Gator Purify

Can't wait until the towers under construction near the GRB & Minute Maid stretch the skyline eastward. Now imagine if the land north of Buffalo Bayou, where the jails are, were repurposed and a huge amphitheater were placed there.

Class of '97 Vanguard. Thanks so much for starting this thread! While I always held Lanier in high regard, I never looked back on my time there fondly until these posts brought back good memories. I was there from '94 to '97, which is about as "90s" as it gets. Pogs, tacos (basically small paper projectiles that are launched from your fingers with a rubber band; the bad kids used to do things like put staples in them), these weird nerdy trading cards with anime characters (I forget what they're called), Treasure Trolls, friendship bracelets, lanyards. The white/Jewish/Filipino/Vanguard kids listened to alternative music like Nirvana, Aerosmith, Green Day, and Soundgarden, while the others jammed Tupac and Junior Mafia (Lil' Kim & Biggie). We were the last class before uniforms were instituted. Sadly, one of my classmates was killed in a skiing accident during a school year. She was really pretty and popular, and I (along with most of the guys) had a crush on her. It was a big deal when they served Chick-Fil-A in the cafeteria. Emeka Okafor, future NCAA basketball player of the year for UConn, was my football teammate and friend/acquaintance. A handful of my classmates ended up going to Harvard. My bus driver was Mr. Marino and he drove bus 8285. Mr. Bordelon for 6th grade (I think) math. I liked him. What I remember most is a boy stabbing his female classmate with a pencil. Mr. Henley for 6th grade social studies. He's a legend at Lanier. Awesome teacher. Shameless in brainwashing us to like the University of Arkansas ("whoo pig suey!"). We put on a mock OJ trial at the end of the year. Mr. Nielsen for German. I can only say numbers 1-10 in German, but I probably ate about 20 Toblerones because of him. Mr. Moore for art?? If Mr. Moore is a black dude, then he taught 8th grade art. That class was lazy as hell, lol. I had Mr. Yeargin, too, but I don't remember him. Ms. Haynes. [insert expletive] This &*^%$ ruined middle school for me. Piece of *&@% math teacher always talked down to people and bragged nonstop about her Prairie View degree. My mom had to meet with her because she kept marking my grades down even though I had correct answers. She taught this unnecessarily long math that was just busy work. Spent 1-2 hours doing homework for her class alone. Ugh. Mr. Green. School librarian who reportedly died of AIDS. He looked sick at the time. Principal Lanclos seemed like a really cool lady. Lanier was incredible. Beautiful building. Great neighborhood. Great legacy. If my kids aren't in private school for 6th-8th grades, I'll want them to go there.

This is one of the greatest projects going in Houston. Now let's talk about the actual water quality. Short of introducing dyes or paving the bottom, can anything be done upstream or downstream to turn the water at least somewhat clear? I'm talking Turkey Bend clear, not Miami Beach. Similarly, what can be done to improve the smell around Sesquicentennial Park/Sunset Coffee Building? Most Houstonians above a certain age, and a lot of tourists, still view Buffalo Bayou as dirty sewer water, so that needs to be addressed, regardless of how many amenities are placed next to it. What about installing a few fountains in the middle of the bayou in downtown? I'm not an engineer, but it seems like that would move some of the silt around, deter mosquitoes, and possibly help with the smell by circulating the water. Please don't rip me if that's a bad idea. Just trying to think of something.

I won't comment anymore on the actual building, since some ppl on this forum seem to bemoan criticism. I will objectively state that this is turning into a PR nightmare for Midway. They (and their agents/cohorts) need to just stop talking. No more press releases and interviews. Start building the thing and move on.

"...Hotel Alessandra's interior design will reflect a strong vertical design and an overall minimalist approach to decor." Sigh. Possible translation: "If you love the exterior, just wait until you see our interior!" Lol.

