TxDave

Here are some interesting pics:

http://flickr.com/photos/59591398@N00/sets...57594507855666/

Do these quirky personalities still exist in Houston today? I know that they did when I lived there!

If so, Austin's whole "Keep Austin Weird" has nothing over Houston!

I always loved Houston for its "weird' mix of people. I am sure you still find all types there!

This sounds like great news, especially for the Alabama.

I was under the impression that parts of the River Oaks Center (black-eyed pea section) were already demolished.

These historical buildings help define an area - new development should be designed around them (within limits, of course).

Any new development around these centers should focus on highlighting and building around what is there, rather than replacing it.

For those familiar, what's one word or a phrase that captures his arhitectual style?

That is an interesting question, but I don't think you can really capture Hines' style except to say that he had it (style!), at least in Houston.

His development company hired the architects that designed and built his landmarks in the city, and those architects were generally world class.

The company now has an impressive resume around the world, but I think its "style" remains the spectacular accomplishments in Houston.

Other places may be more hit or miss. In Dallas the main Hines project was the Galleria which was mostly an 80's update of the Houston original - still nice, but not spectacular. Although, meanwhile there are many other great successes in Europe and Asia.

What is the one place you can access the tunnels now from the street? I'm drawing a blank on that.

There may not be many places where you can access the tunnels directly from the street, but that really does not matter much since you can get in through the public access to most buildings on the system. Granted that makes it a "business hours only" environment, but that's what the tunnels are.

Even if all of the tunnel level businesses were forced to street level, I am not sure it would work. The core office towers aren't really designed well for street level retail. And given the business services orientation of most tunnel tenants, I think many of them would probably have to be closed in the evenings and weekends anyway (you likely won't have many residents or other drop-in business along Smith or Louisiana outside office hours).

Having said that, I think Houston Pavilions really does need to be connected to the current system, whether by tunnel or skywalk. Since so many of its Houston Center neighbors have skywalks in that area of downtown, perhaps that should be the first approach, but why can't it be connected by both methods?

Back to the original topic,

I think it would be very beneficial for Houston to highlight its architectural gems at night.

As long as it is done tastefully, it will only help to enhance the city's brand identity and create excitement about downtown.

There's a book called Philip Johnson and Texas that you may want to check out.

That is a great book - in fact it was the reference source for my previous post and opinion (perhaps I should have footnoted!)

I don't understand wy so many people are attacking Plastic's original post (maybe there is a history I am not aware of).

Aside from a little rambling, he/she does seem to raise some good points about the challanges the city may face (whether they will really happen or not).

Perhaps it is easier to attack the messenger than to address the issues in the message? Let's address his original concerns

It's also laughable that the mall does nothing to attract the aging white population of the Sharpstown area, who are the ones with the most money to spend.

Despite this segment's ability to spend, they are one of the most likely not to spend much. They already have most of what they need/want and are not likely to make a lot of purchases in any mall (relative to younger people).

I don't think it is a bad idea for the mall's owner to target a young, minority consumer as long as the mall is kept safe and clean. The former "white" clientele can journey to newer, further-out malls that may be more to their liking, or go intown to the Galleria, Rice Village, etc.

I think that what is also being said is that it doesn't matter so much where the stores are located in the u.s. because a lot of these high end stores are european and in europe you do find these stores open late at night. I think the entire 24 hour thing has more to do with the area of town, and with that being said Galleria in my opinion is not ready to embrace a 24 hour culture, I do believe downtown is definately headed in that direction and has been headed that way for a while now.

I agree

I don't think "Galleria" type stores are the issue - very few people will go shopping in the middle of the night (perhaps some would, but enough to cover any store's cost to stay open?).

Instead the 24-hour city needs to focus on entertainment and services that people would need at 3am. People will not likely look for a J Crew jacket at that hour, but may want a drink, coffee, or snack/breakfast - maybe even a book. Unless the Galleria dramatically changes its merchandising mix, it will probably not appeal to the 24-hour crowd.

Downtown and its adjacent neighborhoods hold much more promise as 24-hour communities

i think you've made an assumption that people are coming because of the lights....i think the people came first is all i'm saying.

I tend to agree. Flashy lighting may get someone's attention (an important task), but it does not necessarily draw them downtown.

I think Houston would be better served by focusing on the lighting and "effects" on the ground - capturing the interest of the people who are already there. A good experience in the neighborhood will pay off more than one or two glimpses of a flashy building from a distance.

