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totheskies

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Everything posted by totheskies

  1. totheskies
    I'm amazed that they haven't raised the crane level yet. What's the hold-up????
  2. totheskies
    Yep... sounds like pure H-O-U-S-T-O-N
  3. totheskies
    Ooh ooh a RideStore that actually stays open past 5:30pm!!! That would be a real asset to downtown.
  4. totheskies
    We have lots of ancillary operations in Doha and the Middle East... and not always in oil. http://www.qatar.tamu.edu/
  5. totheskies
    so are they ever going to actually finish this building's exterior?? The horizontal spire is still missing.
  6. totheskies
    I guess that's good in the short run, but now HP has less usable retail space.
  7. totheskies
    Who are you, how did you know this, and tell me who OPP's grocer is.... I'm tired of talking to their know-nothing reps!!!
  8. totheskies
    Also, this is a FRESHMEN dorm. Aesthetics just aren't as important... the number one concern is that it's tough (FORD tough lol). Freshmen abuse everything, so a nice spacious set of lofts is probably not the best idea in the first place. BTW, has anyone noticed that all of UH's new construction projects are Neo-Brutalist??? Talk about bleh.
  9. totheskies
    I LOVE the developement (brownstone areas) I LOVE the tower But together they look like a hot mess... but thank the heavens that SOMEBODY in this town has figured out the concept of rooftop parking, and building the development to the street corner. That's some sweet action!!
  10. totheskies
    Oh, and an update on this project FYI... The site has been cleared and fenced off already, and they've begun to move in some construction equipment. they'll probably start in the next few weeks.
  11. totheskies
    All I did was make a list, forgive me if I didnt's specify in the aforementioned post that I was only discussing the first of the listed criteria, and took it to reason that (along with the current trends within this thread) that I didn't need to go into detail about the remaining criteria. Of these many variables, some are more important (i.e. take priority) and likely correlate weakly. In a circumstance where an institution has a finite budget (which is to say, every circumstance), capital and operating budgets should reflect these priorities. Whether or not they were practical in the past doesn't matter in the present. If all developers thought this way, then Houston in its current form would most certainly NOT EXIST. If Moody Towers, the Quadrangle and Cougar Place were sitting unused during the regular school year, then you may have a point in this statement, but the fact that the dorms have been filled to capacity for several years now, and that the university cannot meet housing demand for all students that wish to live on campus shows that whoever in the past decided to take a gamble on those projects was correct... that gamble paid off. In the case of Cougar Place, it's a shame that they decided to build the facility with cheap construction materials, but still it remains in use because University Housing has run out of room. Business practicality is very important to an institution and is LIFE or DEATH to a private company, but UH has the dubious distinction of being a public entity for the Houston community. Sometimes, they have to stick their necks out and make impractical business decisions because they see need down the road. Your statement here is somewhat confusing, but I'll try to respond... UH does not want to "be like" Rice, UT or A&M, but they do see some areas in which those schools have solid operating systems, whil UH may need some improvement in those areas. UH can never replicate the campuses of other Tier 1 schools. And I agree with you... nowhere in UH's mission statement does it say "be like UT, Rice or A&M". However it does seek to discover and disseminate knowledge through the education of a diverse population of traditional and non-tradtitional students. Anyone who has attended college as a traditional student knows that dorm life was an essential part of their education. And with the Fall of 2009 shaping up to be another record year of FTIC attendance for UH, this part of the mission statement is a top priority.
  12. totheskies
    Precedent. Most Tier 1 (AAU) schools have tight residential communities, notable faculty, a healthy endowment and state-of-the-art research facilities. It only makes sense that UH would want to model itself off of the Tier 1 schools that are already in existence. UT and A&M are known for having strong residential ties (and probably by no surprise, very strong alumni connections).
  13. totheskies
    UH obviously looks at the new dorms as a big bold investment, but to be clear, an increased residential population is presumed to be an essential for Tier 1 status. These dorms are much more than extra sleeping quarters... they are helping to esablish a new UH community. Just like downtown... we could argue forever over whether or not One Park Place was needed there, but to a certain extent, the developers had to take the leap and hope that the project works out for the best. UH continues to grow during the recession, and the student base is now more diverse than ever. It is no longer acceptable for UH to be labled as simply a "commuter campus". If we're going to grow and have any hope of achieving Tier 1 status, these dorms are a critical stone for our future foundation.
