mattyt36
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Posts posted by mattyt36
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Ross you don’t sound like you’re ready to learn as to why decentralization is the solution (obviously it’s the answer because it isn’t not the answer) and instead only want to waste server space.
Thanks for letting us all know exactly what kind of person you really are.
Matty: “Doc Luminaire, I have a stomachache.”
Doc Luminaire: “Well we better remove your small intestine.”
M: “Can’t we start with some antibiotics?”
DL: “You obviously don’t work in this industry. Let me ask you a simple question: Is a bitter pill hard to swallow?”
M: “Before you remove my small intestine can you explain to me why you think it’s the right solution?”
DL: “Someone once told me a patient who thinks he’s a doctor has a fool for a patient. Please answer my question. Is a bitter pill hard to swallow? Or do I need to dumb it down? Do you think two wrongs make a right? Once you tell me that, I’ll tell you why I know removing your small intestine will solve the problem. Are you really here to fix your stomachache or waste the time of the entire medical community and space in my file cabinet?”
M: “OK Doc maybe I’ll seek a second opinion.”
Nurse Houston 19514: “Doctor, I’m still wondering why exactly you are recommending to remove Matty’s small intestine.”
DL: “Nurse Houston, can you tell me why that isn’t the right decision? EDIT: I’ve heard another patient got their small intestine removed once.”
M: “Get me the hell outta here.”
DL: “Thanks for letting everyone know exactly what kind of person you really are.”
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Hilarious.
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7 minutes ago, Luminare said:
@mattyt36 So what you are saying is that you are not only far beyond in intellect that you can't be bothered to answer a few simple questions (as its beneath your obvious high-intellect) or even learn from others (I mean why should you since you seem to be all-knowing), but you really do consider yourself to also be supremely clever, funny, and original, right? I'm simply clarifying. If you can answer this question (at least give this poor depraved soul one answer to this measly one question) then I'll tell you everything you want to know.
Yeah, that's it exactly . . . 👍
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1 hour ago, Luminare said:
I believe one wise soul once said, "Only a fool believes they are the smartest in the room".
I can infer this by the very fact that you believe that you are too good or too "smart" to talk in what you arrogantly point out as being "simplistic" and "trite". We can't even begin to build upon anything until we start at the very bottom. We have to base ourselves in the general and then narrow the discussion into something more detailed (I can't believe I even have to say this. Its so fundamental it should be common sense or self-evident...) We have to be able to agree with fundamental understandings of things and be able to agree to simple questions.
Why make this so difficult on yourself?....Again: Are you quicker and more agile when you are small or when you are big?
Maybe that is too complicated though. Maybe we need to start somewhere else. Even simpler question: Do you believe the world is a zero-sum game?
Finally you need to take your emotion out of this. I'm not here to question you as a person, but your line of reasoning! Your line of thinking is not properly grounded for a discussion to even happen.
Are you willing to learn something today? Or are you here to waste peoples time, and server space.
Oh Loomy, bless your heart and those 12-inch stilettos you seem to be standing in. Emotional, eh?
Lots of lecturing and, what, 4 posts, yet no substantive rationale given as to why decentralization is an answer for the permitting problem you're concerned with.
By any reasonably objective standard, especially 4 posts in with plenty of ignored opportunities for expanding your ideas ("Oh, I mean as part of a comprehensive process redesign," or whatever it means, exactly), parroting and reparroting an empty turn of phrase as a rationale is trite and simplistic. Sports are all about quickness and agility, so maybe we should run your maxim by Jeff Luhnow, Brian Gaine, or Darryl Morey--why the need to fill out the roster? Maybe they should run split squads! (Or, am I wrong, "quicker and more agile when you are small" is a widely recognized maxim solely in the municipal permitting industry?)
And no, sir, please do not deign to "dumb it down" for Li'l Ole Me--quite the contrary--I'm asking specifics as to how decentralization would help relieve workload issues caused by high demand attributable to Harvey reconstruction (an entirely believable problem another poster referred to) or "subjectivity" (another problem you have recently introduced).