Nothing says "sleek" like a 21-story box... This whole Alessandra fiasco feels like a bad online dating experience. Its profile picture looks like Scarlett Johanssen but it showed up looking like Carl-Joe Hansen :-/

I just thought about the rendering change and got pissed all over again, lol. This was the one (the ONE) high-rise that had some sort of architectural significance, and now we're left with a CityCentre building in the heart of the city. I lauded Midway for their efforts prior to this, but now it's painfully clear that they'd have been better off staying in the suburbs. GreenStreet is a dumb name (tourists are going to assume it's on Green Street and not Dallas), it has no worthwhile tenants, and now it has an ugly hotel to look forward to. Hmph.

Looks like Allen Parkway will become our version of Austin's Riverside Drive. Looks great. A pedestrian bridge into the Fourth Ward is still sorely needed. It would do wonders for that community and Midtown.

This is very embarrassing for Midway, but if you lop off that top floor & the roof, the rest of the building looks okay. Granted, it looks like it belongs in CityCentre instead of in the...city's...center...but it could still be a positive addition if quality materials are used. Brinsden, if you're reading this, PLEASE redesign that roof. Give it some character, man.

Houston is starting to become the Las Vegas of residential. Want your faux-France? West Gray. Pseudo-Italian highrises? Uptown. Victorian homes in the Heights. Spanish midrises elsewhere. Quite an interesting culture.

From 59, by Minute Maid Park, this thing and the Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites already look HUGE. The Marriott Marquis is about as tall as the GRB, and the HI/HS covers a lot of ground, so downtown finally looks like one continuous mass of buildings from 45 to 59! These are exciting times!

Thanks for your response, UtterlyUrban. The irony here is that we're discussing the possibility of Alessandra either struggling or not being built partly due to downtown Houston's lack of tourist attractions...and yet Alessandra sits in the middle of a three-block mixed-use development that could be/could've been a tourist attraction.

I'm glad someone else has raised this point, because I didn't want to be one of the first. What do falling oil prices have to do with hospitality, residential, and non-energy-related office construction? This question is partly rhetorical, but partly honest because I know a lot of knowledgeable people visit this forum. A "sky is falling" attitude seems to be pervasive in a lot of these threads and I'm curious to know why.

What's the name of the building under construction on the far left?

The "before" photos look better than the "after." Not a fan of the interior and exterior color choices, but hopefully the business thrives.

Cosign. I used to visit Swamplot and HAIF in equal measure. Swamplot really went downhill after they changed their site layout last year. Now, I'll go 2-3 weeks without checking in and still won't miss anything of consequence.

*Jaw drops*

Anyone have a current photo of this? Has the entire facade been painted gray yet?

Here are some great pre-renovation photos of the interior and exterior of The Vanderbilt Sports Grill & Lounge. This could be an exciting destination, if done correctly. Planned: three floors, 55 screens, live DJs, an interesting menu, and an open-air lounge overlooking the city. http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17375093/3704-Fannin-Houston-TX/

No point in crying over spilled milk, but I don't see anything wrong with the Village aesthetic. What should be addressed is the difficulty of navigating University near Kirby...while trying to turn into the Village, avoid drivers backing out of spaces by Mi Luna, avoid hitting pedestrians as they cross the street, and not getting run over by the cars behind you. Does Rice have a campus shuttle that carries kids from the dorms to the Village area? If not, then isn't that an easy solution to some of the problems in the article?

@Timoric Building so ugly its webcam has censors.

I didn't realize people hated palm trees. Then again, there are people who hate babies, clouds, ice cream, and beaches.

Awesome!

@HoustonMidtown Didn't mean to step on your toes. Hopefully a moderator will either delete or merge this thread...

@houstontexasjack The East-West "proposed public street" plan is to connect Kennedy St. from S. Jensen Dr. to N. Velasco St. The North-South "proposed public street" extends Middle St. across Buffalo Bayou via a new bridge and connects it to Bayou St.