editor

Good luck to them. It's a crappy time to start a news program. Hopefully they're also opening offices in New York and DC.

I think the design would kind of work best set against an open pond, rather than in a channel with banks such as the bayou.

You're right. A rounded basin would work well with the object's basic structure.

It wouldn't be too hard to find a nasty spot along the bayou that needs to be scooped out for pollution, or whatever, and turn it into a man-made lagoon with this thing in the middle.

If only we didn't have that pesky heavy rain and high water table...

Doesn't seem to be a problem for the Amsterdam subway system, which is entirely below sea level.

Or for Houston's own Washburn Tunnel. Or the old Texas City tunnel (RIP).

The whole cliché about "Houston can't have a subway because of rain/Gulf/hurricanes/ZOMG!" was debunked years ago.

When at least when I see this, I know Im in Houston. The Mayan Pyramid up top was a massive risk for the architect but I dont know what it is about it that intrigues me......

It's sad that the neon outline was allowed to degrade into nothing.

When I moved to Houston, about 30% of it was illuminated nightly. Then for a big downtown celebration (the last Power of Houston maybe) it was all turned on, and it was glorious. Then... it was gone.

Occasionally, one segment would light up every few months. Maybe when some janitor accidentally flipped the wrong switch looking for the lights in a storage room. But I only saw the whole thing once.

I've been to the one in Dallas a couple times. It's a cool and popular place. THIS is the type of bar we need in Midtown. This is exciting. They have all the 80's video games and ski ball.

You end up with the 20-somethings banging on the plexiglass tops of the sit-down Pac-Man machines wondering why the giant touch screen isn't responding.

Besides, we can paint the concrete blue or any other color and make concrete designs if they think theyre ugly. The main thing here is to RELIEVE TRAFFIC, not to please the eye, which one way we will try. I dont think its healthy to also build ugly looking elevated anything, so we can use metals or other recycle material to make it more eye pleasing

Or people could just stop staring at it. It's not like they can't turn their head slightly to the left or right and look at something else.

Either way, an elevated rail line would be FAR from the ugliest thing ever constructed in Houston.

As a point of interest, elevating the rails doesn't necessarily prevent accidents. In Chicago, overheight box trucks regularly get their roofs ripped off going under the L. The problem there is the same as in Houston: Ignorant drivers who think that warning signs don't apply to them.

People are also killed in the neighborhoods when drunk or speeding or both and they slam into the track supports.

Houston's soft soil would seem to make underground rail a more appealing and easier option than elevated rail. And it's not like Houston hasn't built transportation tunnels before.

Of course, the ultimate solution, and the only one that makes sense is the teleport. It's 2011 already. Where's my teleporter?

Hermann Park is already kind of crowded. What about putting this in a new lake somewhere? Maybe one along Buffalo Bayou, or the ship channel.

As the professor said, there should be lots of landmarks in Houston. His doesn't necessarily need to be in such a prime location.

Hopefully this happens.

The transit companies in a lot of big cities use their transit property to build real estate, and then use the real estate money to run the transit operations.

Think about the World Trade Center in New York -- owned by the NY/NJ Port Authority.

MTR in Hong Kong has a bunch of developments with thousands of apartments and offices. One of the more recent ones includes a 120-story building.

If it keeps Metro from having to beg the voters/taxpayers for more money, then I'm all in favor of it getting into the real estate business.

College degrees do not create very many jobs.

You are correct. College degrees do not create jobs. But what they do create is choice and opportunity.

Someone with a college degree can choose to go after a wider range of white and blue collar jobs than someone with only a high school degree.

That doesn't mean a particular person with a high school degree doesn't have certain smarts or experience or whatever that makes him better qualified for a job than another particular person with a college degree. But when someone in an HR office is going through hundreds of resumes for a handful of jobs, in 99% of the cases, the high school-only grad is going in the trash. It's not always right, but it is a fact of life. And there's no point in limiting your own career path.

For some, a college degree defines who they are. For others, it's just another bullet in the arsenal that is their resume and life experience. Either way, it's better to have more bullets than fewer.

bad news, this is a waste. we need brt

As someone who rides BRT, and may soon ride its successor "ExpressBus", I can tell you that BRT isn't all that great. It's good for some situations, but is far from a magic pill for traffic ills.

Qantas is starting DFW-Sydney service in May:

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/qantas-dumps-san-francisco-route-adds-dallas-20110114-19qfr.html

Strange that Qantas would drop SFO, unless it's consolidating at LAX, or something. People on the west coast don't seem to mind running down the coast to connect through Los Angeles on trans-Pacific flights. But if you told a New Yorker they had to connect in Atlanta to get to Europe, they'd scream bloody murder. Maybe because the west coast shuttle runs (LAX, SFO, PDX, SEA on Alaska and Virgin mostly) go farther than the east coast shuttles do (BOS, LGA/EWR, DCA on Delta, US Airways, and Amtrak).

I recently noticed that there is a Houston app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Looks like it's intended for tourists (cue the "Houston-don't-need-no-stinking-tourists" crowd).

