lilyheights

Alright.. well, i'd be willing to accept that what i've heard may be the outdated info, and the plans the chronicle has could be more current.

But still.. if they're still early enough in the project.. lots can change as far as site concept is concerned.

I think given the fact the plans the chronicle has is almost 5 months old (according to sevfiv).. we also have to assume it could just as easily be way off as it is right on.

But usually nothing will change if you don't talk about problems.

Since these are the only plans out there and since they are real (whether on not they're outdated), this is what people can talk to.

I don't see anything wrong with saying, "we don't want this plan." Whether it is right or wrong doesn't matter when talking about your opinion of the ideas presented in that plan.

Weingarten is more than welcome to issue or provide copies of the most up-to-date plans at any time.

scarface, you're still using the SSC version of city success. This is not a race to see who has the biggest population. No one gets a trophy for being the biggest city, or even the biggest metro. The goal of local government officials is to adequately serve the ones that live here, as well as the ones who will be moving here.

The Dallas Morning News has an ongoing series about the problems that city is facing, and how to address them. The first paragraph addresses exactly what I am talking about.

The entire article is here.

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2004/d...ernsector2.html

Now, this is not to pick on Dallas. I picked this article because I knew where to find it. But, it is a good example of what I am talking about. Plano, Richardson, and Addison, among other towns, receive huge amounts of property tax and sales tax from development within their borders, tax money that the City of Dallas does not get. Dallas needs that revenue, but it goes elsewhere. Richardson's telecom corridor funnels revenue to them, not Dallas. Without tax revenue, Dallas cannot hire more police, build more parks, repave streets and all of the other things that make the city great.

Now, look at Houston. If Houston had stopped annexing in the 1970s, Humble would have taken Deerbrook Mall and Kingwood. Spring might have incorporated, taking in Greenspoint Mall and all of the office buildings and hotels. The Energy Corridor may have become the City of West Houston. Clear Lake would have incorporated. Willowbrook Mall may have become Cypress.

Big deal, you say? The City of Houston gets millions of dollars of sales tax revenue from all of those malls. It gets tens of millions more in property taxes from the office buildings. If all of the wealthy suburbs incorporated and took the tax money with them, the City would have been left with the poor neighborhoods. Taxes would have to increase dramatically, or none of the city projects that cost money would get funded.

All of Houston's suburbs depend on Houston being healthy. There is a natural tension between the city and the burbs, but no intelligent suburbanite wants to see Houston die. It is the only reason those suburbs exist. The same logic applies to Dallas. However, each suburban town still competes with Dallas to take its businesses, corporations, stadiums and residents. It's the nature of the beast.

Again, no one cares about population or density. That is the popularity contest we engage in on these forums. City leaders are concerned about the non-sexy things like police, water and sewer systems and libraries and parks. And those things take money. And money comes from tax revenue. And, if a city cannot annex, revenue becomes harder to come by.

EDIT: Oh yeah, about the blobs. Houston, Dallas and Atlanta are all roughly the same size sprawling blobs. Only Houston can get tax revenue from its blob.

Agreed. One of our founding lessons growing up were my dad's stories about what happened in Cleveland. Unable to annex their suburbs, the city started to die. They stopped some bleeding by passing a city income tax, but that is of little help.

One might not like the idea of annexing, but it is the least of all evils, imo.

This story made KUHF's broadcast around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon.

As for the gone and missed list, I miss the Ale House. I don't shop at those stores, but I surely had a few beers at the Ale House.

I was raised Catholic and I'm a big fan of Annunciation. It's on Texas, right across from Minute Maid. It's more traditional/conservative than a lot of other Catholic churches, at least in my experience. They also offer a Tridentine Mass early on Sunday, which is really good if you're interested in the history of Catholicism. The Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral on Pierce is one of my favorites too.

I like Holy Rosary downtown for similar reasons. It is quiet and traditional. They have a Latin service in the morning, if you want to hear that. English and Vietnamese follow throughout Sundays.

I don't know if going to a Catholic service will outline that much except what a Catholic service looks like. The religion itself is complex and requires study...Cathechism is sold in bookstores, if you wanted to read that. St. Anne's has a great many programs about the faith that are probably better for learning.

I like the History channel idea.

What movie was it where the two characters belonged to a Church of the Month club?

