Alec

I don't think Houston is ready for mandatory un-bundling of parking, but Seattle's research and ordinance show why à la carte parking is a substantial way to offer a lower price - parking accounts for 12.5% of typical rent in King County. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/04/03/landlords-in-seattle-cant-force-renters-to-pay-for-parking-anymore/ It will be interesting to see if nearby neighbors start to rent their extra private spots; that strikes me as a win-win.

At least one unit on the SW corner is now furnished; I couldn't say whether it's a resident or model unit. Edit: I'm now seeing three furnished units on the SW corner.

Agreed on the price point, but that's no reason for a national chain. Eatsie Boys blows my mind for $10 - I'm sure there are other good options for the money.

Have you all seen this before? I knew that the letters are back-lit, but the lights in the bench/block are new to me. https://imgur.com/a/PA3Bjow

The steel work is coming along nicely. https://imgur.com/a/B9Ze5Bj

Swamplot made a great map of the current extent of this project. Sears is the orange lot: https://imgur.com/a/Y07Tbg2 Article and explanation of other parcels here: http://swamplot.com/mapping-the-midtown-innovation-district-that-doesnt-exist-yet-but-keeps-getting-bigger/2018-10-19/

I'm not sure how much of this is new information, but here's an email about the project from Rice President David Leebron to Rice faculty and staff: Dear Rice Faculty and Staff, Last spring we announced that Rice would develop the midtown property it had acquired surrounding the Sears building into a new Houston innovation district. I write to provide a brief update on the Midtown Innovation District project, which will ultimately redevelop approximately 14 acres of Rice-owned property, anchored by the fully renovated Sears building at the intersection of Main and Wheeler streets. The Sears building will be renovated to form an innovation hub that will bring together the full spectrum of educational, business, financial and civic resources to support early stage companies and stimulate the Houston economy. This will be the heart of the new innovation district being planned in close collaboration with a wide range of partners, including government officials and area academic institutions, corporations and civic organizations, to ensure that the benefits of this project are shared broadly across the city. The project is being financed and managed by the Rice Management Company as an investment by Rice’s endowment that will produce both an adequate return and great benefits for the region. It has no impact on the university’s budget or budget planning, but it will create new opportunities for members of the Rice community. And it will impact Houston in a powerful and direct way. We are working with nine other Houston academic institutions to formulate plans for the engagement of academic communities with the innovation district. I have asked Tom Killian, professor of physics and astronomy and associate dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, to serve as liaison to the project for Rice faculty, students and staff, as well as to represent Rice in discussions with the other academic institutions. On our campus, Tom has already begun to lead a process this fall that provides the entire Rice community with information about the project and an opportunity for input on the undertaking. We anticipate that through this process we will identify major themes around which we can build a coherent vision for Rice engagement with the innovation district. The project is still in its early stages, so input from these discussions will have significant impact on the design of the physical spaces and programming for the renovated Sears building. In keeping with the priorities expressed in the V2C2, I also encourage you to use this opportunity to think broadly about new opportunities to support entrepreneurship, leadership and engagement with the greater Houston community. In late October and early November, Tom will host a series of discussions for faculty and staff. Any member of the faculty or staff who is interested in the Midtown innovation district may sign up for one of these sessions before Oct. 20 at [redacted]. A separate process for students is being coordinated through the undergraduate and graduate student associations. If anyone would like to schedule a focused meeting for a particular campus group, please contact Tom at Killian@rice.edu. This is an exciting opportunity for Rice and Houston, and I know we will benefit from the engagement of the Rice community in this vital project. My thanks to Tom Killian for his willingness to lead this important effort. Warm Regards, David W. Leebron

A new public space to replace the Goodyear Tire at Fannin and Leeland is in the design phase. The City will be renting this land for at least 30 years. http://swamplot.com/downtowns-upcoming-rental-park-should-be-around-as-long-as-the-tire-shop-building-its-replacing-but-no-guarantees/2018-10-10/

Lot's of rubble to U-Haul away: https://imgur.com/a/YDLRYgl

Avassos, you're the Pangloss to HAIF's Candide. Never stop believing.

The construction elevator is coming down today; only about 60 feet of track left.

This is the Ronald McDonald House at 1907 Holcombe. Here's a story on the phased renovation and expansion of the facility: http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bellaire/article/Ronald-McDonald-House-Houston-holds-12215058.php

I started looking for info on this building after bike passed it on the Bayou trail; these are the coolest looking lofts in Houston in my opinion. Before I stumbled onto this thread, I was searching for Abesha Bunna Bet because that's what Google Maps has the building tagged as. Anyone know what the heck Abesha Bunna Bet is?

The top-floor outdoor areas look awesome. I particularly like the "ceilings" of crossbeams; those will look great at dusk.

I can't upload even the lowest resolution from my phone.

Yes, it was me.

From today: http://imgur.com/gallery/yLHLS

Nothing has changed since they scraped the grass to create a parking lot (which one HAIFer interpreted as groundbreaking for the project - what an idiot).

My phone is on the lowest resolution setting and the file is still too large for the site. If anyone is willing to post them, PM me your email.

Excavator on site and construction fence going up!

Other than a brief appearance in the "Australian dude developing two blocks near rail" thread, not even a rumor of activity in a year. I bike by this lot every morning, so any real activity will be promptly reported.

My expectations weren't high, but this exceeds them:

Wow, both blocks being developed simultaneously would be great; a whole greater than the sum of parts situation. I think people are overstating the barrier that the homeless/panhandlers present to the development. There have been police sweeps or other events in recent months that completely cleared out these blocks. The fence at the park has been even more effective. Hopefully increased services make all this a moot point, but it's not like developers haven't dealt with this before.

You could say the same thing for the apartments these customers will be in if they don't buy.

From the Walgreen's at Washington and Studemont: