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OkieEric

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  1. OkieEric
    How the heck do you find this stuff? lol A slightly different rendering (with a few more buildings) is in a different slide pack at the same site: http://www.slideshare.net/QingjingZuo/smilodonrendering-collection-47319486
  2. OkieEric
    Stopped by Target today and noticed a crane was up on this one
  3. OkieEric
    Not sure if it was intentional or not (probably was), but this definitely seemed like a great PR stunt. Hopefully they can structure this new indoor park deal so that the taxpayers won't see a $200+ million bill. The people commenting on Chron must be the same folks that rail on Galveston at every opportunity. Must be a lot of fun at parties... Edit (again): The Guardian has a pretty nice article out on the Astrodome
  4. OkieEric
    Anyone else go to the 50th anniversary? It was a heck of a turn out - gives me hope that some people actually care. Or maybe just want free stuff? The line to enter the dome was absolutely ridiculous, probably one of the longer lines I've ever seen. Yet people were patiently waiting to get inside. Unfortunately, with 2 small kids that was not an option for us
  5. OkieEric
    From what I've read Project Brays as a whole (including the widening and some new detention basins upstream) is supposed to remove most of the 100 year (1%) floodplain from homes and businesses along Brays Bayou. Large areas of pricey real estate (including portions of West U) and the Med Center are currently in the floodplain, and based on the timing of this I would guess there was a push for something after TS Allison
  6. OkieEric
    If the bridges wind up like the new Cambridge St bridge that would be awesome. Unfortunately, in their current state bridges like Kirby/Buffalo Speedway/etc have extremely narrow sidewalks - OK (but probably a bit harrowing) for a single runner, but that's about it Hopefully the new bridge design would be somewhat less attractive to the homeless. I swear one dude under the Greenbriar bridge (I think) has a full set of furniture down there. I'm all for a new thread, surely someone on here is more in the know than we are I did find the link to that more detailed study on Project Brays here
  7. OkieEric
    FWIW, "7200 Main Corporation" is listed as a client on PDR's website http://www.pdrcorp.com/client-list/
  8. OkieEric
    I did some more digging on "Project Brays" today and finally realized that they are widening the channel one segment at a time heading west... Lidstone to Calhoun is apparently about to start, followed by Bertner to Buffalo Speedway which is going to start early next year (Project Brays website is outdated). I found a document from 2004 stating that retaining walls would probably be used nearly Main & Kirby (can't find link now) Here's an excerpt from the Braeswood Place newsletter from earlier this year: Project Brays: At the January meeting of the Brays Bayou Association, I talked to Gary Zika, Project Brays Program Manager, with regard to the widening of the Brays Bayou channel through Braeswood Place. He said that originally the plan was to widen the channel from Bertner Street in the Texas Medical Center to Buffalo Speedway. The plan now is to extend the widening a distance of 2200 feet west of Buffalo Speedway to the outfall on the south bank at the foot (north end) of Bevlyn Street. The Bevlyn outfall is a natural break point and is a good location to end of this phase of the project. Gary estimated start of construction will begin in about a year and will then take a year to complete. There are some obstacles to overcome, particularly with regard to loss of a number of trees due to widening the top of the bank by 25 feet. There are several "memorial" trees that will have to be dealt with as well as the small park on the north bank east of the West University waste treatment facility at Kirby. However, HCFCD will utilize its tree program following this phase of the project and replace any trees lost during construction. Bridge replacement is not part of this phase of the project. So the good news is this will almost assuredly mean new, cleaner trails. Bad news is loss of some mature trees and...we'll still have the concrete. No fancy dog parks just yet
  9. OkieEric
    and the HCC Coleman Campus expansion, new Debakey High School, and the 21 story apartments going up at Holcombe and Cambridge. Time for TMC to get some of these cranes
  10. OkieEric
    Just noticed the link shows that this will be an Intercontinental Hotel. Not bad... I'm wondering how Southgate residents will take this 32 story tower. Not really an Ashby situation if you've got property adjacent to the medical center
  11. OkieEric
    These guys have held this land for decades at this point, while adding some parcels over the years. They appear to be in no rush... If I recall correctly they held the land for Springwoods Village for nearly 50 years though the situation isn't completely comparable. I was just hoping for some activity by the Super Bowl in 2017 but it appears that's not in the cards I'm still betting on an awesome development here someday until I see a for sale sign
  12. OkieEric
    Ditto, Nate. I do not have realistic expectations for removal of any of the concrete, but steps can be made to improve functionality and aesthetics. Hopefully someday there is an initiative from the medical center - makes sense given its potential as a bike route for the area. In its current state its certainly usable but the stretch through the med center itself is pretty unappealing. I've taken a stroller on the lower path a few times but given the homeless under the bridges and the tendency towards sloping into the bayou (particularly under the bridges) it's not that great. The upper trail is poorly paved in some areas and has awkward crossings @ both points along N Braeswood West of Kirby or so (well, past the water treatment plant) there is more of a park-like element given the trees along the banks, and I know towards Hermann Park the trails are quite nice
  13. OkieEric
    This isn't worthy of a new thread, but while the area is "losing" this hotel it looks like a couple of more modern chains are moving in/expanding (result of the Super Bowl?) There's a "Residence Inn Medical Center" planned for a vacant lot near Kirby & Main: ftp://PlatViewer:Viewer4DRC@edrc.houstontx.gov/2015/Applications/2015-0419/SubdivisionPlatPDF_81-15.pdf and based on permits the construction @ 9300 Main St is a new Holiday Inn Express Both of these chains already exist in the medical center, and not far from these sites. Clearly this isn't the area for some boutique hotel but talk about some unexciting developments
  14. OkieEric
    The sign on the current building really bugs me, looks like something on a strip mall. I only point that out so hopefully we don't get a repeat I thought this was perhaps infringing on the area noted in the renderings for 7200 Main (I'm holding onto that unlikely dream) but I don't think it does Either way, within a few blocks you've got this (states construction starting in May), Texas Children's new 25 story tower, the 17 story hotel/apartment tower (hopefully, at least sign is still up) @ 6750 Main St, and the new DeBakey High all potentially going up around the same time OT, but are there any plans to rework Main St through the Med Center? I suppose it is functional, but you've now got reasonably decent concrete intersections with patchwork-quilt type asphalt in most areas. Also, OT (but same area), I have not been impressed at all with the ReBuild Houston efforts on Holcombe (particularly West-bound) at all to this point. They've already cut back out squares in freshly paved areas
  15. OkieEric
    It's HOK. The Pickard Chilton design was for another conceptual development shown in the same HOK brochure (also broken link), not 7200 Main That said, I'm not holding my breath for 7200 Main at this point
  16. OkieEric
    Thanks goodness...I hate those columns. Will be interesting to see what they come up with to individualize the storefronts The only reference to Highland Village was to the storefronts there, which are undeniably more visually appealing than the Village Arcade. Breaking up that blandness for what sounds like a minimal investment sounds great to me
  17. OkieEric
    The garage is still being used and will apparently undergo some renovation after the new DeBakey High School is built adjacent to it
  18. OkieEric
    I've noticed that as well and thought maybe it had something to do with the planned Buffalo Lakes development down there that apparently never happened If you look at the Buffalo Lakes master plan there was some sort of drainage/retention pond that somewhat mirrored the location of the ditch. Buffalo Lakes
  19. OkieEric
    I didn't attend the meeting but Old Braeswood POA sent out a summary that confirms the location as the Hornberger Conference Center. From the email: Original plan was to add floors to the parking garage, but it was not feasible Site will be 2.5 acres bounded by Holcombe, Pressler, Main St, and Montclair The school will consist of 2 5-story structures connected by a 4 story atrium and have room for 900 to 1000 students. Construction will start in November The TMC parking garage on Holcombe will be renovated after school is built
  20. OkieEric
    HMLs or UFOs? I hadn't really noticed high mast lights until they started installing them along the southern stretch of 610, as well as 45 S. I knew immediately what this UFO was when it was in the news last month
  21. OkieEric
    There was a Bank of America drive through there before, so I guess they are just replacing it...seems like good real estate for what I'm sure will be a generic bank branch, but then again across Main St is a Pizza Hut
  22. OkieEric
    Agreed...but Pressler is a weird street that goes from E/W to N/S. The Montclair addresses along the same stretch are even numbers on the west side of the street
  23. OkieEric
    Well now I'm confused. This link does show 2160 Pressler but per google that is around Shriner's and the HCC building area. The HCC building is 1900 Pressler so not sure I trust google maps for Pressler addresses http://www.houstonisd.org/Page/71974 The link says they are working with the Texas Medical Center to find a new home. The actual video I linked looks to be filmed inside of Hornberger and they say something about being on the site of the new campus Also, Trevisio's website states the conference center closed on May 1, 2014: http://www.trevisiorestaurant.com/Hornberger_center.html I also would hope the Old Braeswood POA would have been given the proper location of the new school EDIT: OK, in looking over some of the Project Advisory Team (PAT) minutes it sounds as if the parking garage will stay, just the conference center itself will likely go. Plus if you watch the video it's clear that the garage on W Holcombe will remain as it's in the background of some of the renderings. Looks like quite a bit of the "Shamrock parking lot" will actually remain
  24. OkieEric
    Old Braeswood POA sent out a notice for a meeting regarding construction of the new DeBakey High School in the medical center. Per the notice it will be built "on the site of the Hornberger Conference Center." I guess this means the last piece of the Shamrock is coming down? Construction is to begin later this year I looked around for some renderings and could only find something on the HISD blog: http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/06/03/video-highlights-how-design-is-shaping-up-for-new-debakey-high-school/
  25. OkieEric
    Plan Review Fee for new apartments just out. Does anyone know if anything useful can be gleaned from that Use code? Still can't find anything else on this Project No: 14084005 Date : 2014/09/04 00:00:00 USE : NEW APTS 1-5-3-R2-B-FA/SPK IBC06 110455S Owner/Occupant : *HAVEN AT MAIN Job Address : 8700 MAIN ST BLD1A 77025 Valuation : $ 0 Permit Type : PX FCC Group : Apartments Buyer : *GUEFEN DEVELOPMENT Address : 8700 MAIN ST 77025 Phone : (817) 797-6156
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