Actually my friends and I are happy to hear it. We worked out at Larry North in the Houston Center for the last two years, switched to FIT last month after nearly joining the new YMCA on Stella Link because it has something that none of the other fitness clubs have - a swimming pool. Stella Link was just too far away. The Masterson YMCA will be great. I swam and played racquetball there a dozen years ago before the YWCA management let the place fall into disrepair. The view of downtown from the pool when the giant doors are open is awesome. With the excellent management of the YMCA, compared to the disaster that is the YWCA, this location will be very popular and fill a service void in the area.

I, too, am extremely excited about the pool prospect. I can't wait. If they want pre-registration, they need to let me know.

I haven't demonized anyone.

I find it discouraging, but not surprising given your track record on this forum, that instead of engaging in an healthy debate on a particular subject, you choose to answer those whose opinions differ from your own with an insult and one-liners.

In any event, I'm done with this subject--it appears everyone's position on the issue is already set, including, I suppose, my own. Good luck with the petition, and I mean that in all sincerity.

I think you've just become a broken record of a tune no one cares to hear. We all get what you're saying. Most don't agree. You're dangerously reaching troll status on this subject; far from healthy debate.

After I don my flame-retardant suit....

Personally, I'm all for building a high-rise condo on West Gray. It would have an incredible location, being within walking distance to a supermarket, retail shops, parks, and could possibly have an amazing view, although traffic could be a little rough at times. The only downside, for me, would be that any new condo would probably be out of my price range.

As another poster said earlier, are you people distraught because of the potential loss of a theater's facade, or because a few starbucks and an eatery or two are going to be displaced? If it is the former, well, good grief, get over it and just build your own "historic" theater facade somewhere. There is plenty of land in Houston for you to build it...

To me, it is the height of hypocrisy to claim that losing the River Oaks theater would be a travesty and to demand the preservation of a place that probably no more than 1% of Houstonians ever set foot in...while, at the same time (but in a different thread, of course), whine about new housing development that doesn't incorporate retail in its plans. I drive by the River Oaks theater at least once a week, and I've never seen a line of people outside waiting to get in...nor have I ever figured out where the movie-goers would park their car if they even wanted to see a movie there. It seems to me it is a theater whose time has passed, and it passed a long time ago.

I'll admit that the theater is pretty, but so what? The future development plans could, in the end, be just as pretty, and could represent the perfect marriage of great housing and great retail.

Apparently, however, most people here would rather save what appears to be a pretty front and a (from what I read here) a middling interior, just to maintain a "historic landmark" that has no such real historic status to speak of.

It's time has not passed. You don't get it. It doesn't show current movies. It is one of a handful of theatres that shows movies that a small, but significant, portion of the Houston population wants to see. And, it is a great venue to see these movies.

What percentage of Houston goes to any one theatre? This city is sooo big, I bet any one theatre doesn't draw that high of a percentage. What percentage of people who want to see something besides Pirates go to the RO? Probably quite a lot. That argument is silly.

It isn't about the facade, although it is cool. It is about a way of life. It is a difference in taste in movies. This is our thing and you don't have to like it or even understand it. I'm not going to close down the Alley b/c most people in this city have never seen a live play in their home town.

This topic is being discussed on a thread under the Montrose area. Names and contact e-mails provided for various people, general grumbling, etc. Get over there and add your .02.

This is terrible. I think "Remember the Bellaire" is perfect. Destroyed to make a kids indoor play area that lasted five minutes... now the RO.

True, the upstairs seating isn't the best for long legs, but I endured it many a time just to see a good film for a change. And, if you were on top of things, you'd catch your film when it was still downstairs.

It is just sad.

I just get tired of them trying to cut more freeway through here every time we turn around.

I went yesterday and I too wondered who was a Haifer and who wasn't. My first impression was how nice the downtown skyline looked looming over the shopping center.

We went last night, as Wendy mentioned. What fun!

Whose family was it with the little boy who was so excited about being "in the *new* target?" I'm sure it was someone on here....we thought that was really cute. He'd obviously been caught up in the excitement too.

I hope that the store continues to be as helpful as they were last night.

I went by target after work. The parking lot was full. The store was open to those with invitations only. I was able to walk partially into the target. There was a guard there asking for invitations. He said that the store would be open tomorrow morning at 8am.

