monarch

^^^ combined practices? cool concept...

^^^ @Highrise Tower what those shocking imbeciles did to that poor innocent steer was absolutely unconscionable, unacceptable, and heinous. they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. however, this will NEVER EVER change the fact the TEXAS LONGHORNS are now the 2023 BIG XII CHAMPIONS! also, we are now on our way to the CFP PLAYOFFS/CHAMPIONSHIPS. HOOK'EM!

^^^ @steve1363 (ok, i'll play) dude, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, however, you are not entitled to your very own facts. our fair city of houston has NEVER EVER been a center of "culture" throughout this great state of texas. throughout, the many decades, houston has always been characterized as a "BLUE COLLAR CITY". however, our fair city has always showcased the arguable and honorable distinction of being this great nation's center of diversity. therefore, in my most humble opinion, this is the very direct reason that houston was chosen to construct our nation's first and foremost AGA KHAN ISMAILI CENTER HOUSTON. heck, if there were any truth to your stunning claim that "houston = culture" then why on earth, is the "eighth wonder of the world... the ASTRODOME"... sitting and rotting out in the texas sun? true cultural centers would never allow for this to happen. could our fair city of houston ever become a true center of culture? of course, it can. however, for this to occur, the POWERS THAT BE... would have to alter their ULTRA CONSERVATIVE means of management and allow for the city to relax and breathe a bit...

^^^ @bobruss actually, neither austin nor dallas would ever need such a monumental/iconic structure to give them stature. both of those cities are growing by leaps and bounds and harbor all of the necessary bells and whistles to keep them in the gateway scene. i was just in austin, tx at the TEXAS vs TEXAS TECH game the night after thanksgiving, that city is becoming a major powerhouse. the austin skyline is going to become a futuristic phenomenon. even i was a bit shocked at the number of cranes everywhere in downtown austin. we have even been presented with a sneak peek of the brand new forthcoming RITZ CARLTON AUSTIN (64 floors with condominiums) yes, please feast your eyes upon the gorgeous new silver glassed tower right on the side of the forthcoming TALLEST TOWER IN TEXAS (waterline tower). my goodness, houston can only dream about something as magnificent as this...

^^^ this newest and prospective development constantly reminds me of the houston's once GRAND and PROUD SHAMROCK HILTON. it's almost as if the architects/designers received inspiration from this former MAGNIFICENT piece of houston's hospitality history. what a once GLORIOUS, GRAND, and PROUD era within our fair city...

^^^ thank you for taking the initiative to present to us HAIFERS the greatest TEASE that is known to mankind @Urbannizer however, we all know that as ULTRA CONSERVATIVE as the officials at the HLS&R are, there is no way on earth, that they would be willing to allocate the necessary BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars... that it would take to bring forth this remarkable/magnificent development to the SCOPE and SCALE that is aforementioned illustrated. heck, they can just barely manage NRG PARK as it currently stands. i really hate to be so very pessimistic here, (as i would just LOVE for something of this particular nature to happen) however, i could NEVER EVER see this particular development coming into fruition here in this city at this particular time with the current ULTRA CONSERVATIVE officials that we have in place. however, in a place that is very LIBERAL MINDED like LAS VEGAS... yes! however, currently in our fair city of houston, NO WAY...

^^^ hey look, it's been proposed! ok, we shall wait... we're waiting... we're still waiting... we've been waiting... we've been waiting far too long... i'm getting tired of waiting... i'm growing old from waiting... why aren't the other cities waiting... my hair has turned a shade of grey from waiting... my arthritis has erupted from waiting... another decade has come and passed from waiting... my tears are starting to flow from waiting... my tears have dried up from waiting... my headstone has cracked from waiting... heaven awaits...

^^^ we NEVER die... we MULTIPLY!

^^^ why does the HOUSTON X look seemingly taller... didn't they stop construction?

^^^ dallas brand spanking new renders for their ($3 billion + civic center) due to be completed 2028. this ULTRA MAGNIFICENT behemoth shall bury the houston george r. brown convention center deep into the proverbial sand. ^^^ not one, but two new PICKARD CHILTON designed towers slated for downtown dallas. ^^^ GOLDMAN SACHS's new financial campus slated for dallas includes new hotels, condos, etc... can houston DARE to incorporate such a MAGNIFICENT financial campus such as this? heck, we couldn't even construct the MCNAIR campus on POST OAK BLVD. ^^^ the new renders of the proposed DALLAS INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT. heck, this appears very similar to houston's TMC HELIX PARK...

