dbigtex56

On 8/28/2021 at 8:45 AM, IntheKnowHouston said:

Their Instagram categorizes Hide & Seek as a restaurant.

OK.
I was thinking it might be one of those escape rooms, but guess not.

11 hours ago, wilcal said:

Permit issued for a 5,823 sq ft office building for 1012 Westheimer Road.

I hope it's not going to be horrible. 

Is this located in, or adjacent to, Tranquility Park?

1 hour ago, hindesky said:

Houston reddit/u rush posted this under 1983? Is that metal frame going up the future Heritage tower?

Yes, that's the skeleton of Heritage Plaza. I think this may be a bit later than 1983. Just before Alicia hit in August of that year, the Allied Bank Tower (now Wells Fargo) had almost completed installing the glass, except where the construction elevator had been. It took quite a while to repair the damage (the exterior was a checkerboard of plywood during this process). 
Heritage Plaza was still under construction when Jean Michel Jarre performed "Rendezvous Houston" in April of 1986. A screen had to be mounted to show the projected images. According to Wikipedia, it was completed in 1987. 
I'm guessing this picture dates from circa 1985, not 1983.

16 minutes ago, kennyc05 said:

If you ever watch Rockets and Astros post and pre game shows on AT&T Sportsnet part of the set is limestone 😂

I think it should be constructed of gumbo clay. Keep it local!

1 hour ago, Montrose1100 said:

The white to off-white, terrible stone choices

That seems to have become a 'thing' in Houston over the past 20 years or so. 
"I know! Let's slap some Hill Country limestone on the facade, and maybe people will think they're in Austin!" 

19 hours ago, dbigtex56 said:

Guessing it will be gone by the end of the week.

I overestimated. It was reduced to rubble this morning.

12 minutes ago, Urbannizer said:

Found a rendering produced in 2019 but the developer has removed their webpage for this.

 

I like the rendering and enjoy the hifalutin descriptions, although I cannot claim to understand them. 
One question:  what's it for? Is it a school?

26 minutes ago, BEES?! said:

(It has a marker of some sort-maybe it’s just a historical marker?) 

The plaque was installed by and property of the Texas Historical Commission. It confers no protections to the building. 

34 minutes ago, Urbannizer said:

Phase II (Montrose Collective Southwest) planned for the west side of Grant St.

What does this portend?
If I understand correctly, it has been replatted to make Uchi and the other building east of Aladdin part of a single reserve.
Will this allow for the construction of another large building (and the demolition of the current ones)?

On 8/11/2021 at 9:00 AM, phillip_white said:

They must have noticed my comment about Rowdy and rushed to the permit office 🤣

 

Spotted demolition equipment parked behind the building today, and the dumpster serving Eleven-Eleven has been removed.
Guessing it will be gone by the end of the week.

17 minutes ago, Texasota said:

Right now you can add one garage apartment (and only one) and you have to provide parking for it. They're talking about allowing multiple units and relaxing or eliminating some parking requirements.

That makes sense to me. If someone doesn't need a parking space, why should they be required to have one provided for them?
It's time to reexamine the post WW II notions that free parking is an inalienable right. There is no such thing as free parking. 

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. 

4 hours ago, wilcal said:

Abandoned.

IMO the COH has abandoned streets with, well, abandon. The only criterion seems to be what effect it will have on automotive traffic. 
 

22 minutes ago, wilcal said:

Planning Department having a public meeting on 8/30 to discuss a change to the HCC portion of the Austin St Bikeway.

I'm assuming HCC doesn't want the bikeway running through the middle of campus. I have personally been told by an HCC police officer that I had to go around campus once. 

So that is a thing, I guess. 

 

I'm confused. Has that portion of Austin St, been abandoned by the COH? Is it no longer a public ROW?

On 8/14/2021 at 5:18 PM, JLWM8609 said:

People take the train to work there so it's not a wasted resource.

