TonyM

It's a bit of an unfortunate coincidence of location and popularity. Midtown generally has more people and activity than downtown and is closest to most of the homeless population. The homeless know where to pandhandle and steal . . . where the people and the money are. Midtown's a shorter stumble than Montrose/Washington/Upper Kirby/etc. so that's why we have to deal with it. Is what it is, unfortunately.

Hahaha, I wonder if Merriam's allowed the DNC to write that for them. As for what part you should be ashamed of, I suppose you and I have different definitions of "progress" and the "autonomy of the individual". If the definition you posted is the true defintion of liberalism than this country's democratic party has severely perverted that.

Agreed, action is needed. A proper roadbed would enable the bricks to live on, at present, things are crumbling, the bricks are shifting, it's tearing up vehicles, not good. The church is city property now, per HCAD it's owned by the City of Houston. To me the onus isn't on the city, it's on the 4th ward TIRZ board of directors. It's their job to reinvest the incremental tax revenues in neighborhood improvements. Instead, we've got I-beams blocking Andrews St. I like the new library, it's very nice looking, we just need some better streets so people can get to it, haha.

Point taken and I don't have any disagreement with anything you posted there. Well said. And I actually wouldn't mind the whole propped up church thing if we could horse trade for street improvements! They're getting really bad, really really bad. And even worse now that Camden is moving some fairly heavy loads over them. It's a shame too because the bricks on Andrews, Robin, etc. are historic (produced and laid by freed slaves). However, it's getting so bad now that some bricks are being damaged. There's a reluctance to tear them up due to calls for preservation, but I say that in order to truly preserve them before they're worn beyond preservable condition is imperative. I think taking all the bricks up and using them in crosswalks or intersection would be a really neat way to pay homage to the history while satisfying the need for improved streets.

Or any profession, haha.

No, you are not correct. I associate that behavior (and it's constant) with not having a job which explains the derelict condition of their housing. I never made claims as to their race, there are folks of any and every color in the neighborhood that I take issue with on the condition of their homes. People can do what they want with their homes, sure. But propping up relics that should have long been torn down or still living in homes that are an eyesore (and probably dangerous) is just silly, and doing it with taxpayer money bothers me. Thankfully the market is coming around and starting to improve what is, thanks to it's location and proximity to downtown, some very valuable real estate. However, there are plenty of folks (like Garnet Coleman) who are trying to keep the neighborhood from improving. I inquired about purchasing an empty lot in the 4th ward and the owner told me he would not sell to anyone white. His words, not mine. Which is within his right, sure. But I don't think with holding development is in the best interest of the neighborhood at this point. Just my opinion. Not being narcissistic or anything, just having a discussion about my opinion on the 4th ward. Where it is now and where it's going. Guess this discussion got off track a bit. What elected official? Sheila Jackson Lee? She hasn't done much for her "constituents" in the 4th ward, not by a long shot. Again, I never mentioned any race so I don't know where that's coming from. Again, it isn't just blacks, it's quite a few people in the neighborhood. I never brought up race, you did. And Red didn't blow the lid off any claims. I was stating my observations and assumptions and until somebody provides me proof that the people I see panhandling and generally doing much of nothing all day in the 4th ward have some sort of non-government provided income, I will hold my assumption. I realize it offends some people to assume the worst about people based only on observation, but sometimes it fits. I base my assumptions on what I personally see and observe, that's all I can do. I didn't single out anyone of particular race because it isn't a particular race, but you can believe what you'd like to believe and I'll believe what I see. "Queen Sheila" is hardly a racist trope, she's called that in many outlets. And given her complete ineptness as a Congressional Rep I don't know how anyone can defend her in anyway. She's hardly legislated anything in her nearly two decades in Washington and certainly hasn't done much in the interest of anyone but herself. As for ancestry, I'm not entirely sure what you're going for there.

Tell ya what, you move into the neighborhood and make the observations I do on a daily basis and we'll talk again sometime, haha. Must be nice to be blissfully ignorant . . .

