Dakota79

Just look at when he joined office. He assumed office this past January! Early 30's, first term rep replacing a 7 year veteran in his seat. If you look at his history the dude has barely made it out of the Conroe/Huntsville area, so he is very wet behind the ears.

This looks like nothing but a very young politican looking at making a name for himself in his district, Montgomery County and the current Republican regime, very early. I mean look how absolutely absurd this bill is! I doubt this makes it through the first round of committees!

From my understanding of what I've been told TCR has a lot of support from not only local officals, but state officials, TXDOT, etc... Both Dallas and Houston politicans support this project as well. There is no way that these two cities are going to let a small town, first time Republican rep. sink what will be an enormous enterprise and economic benefit to the state. The Republican big wigs will let him have his fun for a little while, but will probably find a way to calm him down as this process continues.

Oh and lets not forget....the route no longer goes through Montgomery County, and when someone is simply trying to pass something just because they hate it...it usually gets put down.

EDIT: Not to mention this should become a project that Republicans should champion! This high speed rail will soon become involved in the greatest display of Private vs. Public battle in recent memory. That is instant press! You can't beat that! Texas vs. California. One ideology against another. Tell me how Republicans should be against this.....really...I mean really...

I was thinking he might be against it because it skips them.

And then you have politicians like Will Metcalf, in Conroe no less, doing this:

http://hartbeat.har.com/2015/02/26/lawmakers-bill-a-silver-bullet-to-stop-train-the-texas-tribune/

Aargh! Why are these knuckleheads so against mass transportation. We shall never leave the 19th century!

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/European-style-village-to-promote-relaxed-6101513.php#/10

That is some blue water! Reminds me of Vegas, baby.

Well - something's starting!! Motorsports track about to break ground.

http://m.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2015/02/24/motorsports-complex-at-grand-texas-to-break-ground.html

The Post Oak Campus already has retail. Looks like they are just renovating the exterior and plaza. Looks good! Did Phillip Johnson design the parking garage too? I think this is by far the ugliest garage in the area.

Those garages need to be bulldozed and replaced with taller garages and more buildings. They were built when land was way, way cheaper. The owners would basically get free land by densifying it.

Seriously. We need our own theme park. And gambling. Just saying.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/disney-hikes-ticket-prices-us-220755393.html

This is an interesting (and somewhat depressing to me) article on skyscrapers in the current environment. I do think we will have another supertall at some point, but it'll take someone with a lot of ego and bucks. Where is a billionaire when we need one?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/wilshire-grand-is-las-newest-skyscraper/

from Cohen's enewsletter

Council authorized the Houston Parks and Recreation Department to appropriate $300,000.00 from the Parks Special Fund for the restoration of trees within the City right-of-way on the 5000 block of Kirby Dr. Following the illegal removal of six mature oak trees from this easement, the City's Legal Department negotiated a settlement with the perpetrators which will fund the easement's restoration. The scope of the project will include removal of the six oak tree stumps, supply, delivery, and installation of six 14" - 16" live oak trees, a two-year warranty for each tree, and the installation of an irrigation system and sub-drainage to water the trees.

Let's up the trees are 14' tall and not 14" !

I am assuming this will never be built. How can they afford to carry it all these years?

Crews to install a pedestrian bridge over the Woodlands Waterway:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/woodlands/news/article/Crews-to-install-pedestrian-bridge-over-Woodlands-6085697.php

We need one of those over Post Oak and Westheimer. And one at Highland Village. Another at Allen Parkway. That would help get pedestrians out at all those locations. How hard is that to figure out????

Did we know about this one? Just received approval for the Downtown Living Innitiative.

Maybe we will not have the medias self fulfilling "bust" that they would love us to have.

From HBJ this AM, great news!

http://m.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/02/two-residential-towers-approved-downtown.html?ana=e_hstn_bn_breakingnews&u=rk2EuYuQdoSK5Ppt+g57jw%2FFsC6&t=1424014980&r=full

although it reminds me of a house of cards... it looks fun and a bit happy!

i think it shall compliment that particular block / area nicely.

i am also digging the very ultra modern design of the outside awning with the MARLOWE moniker. reeks of cool....

Las Vegas should do a hotel with that "house of cards" look!

Geez. How exclusive is it with 1000+ or - (exaggerating) units tucked in between the quietness of 610, I-10,290 interchanges. Of course it does have canals, so perhaps one can forget all the aforementioned exclusivity.

For the record, while the reference to "developers here" suggests it is Houston developers who are a bit slow to take it all in, neither Green Street (nee Pavilions) nor West Ave. were developed by Houston developers. On the other hand, the wildly successful Hanover Rice Village was developed by a Houston developer.

Great reply! But we do like new ideas. Like the Regent Square (if it gets built in our lifetime)

Big land sale announced:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/02/21-acre-industrial-site-near-downtown-houston.html?page=all

It's a shame the politics are the way they are down here.

Building this on a condition that it will never be upgraded to rail is like building a two lane highway with the condition that there will never be any more lanes added ever. Just asinine and short-sighted.

Not surprising at all though and Houston has a long history of dirty politics getting in the way of large scale public transportation projects, especially rail. And it will continue to happen like this, Culberson will remain in office until he decides to step down, and someone will take his place with similar ideology.

The only way Houston can improve it's transportation infrastructure is if METRO and the City of Houston get on the same page and we have a mayor who makes it a priority. That is how LA did it, and it's the only way Houston will do it. Hopefully it happens within my lifetime.

I couldn't have said it better!

This is so exhausting how Culberson passed a bill that forbids any federal money to go for rail on Richmond and on Post Oak. Where does he think that money goes? I know - Dallas, Austin etc. None the less, Post Oak Bus project is restarting.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/transportation/article/Bogged-down-Uptown-bus-plan-proceeding-6046845.php?cmpid=gsa-chron-result

Where on San Felipe will this go ?

Maybe on the corner where that car wash near Target that closed down, but my best guess is that it will go "on hold" or into the "we wish this would be built category"

FWIW, they mowed the grass this past weekend.

Well that changes everything!! That's the most money soent on the site in months.

Which side of the Cosmo did he spend money on???

I'm fairly certain he spent several hundred dollars on the paper mâché adornments on that one side. And it really, really shows.

For reference..

If the garage comes out anything like the renderings it will be loads better than the Cosmo garage.

Generally speaking, Mr. Davis prefers to spend money on the one side of the building, because as you know a high rise (and parking garage) can only be seen from that side. At least that's what appears to be his m.o.

The garage looks almost as bad as the cosmopolitan.

"Oh, is that a garage? With all of Randall's fancy architectural detailing he's known for (faux this, faux that.. Here a faux, there a faux everywhere he builds it's faux) sorry. The old Macdonald had a farm song got stuck in my head. I digressed. I'm sure he will crap it up before it's finished.

While they are at it, how about a pedestrian/bike bridge (or three) so we can cross safely from south of Allen Parkway to the newly renovated Bayou parks.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Marathon-runners-find-city-not-standing-still-6017829.php

At least it will cover Randall Davis's "jail" next door. Or as we like to call it, the butt ugly back of the metropolis.

Sorry, that was a typo. Meant to say "30 story hotel."

I noticed that after my reply. Sorry! I was just worried for a second and didn't take the time to look.