KinkaidAlum

On 1/25/2018 at 4:42 PM, ToryGattis said:

 

Possibly. They had money, voter authorization, and contractors itching to build.  I understand why they did it.  And I suppose it's possible at the time they genuinely thought they'd have enough money to finish everything eventually (the cost overruns killed that fantasy).  But all logic would argue when you have limited resources, you should build your lines in order from highest to lowest projected ridership (the original Red line was the perfect first-route choice).  Can you imagine if 70 years ago TXDoT had said "we know everybody wants a freeway to Galveston from Houston, but that's got a few problems to overcome, so we're going to just go ahead and build 59 or 288 out to some sugar and rice paddies instead and circle back to 45S in a decade or two"?!

Could you imagine if 70 years ago a local Houston area politician wrote a rider into a bill to specifically block federal funds for building interstates in Harris/Galveston Counties but allowing that money to go to DFW, Portland, St Louis, etc...?

Funny that you left out that part of the story. But, typical for you. 

On 1/25/2018 at 4:11 PM, ToryGattis said:

 

Sorry, but ad hominem attacks on the arguer is a sign you know you can't win on the facts or logic.  Keep it respectful and argue on the merits, not personal attacks.

 

As far as myself, I've always argued *METRO* (not opponents) made a massive error of judgment when the used limited resources to build the green and purple lines when they should have prioritized the much more useful University line.  But when Culberson blocked them, I'm guessing they figured they'd build what they could (ridership be damned) and just keep pointing to the network hole hoping to get another round of funding and authorization to build it.

It isn't an ad hominem attack when it is true. Just like with Kotkin. Follow the money.

As for your second paragraph, nonsense. They built it because it was approved and had the funding. Culberson's crusade has cost tax payers millions. It's one of the reasons TX 7 might flip despite gerrymandering. 

The green and purple lines are incomplete without the University Line. We have a central North-South Line but a mostly incomplete East-West one. But, max concrete knows that. That was part of the anti-transit lobby's plan all along. Kill the extension to the West where the major employment centers are and then use the lower than anticipated ridership numbers to the partially completed sections to keep it dead. 

It's hard to take anything he says seriously because it is in his name. He has a vested interest in killing alternative modes of travel. 

That said, ridership numbers for both the green and purple lines are increasing. The last two months we have figures for (Oct and Nov 2017) show that ridership is up over 400,000+ year-over year and that other than the months of August-September due to Harvey and multiple service interruptions, ridership is way up in 2017. 

It's been like that for over a week. I rode by several times and they were laying new sod and fertilizer. Maybe protecting new grass?

Good. I had heard he walked. While the tower is a nothing burger, it's better than a cleared lot. 

Villa Borghese was cancelled. Kinda sad because they removed that cute cluster of buildings. 

THANK GOD Randall Davis didn't develop in the Rice Village. Hanover's two projects are head-and-shoulders above anything he has ever built.

Also, I'd rather a city have hodge-podge funky development than just one master-planned thing after another. But, that's just me. I like quirks... like the Dirt Bar to me is more interesting than Green Street or whatever it is called now. 

I still have a dream that someday we'll have a green roof initiative. Imagine that picture with gardens/parks on top of the sprawling apartment buildings and garages. 

Got a glimpse tonight in the darkness. They've dug a huge hole for either the  foundation pour or maybe even an underground parking level? It's quite large and looks to cover the entire footprint of the building. The wind has torn off the windscreens so you can catch a glimpse but it was too dark to capture a good photo.

The block will be like this...

HANOVER TOWER     La Colombe Hotel

       townhomes            NEW TOWER

Wow. Great find! I don't think that's the Anderson Clayton Bldg. I think that's the old Penn Hotel? Looks like the sign might say Will Penn, no? But that could easily be it on Texas Avenue putting the photographer to the northwest of the Church.

New Hope Housing is also doing much needed work. It is nearly impossible for people to land work if they are homeless and it's easier than ever for someone to be one pay check or one illness away from being homeless. This gives people a safe place to stay and get on their feet. It gives them an address. It gives them a chance. And New Hope is so much more than a "shelter." They work very hard to try and providence a sense of pride in giving people a HOME. This building looks like it accomplishes that quite nicely. 

Looks like the Industrial Design program is only going to get stronger! 

Looked like they were drilling on-site today. Hard to see with the fencing but definitely lots of activity. 

I'll I could figure out is it is adjacent to I45. My guess would be North of the city.

That view is amazing. Enjoy it while you can!

1) You cannot assume all of the project mentioned above would have happened if UTH got off the ground

2) Do you know how the UT system works? It's very much a separate but not equal system. We were not going to get a UT-Austin, which is an amazing school with vast resources. We'd be getting a branch. They are NOT the same thing no matter how much a UTSA graduate tries to tell you they graduated from "Texas."

Dark Day?

Since that all went down we've seen UT system approve of the TMC3 plans, A&M make a huge commitment to their Health Science Center with an initial ground lease and plans for a new multidisciplinary research and education building, UH announce plans for a community medical school focused on primary care in underserved environments, and UH announce a new Institute for Data Science with help from the Governor's excellence fund.

But yeah, not open...

This is actually MUCH better. This campus will be far more integrated with the existing TMC than the land UT bought. Win-win is how I look at it. 

It's a shame we keep allowing for the destruction of our city so that folks who don't live here can drive in and out more easily. Some day, we'll grow up like other places. 

Nah. Mine is respectful and also only 9 pounds and a short-haired wiener. 

I've heard it's a statue of a 14 year old girl and there will be an officially naming ceremony for the Roy Moore High School for Mall Cops. 

My dog wants Rice to fix the fountain between Baker and the Biz School. It's been broken this entire semester and she likes to lay in it. 

Is this the old Orion site?

Depending upon the massing, the folks in Bayou Bend Tower might be losing downtown views if this thing lifts off!

Having high end hotel and apartment windows 10-15 feet away from office windows. Living in a fishbowl. Not for me. Also, the office tower is going to wipe out northern views... which happen to be TMC/Hermann/Downtown views. Most people who rent top floors a pay premiums tend to do so for the view. In my ideal world, I'd have put the office tower on the Southern lot. Just seems counter-intuitive to build it this way.