Judging by the 10 or so kids constantly around, and the handful of women, I certainly assume they only way they sustain themselves is welfare. Some of the houses these people live in should be condemned they're in such poor shape, derelict is a compliment. But, they've got half decent cars and satellite dishes on the roof . . . and they're there every time I, you, or anyone else drives by. Sometimes the observed evidence does exist to justify the assumption, kylejack.

Nobody said reality was always complicated, sometimes it's just as it appears . . .

Some do, but I have to say the comment isn't too far off base. Quite a few folks just sittin on the porch day in and day out, see them in the same spot(s) everyday. I get wanting to preserve history and all, where it's warranted. But what's left of this neighborhood is far from "historic".

It's a 14,000sqft lot and the City of Houston already owns it: http://hcad.org/records/details.asp?crypt=%94%9A%B0%94%BFg%84%8D%84zhj%8El%87tXu%5DW%9E%99%A2%D3%89%95%C2e%7CU%8A%7E%86%C0%AB%A8%AD%86%5E&bld=1&tab= Maybe $30k was a bit tongue-in-cheek (I won't speak for TGM), but the point is for a hell of a lot less than $2.5M that relic should be leveled. The city needs to finish the park or sell the lot to a developer and move on. Shit or get off the pot, as they say . . .

TGM - that is exactly the piece I was referring to, haha. Though I shouldn't laugh, I think it's a gross misuse of TIRZ funds and I'm not entirely sure how they get away with it.

Alright, by the letter of the law it's incorrect. But bottom line there was a bit of a racial component in practice as most all the original owners are minorities. HUD/Houston Housing launched the program to aid the residents being displaced by the developers putting in expensive new homes and pricing them out of the neighborhood (which is now starting to happen). And the residents of the neighborhood they were trying to retain were low income blacks who've lived there for generations. On my particular block, three of seven homes have turned over (two via foreclosure, one via market sale), one is still owned and occupied by the original buyers, and two are being rented out while still being owned by the original buyers. The original buyers have been fighting HCAD every year to hold the value at $92k. I also do wonder how these landlords qualified to buy housing aimed at those with low income, but that's another discussion. Obviously it may not representative of the entire neighborhood but from my view (considering I live there) my block is a pretty good example of where the neighborhood is moving. In addition, HCAD doesn't have visibility of the number of these houses being rented out (many for market rate, $1300/mo+) while still being owned by the original buyers. They're getting market rate rent while fighting to hold down their property value at the subsidized prices. In some cases the HCAD value is even lower than the $90 or 92k depending on how much purchase assistance the buyer(s) received, a bit questionable I think.

Couldn't agree more that in it's current state (which it has been in for three years) it's a grotesque waste. But to the few people who care about "preserving" that church I suppose they don't give a rat's behind that it impacts all the "rich folk" in the townhouses. I actually had a conversation with the guy who was called in to take a wrecking ball to that thing when it was on fire, he arrived and hopped in the saddle to start demo before it burned down everyone's townhouses when SJL came running up to him screaming obscenities, calling him a racist, etc. Guy got out of the crane and left. And now we have a derelict, dangerous structure held up by steel that is blocking a road and yielded a tipped crane that could have injured or killed someone, let alone damage to property, Yeah I've heard all that, wonderful idea but any contractor could have that done in a few months of the TIRZ would let the contract and get started. They haven't made any progress and what was advertised on the little sign during the erection of the steel as costing $350k has so far run up a tab into 7 figures. How does that happen? For each of the last few fiscal years the TIRZ has budgeted money (to the tune of a couple million bucks) to improve the god awful streets around the neighborhood but they end up allocating and spending none of it on roads. Where is the cash going? The roads are awful. I can see waiting to do the roads around Camden until construction is finished but there are plenty of other streets that could be redone now. I suspect there is some serious financial issues behind the scenes with the TIRZ. I just hope they aren't spending money for neighborhood improvements on contractor kickbacks and buying up empty land for more subsidized housing like some are doing in third ward. Correct you are. There's quite a bit of housing that was subsidized through the 4th ward, but what you described IS starting to happen and will accelerate by 2014 (most of the houses were built in 2003-2004). The homes had an original price of ~72k-92k when new. The city extended these "credit worthy" buyers (had to be minorities to qualify) 20% down payment assistance that would have to be paid back to the city pro-rata if the original buyers sold their homes within 10 years. So that tether is about up. The other tether was a seven year HCAD valuation freeze to ensure the property taxes wouldn't go up, that lifted last year and already quite a few homes have turned over. You can see which ones have sold if you look in HCAD and see homes with a valuation higher than $92k. Already I know of a few that went to foreclosure when the valuation freeze lifted and others that have started selling. Market value for those houses right now is probably $160k or so, these folks are cashing in if they stuck it out and actually paid their bills. When the term for repaying some of the down payment lifts in another year or two I think we'll see values really start creeping up in 4th ward and development of empty lots will accelerate.