("Only a fool believes they are the smartest in the room," eh? That sentiment jibes oh-so-well with naked condescension such as "Your line of thinking is not properly grounded for a discussion to even happen"; "are you willing to learn something today"; "or are you here to waste peoples time, and server space," doesn't it? It actually jibes pretty well with your screenname. Someone seems to have an inappropriately elevated opinion of himself. But I'll let you have this one, Loomy . . . it seems to be an issue near and dear to your heart . . . and emotionally so.)
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40 minutes ago, Luminare said:
You obviously don't work in this business...its not that simple (I wish it was). The permitting process has an underlying level of subjectivity that is predicated on who is furnishing the permit at the office.
However, my previous question was. Once again, simple question: Are you quicker and more agile when you are small or when you are big?
We can work up to the bigger idea, but thats a non-starter if you can't even break big ideas into smaller parts and answer simple foundational questions.
Luminaire, instead of speaking in overly simplistic and trite generalities, why don't you start with explaining how your prescription moving the same people to different offices to perform the same job magically solves the problem simply because small is "quicker and more agile." Are you now saying the problem is with subjectivity? Decentralization seems like a fine solution to address that.
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2 minutes ago, Luminare said:
Simple question: Are you quicker and more agile when you are small or when you are big?
Great platitude that demonstrates no consideration of the specific work being done in this situation.
We're talking about relatively rote, "check-the-box" processing of permit applications in accordance with City regulations. I'd say it's a safe bet that processing capacity is pretty close to a linear function of the number of staff.
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On 1/5/2019 at 10:32 AM, mollusk said:
Two things have the permitting office a bit hamstrung: We're still dealing with Harvey reconstruction, and budgetary concerns brought on by people who believe in The Money Fairy. Going from one office location to four (or however many) won't really make any difference unless it results in an increase in staffing - which could just as easily work with a central location.
Yes if workload is the apparent issue, decentralization would only make it worse.
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Heres a 2000 WSJ article that I think was posted upthread
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB974263917263844039
Heres a 1990 article about where the acquisition came from
Opicoil is the Taiwanese oil company name, Golconda Ventures is the real estate arm of the company that shows up on the tax rolls.
Interestingly enough Huffington Energy is the same Huffington as Ariana Huffington and the Huffington Post.
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$11.5 million doesn't seem like much.
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On 8/31/2018 at 11:44 AM, ArtNsf said:
I've looked at elevation maps of Houston endlessly for years. Indeed, there is great variation in elevation, from right at sea level off to the southeast and at the bottom of the east end of Buffalo Bayou, upwards to over 100 feet out near West Oaks and northward near IAH. Downtown proper including Midtown, has elevations that range between 40 feet to near 60 feet. Not a huge difference, but in an area considered so "flat" any elevation changes over an area are interesting to those that are looking around and paying attention to the lay of the land. For instance, driving north on Kirby, then east out of River Oaks and onto Allen speedway - oops Parkway... one can really see the difference between the bottom of the Bayou near 10 or 20 feet elevation to near 55 to 60 feet in that part of River Oaks, with the beautiful undulating, albeit small, front yards and banks of the Bayou, even on the roads to some degree. I'm no expert, but if you want to look around and look closer at our flat terrain, you can always spot a natural elevation variation in many areas just by looking closer. Out in Brookshire, where I grew up, the elevation even rises to a whopping 165 feet - wow
and as some one else pointed out, near 200 feet towards Conroe and The Woodlands. A lot of rambling about elevation, I know, but I still find Houston's topography fascinating and ever so important to determining flood prone areas versus those that are reasonably safer from inundation. And yes, ALL of the areas I mentioned here are still in the Houston area, though may not be considered in the "city limits". I'm not sure what city limits really means for us in Houston anyway. WE have no limits !
Subsidence has historically been a big deal in Houston, with some areas losing 12 feet over the past 100 years.
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Looks like the hotel is about to reopen. The ground-level renovations look great. Sorry I don’t have a photo.
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4 hours ago, bobruss said:
Well 3300 Main is finally coming out of the ground and it won't be long before both sets of cranes will really give us a feel of what were going to have, in the heart of Midtown. Plus Shultz still has a 16 story building planned for the northern 1/2 of the Ensemble Theater block.
What project is that?
