JLWM8609

A 106 mile long mirror in the desert? How can that go wrong?

11 hours ago, kennyc05 said:

Yep I'm talking about the Victoria location on Navarro that place has been around since I was a kid .

I'll have to stop there the next time I'm heading to Corpus or Rockport. I saw one in Dallas about 5 or 6 years ago. I don't know if it's still there.

2 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

Interesting dome shaped gas station at the Kirby & Main intersection.  Found this on the A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas book.

https://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/preserve/survey/highway/TxDOT Field Guide to Gas Stations in TX 2016.pdf

That was actually located on 610 near Kirby. That building was demolished in the late 90s or early 00s. The Sterling Inn stands there now.

2 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

The old Baytown Seafood Restaurant at 9205 South Main St. will be replaced with Rumberger Wing per a TDLR report.

Latipac Commercial Properties.

https://latipac.com/properties/

Loopnet listing:

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/9205-S-Main-St-Houston-TX/15169835/

That building was originally a Grandy's. 

14 hours ago, Justin Welling said:

METRO will be replacing the existing transit center and building a new garage facility near the existing property with a variety of enhancements including new bus bays. Style will be similar to Lower Uptown TC. 

https://www.ridemetro.org/Pages/TC-Northline.aspx

I wonder if the I-45 rebuild could incorporate a direct connection from the Managed Lanes to this transit center? The only big obstacle seems to be a surface parking lot.

On 7/28/2022 at 12:37 PM, crock said:

can someone explain if this (highlighted in yellow by me) means the Houston Avenue bridge is being raised, lowered, or not moved? 

That's the centerline for the Houston Ave. bridge.

On 7/29/2022 at 10:20 AM, SmellyHoustonian said:

This is a very stupid project to spend $350MM to fix a problem that occurs once every few years for 12 hours or so. Not to mention they are not going to do this in coordination with their other planned elevated managed lanes project and the METRO inner Katy BRT project. 

It looks like it's not even being done in coordination with the NHHIP because the new ramps at 45 will tie into the current interchange. It's like they future proofed parts of it but not all of it. From what I can tell, the new elevated HOV bridge within this project will be built wide enough to accommodate the future Inner Katy elevated managed lanes at the west end and the I-10 MaX lanes at the east end once they're tied in. Yet, it looks like it'll tie into the present 1x1 HOV bridge that ends at Franklin and Bagby if the NHHIP hasn't built the MaX lanes by then. But like you said, there's a big lack of coordination because METRO's Option 1 is to tie the BRT into the current HOV bridge between Taylor and Studemont to bring the BRT into downtown, but that ramp is scheduled to be removed during the NHHIP. Option 2 is to run it south of I-10 and terminate it at Franklin and Bagby, and looks like they'd use part of the current HOV bridge near Amtrak for that. If they build this as-is, the managed lanes will tie into the HOV bridge, meaning METRO can't use either Option 1 or Option 2 for the busway, and Option 2 won't be able to be started unless the managed lanes connect to the MaX Lanes. Yeah, this is a clusterf... as-is. Hopefully they all get on the same page soon.

METRO Option 1 and 2: 

16 minutes ago, JJxvi said:

I dont think this has anything to do with the Heights. Painting houses white (esp with dark trim) is a popular trend and likely has nothing to do with White Linen Nights.  I advised my parents to do it in Timbergrove with no idea it was popular or trendy back in 2018 and over the past four years since, every time I've noticed a house change color its like a 90% chance this is what they did too.  I notice it all over. Garden Oaks, Timbergrove/Lazybrook, Oak Forest.  Brick houses, siding, remodels, brand new houses. 

This is definitely the year of white houses with black trim. It's trendy, but timeless. My late Aunt and Uncle's c. 1938 Salisbury & McHale home in Riverside has been painted white with black trim for probably all its life. Fortunately, my cousin hasn't changed the paint scheme.

4 hours ago, Amlaham said:

The Sheraton at 2400 West Loop South will be rebranded as The Chifley, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. It will host a new restaurant/ bar called "Rouse" that serves a fusion of barbecue, Mexican, and asian cuisine.

New hotel website: https://thechifleyhouston.com

https://houston.culturemap.com/news/city-life/07-25-22-the-chifley-houston-hotel-uptown-rouse-restaurant-bar-rooms-tapestry-collection-by-hilton/#slide=0

Set to open November, 2022. seems like most of the renovations are interior.

 

 

 

Some before pictures 😅 I always thought Sheraton was considered semi luxurious, these pics kind of hurts hurts my eyes 

 

Maybe that passed for luxury in 2003?

On 7/25/2022 at 10:43 AM, editor said:

According to the presentation, this is all about getting the road out of the flood plain during big storms, presumably so people can evacuate.

But you're right — there are a lot more people living in this area than out on 290, so they should do something to make it quieter.

I remember a decade or two ago, there was a big kerfuffle in New Jersey because a highway was renovated and the poor neighborhoods all got sound barriers, while the rich ones didn't.  The Biff and Muffy complained, NJDOT told people that it puts up sound barriers based on population density, and if the McMansion crowd wanted some, they could pay for it themselves.

Sometimes the system works.

TxDOT has been giving most of the recent freeway rebuilds the quiet treatment with longitudinally tined pavement.

