AmyP

I would update with photos, but I've reached my attachment quota. Interesting to see the progress...

I've lived in downtown Houston for nearly ten years, all in early 20th c. buildings, all solid. It feels lately like the burbs has invaded with these four-floor apartment buildings taking up whole blocks with pools in the middle of them with big floor plans and a lack of studios/small 1br (and about zero GFR). I don't know how this creates density. Instead it's just blocks and blocks of little to walk to with no "shop" interaction, which doesn't balance the overpriced rents. Short, old buildings beware... Whatever's going up eventually, please let it not be a skyscraper with an enormous lobby and a coffee shop with no street signage that closes at 3pm.

(photos taken 9/9)

On 9/1/2018 at 8:16 PM, rechlin said:

AmyP, if that is the view from your apartment, I'd be willing to decommission one of my web cams (here: http://webcam.rechlin.net/garage/) for you to to setup to allow us to monitor the construction progress, if you are willing.

These pics are from the top of the parking garage. I get all the joy of hearing it but not seeing it.

22 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

How was your week? Did you try the white noise?

 

I enjoy neighbors commenting on these developments. Gives another aspect of the build.

The construction symphony goes on! It's now becoming its own white noise ;). I'm grateful it stops at 5pm, but it makes a tough work day when you work from home... not grateful, however, that it starts up at 7:30am on a Saturday. Even through ear plugs it's my alarm. It took a day break this past Sunday - I wondered why it was quiet – "is it a holiday??" No, it was Theater District Day. And there can't be dust and noise on that day. Kind of like when the demo on the Chronicle stopped during Super Bowl Week. It's progress in front of residents; unsightly and noisy in front of visitors. Enjoy the pics from the end of the week! (taken 8/31)

34 minutes ago, Timoric said:

https://youtu.be/prAe-Fs3tyE

That's hilarious. I needed that laugh while the jackhammer symphony plays on today

2 hours ago, samagon said:

Getting rid of old foundation to lay the new will be over relatively quickly.

 

Once construction starts on the new building the most annoying noise will be the guy blowing the whistle for the benefit of the construction workers when the crane has a load. Whether you hear that or not depends on where the whistle guy is. 

 

Beyond that, construction vehicles, lane closure, and street closure is the most annoying part you'll have to live with.

Thank you for the insight! 

11 hours ago, kbates2 said:

Amy, did you live in that unit during the demolition of the Houston Club?  They took that building down with a wrecking ball and would run into the am hours.  I was in unit 713 at the time and pretty close to where it appears your unit is.  With white noise machines you can cover a lot of it up.

No, I lived in Franklin Lofts during that time. Ugh, that had to have been tough as well! But they did implode it, right? I had the joy of the Chronicle demolition - do you or does anyone know why the Chronicle wasn't imploded? I prayed nightly for it... my thought was they couldn't do it because of potential damage to the Rice (Historic Registry)?

7 hours ago, UtterlyUrban said:

Amy, when they took down the Macy’s building, my office was across the street.  Before construction started going vertical, they needed to jackhammer something. Seems like it went on for a couple months........

 

 

Thank you! That's good to know. I can take a couple of months. That jackhammering demolition of the Chronicle building was unreal, lasted almost a year? I know the vertical will be noisy too, but it'll have to be better than the non-stop pummeling. Here's some weekend work/excavation–

11 hours ago, ekdrm2d1 said:

@ the annoyed neighbor, Amy.

 

Another option is ear plugs, or white noise. I bought earplugs but thankfully I never had to use them.  Good luck

Thanks, ekdrm2d1. I've been an ear plug wearer from years in NYC and Philly. I find it ironic that I'm in Houston now with the loudest noise. If I could escape to an office it would be great, but I've got the "perk" of working from home.  ;)  I'll have to ask the construction guys what they wear...

12 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

That my friend is the sound of progress!

Oh I love progress. I've been downtown for almost 10 years and seen it – still a long way to go. Folks always think new buildings and construction is cool, until they live next door to it or have their business affected by it. "I think I'll like Houston if they ever get it finished," said Oveta Culp Hobby in 1946 (former publisher of the Houston Post.) 

On 8/21/2018 at 2:34 PM, Nate99 said:

 

It looks pretty serious down there. Residents in the Rice, Aris and MST are going to need to get used to the sound of jackhammers for a while. 

Um, yeah, somebody kill me... never experienced anything like this in NYC. My neighbors have joked we never loved a surface parking lot more... but that silly transition was a respite between the sanity loss of the Chronicle demolition and the next several years of this buildup. 609 Main was no picnic either for Rice's east/south residents. But this? Along with block 42? And maybe 43? I think it will take a residential occupancy hit. Hearing a jackhammer for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for years is not worth the overly priced rents and all the views about to be lost. Anyone on here with much more knowledge of foundation chiseling length, please tell me how many months of jackhammering we're looking at...