Jump to content

mattyt36

Full Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,278

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by mattyt36

  1. mattyt36
    What club was it?
  2. mattyt36
    Lights at top blue and orange these days for the Astros. Sad that 1600 Smith didn’t do something.
  3. mattyt36
    Doubletree signage still up. I don’t get it.
  4. mattyt36
    Thank you so much C&G!
  5. mattyt36
    welcome back Crockpot!
  6. mattyt36
    I guess the renderings disappeared with C&G ... can anyone remind me what this is to be called? They have been working on it and have a now hiring sign out front.
  7. mattyt36
    Hopefully the Astros will create something like what's outside the AA Center in Dallas with the land they acquired close to MMP. I did note the new Jones Plaza plans refer to the ability to accommodate large theater-style screens for events. https://victorypark.com/victory-media-network/ It was actually a great environment in 2017.
  8. mattyt36
    What a shame.
  9. mattyt36
    Also Houston was the capital of the Republic of Texas ... certainly not the same in scale but it’s not anything to shrug at in terms of North American history. Boston and Philadelphia attract a lot of tourists who have no ties to either city for the same reason.
  10. mattyt36
    Not sure why we doubt ourselves. Houston has a pretty spectacular historical (albeit modern historical) pedigree, as good as any city in the country. It may be “ugly”/not conventionally beautiful, but it’s a place that a lot of people have come from all over the world, for whatever reason (certainly not because of tourist attractions) it felt like home, they were welcomed by their neighbors as if it were home, and they made it home. And that doesn’t even begin to consider the world-changing technological advancements that were made by Houstonians in the oil and gas, space, and medical industry. One of worst “no builds” in my mindis the Nau Museum. That would’ve been a fine start in telling the story. Another great idea would be a National Museum of Immigration affiliated with the Smithsonian that would tell the domestic and international immigration story. A new Astroworld would also be great of course.
  11. mattyt36
    There is (or were) a set of houses on Stanford and Pierce that have been like that for quite a while. I'm sure the City can repossess them if they don't meet building code . . . just don't know how long that would take.
  12. mattyt36
    The City has (and is annually maintaining) a spaceport operating license from the federal government. That said, there is no "Ellington Spaceport," there is a "Houston Spaceport," which is a really a real estate development, at "Ellington Airport." Spin for poaching from existing tenants (at HOU) and adding a company with no existing ties to the space industry.
  13. mattyt36
    The sidewalks on the east side if the Shops building were closed with construction barriers this weekend.
  14. mattyt36
    Great location!
  15. mattyt36
    Anyone have any idea when the Doubletree signage will be replaced?
  16. mattyt36
    Adding to the confusion (or mine at least) the City does run the Houston Sports Park, which houses the Dynamo and Dash training facility and the rugby team.
  17. mattyt36
    Sorry, got confused with the City exclusively buying the land for BBVA. In my recollection (but living away at the time) I thought it was driven by the City and that impression must have never left me. But, rest assured, Houston19, make yourself known at the next Astros game and I will buy you an overpriced beer to complement that feather in your cap.
  18. mattyt36
    In rereading the above I left an open quotation and seem to have invented a new word ... “flurfty” (covfefe?) ... I’m not sure what I was even going for there, but I’ll let it stand because it does seem an appropriate adjective for Aramark.
  19. mattyt36
    Thanks for that. You are correct, although I’m sure it’s no coincidence Aramark runs the concessions at NRG and Toyota Center as well. Not sure about BBVA, but that is City-run, not County run. In any case (1) I’m sure the selection of a concessionaire is subject to County procurement rules; and (2) the point still stands. Blame HCSA or the Astros. If HCSA didn’t choose Aramark, or influence the Astros to choose Aramark, they created the lease that allowed the Astros to choose Aramark. Of course this was all done 20 years ago, “best practice” at the time to deliver new stadia to Houston without burdening property owners through a tax levy. High priced concessions are only a part of it ... I’m pretty sure there’s a hotel tax and a car rental tax dedicated to the stadia which are (or used to be) among the highest in the country. I’m sure they wouldn’t do it the same way now. However, if the Astros re-upped through 2050, I’m sure they retained the favorable lease terms ... after all, why not? I haven’t looked at it in a while but at one point the HCSA bonds that funded MMP, Reliant, and Toyota were junk bonds recently enough (i.e., within the past 5 years) because it was largely variable rate with swaps underwater dating back to the 2008 financial crisis. I’m confident they must have been refinanced since then because I’m sure we would have heard about it otherwise. Anyway, I’m not defending Aramark, I only go to MMP with any regularity and have been to plenty of away games. MMP is the worst, no doubt, with the exception of a couple concessions not run by Aramark (e.g., the St Arnold bar behind the Crawford Boxes). The stadium design doesn’t help, either, with very narrow circulation spaces (I assume because (ironically, in Houston) they had to fit it on those blocks, and those dimensions weren’t exactly spacious, which makes the stadium quite “dense). It’s infuriating to watch those concessions operate, they seem to have plenty of people but absolutely zero efficiencies. That’s why getting a hot dog on $1 hot dog night takes two full innings, with the line stalled for a full half inning because they’ve “run out,” and most people just give up. Since the Astros have a direct financial incentive in improving such flurfty service, blame them (or HCSA). Don’t waste your time complaining about Aramark.
  20. mattyt36
    Um, no, you can blame the HCSA for giving them the concession contract.
  21. mattyt36
    Well creating a satellite campus in Conroe in this environment sounds like a real winner.
  22. mattyt36
    That can’t be the Angels considering they’re talking about moving to Long Beach.
  23. mattyt36
    Also the Braves’ new stadium https://www.multifamilyexecutive.com/design-development/atlanta-developer-takes-on-mixed-use-development-next-to-braves-new-baseball-stadium_o
  24. mattyt36
    Wondered how long this would take. Great news!
  25. mattyt36
    We have gone from having relatively few public recreational areas to having so many on the drawing board that I shudder to think of the long-term implications regarding upkeep. (Not necessarily with this one, as it will be privately operated, but in the same vein I question their business model.) With all that is conceptual on the drawing board for downtown and environs, I hate to say it but it seems like total overkill. Some concepts include cap parks from 45-10/59 interchange to the Spur, along with a “High Line” on the Pierce Elevated. And the downtown master plan includes the “Green Necklace” (or whatever it’s called) circling the inner core of downtown. And whatever East River is going to try to do. Certainly looks beautiful on paper but good Lord (1) how will such acreage be “populated”; and (2) who the hell is going to maintain it? I guess, though, if I had to choose between this and how things were 20 years ago in re lack of imagination, I’d choose now.
×
×
  • Create New...