I love Pennzoil Place! I feel very fortunate to have been able to work there.

I think all of Johnson's work in Houston is stunning.

In Dallas on the other hand his efforts are much more underwhelming. Thanksgiving Square and the Kennedy Memorial are interesting pieces, while the Crescent Complex remains a significant landmark for the city although it remains architecturally questionable. The Bank One Tower (Momentum Place) was probably his most significant work in Dallas, but does not compare to works such as Pennzoil, Transco, or Bank of America in Houston.

Houston should be very proud.

I still love this tower.

I believe its classic style combined with its modern character will stand the test of time and remain a great building far into the future.

I still kinda like the GRB.

Its style is certainly unique, and it is difficult to make such a large building appealing in any way that will stand the test of time.

If you start changing it now, you will likely have to continually change it as trends change with time.

Alternatively, you can accept it for what it is (an extremely functional building that is unique and not unattractive to everyone), and wait for history to accept its real value

I have been hearing great things from my real estate contacts about the national reatilers going into this project. It should be a great addition to the Uptown/Post Oak area.

Any news on the development progress?

....................

To the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Going East on I-10 towards DT:

Very much off topic, but can someone please tell me when the building to the left was constructed and the cross street where it is located?

I think I missed some of the point a little when I made my previous post.

I completely agree that for Downtown to be successful long term as a residential neighborhood, it will need a mix of incomes to remain sustainable.

The trendiness of high-end lofts and condos will be susceptible to just that: "trendiness". When the next popular residential fad comes to town, many of those people will follow and move on (as history has shown).

But if a true mixed-income neighborhood is in place downtown, it will be able to weather such changes in trends, and remain stable.

despite it's historical value, it's still an aging apartment complex.

i'm surprised no one has redeveloped the land where my apartment complex is; creole at yorktown in galleria area.

In that neighborhood I imagine it is just a matter of time

I became aware of Allen House shortly after my move to Houston ( a few years back) and knew several professional coworkers who lived at Allen House as corporate housing (again, a few years back!)

I am sad to see this 'landmark' go, but am excited about the plans for redevelopment. If completed as described, this project will be a great catalyst for similar development in all of the surrounding neighborhoods - helping establish an urban Houston core

You asked for input --

Downtown needs residents. Clubs have scared potential residents off. Stupid prices of "chic" empty buildings whose list of amenities includes urine-stained doorways, throngs of "parking lot pimps," weekend hooptie parades and lack of basic goods and services have also scared people off. Entertainment is not the answer -- no matter how low the cheese factor. Dining will help, but it won't really bring in the permanent residents. And you can't have shops or even grocery and basic services stores until you have residents to support them. So the key is to get 30,000 or so urban pioneers to rough it until Downtown is recognized as a viable neighborhood. Then the stores will start opening up and it will feed on itself.

To do this, Downtown must abandon this silly, misconceived TriBeCa fascination it has, with expensive lofts for people who want to pretend they live somewhere else. Listen to me Houston -- urban living has very little to do with exposed brick and ductwork and everything to do with the fabric of the neighborhood around your loft conversion. That charming bum taking a crap on the sidewalk that you wear as evidence of your gritty, Manhattan sensibility is an anachronism. Manhattan is cleaned up and user-friendly.

If you want real big-city living, make neighborhoods. Make regular apartments and make them close to small markets and places for a quick bite to eat. Make sidewalk cafes and bakeries. Make a decent newspaper, or two, to replace the piece of ____ that's printed on Texas Ave. Make our performing arts scene more accessible to the public and more open to up-and-coming artists. While you're at it, make the scene before every ballgame a 2-3 hour party, with street vendors, ticket scalpers, performers and more that closes off, if not Texas Ave., then one of those side streets that can't be driven on anyway. Make our train actually go somewhere. Make all the tunnel businesses relocate to street level, where they'll stay open past 4pm. Make it shameful for large companies to locate their headquarters outside this district. Make different kinds of companies want to come here. Make a signature style of barbeque sandwich or fajita -- something that can walk -- and make it available on street corners. Then, make it famous, by talking about it like it's larger than life and better than it really is. Make an advertising community and legalize the practice of their craft. Business begets business. Oh, and throw in a couple more newspapers. Ours is ____.

