mollusk

The apparent footprint from the above and to the west perspective is a bit misleading.  The portion of the building adjacent to Main is not as tall, and you can't really see it from that angle.

This is why I avoid drive thrus - particularly if it's not some sort of mass production place.  Go ahead and walk inside.  Your order will most likely be taken more quickly, since it's easier to get people to move to the side than to do the same with cars.  If it's going to be a while, you'll get a better sense of that earlier, and can exercise the options to either go elsewhere or perhaps grab a nice glass of iced tea and read some of the material that is likely around for that very purpose.  Your order will more likely be correct, since there won't be the possibly questionable acoustics of the speaker system.  Specials are less likely to be posted outdoors, likewise, if they're out of something, you'll learn of that earlier.  And you'll be better for air quality than sitting there idling for even five minutes.

The sure did this entirely piecemeal. Just for grins, what do you think would happen if the city only permitted Floors 2,3,5,7,10,12,16 and 19?

I think under the constitution that would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment...

I know that o' was making a funny, but I could see how some floors might be approved and others not - for example, some floors getting rejected for not having enough electrical outlets on a wall of a unit style found on those floors, but not others.   

As per Bevis... 

but of course...

(oh, hell.  Now I have an earworm.  At least it's not a bad song.)

There's one in the Customs House in the 700 block of San Jacinto, across from the former Texaco Building, another on Richmond west of Montrose and a third on Almeda just south of the Southwest Freeway.

I read the article before posting, and what I picked up on was that it kept referring to the "Katy area."  It would be clearer if it were more specific, but the article was quoting someone so the reporter doesn't get to make that change.

Offhand, I think that equating a growing suburban school district to a landlocked, old (by US standards, at least) city is a bit of a false equivalence.

toxteth, you win a pink Cadillac. 

Whatever it may be termed, it certainly has more teeth in it than I would have expected. It would be interesting to hear the whole story.

Jesse Jones was no dummy.  Shoot, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't some sort of evil genius clause that requires his giant portrait to remain in what is now Chase's banking lobby in 712 Main.

I have the same understanding, though I'm not entirely sure that the carefully preserved ownership interest in parking rights is necessarily an easement or perhaps some other critter (a distinction that I grant is likely of interest only to me, houstontexasjack, and maybe one or two others with strange obsessions for precise nomenclature and/or law licenses). 

I wonder if the parking right (whatever precise vehicle it may be) has some sort of reverter interest associated with it, where if the parking isn't used the interest re-merges with the remainder or maybe goes back to the original grantor - much like what is the case with some of the park donations over the years. 

Wait. I thought this building was to stay as an office building. Am I wrong about that?

I was under the same impression, UU.

I strongly suspect that City Council has to vote on amending this ordinance, just like any other.  

If you are interested, there is a way to participate in the process - attending meetings, engaging with members of the study committee with particular concerns, and engaging with council members.

That kinda begs the question of definitions.  What all is in the "Katy area?"  Also, I'm willing to bet that he's referring to the city of Pittsburgh, which is totally landlocked by independent suburbs.  The city itself contributes less than half the population of the metropolitan area (or even just Allegheny County).

I just wandered around over there.  All of the barrier tape is down in the tunnel level.  The tunnel connection from 801 Travis to the Main @ Walker Garage (and on to BG Place) is openish - the doors to the segment under or behind the old Battelstein's are closed, but not locked, and it still isn't finished out.

I came back via the sidewalk; for the record, I did not feel that the griffon wings were any hazard to my head (or any other body parts)... though granted, I am descended from peasant stock and therefore low to the ground.  Iss bedter for pickink potatoes.

The downtown Wednesday farmer's market started back up last week.  Lunchtime, at the library (moved from in front of City Hall due to reconstruction of the reflecting pond area).  There are also a bunch of food trucks that show up, as well as other ready-to-eat food vendors under the canopies.  

Yes the rendering shows the view on Capitol looking east towards the GRB.  This view will not be as visible since the rendering conveniently removed the smaller Chase Tower garage.

This shows how much power Hines wields.  He built 601 Travis, and he can make it disappear (in other renderings, as well)... 

In order to do any meaningful analysis of why City A cost $X, City B cost $2X, and City C cost $0.5X, we first need to make sure that each analysis includes the same line items.  I have to wonder if Houston's costs include the overruns, waste, and stuff just poured down the drain from the Wilson era - let's not forget that the only thing he managed to actually do was to become the Press's 2010 Turkey of the Year.  ("How does one become a Turkey of the Year? One way is to run a massive transit agency so badly that it becomes the subject of gubernatorial-race political ads airing in Austin, El Paso, and Lubbock.")

Fine.  Go to the nice new one on 4th at King then.  It's not a bad walk.

San Francisco has at least two Safeways in or near the financial district - one is within a couple blocks of the Ferry Building.  Granted, you've got to get west of Van Ness to get one with a parking lot...

Pretty sure this kinda stuff happens a lot more than you think. Just because they're labeled in the drawings doesn't mean they weren't originally put to be out of the way or mismarked or hell, maybe they needed to just dig close to the water line and made a mistake. this happens all the time in the construction world.

Very true, BFS.  

One can try to account for all the contingencies in the world, and still be thrown off schedule by something like this: http://houston.cbslocal.com/2012/12/06/driver-crashes-into-metro-bus-stop/

A better question is, why is TxDOT involved at all? Like I said, even I'm a bit perplexed why they're even offering to build bus lanes (that only METRO uses) at all.

610 is an interstate and therefore under TxDOT's jurisdiction.

(***sigh....***) 

Here's a nice selection of hat liner material for you.

Once upon a time, years ago, there was a small law firm on one of the way upper floors.  IDK who is there now.  

As for the speakers, IIRC they once played some simulated carillon music on the hour.  I think I even heard it recently, for the first time in forever.

Oh for the love of Mike.

METRO is no more responsible for a contractor on an unrelated project causing damage to its infrastructure than it is when some bozo drives right into a bus stop rain shelter.

And people wonder where the jihad referred to on another thread comes from? 

Wow.  Very cool.  Who did you have to bribe to get out on the upper deck?