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The most current publicly available update for the long-term capital plan is at
https://www.fly2houston.com/biz/about/investor-relations/
Click the down arrow next to "Official Statements"
Select "Series 2018AB Official Statement"
Go to Appendix A, Report of the Airport Management Consultant
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On 9/11/2018 at 10:24 AM, Houston19514 said:
The plan is to "Re-life or replace" the subway train system.
• Design Services in FY-2020
• Construction in FY-2022Ah, someone has discovered the ever-illuminating capital budget document!
There's obviously a big difference between "re-life" and "replace" . . .
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Just now, kennyc05 said:
Thanks for the reply! I used it yesterday for the first it was really underwhelming:(
It's decent at what it does, if the alternative is nothing. It was actually built by the Walt Disney Corporation to replace the initial system, which didn't even last 5 years.
https://stuckattheairport.com/tag/walt-disney-company/
DFW's original train system, airtrans, ended up being quite the bust as well.
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On 10/16/2016 at 8:54 AM, tigereye said:
Architect for new Terminal D to be hired by the end of the fall. Does that mean previous renders were just placeholders and project's design may change with architect hired?
Construction by Late 2017
I know this is 2 years old but I don't frequent this part of the forum . . .
Major infrastructure projects such as the terminal are planned first. Any drawings that come with them are conceptual renderings only. The planning specifications/requirements are then handed over to the designer. In this case there's not much you can do with the footprint of the building given the constrained site and the geometry necessary to accommodate the taxilanes, but of course the design of the building itself could vary wildly. (That said, flashy design elements typically get eliminated during the value engineering process.)
In any case, I wouldn't take the lack of news on this project to be a positive. The design team has had, what, 2 years at this point? I'd imagine there must be major budget concerns or airline support has waned.
All of the drawings for the Spaceport, for example, are nothing other than conceptual renderings.
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1 hour ago, kennyc05 said:
What is the future plan for the subway in the basement?
Extended to downtown, of course. It'd probably only take 15 minutes longer than at-grade light rail. (Kidding.)
It has to be kept in operation, replaced with moving sidewalks, or replaced with an interterminal bus system--plenty of UA passengers park in one garage, only to arrive in another terminal. Last time I heard it was to be rebuilt--the problem being all of the parts for the existing train have to be handmade since the technology has been way superseded. There is no way that it will be replaced as the tunnel would have to be completely rebuilt and expanded between the hotel and A, and, however inefficient, a bus system may be, it'll always win out on a benefit-cost basis. Plenty more pressing projects at IAH and limited funds.
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For those who have not stayed at an AC Hotel, they offer a really nice product. Much more my style than the Aloft (recognizing that’s personal opinion).
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35 minutes ago, bobruss said:
I agree that they're too wide. That would be great. I don't know if they plan on continuing the north south streets like Bagby and soon to be Caroline.The federal govt. had all of the north south streets completely rebuilt with new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping just 18 years ago so I doubt they would want to give us more money to take lanes out.
35 minutes ago, bobruss said:I agree that they're too wide. That would be great. I don't know if they plan on continuing the north south streets like Bagby and soon to be Caroline.The federal govt. had all of the north south streets completely rebuilt with new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping just 18 years ago so I doubt they would want to give us more money to take lanes out.
Any chance the 45/59 realignment will reduce the Midtown drive-through traffic?
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18 hours ago, bobruss said:
It would be beneficial for the future of the neighborhood if they could repurpose as many of the early 30's-60's era buildings still standing, especially ones with good bones, within reason. I'm not suggesting that anyone has to do this, but if they want a successful area it needs to feel good. Those efforts would provide space for retail, and other conveniences while enhancing the public realm. The idea is to hopefully create an environment that people enjoy living, working and playing in. Diversity of architecture mixing old and new are all important ingredients, and hopefully most developers understand the important role they play. Of course smart landscaping, lighting, signage and safe sidewalks are all important pieces to the puzzle. As an example...
A recent Friday night in a great little neighborhood.