This is a very impassioned post, but I agree that downtown needs to be a real 'residential' neighborhood to fully achieve its potential. There are already a lot of great things going on downtown, but it seems there are not enough residents to keep the activity consistent. More bodies will help establish more activity - making downtown even more appealing. With more residential life, downtown will be even more vibrant and desirable.

This may have been addressed in another thread, but I am looking for info about the redevelopment of the southwest corner of Post Oak and San Felipe.

The real estate professionals I work with have mentioned several new retailers planned for this project (prime national retailers), but they referred to it as 'the Pavilion project'. Is this similarly named to the Downtown Pavilions project, or are my sources confused?

Either way, any info on development at this site would be appreciated.

This is a major disappointment.

Historically, I always really liked the old HISD building. It was architecturally interesting, if not significant, and commanded its site well.

When I heard of this redevelopment I was initially disappointed, but was hopeful that something much better was to come for this high profile site

The current news is extremely disappointing.

Costco will likely be good for the Inner Loop residents, but why not build central parking garages instead of surface lots, or at least place the Costco building at the street front with internal parking lots?

Ultimately, the biggest question may be: How could the city let this happen to such a high profile site in a prime location?

To be fair, I assume that the City of Houston did what it could within its bounds and powers; although, the lack of Zoning or a significant plan prevent the City from blocking this or any similar development within the city. What prevents a similar situation anywhere else within the city limits?

To avoid these situations in the future, the City of Houston will probably need to have more powerful controls to direct desired development - and plan for its future.

In the meantime, Houstonians will be able to enjoy their Costco discounts (especially the wine, which I understand is a great bargain!)

I have read that Federated plans to keep both Macy's stores open in the Houston Galleria.

Does anyone know how they might be differentiated? (e.g. one men's/one women's, one high end/one mid-range, duplicate stores, etc.)

Demand is definitely strong for a large "store" there, but it will be interesting to see how it is distributed across the two spaces.

This topic raises an interesting point.

When I first heard the new Houston team name as "Texans", I thought it was a great idea. It could be appealing to everyone in the state, well beyond Houston, even taking a bite out of the Cowboy's traditional base.

That still stands, but what I hadn't thought about was the downside.

Referring to the team as only the "Texans" (as many do), the relationship to Houston gets lost. The team gets associated with the entire state ( + ) including, perhaps, Dallas ( - ) !

All in all, the name is positive, but I think Houston may have missed an opportunity to create a team name that is unique to only Houston.

I generally like the new proposal for the Astrodome. As long as it doesn't get demolished, I will ultimately be happy. But I think this is a good idea that fits well with the surrounding Reliant Center uses. Sounds like a win for all -- except possibly downtown Houston/Hilton Americas/George R Brown -- but competition is good for all, and synergy could play well here.

Irving has its hands full also about what to do with Texas Stadium.I think copying what ever Houston does with the Astrodome is what they probably will do,cuz' what Houston has Dallas will have to have.

As for the Dallas area...

This is not a new concept. The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine is an existing facility comparable to the proposed development. Once completed the "AstrodomeHotel" will likely be a much more interesting facility based on its history, but the large atrium convention hotel concept already exists in Dallas (duplicated from Nashville, actually).

As for Texas Stadium...

The City of Irving is currently considering redevelopment options for the entire site - stadium and parking lots. This stadium is widely recognizable and has some memorable sports history (but who doesn't ?), however it is not near as historically or structurally significant as the Astrodome.

Any plans will most likely involve razing the stadium to redevelop the high profile land to better uses. Some of the more "creative" proposals have suggested saving the Texas Stadium roof (perhaps an icon), but most likely this old facility will fade into the past like so many others.

I would not like to see the Astrodome fade into the past.

I saw a news story (KHOU - Reggie Aqui) on Thursday morning (8/24) about the River Oaks and Alabama Theaters going before some city board that day for preservation protection based on a strong petition.

Any news on the outcome of this meeting?

The report seemed to indicate that the city board could provide a 90 day reprieve, but ultimately the property owner has the final say in what happens.

I think it would be extremely unfortunate for Houston to lose not only these theaters, but any of the original portions of the River Oaks shopping center. The 30's art deco center has survived and thrived for so long, it should be cherished and protected.

There are plenty of nearby locations where the proposed development could be built and incorporated into the neighborhood without destroying a significant landmark of the city and its history.

(I suspect that my views have probably already been expressed thoroughly, but I could not help but add my two cents to this topic!)