rhettsky

4. We need architecture that looks like it belongs in Houston - like the new Harris County Civil Courthouse - not more bad architecture like the Federal Reserve Bank and The Hobby Center.

The renderings of Houston Pavilions I've seen don't really look like distinguished pieces of architecture, but I think we're on the wrong track if we're declaring tripe like the new Civil Courthouse "architecture that looks like it belongs in Houston." Unfortunately, the new courthouse does look like it belongs in Houston -- which means it looks like a really tall strip mall.

To me, unique, landmark architecture like the Hobby Center is the way to go. Not everyone will like it, but everyone will remember it. So I hope HP will at least be somewhat interesting, not a warmed-over pastiche of things we've torn down.

I wonder if they were ever downtown?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, although most people don't know it. Joske's occupied the former Foley's store on Main between Preston and Prairie after Foley's moved to its current Main Street store and before Joske's moved to the 'burbs (or what were then the 'burbs, anyway).

The store was a 10-ish-story T-shaped building with a narrow frontage on Main and arms that reached out to Preston and Prairie. It's not there anymore, but you can tell where it was if you look at the block -- it wrapped around the Scanlan Building at Main and Preston, and it filled the gap between the Scanlan and Republic buildings on Preston.

You see the old "Foley Bros." sign that was on the front of that store often in old pictures. It was enormous. I've only seen one picture where the sign was changed to Joske's, but it happened.

Last I saw, the "superblock" still had no trace of development, while a large block -- or series of them -- along Heiner Street on the east side of Freedmen's Town sported several Camden signs. I'll bet that's where this is going to be.

And anyone who wants to live right on 45, well ... that's their problem.