Pleak

Much better photos that I was taking.

Looks like you were on the closed road behind Harbor Freight.

Stealing from Urbanizer's post last month here:

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/51555-4701-westheimer-rd-potential-mixed-use-development/

https://www.broadviewcapital.com/projects

There is also plans for new construction in Sugar Land.  It's a weird little triangle piece of land wedged between Best Buy and the Southwest Freeway - just south of First Colony Blvd.

On 6/10/2023 at 6:56 PM, technoevil said:

I grew up in First Colony and remember that Marco's on 6 in the old Kroger center too.  We went there a few times back in the 90's, but preferred Los Tios across the street in the Randall's center and frequented that more often.  Los Tios is still there!  There was another place off Cartwright and 1092 that my dad liked that we would go to on occasion too.  I think it was called Don Bravos.

I too went to this Marco's numerous times in mid-90's.    Not a terrible place to eat lunch.     We were the opposite - preferred Marco's over Los Tios - which had the Randall's location,  one across from Meyerland Plaza and I believe one out Westheimer.    

Los Tios always is a mental image of the standard 90's Tex-Mex plate or enchiladas,  refried beans & Mexican rice all oozing together in one gelatinous mass.    Marco's seemed more of a sizzling fajita plate kind of place.

Yeah - when we moved here from Simonton (that's another place that has exploded since we left - Fulshear has gone nuts) - all that was at Brazos Town Center was Home Depot and Chili's.   Drove to Sugar Land for everything else.     Now all we are missing is our Shipley's.   

What we are seeing is a lot of people who moved to  Sugar Land/Missouri City about 25 years ago are now moving out here (and beyond).  They want a bit more land - like 1-3 acres - and want to play gentleman farmer.    Chick sales at Tractor Supply must be going thru the roof.       But the amount of people just I know that have moved just to Needville area from east Ft. Bend county is mind-boggling.     

Also what is interesting is Wharton does seem to becoming as much a work destination as Houston for people around here.    I know a lot of people now turning left (south) at the 36/69 light instead of right for their morning commute.    I think Wharton will be pulled into the Houston orbit pretty quickly.

The amount of people moving out here is insane.

We moved out here 20+ years ago to be close enough to Houston to commute,  but be out in the country.

Now the Borg (Houston) has assimilated us.   We used to joke that we need to move to Beasley (too many people moving to Needville to go that way) to get back to a semi-rural place within driving distance of work.

Think it has to be Wharton now due to all of the development gobbling up the fields and pastures.

With all these people moving out here,  you would think the Shipley's that has been "coming soon" for 2+ years would start being built.   

Here are a couple of pics from this weekend.

The property marked for sale would have been even  better for intermodal a couple of decades back.   You can still see it bisected by the raised path of the old tracks that I think went down to Freeport.

Had not heard of the UP intermodal facility.   But with Kendleton just down I-69 a couple miles getting their Kansas City Southern facility a few years back - it looks like Rosenberg is going back to it's roots of being a  major train hub.

Drove by last night.  The restaurant's name will be Vida Mariscos.  

Didn't know it had an official name.    The owner has been trying to get it developed for about 20 years.   He went in and spent a lot of money planting oak trees along the feeder and putting up a tall brick and iron fence around the whole property about 15 years ago.     It all fell to ruin and when the freeway was expanded - all got torn up.

The plot of land to the right (north) of Cavender's has a fence all around it and a sign that a Mexican restaurant is coming.   "something Marisco" - can't remember exactly when I drove by.

. - that development is bigger than the entire town of Beasley.

Yeah - that Shipley's sign has been teasing us for about a year and a half.    Was hoping now that the frontage road is finally complete to Highway 36,   something would happen.

Yep.   The DPS signage is on the building now.    Looks complete - but the access to the feeder road still has to be built.  

The new road they made in front of the DPS office - still stops short of freeway access.

Know exactly where they are.    They are just on the opposite side of Richmond/Rosenberg from us.   So we never get over there-  we're too lazy to fight all the stoplights.   

