Montrose1100

Let's keep it civil. As much as possible anyway.

I really enjoyed the skyline during the "power over houston" in the late 90s. Particularly the spotlights on most of the skyline. It's as simple as illuminating the buildings, without anything "flashy". Most of our towers have huge plazas that could easily incorporate some lighting. 

Although I am a sucker for flashy, and would not complain if every building was wrapped in LEDs fading between all colors of the rainbow. 

We know why it went dark, so how do we ask them to turn on the lights again?

36 minutes ago, EastEndHeritage said:

This morning I saw a big tent and what appeared to be catering trucks. Groundbreaking, maybe?

Yeah there's an ABC13 article about "Houston's Riverwalk"?

Quote

Thursday's groundbreaking kicks off the first of four phases of a project designed to bring a flurry of activity to the area.

The development is in Fifth Ward across the bayou from Minute Maid Park

Tee-hee.

https://abc13.com/east-river-project-development-houston-buffalo-bayou/10977069/

12 hours ago, cityliving said:

Such a cute high-rise. Really wish they would have developed the ex-Americas/Barnes & Noble section with similar style. Would have looked 100x better. The white to off-white, terrible stone choices, then you have this clean thing.

I'm all for preserving historic structures, beautiful warehouses, and mostly anything interesting. However, honestly, don't understand why we're defending strip centers when we all bust out the champagne if an apartment complex has GFR. The city needs to densify and a strip center with a surface lot are protest worthy?

Everything and nothing is sacred in this town. 

Build the HSR. Improve the freeways. 

15 hours ago, Ross said:

 

The problem with oil wells is no on knows where they are or how they were abandoned, if they were abandoned with more than a metal plate welded to the top of the hole. An abandoned oil well near where I live was redone about 10 years ago, and it wasn' ton any of the RRC maps when it was found.

Are we sure?

We've got a cluster around Eureka Heights, and some within the loop at Pierce Junction, some inside the beltway 

RRC Map

17 hours ago, Urbannizer said:

I'm tempted to try one of those but being 6'3 I'd look and feel pretty awkward on haha. I use the Link scooters, they have a wider base and larger wheels than Limes which makes them more durable. Also brakes on both sides. Uber JUMP electric bikes are also a great option.

 

Who cares what you look like as along as you have fun.

I'm tempted to buy one and scoot around the east end.

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

Is the mayor the only local leader? Most white people in the Houston metro live outside the city limits; their local leaders are the county commissioners and congressional representatives. I think that seeing county leadership change from Republican to Democrat and getting into things like opposing major transportation projects because they displace minority homes is something that gives white suburbanites the feeling, "This is not my county anymore." There are still some Republican congressional representatives like Crenshaw, but some notable districts like the 7th Congressional have switched over. These positions played a huge role over the years in championing the "suburban paradigm" of being pro-highway, anti-rail, anti- "big government," etc. (Think of John Culberson's role in the Katy Freeway expansion and opposition to rail.)

I get the feeling some of you think I'm saying things that I'm not saying, viz. that any of this is good or bad. The only possible bad I see in this for Houston is if there is a loss in investment to the area, as has happened historically in other "white flight" places. White people tend to control a disproportionate share of investment dollars. But I don't see this happening at this point for some of the reasons mentioned.

I get what you're saying, just think you're painting a broad stroke. Don't think what you're saying is bad or good, just wrong ;). We're not St Louis, and we're not Detroit, and our economic engine is still humming.

1 hour ago, dbigtex56 said:

Considering the number of trucks in Houston that are carrying toxic, caustic, flammable or other noxious cargo, I'm leery about having tunnels in which an accident could create a chemical gas chamber, trapping hapless motorists. 

Would be a terrible way to go, but they're more likely to die in a major flooding event.

Edit: Or a road rage incident given the almost daily shootings.

7 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

Is it really not clear? White people are majority Republican. When they see the politics of elected leaders change, they are more likely to think it's "not their city/county anymore" and leave. This is how it has played out in other places. 

