GovernorAggie

Oh don't get me wrong, I would prefer an ESPNZone WAAAAAAY before a Virgin MegaStore. I went to the one in DT San Francisco and really didn't see what was so great about it--there was nothing there that you can't find in say...FYE. Although they did have a great selection of figurines (Thundercats, XMen, Transformers, etc.). I just posted the article b/c there seemed to be such an early desire on HAIF to have one here. I also saw that ESPNZone was snooping around the Park Shops back in 2003, but nothing ever happened. They even said that tey have no plans of expanding their concept (I emailed them a few months ago about a Houston location). Nonetheless, I would think that HP would be better suited than Park. Park feels much more...isolated...and even INsulated to me. Who knows, maybe they'll come after all and compete with FOX Sports Grill in some respects.

Could Virgin MegaStore come to Houston? Maybe at HP? Maybe elsewhere? Check this out: http://www.topix.net/content/kri/390288619...013332998563454 "Despite the chain's recent contraction, the suits at Virgin are mulling another Texas location, this one in H-Town. 'We are considering Houston as a new market,' Wright confirmed. 'But there are no definite plans to open a megastore in Houston at present.'" ------------------------------------ I'm a little concerned about the fitness of Virgin, and I wouldn't want the store in HP if all it'll do is shut down two years later. Nonetheless, it is 'interesting' at least that they are 'mulling' a Houston location.

The east lot's crane is now complete!

Thanks!

Highway6 got a a pic of the construction on One Park Place. Could someone (stjky perhaps?) get picks of the heavy equipment currently at the HP site? It's impressive from gorund level, I'm sure it is from above too!

It's 31 stories now, but the story said it could grow (basically double) to around 50 stories based on demand. And they purchased the option on the next block! But I agree with H-Town Man--I wouldn't mind a dozen towers of 30-40 or so stories in place of say, 5 60 story office towers. If we can somehow get more mixed use towers (residential/hotel/office for example), then I think taller would be better. Taller ones would come if several 30, 40, even 50 story buildings quickly filled up because of the large blocks of space available. Either way, great news! Even greater news is the 6 Houston looks like it will be built on spec also, and Hines really is planning a new tower, likely for the "last seedy block of Main".

I would have to agree. I have been to the MarqE several times--more than I can count. And I've only been there on Friday nights. I have never seen anyone get in trouble--for that matter, I've never seen a heavy security or police presence there. I have also never felt threatened at any time by the youngsters who are there. Do many of them dress like they're out of a rap video? Yes. Do many girls dress in ways that you wonder how their parents let them out of their houses wearing belts (or what they call "skirts")? Yes. Do you wish that the kids would use a little better language? Yes. But have I ever seen a fight there? No. Have I ever seen any gun-waving? No. Have I heard gunfire? No. Actually, the only time I have ever heard gunfire in Houston was on *prestigious* Kirby at 59 (not 610--WOW). For that matter, wasn't there just a shooting at the Shell station next to the Galleria? Is the Galleria now a "thug" hotspot? After all, I see people wearing wife-beaters and hip-hop jerseys with their pants hanging past their behinds in the Galleria too--and they're of all races.

I concur with all of these.

I second that Great Hizzy. Here. We. Go. Again. AGAIN.

UPDATE!!! Pavement is now being broken up and removed from the Main St. lot!!!

Thanks for the pics of Mecca. I think I need to head up for a nice Fatburger and a Shakes frozen custard this weekend.

Here. We. Go. Again.

The Main St. lot was completely fenced off this morning. There were cars there, but I suspect that it may be contractor parking.

I thought about this this past weekend and I personally think that it may go on the parking lot north of 5 Houston Center. At least I hope it does!

It is indeed the West Bldg. block. I will be glad to see it all go. I also hope that it will include retail on the lower level (or levels!). Maybe this could spur some activity with the buildings north of the new garage (Domino's and defunct Murphy's).

Yeah, last time I checked it was still intact. I would guess that its work will be a little more tricky with it being next to Main and everything. The first parts of construction on the new parking garage at Main and Walker required a lot of extra coordination with the trains, traffic, and construction equipment. This will be the same here I suspect.

I agree that it's good. Even if it is gonna help bring on yet another mall. As far as those wanting to incorporate Cypress...like others said here, Not gonna happen. The difference bet. the Woodlands and Cypress is that the Woodlands has a pronounced sense of place and community that is individual and independent of its surrounding area. Dare I say, it's a "community" with almost definite boundaries. Cypress--where is Cypress? Where does it start? Where does it end? If Cypress incorporates, how will it know where it starts and where Spring and Copperfield stops? You can't tell out there. Jersey Village is even incorporated and you can't tell where it stops and everywhere else starts.

Back on topic--work on two of the three lots has gotten pretty intense pretty quickly!

