JFC

I stopped by there yesterday. The place looks great! Michael was telling me they are still expecting to open in mid-May. Also, I was told the construction of their new patio, which is over 1,000 square feet, starts this week. I can't wait for this place to open, it should be a great addition to Midtown!!!!

You said it, I didn't. 

It's not saying that restaurants are inferior to other developments, but it was getting confusing for many members to have topics about bars or whatnot jumbled in with the normal threads in the neighborhood sub-forums.  Bars and restaurants (or politics, for that matter) just aren't meant to be the primary focus of this board, so it made more sense to have a separate topic area for those discussions.

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Question answered. Time to move on. Thanks.

It would get confusing if restaurant and entertainment topics were in both the Restaurant and Entertainment sub-forum and the neighborhood sub-forums.  Since there is now a separate topic area for restaurants and clubs, it seems like it makes more sense to have the discussions there, and use the neighborhood forums for discussion of architecture, development, etc.

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Again, these are developments for the area. I for one am opposed to having a seperate sub-forum b/c I believe it makes these developments seem like they are inferior to other developments.

is this the deco diner revived?

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Nope. Different place next to BW3's on West Gray.

Why do all the midtown restaurant threads get moved to the restaurant and entertainment forum? I understand it fits under there, but sometimes I feel it would be better if the announcement of new places and little description and discussion would be left in here. Because these new establishments are part of the nieghborhood as much as a new residential development.

What is this all about? It's right next door to Buffalo Wild Wings.

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It is going to be coffee house/lounge. It will be open from 6:30am to 2 am, seven days a week. Their entertainment will consist of acid jazz, house music, etc.

It opens a week from this Saturday.

I came across this listing a few minutes ago.  It shows a vacant city block available in Midtown for sale.    It is between Gray and Webster between Crawford and La Branch.    The owner is asking $58 per square foot.  That comes out to be $3,625,000.   

There has been a lot of complaing on this board about the slow rate of development in the Midtown / DT areas.    With price per square foot this high it is pretty darn hard to justify developing much on this tract (and similar tracts is land is selling for so much).   

The first thing that pops into my head is Office.  Since you can build up the price for land is not as big a hurdle.  Of course the DT office market does not need anymore new projects coming on board right now.  There is already too much vacancy (Thanks Enron).

I ran a basic pro-forma on developing a stip center on this land.  Assuming you could build a 21,000 center, the rents would have to be between $27-$30 NNN per square foot to make this feasible.  This does not sound too far off, but I think it is difficult to sell to lenders.

What is sad is that a Walgreens or CVS would be a pretty good fit on this land.  Oc course both have already built or plan to build in Midtown so they are out. 

I am not sure if anyone cares about this, but I think it goes a long way in explaining why development has not been faster in this area.   

Midtown Tract for Sale

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You probably have to build more space b/c $27 per square foot is overpriced for office space.

I see a lot signs proclaiming "Coming Soon" in midtown, but the only thing I can see being constructed is the new Walgreens by Specs.  Nifty.  Can't wait for another pharmacy.

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Is the Walgreens under construction yet? Or has the old building just been demolished?

I received Pub Fiction's first newsletter yesterday:

PUB FICTION BREAKS GROUND ON CONSTRUCTION

On February 9, 2005, we began renovating the 2303 Smith Street Building, which will be the future home of Pub Fiction. If you don't remember, Pub Fiction is the first collaboration of Michael Paolucci and Blini Hoxha, both formerly of BAR Houston. Pub Fiction will be Midtown

Hey RobinM.....patient my good friend, you don't have to blast every message on this board with your promotion.

FYI.  try out Moksa @ Licor Lounge every Thurs. 

This place is starting to pick up.  I'll give it a month.

It's located in Midtown. 

Sorry to hear about the Escobar incident. Escobar is only decent, if that, I think on Sat.  Too small and not a joint I wanna spend my whole night if you ask me.

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How about this we got a club promoter going crazy on here........I think we got the message the first two times about Licor Lounge.

I, also, heard that the new store front for pub fiction on smith street will be visible from the outside in a week or two. They are building the new front right now inside b/c it is recessed.

Hello,

Could someone please recommend somebody to do yard work? Thank you.

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Here is a company I have used for my properties.

Hillview Lanscaping - (713) 529-9070

I have confirmed that the Walgreens is going in on McGowen/Smith/Brazos...right by the Specs. It will be a wrap around style like the CVS. We can all thank Westside Properties for selling out on Midtown again. This is another example of them selling out the Urban design several of us would like to see for Midtown.

Also, as I said before by doing this is will force another company to put a strip center I believe across the street.

we should act now if you guys want an urban design

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I will find out the exact location of the walgreens today....if it goes in then another strip center across the street is going too.....

you are JOKING right?

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I know there is a Walgreens going into Midtown....In fact it is one of Heather Chappel's Properties (I think she is Westside properties, but I am not 100% sure)

I'm not sure if this is already a topic, but I was in Midtown last night and noticed that the warehouse south of specs was half torn down.  There's been a sign on that block for years with a restaurant/retail build to suit.  I just passed it off since every block in Midtown has a similar sign.  Does anybody know what's going on?

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Might be where they are putting a Walgreens

I have heard the same thing. I heard Red Star had their busiest night by far in several months.

I have heard a rumor that construction is to start this week on Pub Fiction.

18 year old teenie bobbers

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It is not just 18 year olds.....but it is college night.......

Red Star pulls 700 to 800 pull on Thursday night

It's going to be a Hilton Garden Inn.  I'm thinking the building will be about 6-8 stories if I remember correctly.

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Thanks

The crane is actually right next to the Men's Club

I know a new retail center, aka strip mall, is being built on West Alabama and Sage. However, there is other construction going on as well so not sure which you are referring to.

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There is one of those high-rise construction cranes probably about 6 stories tall that just went this weekend. It is red and white colored. I wish I could be more detailed, but my office is about 1/2 mile away.

Does anyboby know what is going up on Sage? There is a construction crane on Sage (I believe) between Westheimer and Richmond.