600 Smith Flower Shop

ADorn Boutique

Ala Carte Network

Alonti Caf

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I'd like to see a smaller scale hotel development with retail on the first and second floors. Maybe 5-8 floors. Eventually, the bars will fade from this part of Main. It wil be prime for soft good retailers and tourists. Main should eventually be a good mix of retail and restaurants - It's our best hope for a real strip like 5th Avenue or Michigan Ave.

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This looks like a short-term solution block. Let's take the Houston approach and put a couple of fast-food restaurants on this block, or cheap entertainment. I hope the owners would accept a five year lease. It will be properly developed in the future. Let's put anything there in the meantime.

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I wonder if blocks like this ever will be developed. Is it really inevitable? A lot of these blocks, and several large buildings downtown, have been vacant for decades. It is a great thing to see the redevelopment that has occurred, but in many areas there are still 40 years of neglect to overcome. The biggest example is the vacant blocks in the southern part of downtown. I wouldn't be shocked if they remain vacant another 30 years. Of course I hope I'm wrong.

LargeTexas I agree the bars will eventually fade. Nightclub strips generally don't stay fashionable for long. I wonder if there's any way to speed the process up so more balanced development can occur.

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