Touche. Been to Clear Lake. Forgot Ellington was even there--whatever that means. I still think it's a good idea--even without closing Hobby.

Niche, I didn't realize you were so young, man! Welcome to the party! That being said, first of all, I was stunned to see what you suggested--and I like it! I think is the least bit you'd get Brazos Valley politicians on board because they've been crying about being "the largest metropolitan area in Texas (maybe even the US) not on the Interstate system". I know the same can be said for the RGV, but at least they're slated be get their link through I-69. Secondly, I like the idea of closing Hobby. The Stapleton redevelopment in Denver could be a good example of redevelopment, but Hobby is also not terribly too far from NASA, so it could emerge as a hub of more aerospace supporting industries--revitalizing that entire area. Thirdly, I like the idea of Maglev as a technology instead of "proven" high speed rail. This is Texas, right? We are supposed to do everything everyone else does, but bigger, better, and faster. If it can happen anywhere, why NOT Texas. And I think that people would ride it--plenty of people. I think that it would provide a new travel option for Texans and even for people traveling to the State. Business could be conducted in an entirely different way, especially if tickets cost less than an airline ticket--particularly on short notice. To fund it, I think that you would have the state build it, and if the state showed its willingness enough, you could probably even get a huge amount of funding in the form of demonstration project funds. I would even not rule out seeking money from the airlines. To save on land costs, I would try building it in current state ROW as much as possible (maybe using Interstates, SH, FM, RM, and other roads). It would have be to elevated given the high speeds, so you have no traffic conflicts. I also would have no problem with a Cintra-esque arrangement of allowing someone to build it, charge a fare (with the ceiling provided by the state) and allowing them to lease the state's air rights at stations for development. I'm just thinking that as a Rockets fan, if I want to see them play at San Antonio or Dallas, for the price of a round trip in my car plus wear and tear, I could leave after work, go to the game, and come back all before midnight. I also think that development of Galveston and Corpus would explode because a once-in-a-while trip for North and Central Texans to the beach will easily become a monthly thing. The money that would've been spent on a hotel can be spent on a train ticket, because if it only takes a couple hours--the time of watching a DVD--to get from Dallas to Galveston (instead of the 5+ it now takes), it becomes a simple trip to make.

It won't disappoint me that they don't sell CD's. They're way overpriced at bookstores to me. I saw 8-9 year old CDs at a Borders in Fairfax, VA for like $18.99! Insane!

I don't think so. But the prices for those items are WAY too high in Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc. I am sure that there will be some sort of "entertainment" oriented store in HP that would sell electronics, games, music, movies, etc. It just seems to fit the mantra. On the other hand, I think that the "urban" concept of this Books-A-Million will be the first of its kind for that company. So maybe they'll include music and movies.

Target is at the most a 5 minute drive from DT. They won't buy Wal-Mart, but they'll buy Tar-zhay!!!

I think that Houston needs to know what kind of community Houston wants to identify itself as first, before marketing itself out as something to MTV and APA and everyone else. For the longest, Houston could just let things run along becoause people came here just to work. Now, in this day and time, people are starting to look more at places that they like and then find a job there. Sometimes images can come as an accident. Who would've thought that Miami would be viewed as it is today? If you told a 1982 Miamian that in 2007 (25 years later) Miami would be a hot, international, tropical city with over 100 skyscrapers planned or u/c, has the current NBA champion, an NHL champion, TWO baseball champions, and is viewed as a place where "the beautiful" want to see and be seen? Miami was a cesspool on its way to being Detroit South until they took practical (a very Houston-ish word, btw) steps to change their city. The basics like, fighting crime and police corruption. Today Miami is "uber" popular with the expense to match, unfortunately. It still has crime issues and terrible poverty issues and is getting a rep as a playground for the rich (Miami's current residents won't be living in those shiny new condos), but it is well-regarded around the world...and it started with practical solutions, and charting a course for its future. Miami Vice didn't hurt things, either (as dumb as that sounds, it's true--it was referred to on an INHD special about the city). The Houston of 2030 is going to be drastically different than the Houston of today. Sure there are plans and guidances and so on. But Houston will get an image improvement with practical solutions like improving transit options, steadily closing off open ditches, cleaning the bayous, continuing a decrease in crime, and so on. Miami's gov't leaders didn't "make" the city into what it currently is. They may have set the table, but they didn't really do the feeding. I think Houston is now doing the same. I hope that the Houston of 2030 becomes more known as the gleaming but humble metropolis that it is--one that people ignore but then are then are impressed with when they visit (most likely on business).

Didn't know where to put this, but I saw a gentleman measuring off the building today. He had measuring tape and was jotting everything down on his notepad. He also had what looked like a sketched/diagram kind of figure on his paper.