^^^ @jhjones74 excellent post. i simply could not have stated this point any better. please, do not be a stranger...

^^^ you don't think that STEVE COHEN is living "comfortably"? i'd beg to differ. new york is the largest city in the USA. therefore, it must be affordable to somebody... right? one would surely think that METS owner steve cohen performed some sort of market research and a strong bit of due diligence before announcing a multi-billion POWERHOUSE development within his city... am i correct? dallas is just as "affordable" as our fair city of houston, yet, THEY NEVER EVER STOP DREAMING BIG AND BRINGING THEIR RESPECTIVE DREAMS TO FRUITION. what on earth, has houston performed lately? heck, we are still awaiting news (after a decade) on our prospective W HOTEL... remember? (what a JOKE we have become) dude, @Sanjorade trust me, pal, you are hereby preaching to the exacerbated worn-out HAIFER choir. we have witnessed it all here in our fair city. therefore, all we can continue to do is... DREAM and keep WAITING...

^^^ with a brand spanking new $8 billion proposed DYNAMIC POWERHOUSE development such as METROPOLITAN PARK, they are already "winning". the ASTROS have seemingly invested in "winning" and what do we have...?

^^^ my goodness! i'm LOVING everything about the proposed NY METS forthcoming development (METROPOLITAN PARK) at CITI FIELD. steve cohen seems to have thought of it all. this particular POWERHOUSE development shall include dynamic entertainment for everyone. the young... the old... and even the in-between. during his time as the ASTROS owner, (two-time world champions) jim crane has incurred billions in fan revenue thus far. yet, his discombobulated forthcoming ASTROS downtown development seems to be as shallow as the RIO GRANDE. i shall now take my hat off and SALUTE the NY METS owner steve cohen. what a MAGNIFICENT proposition for CITI FIELD... what a grand vision for the NY fans... what a POWERFUL CULMINATION for the NY METS legacy. meanwhile, here in H-TOWN, we shall just keep on dreaming big...

^^^ @Highrise Tower my pal, as i am certain that you are acutely aware, THERE ARE SOME VERY RICH CITIZENS residing in our fair city of houston. many of these citizens travel to the far ends of the earth and experience all sorts of exotic foods, hotels, homes, cars, entertainment... you name it... they have experienced it all. therefore, some of these exotic, expensive, premium items located at CENTRAL MARKET vs WHOLE FOODS are just the icing on the cake for these people. you must never ever forget that these are the particular patrons that merchants like CENTRAL MARKET vs WHOLE FOODS love to cater to. not to mention, it's now HOLIDAY TIME in the city and all sorts of new and premium items are coming on the store shelves...

^^^ my goodness, according to urb's latest construction update, we're talking FOUR different construction zones in ONE particular region of downtown austin, tx. if my eyes weren't actually seeing this... I WOULD NEVER BELIEVE IT! wow...

^^^ come on HAIFERS, can we become a bit more realistic here? this is not DALLAS, AUSTIN, SAN ANTONIO, or wherever... this is HOUSTON! we are supposed to be the "FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION"... yet, basically, everything that we do here construction-wise is seemingly ULTRA CONSERVATIVE... STOIC... LETHARGIC... and looking like something right out of the 80's. oh, and guess what, DALLAS is supposed to be the "CONSERVATIVE" city... right? please allow us a moment to say THANK U to @goofy for taking the initiative to share these LONG-AWAITED renders/concepts of the proposed astros new downtown development. however, they are a bit on par as to what i was guesstimating. i have long realized that it's time to start tempering my expectations when it comes to houston development, as there just does not seem to be any real MAGIC here anymore. heck, i'm almost too afraid to open and focus my eyes upon the forthcoming new GEORGE R. BROWN civic center renovations/upgrades renderings/concepts that are supposed to be due out at some point this fall. somehow, i just know that i'm going to be a bit disappointed... especially, in lieu of DALLAS getting ready to break ground upon a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR brand spanking new civic center. my gosh, their respective downtown region is going to be amazing. they seem to have everything over houston lately. what in the holy hell are we doing here? DALLAS has just constructed a brand spanking new rangers ballpark (that they really did not need). they subsequently constructed a DALLAS LIVE entertainment district to accompany their new ballpark which is elegant, lively, and very posh. heck, our ASTROS are two-time WORLD CHAMPIONS, and what do they have? (a very aging ballpark and a few new lackluster renderings/concepts of a forthcoming hotel etc..) sigh...