I remember hearing that depressed freeways were supposed to be better in floodplains because they can function as spillways during floods and store water that would otherwise flood adjacent neighborhoods. Is there a reason they're not going this route (no pun intended)? Maybe the nearly 22 acre detention pond would take care of that?

On 7/1/2022 at 12:04 AM, Ross said:

Interesting house. Totally unacceptable kitchen, as the range doesn't have enough knobs🤣

I actually like the place, rooms are decent. Furniture is not my style, but they can leave the pool table.

For some reason, the realtor's name is ringing bells in my head from when we lived in Midtown in the late 90's.

Gerald Womack has sold a lot of properties in and around the area for over 40 years now. That's probably why you remember his name.

How's this for a thread resurrection? The house from this album cover is on the market. https://www.har.com/homedetail/3409-n-macgregor-way-houston-tx-77004/3152896

8 hours ago, editor said:

When the interstate highway system was built, that was the intent.  Traffic to a city uses different roads than traffic through a city.  It's why loop roads start with even numbers, and spurs start with odd numbers. 

 

In some small towns, the US highway that the Interstate replaced would deviate from the Interstate and go through town while the Interstate bypassed it. If the US highway was decommissioned, they'd turn it into the Interstate's Business Loop/ Business Route, like Business Loop 45 in towns south of Dallas along routes that were formerly US 75.

How much was rent at the lofts? It never struck me as something that would be considered affordable housing since it was located close to things considered a premium.

On a side note, I was watching some of the uncut interviews in the UH archive from "This Is Our Home It Is Not For Sale" and many of the residents living in Riverside Terrace said 288 was a plus to living in the area. 35 years later, some newer residents probably wouldn't agree and would be anti-freeway. Then again, all those suburbs in Pearland didn't exist 35 years ago, and 288 didn't start getting traffic jams until the early 2000s. 🤷🏾‍♂️

32 minutes ago, Triton said:

Sort of poor timing but another contractor is repaving N Main right now. Wish they had waited for the bike lanes to come in so they don't have to remark it twice.

I wondered if that resurfacing was related to this project. Remarking fresh-ish pavement twice irks my OCD. Nothing like brand new markings next to barely grinded down old markings!

4 hours ago, Twinsanity02 said:

Grand Parkway segment H and I are opening today. Good news for those of us who live in this section of the Solar system. 

Would've been great to have when I used to have to drive from the Third Ward area to Huffman. Could've shaved 20 minutes off the drive time. 

Anybody know why they're milling the months old asphalt on Washington between Heights and Studemont?

5 hours ago, Amlaham said:

I just love how this project has been on the drawing board since 2002 and expected to be finished 30 years later. 

 

Dubai did this.....in 6 years 

They also built islands in 10 years....

 

Are we not as advance as we used to think?

We don't need poop trucks to handle the plumbing in our skyscrapers. 

On 4/29/2022 at 8:29 PM, Luminare said:

I'm still amazed that the Gulf Freeway is still under construction. Can't beat that. Gulf Freeway is the Heavyweight champion of the world in never-ending freeway construction.

I used to think people were exaggerating, but they were right. There was a brief period in the late 90s and early 00s when it wasn't under construction. Before that, the construction was upgrading the 50s era divided highway between Houston and Galveston to a full freeway from the 60s to the 80s. When that ended, there was widening from Downtown to the Beltway from the 80s to the 90s. Then they started it all over again with the NASA bypass in the mid 00s as the first stage of the ongoing widening from the Beltway to Galveston. When they finish that, the Gulf Freeway will be torn up near Downtown for the NHHIP. They really do get to one end and start tearing up the other end!

7 hours ago, mattyt36 said:

Can you please provide a translation as to the exact issue that appears to have your panties in a tither? As usual, you just used a bunch of empty and meaningless buzzwords, woke, attack, mob, welfare queen, hatred, etc., etc. Please point out exactly where this “woke mob”touched you. If you’re in the deep distress it appears you are in, please take your meds or contact the appropriate professionals. 

"uppity" gives a big clue as to who hurt him since it's only used in association with only a certain group.

When this extension is complete to Griggs, is it going to remain Spur 5 or is it going to be signed SH35? 

On 2/24/2022 at 6:48 PM, august948 said:

Any thoughts on how the Russian invasion of Ukraine will affect Houston?  Have we seen the last of sub-$100 oil for a while?

Well, one way it's affected Houston is that the AN-225 will never visit again. It was a semi-frequent visitor to IAH.

On 6/24/2021 at 2:54 PM, sapo2367 said:

Triggering for all the East End people 

I know I'm 8 months late, but notice how they labeled neighborhoods miles away, but didn't label Third Ward, which is right adjacent to it. 🙃

15 hours ago, hindesky said:

Took this the other day but couldn't find the topic for it.

I passed by yesterday while driving to work and noticed it. I like that they're restoring the window size back to its former glory. 

19 hours ago, bred said:

In my line of work, I find myself in a lot of new housing developments all over the city, and occasionally I find streets in new subdivisions that have recently been renamed (mostly in Brazoria County).  Usually this is because it is discovered that there is a duplicate or similar street name within the same city.

I've seen County Roads in Brazoria County renamed when they link up with other roads to make a long, continuous street, even going as far as to renumber addresses. Ex: The 2600 block of CR 59 is now the 11600 block of Magnolia Pkwy.