  14. totheskies
  15. totheskies
    I'm not a native Houstonian... but have been here nearly four years. For the most part I like the alternate names. The only problem is when you start direction piling. "12315 East Loop South just past the Baytown East." What the fcuk does that mean??? If you were giving someone directions and you said that to them, they'd probably pull out a bowie knife. But for locals who know where everything is, it's not that big of a deal. I am confused at a couple though... If I-45 through downtown is the Pierce Elevated, does that make the curved section immediately before it the Bagby/Dallas Reach-Around? And then what about 59 on the east side of downtown? The Chartres Depressed????
  16. totheskies
    Hey be careful what you say about my home state!! (Notice I didn't say that I disagree with you ) oh.. and GO WONDERBOYS!
  17. totheskies
    Yes... if you're already familiar with the Houston area, and/or can find a roommate to share with you. Otherwise $800 is getting harder to find in Midtown or Montrose. I know for my graduate program, all but one of the people in my class were from outside of the Houston area. We tend to associate UH with "local education" but many people (at an increasing rate) come from out of town and all over the country to attend here. Calhoun Lofts will (hopefully) be a great deal for these students.
  18. totheskies
    Pretty big actually... 1) Cougar Place is on the chopping block... as it should be. That facility is in shambles and needs to be raised. 2) UofH hit record enrollment last year at above 36,000 students for the main campus. That's last year as in Fall 2007. We'll get the data for 08-09 next semester, but from my workload as an Academic Advisor and the onslaught of the recession to Houston, there's no way enrollment decreased. 3) Moody Towers was overbooked by almost 100 people in Fall 08. They were reported for being in violation of the fire code... some of the students had to sleep on cots in the basement and in the lounge of the dorms. It was a real mess at the beginning of the semester. I guess I don't understand the difference between having a private-owned facility and a university-owned facility. The actual dorms are going to be run by the university (as opposed to an outside company like Cullen Oaks), but the retail portions will be private entities in Calhoun Lofts. Just FYI, they're having trouble filling Calhoun Lofts with graduate students, but have received a flood of requests from undrgrads, and they decided to open the facility to seniors and juniors just so they could meet the expected quota (I'm not sure if it's been met yet though).
  19. totheskies
    Bing... They are still seeking "private assistance" for the new Freshmen dorms that are under development... though I highly doubt it will be anything like the way Bayou or Cullen Oaks have been run. Many students have been displeased with their customer service. For UH, public-private partnerships have proven to be almost perfectly pertinent.
  20. totheskies
    Not necessarily... the Y used to be like a really great Hostel... they get a very diverse group of people from all walks of life. I stayed at the old Y in Raleigh, NC and it was a great experience. These places may not be the cleanest and "most impressive" hits on the block, but they have a lot of soul, and you encounter very interesting people. Any word on the fate of the downtown Y? Is it going to be torn down???
  21. totheskies
    Perennial Optimism... it must not be your niche. I wonder how much the downtown population (not accounting for prisoners) has increased since 2005? From my understanding, the new YMCA won't have residential so that's going to be a loss once the old one closes down.
  22. totheskies
    What Freedmen's town? You mean Freedmen's townhomes I'll tell you what really gets me... the boundaries of Midtown vs. Neartown. Where the heck is Neartown anyway??? It appears to be a part of Montrose. My only concern for this park is what kind of security is going to be there? This is a highly transitional area where there are still (unfortunately) a lot of shady characters, and there have already been a slew of arrests at or near that church. A park doesn't seem to alleviate this problem.
  23. totheskies
    ^^Nice. and just think... once OPP finally decides on the grocer, you could be living 4 blocks away from a Whole Foods or Central Market too.
  24. totheskies
    As a side note/discussion... I have been riding the bus a lot more lately, and I'm really enjoying it!! I cross downtown a lot. Is it just me, or is there a marked increase of "general pedestrian traffic" in and around downtown. Everywhere I go, I'm seeing more people walking dogs, pushing strollers, or just wandering around looking for places that are open. I don't think that this represents an increase of residents in downtown proper, but you can certainly tell that more people live, work and play in close proximity to there. EaDo is kind of a stupid name, but you have to call this area something now... everyday it feels more and more "habitable". Though some small parks would be nice.
  25. totheskies
    Hey, not so fast... that's EaDO!!!! Don't steal
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