^^^ actually, the smaller edifice was supposed to include a movie theater in the initial plans. maybe, things have indeed evolved to what you are stating. a DRIVE-IN theater would indeed be the coolest amenity...

^^^ @Highrise Tower outstanding job my dude!

Houston Ismaili Center, first cultural landmark of its kind in the U.S., hits construction milestone Houston’s new Ismaili Center is set to reach its tallest point in construction in the coming days, marking a milestone celebrated by dignitaries and local officials during a topping-off ceremony on Monday at the cultural landmark’s site in the Montrose neighborhood. The building has slowly taken shape since construction began in 2022 near Buffalo Bayou Park, transforming what was once a grassy field off Montrose Boulevard into a towering skeleton of steel beams and concrete. It’s one of seven Ismaili cultural centers worldwide and the first in the United States. Greater Houston has the largest concentration of Ismaili Muslims in the U.S., according to spokesperson Farah Lalani of the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern United States, with an estimated 35,000 to 40,000 practicing this branch of Shia Islam calling the region home. Prince Amyn Aga Khan, the younger brother of the Ismaili leader Aga Khan, thanked Mayor Sylvester Turner for his contributions to the center at a downtown luncheon Monday marking the construction progress. “Today’s topping out ceremony of the Ismaili Center is a fitting occasion on which to honor your significant contribution and lasting legacy,” he told Turner. Dozens of officials and invitees, including Turner, signed the steel beam that will soon be hoisted to mark the five-story center’s highest point at 72 feet in a rite that dates back to ancient Scandinavian traditions. Turner and the prince also ceremoniously planted a Texas red oak on the 11-acre site, of which nine acres will be dedicated to lush green spaces designed by Thomas Woltz, a landscape architect known for his work transforming Memorial Park. “Houston is a very special city, which is why the Aga Khan chose to build the first Ismaili Center in the United States here,” Turner said at the luncheon. “The center is going to be a jewel of the city for decades to come. I wish it were open today.” On top of the prayer spaces and gardens, the center will also include various interfaith programs, performance arts venues and educational spaces for visitors. The goal, spokesperson Omar Samji said, is for the center to be an ode to the diverse backgrounds of all Houston residents, not just local Ismailis. “The purpose in creating this was to create an asset for the broader community,” he said. “(Ismaili Center Houston) will be a place to exchange ideas and increase our understanding.” Monday’s milestone has been years in the making. The Aga Khan Foundation purchased the land near Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard in 2006, but excavation did not begin until 2021. Although the center had reportedly been set to open in 2024, Samji said it likely will not be ready until mid-2025. Ismaili Center Houston aims to be an architectural and cultural marvel for the city. The center will be adorned with Turkish marble and include gardens on all four sides, terraced plantings and water features inspired by ancient Islamic architecture. The green spaces will include native flora and could serve as a retention pond for nearby Buffalo Bayou during floods, Samji said. “The gardens have been designed with the view of using local habitats, plants, trees and flowers,” he said, “both from the standpoint of helping flourish local species but also managing the weather.”

^^^ whatever floats your proverbial boat...

^^^ the "proverbial shoe" definitely fits...

^^^ the developers knew wholeheartedly that there was a "glut of unused office space" when they constructed this edifice in the first place. however, my point was that they constructed this particular development based upon the FUTURE MOMENTUM within this hyper-dynamic and magnificent city. everyone knows that austin, tx, is a city of the future...

^^^ would LOVE to see houston acquire something this magnificent...

^^^ no surprise here... actually, PROPS to you for the clarification. about a month or so ago, i thought that i had read or seen an illustration of an INNOVATION TOWER (either in austin, tx... or coming soon to austin, tx) upon my last post, i was just a tad bit too lazy to dwelve into searching for it. however, it's really SAD that the powers that be... are so very HIGH ON AUSTIN, TX, they are more than willing to construct something in a heartbeat (WITHOUT AN ACTUAL TENANT) just for the sheer momentum of constructing in a city as dynamic and magnificent as austin, tx. what on earth, has happened to this form of magic in our wonderful fair city of houston, tx... ? sigh...