Stepped off the train, at a very busy Ensemble Station and headed across the street, to Match, the new Lake Flato, arts venue, to catch an early lecture. Besides the lecture there was also a performance in one of the theaters. Afterwards, we detoured west to Holmans on Milam, for a quick cocktail on their patio, then headed back over to Main Street, where we turned south for a little food and fun. We worked our way down the next four blocks of retail and entertainment, while trying to decide what kind of food to try with so many new options and old reliables. Mid Main, and its row of expanding retail spaces, is the brand new mixed use apartment complex which spans a block and a half and is right in the heart of Ensemble Station. We stop for a beer at Natchatee, a little hamburger joint with music, and an interesting art collection including a great Art Guys piece. It's a little repurposed bungalow, that sits just south of Mid Main and it's the first of the bohemian section which has developed over the years around the Continental club. Just across Main street lies the Ensemble Theater, a mainstay and the only thing in the area for ever. After sticking our heads in some of the eclectic shops, we hurry past The Continental Club and Tacos A Go Go and back across Main Street, just south of Alabama, for an art exhibition at Inman gallery, one of several galleries with exhibitions that night, which are housed in the ground floor of Isabella Court, probably one of the coolest early Houston apartment buildings, with a most remarkable courtyard. We meet up with our friend, and he gives us a quick tour of his new apartment. Afterwards we all head back to catch the late show at Continental Club. This bohemian, neighborhood spans possibly four or five blocks on both sides of Main and Milam and packs a wallop and the great thing was,we never had to get in our car. We ended up for some late night spring rolls at Mai's. Had a nightcap across from Continental club
After finishing off a couple Ice coffees, we connect with our Uber driver and head home. We had so much fun, with so much to see and do all in one little neighborhood in Midtown.
What a great night.
Now that's what a great neighborhood can offer.
But you can't tear down all of the old just to put up a lot of cold slick steel and glass, mixed use development and get the same funky feel you get in the heart of Midtown. Its the fabric that makes the difference.
In my opinion the width of the streets in Midtown really work against any neighborhood feeling—the narrower streets on the east side work so much better. If the main arterials could be reconfigured a la Bagby, it’d help a lot.
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15 hours ago, HoustonMidtown said:
After driving by on Friday, I find it hard to believe that it really is open for residents. Leasing, sure.
If it is move-in ready, I'm not sure I'd want to move in with the surrounding streets all ripped up.
Meanwhile down the street, Dolce Living crawls along . . .
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How much square footage is the food hall going to take up? And it’s all in the existing structure?
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8 hours ago, H-Town Man said:
Pretty obvious from what I said. Is this a courtroom?
More like a forum for a self-published novel.
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16 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:
If a sign has been there for most of the building's history, that becomes its history. If they could show that when it was the Petroleum Building, there was a sign there called "The Petro" and that they are merely restoring this sign, then there might be an interesting argument for reverting it back. Or if the building was especially famous when it was the Petroleum Building and no one ever really called it the Great Southwest building, sort of like Transco Tower vs. Williams Tower or Sears Tower vs. Willis Tower, then you could revert back. But it's sort of like a legal precedent... once it has amassed a considerable history a certain way, that becomes the history. An analogous case is the AC by Marriott hotel on Main Street, where they are retaining the building's modern-style renovation because it has been that way long enough that that is legitimate history. (And because whatever is under that façade is probably too ruined to be worth retrieving.)
So, in short, yes?
and as some one else pointed out, near 200 feet towards Conroe and The Woodlands. A lot of rambling about elevation, I know, but I still find Houston's topography fascinating and ever so important to determining flood prone areas versus those that are reasonably safer from inundation. And yes, ALL of the areas I mentioned here are still in the Houston area, though may not be considered in the "city limits". I'm not sure what city limits really means for us in Houston anyway. WE have no limits !
George R. Brown Convention Center Redevelopment, Office Building & W Hotel
in Going Up!
Posted · Edited by mattyt36
I’m sure this will be unpopular but I think at least one suburban chain restaurant is exactly what is needed at the GRB for the same reason that in Times Square, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Navy Pier, the West End, the Riverwalk, etc, etc you will find an Applebee’s and an Olive Garden. The price point for Grotto and Pappadeaux is simply too high for the families that frequent Discovery Green on the weekend. There needs to be a familiar national brand targeted for $10/person instead of $20+.
There are plenty of options for “in-the-know” foodies elsewhere, even in walking distance. The Convention Center restaurants will be successful based on volume.
EDIT: I actually agree with Doc Loomy that Torchy’s for McAllister’s is a perfect solution.