I live on the east side of 4th ward, a few blocks from 45. It isn't all bad, haven't really had any problems in the few years I've been there, though a neighbor's home was broken into last week. There's still a rough element to the neighborhood the closer you get to Taft, specifically Gillette/Bailey/Wilson streets. There's already some construction starting again on a couple vacant lots, as the market recovers I think more of the neighborhood will be improved and some of the lingering thug element will be priced out and have to move. That'd be the massive section eight complex off Allen Parkway, what a gem . . . Yep, thanks to Queen Sheila it's still there. I last checked the 4th Ward TIRZ budget a few months back and some $2.5M has been allocated for the relic. Absurd. And to think, the contractor tipped a crane over when assembling the steel, could have ended up in someone's living room. And for what? Should have taken the thing down when it was on fire.

Everything I've heard points to the N610 and 45N interchange being redone when 45N gets redone. No sense to redo that interchange until that time anyway as 45 will still be the mess that it is.

Well full halt after the demolition. My guess is they're waiting for the Bagby construction to move past their lot and the commence. No reason to have multiple crews working on top of each other.

Leon's Lounge! Haha, wouldn't that be nice. Though that's assuming they can read.

Yeah it looks like Urban Living is marketing a bunch of empty lots for development - just south of Gray/East of Taft. Shouldn't be too long until that neighborhood is 100% built out, only a few buildable lots left back in there (other than the derelict apartment complexes, but I expect those to remain for some time).

Demolition is really moving, looks like they've got it all gutted now and on to construction. Great to see the progress!

Certainly more power to her, I'm not saying she isn't entitled to make that whatever decision she pleases with the land she owns. I think it's unfortunate from the standpoint of breaking up Post's street front from Bagy westward. I like what Post has done and I think it's been pretty successful. I don't think this particular structure will be a Komodo type bar in the future, but we'll see. I think turning old houses into restaurants or bars on the secondary streets is great, but I prefer the new development along primary streets like West Gray. Oddly enough, there's actually two lots there, her lot and the little strip of land between her lot and Valentine St. I believe Post already owns the little corner strip (the construction crew has been parking there). Perhaps Post can snap up her lot at some point in the future and integrate it into the overall development. I doubt her kids will cash in, that lot's value drops like a rock now that it's bordered on 3 sides by apartments complex. Whoever her next of kin is that gets the house will sell I'm sure, but it's going to be for a lot less money than whatever Post offered prior to construction.

Or you could yell at the guy and tell him not to come back. Ridding midtown of the trash isn't just the job of police or the city, us residents have to make it known we don't want this garbage around. Got thoroughly harassed by a bum toting a "four loko" outside Komodo this weekend. He then proceeded to stand in the street and hold up traffic until he wandered off somewhere else . . . trash.

Eventually it will but unfortunately, it's ruined Post's chances at having the corner. It's an old 80-something year old lady who's lived in it forever and goes to the church across the street (which is also quickly becoming out of place) so she wouldn't sell. Eventually, her family/next of kin who gets the house will sell and it'll end up being something. Just unfortunate that it won't be consistent with what Post will have for a continuous 3-block stretch (except for that little lot).

Been vacant for as long as I've seen it. Has electric as there are lights on it at night. Still some trash/debris in the lower level garage but I haven't seen any activity. Seems weird, wonder if it was cited for code/permit violation?

Good seeing the fence go up. Little by little inching down West Gray with development, I like it. Only a few occupied blocks will need some redevelopment, chiefly what lies between this plot and Hefleys/Car wash.