Next time we are trying to figure out what to eat - we'll make it a point to go there.    Always looking for good BBQ.  

On 9/22/2022 at 8:21 AM, ChannelTwoNews said:

Pretty good review, circa 2015 from Texas Monthly.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq/swinging-door-2015/

They'll be hitting 50 years next year it sounds like. 

While I'm partial to my family's BBQ place first and foremost - Swinging Door is up there, both in personal preference and location. There was a period in the late 90s when I'd get loaded potatoes from there often enough and they still remain some of my favorites to this day. 

Which is your family BBQ place?   Is it around Rosenberg/Richmond?

Drove by last week.   It's gone now - just hauling off the last of the rubble.

I was trying to reference Twinsanity's post from 10/24/22 but blew it.     He was talking about the dispute between the George Foundation and the Signorelli Company.

Here is a link to the article about the dispute.    I don't have online access to the Chronicle but somebody here probably does.

Grand Parkway intersection fight

This development - nearing completion.    Still no sign of what it is.   

But based on the enormous parking lot,   governmental/institutional design of the building and odd two-leveled carport/cover jutting out the rear of the building - my best guess is they are moving the Rosenberg DPS Megacenter here and vacating the north end of the old KMart supercenter.

On 4/13/2023 at 1:03 AM, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

I have a better idea. How about the finish the Alt 90 at Lane Lane project, or restore it the way it was and remove the concrete blocks.... There has been zero progress in 5 years.

 

This.    Hate that intersection.

Bummer to see this.   Remember seeing concerts there in early 90's.   Think it  was Metallica, Candlebox, et al.          Hot as blazes but definitely a good time.

On 4/1/2023 at 3:14 PM, august948 said:

In the parking garage, of course.

Can't wait to see the Youtube videos of the Hemi-powered Chargers trying to do a burn out in the garages............

In the "Present"  picture above,   the large building on the left marked "X" was the old Sears Store.     Been gone for a while - just a slab.     

On Wednesday drove by the smaller building with an "x" and there was an excavator smashing it to rubble.   It is on the corner of Barryknoll and Gessner - was the old Sears Auto Center.

Memorial City Plaza - 3 buildings in background are putting the final touches on a lobby/common area/driveway/landscape renovation that has been going on for about a year.    They are mulching and watering the plants - so just about done.

Will be interesting to see if the apartments,   fairly tall office building and whatever the  large building behind the "Town Square" in the "Proposed" picture get built.  That is all empty (or soon to be) empty parking spaces.   Barryknoll will be quite different looking if this happens.

Where will Cars and Coffee park if all the lots are gone????

huh - good find on google.   That's exactly what I see on way to work.   Right now they are breaking up the old foundations  (right side in the pic).  Just find it strange that they are not even five years old.    Maybe a bad mix of concrete?

Took a few lousy phone pics yesterday.     Sorry I'm no photographer.

Looks like walls and roof are up.   Still needs exterior cladding.

They have been putting the glass in the entrance hall the last couple weeks as the pics show.    Most of the parking lot is poured.   Still work to be done on entrances/exits as the roads surrounding are still under construction.

Last pic - you can see the top of the monument sign peeking over the precast storm drain.

McCoy's is still around  next to United Rentals which took the main old Dub Miller building.   I think McCoy's took the used car lot.   Forgot about them as I don't go to Ave H much - so many lights to get there.  Kind of adds to my point - even though they are not exactly a direct Tractor Supply competitor.   They are like a cross between Home Depot and Tractor Supply.     Building materials,   fencing materials - all the "hard goods"   you would need for a ranch.   But not the "soft goods"   like the farms stores - feed,  clothing,  tack, etc.

Now that you say it,  it does ring a bell that Williams City Farmer was the original name of the store that had moved to S. Highway 6.    It was after a few years the "Williams" dropped off.  Then they shut down completely 4-5 years ago.

What district is the Iowa Colony high school in?