Eiknujrac

That Bing shot isn't up to date. The whole thing is surrounded by scaffolding, and it looks like they are installing windows. I'll see if I can get a shot later.

So I got this link in an email today:

http://www.gometrora...tm_medium=email

Thought you guys might be interested in it. While exciting for me personally, I am surprised they are building a dedicated transfer station only 2 blocks away from Main Street Square or Preston.

In my own opinion I beleive that METRO is making a mistake by placing the rail on the streets. The rail should have its own right of way or be below or above ground away from the pedestrian and auto traffic. Houston is too big not to have the space for a slim right of way for light rail trains. I just don't think its a great idea.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't getting funding for the current plan already difficult enough? How much more would it have cost to build above or below grade rail?

It seems to me like this is one of the common complaints of people that have or will never use the rail frequently. And then they turn around and complain about how much money Houston is wasting on building rail.

The sign on the door says November 7th.

Looking inside, you can see deli meats and cheeses, and most of the shelves stocked. So hopefully they will actually be opening on that date.

Good luck to the first "big" grocery store in downtown?

Would be nice. I always wonder about these sorts of grand plans though.

I think the thing i like most about this, being that it is actually happening, is the widening of the sidewalks around the pavilions. The building/complex really does need a more inviting exterior, hopefully this will encourage sidewalk seating, etc.

The rest of it, who knows. Would be nice if the Sakowitz building did actual renovate for retail. It's such a bizarre sight to see a building like that, and look inside to only see parking.

Sign is lit:

Their website now lists November 2011 for opening.

Walked by yesterday, and noticed that some of the shelves are already stocked, and they were testing the lighting on the big sign as well.

Will November really be it?

EDIT: Annnnnnddd Here it is:

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-17-11-phoenicia-offers-exclusive-sneak-peek-of-new-downtown-location/

It looks as though they are putting up the final sign in the middle.

There are anchors for the metal awning to extend the whole building, i think.

Will post a picture when I get home, but it seems to be turning out just like the rendering.

http://www.phoeniciafoods.com/locations/downtown-market/

Did we ever figure out what the ground level retail would be? There hasn't been anything of note done to that space that I have seen recently.

There is a new tenant added to the sign outside the front door, can't recall the name though.

Saw announcements for these opening soon:

Restaurant/Bar/Music in the St. Germain (taking over where Zula was):

http://thecapitolhouston.com/

And fresh foods market in the Byrds building (taking over where Byrds market was):

http://www.georgiasdowntown.com/

Will be interesting to see how they do, compared to their predecessors.

Last I heard it was supposed to be sometime in November. I don't think there's much of a mention of it on their website.

I really hope they're able to be successful in that location, I think it will be a great addition to the area.

I don't think the pricing is the problem right now.

For me, its the fact that the majority of the spots around my building are currently blocked off due to construction (they put those slip covers over the ticket machines).

Also, somehow valet companies get to buy off entire blocks in the evening, preventing you from using even more spots.

I would love for visitors to be able to pay the 6 dollars for the entire day, but finding street parking right now can be very frustrating.

Here's a question for someone, if they know:

If I park my car on a street (e.g. Travis across from the Rice Lofts) in the afternoon (say 2pm) that gets blocked off in the evening for valet, are they allowed to tow it?

The subtitle of this thread reads "Opening December 2010"

That's funny.

Well, that's a bummer.

As someone who lived close by, it was nice to be able to get milk and bread without having to get into my car.

I will admit though, they always seemed to be dropping certain items from their inventory. When it opened they had produce, deli meats and cheeses, milk, juice, etc. It was nice for a little while. However, for a regular customer, it was sort of like a guessing game going in every week to see what products they would no longer be carrying. While I sort of understood why they stopped carrying perishables (low sales), I always wondered why their stocks of wine, pasta, and other long shelf-life items dwindled. I always felt like they should have tried a big retail push or two towards the end, but it's not my money.

Well, I was hopeful when I saw the sign on the window that it would change for the better. Now I am confused as to what is going to happen to that space, why put up a sign saying you are updating/upgrading if you are closing for good? From now until whenever Phoenicia opens (Was supposed to be early 2011, then April, then May, then June, July, August, and now September), I guess I will be getting the basics at CVS.