Do you know that for a fact? Seems unlikely that any significant number of employees (say, anything greater than zero) would take the train to their job at a car dealership.
My point is that there are other businesses (restaurants, for example) that would be a better fit for this site.
Almost everyone eats seven days a week, yet it might be weeks, or months, or even years between visits to their local Cadillac showroom.

1 hour ago, KinkaidAlum said:

Is that the old EMOS/Club Some across the street? Man, has that area changed. I remember being held up at knife point walking to my car from Some one night!

The same (2700 Albany).
It had undergone extensive renovation in c.1983 to open as The Officers' Club.
The owner, Jay Hollyfield, had his living quarters upstairs. 

17 minutes ago, hindesky said:

They din't know what will take over their showroom on Main St but suspect more apartments.

 

Good. 
Having an auto dealership at a light rail stop seems like a wasted resource (who takes the train to shop for a Cadillac?).
Presumably the inventory will also be relocated, freeing up the private parking lots in Midtown for better uses. 
If apartments aren't on the immediate horizon, perhaps the showroom could be repurposed for a restaurant, nightclub, or retail.

Once they've completed putting lipstick on this piggy and take it to market, will the sellers be required to disclose the extent of the repairs needed to get an occupancy permit?
Or will it be as if those years spent open to the elements never happened?

On 8/11/2021 at 9:00 AM, phillip_white said:

They must have noticed my comment about Rowdy and rushed to the permit office

Good follow-up! Thanks.
Wonder if the entire building site will be fenced off once demolition is complete. Local businesses will probably hate to lose several free parking spaces.

On 8/2/2021 at 9:42 AM, phillip_white said:

Asbestos abatement in progress at the small building on the corner. My guess is it will be down in a couple weeks.

The graffiti on the side of the building was painted over today.
It's possible that the owner wants to avoid a citation from the COH (the fines can be pretty steep).
Still, it seems odd to take this measure if demolition is imminent. 

It had been reduced to rubble when I passed it early this afternoon. I have no idea if any of the interior features or woodwork had been rescued. 
I share in @trymahjong's sadness. Soon the lovely spacious houses that once defined Lower Westheimer will be but a memory.
I also noticed that the iron fence and gate in front of 235 Westheimer have been pulled down. It's been for sale for quite a while - wonder what the future holds for it. 

From the Chronicle article: "Neighborhood car repair shop Montrose Car Care permanently shut its doors at 3807 Montrose Blvd after the landlord sold the property."
In the same article, they continue by stating "Laz Enterprises Inc. owns the property, according to public records, but declined to confirm the new tenant."
According to public records, Laz Enterprises Inc. has owned the property since 2001.
So did the landlord actually sell the property? or is this another frustrating example of amateur reporting by the Chron?
 

8 hours ago, Big E said:

TXDOT has always specialized in road development. Taking care of the major interstates and roads has been their main concern since forever. Freight rail in Texas is privately owned, and commuter rail networks in Texas are generally built and maintained by local transit authorities agencies. TEXRail, for instance, is maintained by Trinity Metro, a local transit agency in Tarrant County. The Trinity Railway Express is a joint venture between Trinity Metro and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The Silver Line, which is currently under construction, is being built by DART. The A-train is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). Austin's Capital MetroRail is maintained by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. TXDOT has literally never built or managed a commuter rail network. If you want such a network to exist in the Houston Area, take it up with METRO. Constructing or running such things would literally be within their purview. They have decided to not make that a priority.

The reason the building and operation of commuter rail services has been relegated to smaller agencies is that TXDOT is simply not doing its job.
In addition to highways, TXDOT is responsible for overseeing aviation, rail, and public transportation systems within the state. The fact that regional rail authorities have had to take up the slack in no way abrogates TXDOT of its duties. 
 

2 hours ago, pablog said:

seems like they only consider freeways transit. They’re clueless

You're kinder than I. 
TXDOT is controlled by the Texas Transportation Commission, the chair of which is appointed by (drum roll....) the Governor. 
My impression is that they're part of the Good Old Boys network that oversees 'bidness' whenever there's money (especially tax money) to be spent. I also suspect that their loyalties lie more with big donors than the schmucks who are forced to live with their decisions.