I do think that a relevant factor that the statistics don't show is the mixed-race component of the population, especially people who are maybe half-white, half-Hispanic. This suggests that, even as the white population dwindles to 30% and below, they are not as likely to shift from slow-speed white flight to fast white-flight (as happened in St. Louis, etc.) because they do not feel as outnumbered. Although they only constitute 33% currently, it probably feels more like 40-50% because of the number of people whose appearance and culture are quite similar.

This is not grounded in any facts. We also haven't had a republican mayor since 1981. If anything, people are upset white people are moving into their inner loop neighborhoods (i.e. gentrification).

16 hours ago, Big E said:

Doubt we'll get anything "small". All the other vacant lots around there are huge, full city blocks. Big signature towers ahoy! Either that or a bunch of squat, boxy apartments, like the lots closer to the ballpark and freeway.

 

There are zero full vacant lots north/east of Caroline & Rusk (Historic District).

Plenty of full blocks adjacent though.

28 minutes ago, ljchou said:

Permit says construction of 38 single family residences so you won some brand new townhomes!

https://gray-wood.com/homes/

They can walk to Coral Sword and hear all of the nightly gunshots south telephone has to offer. Did I mention the dual tracks? toot toot.

I'm actually envious they can walk to Coral Sword. 

10 hours ago, HoustonBoy said:

Will this be the thinnest building in Houston? Maybe even Texas? It looks like it'll give the Hyatt on Congress in Austin a run for its money. 

My money is on the Mercer for thinnest high-rise in Texas. 

I'm really happy this tiny block is being developed into a residential tower. Eventually, It will be nice to see what fills in around the historic district's surface lots. Would love to see some smaller and more interesting residential/hotel there.

Will match the old St Joseph Professional building.

7 hours ago, Tumbleweed_Tx said:

there's 6 million people in this area? Has anyone hold those people to stop coming, we're full?  heh

7.1 million.

2 hours ago, Subdude said:

Is that Bank of America with the blue lighting on top?

 

Yes. Is 609 Main lit up in that picture too? Or it is just the faint sunset?

2 hours ago, Valhalla said:

if this is the beginning of a neo-classical skyscraper renaissance, I'm here for it. 

I wouldn't get too excited. The same firm did Market Square Tower. Won't be nearly as romantic as the render. Also won't be as terrible as anything Randal Davis.

@Highrise Tower

You're too quick for me. I finally found Urb's post to merge and you beat me to it. Thanks.

38 minutes ago, MidCenturyMoldy said:

Apparently it took 12 years from purchasing the land to opening the building in Toronto. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismaili_Centre,_Toronto

We're on year 15 so what's the rush.

On 8/7/2021 at 3:56 PM, houstontexasjack said:

I’ll reserve final judgment until the project is completed, but those screens look like glorified bug screens. 

It's disenchanting. I'm nervous about the rest of the project. The Museum District is was the one area left that was sacred and safe from bright, cheap, tacky towers. 

On 8/6/2021 at 11:46 AM, wilcal said:

Drove by this morning and heavy equipment was cleaning up a fallen tree log. 

Nice little additional infill. 

Should have grabbed a pic. 

It's really nice being able to see left down McKinney at the stop sign when driving north on Cullen. 

There's also stakes in the ground. 

Because we don't have a "on-hold" section. These lots will get developed eventually, and the title will change, and will eventually "go up". Makes it easier to find when the time comes.

We're here to make sure everyone plays nicely and move/merge threads by requests. 

13 hours ago, Justin Welling said:

For comments regarding the capping of the freeway and adding open space in EaDo, remember that is conceptual and TXDOT will not fund that. TXDOT is relying on private investment or other entities to do the amenities on top of the freeway. Renderings sure look nice, but that it is not guaranteed. TXDOT makes you want to think that is how it will end up looking like...

Yes, TXDOT will burry the freeway, but what goes above it can still change.

Burying it is still a huge win.

30 minutes ago, Houston19514 said:

They got their building permits in March of this year...

36 minutes ago, arche_757 said:

A very big change from the early days of this forum, that is certain.

There is a Moxy Hotel listed on CentralHouston/Downtown District list of hotels.  Is that under construction, or just proposed?

State National Bank Building rehab...

2 minutes ago, HoustonMidtown said:

I believe the builder that built the new homes directly across McKinney had a sign up saying they would be building phase 2...

Hopefully the long boys and not the open air garage ones.