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TxDave

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  1. TxDave
    Sharpstown could very well be one of the malls that is projected to close in the current economic environment. I find that disappointing based upon its historical significance - plus, personally it was the first mall I frequented when I moved to Houston years ago. The bright side is that the size of the property and the prime location are very well positioned for a redevelopment that will better serve the community and the city.
  2. TxDave
    The tunnel system in Dallas has never been as extensive or well developed as in Houston. It has some small clusters that are not well connected (some only by basement hallways), whereas Houston's system is comprehensive, attractive, and user friendly. It would be ideal to have all of the pedestrian activity exclusively at street level - the scene would be similar to many other major urban centers. However the climate in Texas makes this unrealistic during certain seasons and weather conditions. During Spring and Fall the streets would be very active, but if the tunnels are not accessible during the hot months or on rainy days, most people would likely just stay in their office, resulting in no activity whatsoever. It seems a compromise would be an ideal solution. Encouraging many of the underground establishments to move upstairs would increase visibility of the business and its customers. Meanwhile, if the tunnels were better integrated with the street (e.g. outdoor entrances that provide access to the sidewalks), people would be encouraged to move between the two and access more street level establishments as they moved through downtown. On nice days people could use the surface streets, but during bad weather they could use the tunnels to move about and emerge to the street once they reach their destination. At the same time downtown visitors and conventioneers would have visibility and access to the businesses that remain in the tunnels. The integration of the street level and underground activity should ultimately have a synergistic effect in the downtown area.
  3. TxDave
    I never realized, even when living in Houston, that there was a difference between UH and UHD - I just assumed that they were different venues for the same University. If the University of Houston System is actually providing a different product on the two campuses, they should be branded separately. I am not aware of how vast the differences are, but if UHD is actually graduating enough students at an academic level that truly diminishes the perception of UH, a stronger differentiation is in order. This situation is somewhat unique to the UH System due to the close proximity of all of its campuses, but there are certainly ways to provide a top tier education at the main campus while also serving the missions of the satellite campuses.
  4. TxDave
    In the current economic climate, I don't see how this project could happen anytime soon. But, I will provide a contrary opinion in that I really don't care for the rendering - just looks tall and awkward to me. In reality I would rather see the mid-century building that is currently on the site retrofitted to new uses (granted, easier said than done). I would like to see development of new towers focused on the many vacant lots that are currently available downtown, rather than existing structures that provide some historical background and fabric for the neighborhood. I am likely on the losing end of this battle, but the economic slowdown does provide sufficient time for a change in plans and opinion.
  5. TxDave
    How about University of Houston "City Center" (or Center City)? Generally not significantly different from 'Downtown', but emphasizes the city/urban aspect as well as center/central aspect. Also may help eliminate confusion with the primary flagship UH campus, which some may consider to be "downtown" as well, but probably not the "center" of the city.
  6. TxDave
    I am not familiar with all of the HOB locations, but many look like a "tin box" shack - especially its prime location on Sunset in LA. That look reinforces the HOB brand.
  7. TxDave
    I am still extremely disapointed by all of this. The River Oaks Center's understated style and elegance made it one of my favorite areas of town. My biggest sorrow is the loss of the Black Eyed Pea - such a comforting restaurant - I even enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving dinner there one year. That said, now that the demolition has occurred (and cannot be reversed), is the replacement building 'worthy' of the overall center? The images look stylish and appear to be a reasonably modern fit for the center (time will tell). One of the great things about the River Oaks Center is the mix of styles and periods (construction dates) of its buildings - this replacement building could help continue that trend. The important thing is to prevent the whole center from being replaced by new buildings all at once, effectively creating any generic shopping center.
  8. TxDave
    This is a great looking park! Could someone get some aerial pics from the upper floors of the Hilton (I have a 4 year old pic from the Hilton overlooking Discovery Green, but I cannot post pics). Please share anything you have - thanks!
  9. TxDave
    This is such a prime location - it is only a matter of time until these under-performing properties are replaced by something more functional and profitable (and hopefully more pedestrian friendly!)
  10. TxDave
    Houston is under-represented by the major hotel chain downtown. If the 1000+ rooms at Hilton Americas are not enough, it would be good to have another large alternative (e.g. Marriott, Starwood, etc.). However if this is truly the case, the citizens of Houston should not need to provide any funds for the development - this is their opportunity to collect on the investement in GRB & the Hilton
  11. TxDave
    The Fort Worth Zoo is geneally recognized as the best in Texas (as well as many nearby states), It's quality really diminishes zoos in neighboring cities (especially Dallas but also Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma, etc.) It makes me question the need to captivate wild animals, if not in a top quality setting.
  12. TxDave
    "Upscale" is probably the appropriate term for Sherarton - they are very nice, but Starwood has the Westin, W, and St Regis brands for the "luxury" niche
  13. TxDave
    As long as the condos will sell, they make an easy way to fund the accompanying hotel construction. Given recent shakeouts in the housing markets, these condos are harder to move, but not impossible in the right project
  14. TxDave
    That hotel seems to continually be redefining and shifting its ground floor services and amenities, but the impressiveness of the 30 story atrium never changes. As long as the rooms stay current and stylish, the Hyatt should remain popular
  15. TxDave
    Comparing University libraries to municipal libraries is apples and oranges, but since it is the University of Texas library it is available to the entire state, and we can all claim it with pride
  16. TxDave
    Is this the same corner where there used to be several casual dining restaurants such as Steak & Ale and The Mason Jar?
  17. TxDave
    It probably just seems that these projects take longer because you are watching with such anticipation (like watching the toaster). My experience in multiple cities has shown that the time between announcement and activity (if any) varies based on numerous factors including: the aggressiveness of the developers, the actual probability that anything will happen (initial buzz factor), and of course changing market conditions. Some of these projects get built right away while others never happen at all. That helps keep these boards interesting, albeit sometimes disappointing.
  18. TxDave
    Someone could probably build that building, but I imagine that there are a lot of egos involved in any project of that size. Any new developer and architects would likely want to design and build something of their own.
  19. TxDave
    Somewhere I have an old postcard showing the original vision for the Houston Center development. It was supposed to be an innovative design with open sidewalks and plazas built over streets for 20+ blocks of east downtown to near the current George R Brown Conventtion Center. The best and only example of this "innovative" concept is in 1 Houston Center and 2 Houston Center and the large street crossovers. The 1970's space age entrances and outdoor plazas give an idea of what could have been - if you have not seen it, I would recommend checking it out. In the 1980's Houston Center added the Park Shops and the (former?) Chevron Tower. The original concept was not carried through, but instead the new buildings were connected only by skyways. Apparently the idea died or became too expensive, but Houston's innovative idea remains in the original towers.
  20. TxDave
    Reagan looks great! And Lamar seems to be well maintained, but how is Milby?
  21. TxDave
    Exactly! Houston has plenty of world class hotel rooms available. Any visitor can find something to their liking - from luxury to budget options. The "brand name" is not important when the product is good.
  22. TxDave
    nice looking building to fill in a gap in the skyline which han't seen much activity recently
  23. TxDave
    One thing I remember about Houston was the transience of the club scene. The "cool" place to be was always moving around town. Houston's style always kept something new on the cutting edge. If the downtown bar scene is waning, where is the next hot spot?
  24. TxDave
    After all of this, you did successfully change my opinion. When I worked downtown Houston, we used the potential viewing,
  25. TxDave
    Are the pics typical?
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