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/houston-travel-companion/id380351711?mt=8

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2011/01/07/AR2011010704542_2.html

The typical meal in Houston runs $32.50, more than $2.50 cheaper than the national average. Plus, the city is flexing its cultural muscle (the Houston Zoo just unveiled its African Forest exhibit), and encouraging tourists to explore to their heart's content with the Houston CityPASS, which offers access to any combination of six attractions—Space Center Houston, Houston Aquarium and Museum of Fine Arts included—for $39 (a bargain when you consider that a similar pass goes for anywhere from $64 in San Francisco to $79 in New York).

There's plenty of cheap land on Main Street. Why not build Mainstreet America on Main Street, Houston?

West Texas is its own reason to drive to west Texas. As for Juarez, among the most dangerous cities in the world, I don't doubt that inspiration might be found there. I'd just rather find out about it from this side of the border.

If a doughy white boy like me can survive a day in Juarez, I think an Internet Tough Guy™ like you should have no problems.

I don't have a solution for you because I've been Microsoft-free for 11 years now. But out of curiosity, which pieces of software are you trying to run on Windows that don't have Mac equivalents?

Imagine that you own a well-located corner lot (50' x 100'), and you really like the location and neighborhood (in general). You got it owner-financed on terms that a bank would never have given, so you wouldn't be inclined to flip it for a better lot. ...but there's a known heroin house two doors down and a bar that is two blocks over which attracts a rough crowd.

You decide to build and live in this (2) (3). My preference is something less fru-fru, but details are unimportant. It's the shape/size/configuration that is relevant.

Your motivation is to preserve your open space, but at the same time shut it off from the world. You neither desire that passers-by know what is behind your fence or that they might be tempted to trespass to find out.

Site configuration is entirely up to you, however easements prevent you from placing any structure within 25 feet of the 50-foot bit frontage or within 10 feet of the 100-foot frontage. Also, a six-foot tall solid iron fence with spikes on top already wraps the entire property.

Begin.

Sounds like it's time for a field trip.

When I was in Juarez, I saw plenty of homes in the situation you describe: People of means inside, people of lesser means and possibly with ill intentions outside. There were many creative ways this was accomplished, and right in the heart of the city. I don't know if any of the border towns closer to Houston would provide similar study material, but if you've ever looked for an excuse to drive across the desert of West Texas, here it is.

Got this about an hour ago:

----------------

UPDATE: Heights Area Fire

Houston Fire Department Arson investigators located the remains of a second person in the debris of a Heights area home this morning. The remains are yet to be identified pending review by the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The Houston Fire Department was dispatched to the home at 1135 Heights Boulevard just before 4 a.m. on Monday, January 3, 2011. Firefighters arrived on scene at and found the two-story, nine-thousand square foot home engulfed in flames. The intense fire prevented firefighters from making a primary search of the structure.

Nearly 250 firefighters were called to the scene to fight the three-alarm blaze and to protect nearby homes from exposure. The fire was tapped out at 5:30 a.m. .

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Updates will be released as they become available.

I've posted this as a separate topic as well, but here's the press release from Metro about getting the federal thumb's up on North and Southeast lines, and construction being underway.

----------------

METRO BEGINS 2011 WITH FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR RAIL EXPANSION WORK

Contractors Mobilized, Work Begins

The NEW METRO received formal notification from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that critical new construction work can begin on the North and Southeast rail lines. The notification, in the form of “Letters of No Prejudice,” also means that METRO can expect to receive federal reimbursement for about half the cost. The anticipated letters were received on December 28 and contractors have already begun work.

Construction activity for the North Line includes the start of communications duct banks, concrete pavement, sidewalks and asphalt paving on Fulton Street from Cavalcade to IH – 610, and from Boundary to Collingsworth. In addition, construction can begin on the new bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad and the retrofit of the Main Street Bridge at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Work on the Southeast Line includes the start of communications duct banks, concrete pavement, sidewalks and asphalt paving on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd from Winnetka to just north of Griggs Road and on Scott Street from Polk to Coyle.

Also as part of the North Line project, new construction activity will occur at METRO’s Rail Operations Center at Fannin South, including installation of tracks for rail vehicles in the maintenance yard, construction of an expanded parking lot for maintenance vehicles and expansion of the building.

Gilbert Garcia, METRO Chairman, commented on the federal approval: “We see this as one more indication that the FTA is increasingly confident in how the NEW METRO does business. Getting the FTA’s approval to keep the rail projects moving is a great way to begin the New Year.”

METRO President & CEO, George Greanias, responded: “This latest federal approval is advantageous for several reasons. Not only does the new construction activity push the rail projects ahead, but the work also reduces the time neighborhoods are disrupted by incomplete roadwork and sidewalks.”

The cost of the above work, estimated at $12.5 million, was approved by the METRO Board in December as an addition to the fiscal year 2011 METRORail expansion budget.

--------------------------

Since construction is underway, I'm going to change the thread title.

