mainvoice

Yea I bet they are. I will have to go check them out. They were wanting to make them even bigger but i think a column was in the way if i remember correctly, so it ought to be interesting how they turned out.

If i am understanding what you said then you basically believe that downtown ALREADY has a proportionate amount of retail for the amount of residence it does have, and that Houston Pavilions and Sakowitz are a bad idea right now, pre-mature, and should probably go to suburbia ? I think it doesn't have enough retail for the amount of res. it has. If what you are saying is correct I am just wondering how there are 150- 200 clubs and restaurants already in existance with more opening. I also think that there are more than just stamp stores in the tunnels and I consider the The Park basically an extension of the tunnels that kind of brings the tunnel dwellers to the surface without going outside...I guess that means that the hotels aren't a good idea downtown either, aren't they trying to cater to just tourists visiting the area ? What is compeling these types to come to Houston as well ?

Hmmm...i had heard that the pavilions abandoned the residential portion of the project ?

I don't understand ?? The gold nugget is really the surface or the dirt using your example. I think the tunnel should be considered more as a floor just like any other floor in a building but perhaps with a somewhat diff. purpose, unless of course you think the buildings above it are worthless...I am talking about street level, the tunnel is glorified deli space (ha-ha) to an extent because it has a built in demand generators which are the office buildings above it which it is very dependant upon. No offense, but I think that street level retail will and should have much more wide appeal. The tunnels are tapped out and land locked. I am trying to ask for input about what could be done to change the existing street retail environment.

Really. I have not heard about an office supply store downtown that failed recently ?

I have been reading a whole lot about several other areas that are planning on developing more retail product. I am going to use the Galleria area as an example because I think we can agree it is doing fine.When you compare downtown to the galleria there is at lease 3x the amount of office space and it is a stronger office market. Industrial product is pretty much non existant in both submarkets-"equal for both". This leaves retail. I think everyone will start perhaps by saying it doesn't have enough existing residential, but I don't quite believe this because of proximity to Midtown. Then there are those who say that there aren't enough other retailers there already, which is the reason for this topic. I don't think it's the reason however for someone deciding to lease or not lease retail space downtown...The daytime population is in my estimation is significantly greater downtown-hands down. I think that there is not anything to do between 5pm-10pm downtown, and I think this really hurts. We have the people that come downtown to work and then we have the group that comes after 10 pm to play which is fine with bars and restaurants. We don't have anything for people to do from 5pm -10 pm, so I guess we don't have people coming down there to shop, and hence a tremendous lack of traditional retailers at street level ? Then you read about fake urban developments,etc. and how they are built out in the middle of no where and how successful they are, but it is my understanding that real "urban" developments are still far better. Dowtown is as real as urban gets. Whether or not Houston Pavilions makes I think downtown has a lot to offer right now and will continue to. I am very pro-pavilions, but there is more to downtown that the pavilions. There are so many residential projects popping up, and think that along the way we should already have seen a lot more retail projects along the way. Perhaps there is to much focus on the big projects and too many landlords along Main Street, perhaps a change in strategy is due ? I don't think you could make a better "fake" urban development (with gravy) one of these if you tried, it's as if it has a head-start over a lot of developments when you look at what it has to offer,etc. Fake urban and new retail developments come on line to fulfil a particular need and depend heavily on timing so as to not be outdated before they actually complete construction. There are far more givens for a developer to count on in downtown.In downtown time is on its side, and it's an Urban Gold Mine. What's the solution ? Is it even on the map from a retail standpoint ? What is it about downtown that isn't getting told to the right people ? I don't know if there needs to be such a concentration on what more to have, it has it all and how to improve it because it is really great, but I think it really just needs to be pushed and placed in front of the right people ? Downtown needs to have a concentrated effort of marketing enough to the right groups perhaps ?

Can you tell us what tenants are likely to be announced and when they will make their next announcement ?

There are 2 lamps on each street pole along that area, but I can't figure why they only light one lamp at a time on each street pole ? It makes it seem as if someone isn't managing or making sure that they replace bulbs as they burn out. I am pretty sure that this isn't the case because the lighting was just installed.

Somebody mentioned an idea about a book store which really is starting to sound like an excellent idea, and especially since their seems to be a perceived prob. with the homeless in the area,etc ...

Thanks

So why do we need a 24 hour variety. I think 24 hours can come later but for now I think we really could use a lot more that gave people something to do during the day and between 5pm-10pm. This guy from out of town stopped me yesterday and asked me what was wrong with the downtown area in this big city of Houston ? Where is everybody and why isn't there anything to do ? I directed him to a restaurant. He thought it was really bizarre and it actually kind of is when you think about it and thats another reason that I say there is basically nothing to do downtown between the hours of 5pm - 10 pm.

What was Scamrock ?

i agree. also will be interesting to see which tenants actually decide to stay i think in centers located along both sides of the street and perhaps even as far down as uptown park while all of this construction is going on ? a xmas time cluster...

What do you mean ? What do you call large ? Is this a Houston Pav. tenant or somewhere else ? I would like to know some details...please.

How much critical mass existed downtown back when Main street was thriving and retail stores were found all along Main Street years ago. Keep in mind that this was prior to light rail ? I have to think that the Houston Pavillions group decided to do this because the demographics do support retail as a whole. I would guess that there is more critical mass downtown perhaps than there has ever been. What do you think ?

Any news regarding construction at Houston Pavillions ? Also do like the book store idea. If Starbucks is opening at Preston/Main then I definately believe the bookstore concept could also work in the area. Basically, think that there is a lack of things to do downtown in the entire downtown area in between the hours of 5pm-10pm. The biggest question I think isn't so much what might work, but who is going to be the first retailer or (combined group of retailers ) that appeal to a daytime crowd and 5pm-10pm crowd that will commit to opening downtown, that will actually give people that do work downtown something to do after work that will keep them in the area instead of jumping into rush hour traffic ?

Has anyone heard of a date for construction to commence at Houston Pavilions ? I was told that it would start in August a couple of months ago...