Walking out of the target I was able to get a new perspective of the property that was not available by just doing a drive by. That piece of crap property that used to be there has really come a long way. The place just has a load of potential. Hats off to the planners of this project.

Ok, so the store is open now? Yippee!

according to the woodland heights website there is a rumor of a soft opening on wednesday...

this cracks me up, this is going to be the craziest opening of a target every! the whole hood is so excited about it :>

You're right Wendy. Living in Houston my whole life, I have never, ever seen or heard people get sooo excited about something. This city so rarely takes a collective interest in anything, but darn that Target store opening.

Personally, I can't wait! We're actually holding off on purchases and shopping excursions so that we can do them at the new Target...I feel a little like a sap.

My husband ate there last night and described the atmosphere as similar to the t.v. show, "Hell's Kitchen." I took that to mean that the staff wasn't organized properly at this point.

The food, he said, was good.

He said that if they can get their service working and add the missing items from the menu, it will be a great place.

If you're reading this Mr. Restaurant Owner, know that we're all being patient. Try to get this together for us.

agreed. I can't wait until 5-10 years from now, to see how the area looks. I can't imagine the wharehouses being there much longer. The reaon why some of them haven't left is probably because it looks like their machinery is so old, moving would mean purchasing a whole patch of machines and processors.

I wonder if they grandfather in some safety and things too. If your plant is operational and then you go and build a whole new facility, do you end up incurring costs associated with meeting current regulations? Even if you could move the industrial widget assembly, it does not meet code so you have buy a new industrial widget assembly?

It wouldn't surprise me if this were the case.

Correct me if I'm wrong HY, but I think she's thinking French-style perhaps? Not cakes, pies, and cookies, but croissants and breads.

For those here during Alicia, it was a pretty miserable experience. I remember we didn't have power for at least 4 days but some areas didn't have it for weeks. Tons of property damage as well. Tons of damage to the trees. The flooding was bad as well, but not quite as bad as Allison for us. Couldnt do simple things like drink tap water, turn on a/c, get gas for cars, go shopping, turn on lights at night, etc.

To support the different parts of the city experience different things idea, this was not my Alicia memory.

For us, power returned the same day, no flooding, it wasn't much. We lived in Sharpstown and we faired well. That isn't to say others didn't and that it isn't a crap shoot; it will be different for everyone.

MS, not LA, got the brunt of Katrina? -- easy to forget due to news coverage focus.

The decor is a little strange - the seats & tables look like cheap versions of the modern decor that Uptown Sushi uses, but what's with the native american stuff in the corner? Yeah, I don't know... It looks like they're not done figuring out how to decorate.

Those are Japanese drums and Japanese whatnot. Mamasan has always had a strange decorating sense...the last place (that was around forever) made you afraid you'd turn into a Nagel print. Believe me, the decor at the new place is much better.

Sleep? Sleep? Sleep is for old people and babies, not EVIL GENIUSES. Besides , how can I develop the perfect plan for stealing the Crabby Patty formula from Mr Crabs if I sleeeeeee.......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

WHAT ! WHO'S THERE????

Now scram, and take your little blankie with you so you can curl up like a dead minnow and sleep half your life away OR you will feel all the Evil Wrath that my 3/32" hulk can bring forth onto this continent a new nation conceived in libertzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Scratch Fury?

Coco's has a loyal following, including me. I am excited to learn that they moved and didn't close.

Mamasan, the owner, is the best. If she likes you, there is usually free sake at the end of your meal.

I ate there tonight and the food is as good as always. It is a regulars kind of place, so be patient if you're new -- you'll soon become family.

Where else can you listen to the dance music while eating sushi and watching sports?

I like Kam's on Montrose.

Also, Texas' public universities do a lousy job of graduating students on time (within 6 years of first year enrollment).

Maybe that's true. It took me six years. Then, I waited to apply for graduation until the next semester. So, technically that's seven.

Does that make someone uneducated?

I think there are circumstances in most people's lives that have them take a little longer to get through that degree. It usually involves working their way through school. People who do this are often more qualified to enter the work force. So, I question whether it is a bad thing.

Huh...I didn't know they bussed to magnet schools. Something to consider.

I thought that was the point.

82% Dixie. I guess I'll be paying for that coke and crawfish with confederate money according to the survey. Anyone want to join me for a trip to the beer barn?