METRO BEGINS 2011 WITH FEDERAL APPROVAL FOR RAIL EXPANSION WORK

Contractors Mobilized, Work Begins

The NEW METRO received formal notification from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that critical new construction work can begin on the North and Southeast rail lines. The notification, in the form of “Letters of No Prejudice,” also means that METRO can expect to receive federal reimbursement for about half the cost. The anticipated letters were received on December 28 and contractors have already begun work.

Construction activity for the North Line includes the start of communications duct banks, concrete pavement, sidewalks and asphalt paving on Fulton Street from Cavalcade to IH – 610, and from Boundary to Collingsworth. In addition, construction can begin on the new bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad and the retrofit of the Main Street Bridge at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Work on the Southeast Line includes the start of communications duct banks, concrete pavement, sidewalks and asphalt paving on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd from Winnetka to just north of Griggs Road and on Scott Street from Polk to Coyle.

Also as part of the North Line project, new construction activity will occur at METRO’s Rail Operations Center at Fannin South, including installation of tracks for rail vehicles in the maintenance yard, construction of an expanded parking lot for maintenance vehicles and expansion of the building.

Gilbert Garcia, METRO Chairman, commented on the federal approval: “We see this as one more indication that the FTA is increasingly confident in how the NEW METRO does business. Getting the FTA’s approval to keep the rail projects moving is a great way to begin the New Year.”

METRO President & CEO, George Greanias, responded: “This latest federal approval is advantageous for several reasons. Not only does the new construction activity push the rail projects ahead, but the work also reduces the time neighborhoods are disrupted by incomplete roadwork and sidewalks.”

The cost of the above work, estimated at $12.5 million, was approved by the METRO Board in December as an addition to the fiscal year 2011 METRORail expansion budget.

It's too bad that the mayor of Houston doesn't have veto powers over skyscraper design. I know of one city where anything over 14 stories needs to meet with the mayor's asthetic approval to be built. At least then we'd have a name to hold responsible, and not some faceless company.

Don't just rely on the city to fix the problem. It obviously upsets you, so it probably upsets your neighbors, too. Organize. I'm sure HPD will help you set up a Neighborhood Watch.

If you had five people who would spend an evening or two a week sitting outside that house waiting to report anything suspicious, the people who live inside it might get the message that the neighborhood has changed, and move on.

You could also post photos of the property here, and elsewhere on the internet. Post information from the public records about who the owner is. Shame can be a motivating force.

Invite a city councilcritter or two to have a cup of coffee and a walking tour of the block. Seeing it in person, on foot, will create a memorable impression that might get some movement.

Make sure all the streetlights work in the area. If not, get it touch with the utility company or whichever party is responsible for lighting that block. Light is a great disinfectant.

Think about how people in The Heights would handle it. What makes them different, and more successful, than other residents is that they actually mobilize and DO stuff, and don't just complain about things.

I'm stating discussions for a new 30,000SF Office building in the Museum District and the topic of LEED certification came up. The commissioning and documentation fees are almost 15% of the entire design and engineering budget, not including what the USGBC will charge for their portion.

My question is: 1. Is this worth it? 2. Would this money be better spend towards "greening" the building without pursuing LEED certification(Spend the money towards hard assets instead of documents)? 3. Does a LEED certification mean anything to future tenants, buyers, lenders?

I'm no expert in the filed, but from what I've observed, it's something to think about.

Large developers and REITs are spending millions of dollars to turn their old office buildings into LEED-certified buildings. There must be a reason they're doing so. I would think it has to do with tax credits, charging higher rents, or something money-related. I simply don't believe that Hines would spend eight figures on an old building just for the warm fuzzies of a LEED certificate.

In residential, I know that on the west coast, the few LEED-certified apartment and condo buildings are pushing that hard as a selling feature. Even non-LEED "green" buildings are using that as a big selling point, often the #2 or #3 item on the bullet list.

I would assume that making a building LEED-certified would be cheaper from the outset than retrofitting it later. But that's really something for you to discuss with your architect.

Perhaps it simply is that a bookstore of that size can't be supported, but that doesn't mean another business can't make a better go at it.

Bookstores in general are having a tough time. Even the huge chains. Brentano's is long gone. Borders is closing hundreds of stores, even profitable ones. Barnes and Noble is looking for someone to buy the whole chain. And either Borders or B&N or both are in bankruptcy. The big chains thought CDs and DVD sales were going to save them. Then iTunes and Netflix blew that out of the water.

Amazon built a coffin for bookstores. The iPad and Kindle are driving the nails into it. Opening a Books-a-Million in downtown Houston was silly to begin with.

Pretty soon there will only been neighborhood and specialty bookstores left. For Christmas I gave my wife a gift certificate to a bookstore that only sells mysteries. It doesn't look like it's doing well financially, but I think it's important to support local businesses.

In short, I don't think it has anything to do with Houston or downtown or the Pavillions. It's just a crappy time to open a buggy whip boutique.