wxman

This can't be. It would be way too good to be true. The North Frwy needs to be like 10 lanes on each side plus the service road. It's a disaster. What used to be a 25 or 30 min. commute into Downtown or out of Downtown to The Woodlands now takes over an hour sometimes. Ridiculous.

from myfoxhouston.com:

Talks of widening I-45 could rip up some historic neighborhoods.

Since 1998 the Texas Department of Transportation has been exploring ways to reconstruct I-45. The project stalled in 2005, but now plans are being revived with the announcement of two public meetings.

A TxDOT spokeswoman says the state is looking at a number of options but declined to release details until the meetings, which will mark the start of environmental impact studies.

Commuters say something has to give since drive times on 45 are some of the worst in the country. Just about everyone has an I-45 horror story.

"45 just has too much traffic. It's always like a parking lot, stop and go," said Edward Harris.

"Sometimes it'll take me 20 minutes just to get on the ramp to get through the exit," said Kim Harder.

TxDOT has proposed building four managed lanes between downtown Houston and Beltway 8.

Expansion of the road could come at a cost to homeowners, specifically in neighborhoods between Loop 610 and I-10 including the Heights, 6th Ward and Lindale Park.

"We don't want another I-10 here. We don't have room for I-10," said Jim Weston.

Weston has spent years fixing up his 1912 home in Woodland Heights. He fears it'll be swallowed up or perhaps face the feeder road if TxDOT increases I-45's footprint.

"It's difficult to estimate how many homes would be lost because we don't know where they're going to put the lanes," said Weston.

Weston is president of the I-45 Coalition, a grass roots movement that formed years ago to monitor the state's plans.

"We're not opposed to improving congestion, but any freeway will take ten years to build. Ten years from now any improvement they do will be filled, and we will need it again. Where do you stop? Eventually there will be all freeways and no homes," said Weston.

Weston would like TxDOT to investigate other means of transportation, such as a tunnel.

Raquelle Lewis, spokeswoman for TxDOT, says the state is looking at alternatives.

"Our goal is always to minimize right of way impact," said Lewis.

TxDOT has launched a website for the project they're calling the North Houston Highway Improvement Project: www.ih45northandmore.com

Commuters say whatever the project will cover, it's long overdue.

"Houston is growing, so that's just part of expansion. Like they always say, you've got to suffer for your beauty," said Harris.

Weston hopes neighborhoods can somehow avoid a hit.

"It's very important for people involved in this, not just people in our neighborhood, but anyone concerned with quality of life issues to attend these meetings," said Weston.

The public meetings scheduled:

Tuesday, November 15, 6pm-8pm, Jeff Davis High School, 1101 Quitman St.

Thursday, November 17, 6pm-8pm, Aldine High School, 11101 Airline Drive

Can someone who lives up there post some photos? You know how us HAIFers need our crane porn.

HAHA! It's so true. I would but I am headed to Dallas shortly. Perhaps when I get back.

Trader Joe's makes it offical: http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/11/trader-joe’s-to-open-in-the-woodlands/

That's bad ass! Too bad it'll be hidden by the trees and won't be seen from the freeway. However, the dozen or more cranes sticking up over the trees is pretty tight.

I travel to Dallas fairly regularly. I have a lot of friends there from college as well as family. One thing that I like best about the place is that they have Grandy's. I love that place. There is nothing there that is bad. For some reason, they closed every single Houston location. Now when I go to Dallas, it has become ritual that I eat there for lunch---at least twice. Does anybody know what happened to them here and if there are plans to reopen any locations? I've been craving the place for weeks!!!

And The Woodlands starts ANOTHER 9-story building. 3 Waterway construction imminent.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/10/26/nexeo-solutions-moves-to-woodlands.html

New 600,000 sq. ft facility in the Med Center? Ran across this in an email this morning:

HOUSTON — The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has completed its largest fundraising campaign ever. Thanks to the generosity of supporters across the globe, Making Cancer History®: The Campaign to Transform Cancer Care has raised $1.215 billion for:

research initiatives in cancer prevention and risk assessment, basic science, cancer care excellence, personalized cancer therapies, early detection and targeted treatments

an endowment to educate and train the next generation of cancer research specialists

a new 600,000-square-foot research facility to support personalized cancer care and accelerate the pace of pancreatic cancer research

support of other key areas within the institution.

Here's a map of where the building would go. Looks like it is going to sit behind the first tower--at the corner of Woodloch Forest Dr. and Lake Robins Dr. I remember seeing a rending of the building a few years back. It looked to be about 20 stories tall with the same color glass as the first tower and was a block instead of a rounded type building like the main tower. However I that was 2 or 3 years ago. With that said, I *think* it has always been the plan to build another Anadarko building on the property.

http://www.thewoodlands-commercial.com/pdf/UrbanDesignPlan.pdf

Looks like Anadarko may erect a twin tower in The Woodlands!

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/10/another-office-tower-in-the-woodlands/

I think waxman meant PC = politically correctness.

LOL! Ooops. Yeah, PC, that's what I meant.

There are sports I dont care for...hockey, cricket, rugby, lacrosse, boxing, water polo, handball, competitive wrestling, fencing, innumerable other minor sports, but I cannot fathom ever actually saying that I "hate" a sprt as if the fact that other people are watching or participating has somehow offended me or affected my life at all.

Oh please, you read to much into what I was saying. How about I strongly dislike soccer. Being PR will be the death of America---what's left of it. People's feelings too easily hurt. I think soccer is boring and stupid and I'm entitled to feel that way.

Pardon my ignorance, but is this going to be a 23-story tower on TOP of a 5 story garage making it 28 stories or is it an 18-story apartment tower on 5 floors of garage?

Yes, now go to timeout!

jk, I'm guessing you don't like sports?

Love sports, hate soccer. I guess that's what makes me American. LOL

This is probably my very least favorite project. I couldn't care less if this is built or not. Am I bad for feeling that way? lol

Love this tower. Question: why this spot? I was looking at the location on google maps and for some reason all this time, i thought this was to be built right on the SW FRWY....maybe close to where the Museum Tower is now. I did not realize, even with the squabble in the surrounding neighborhood just how out of place this is. I mean it is NOT a convenient location to get to and there are a lot of small side streets utilized to get to 1717 Bissonnet. My question is, why here? This thing probably could have long been built if they had just tweeked the location. I can see they are probably catering to the Med Center but I'm sure this is not the ONLY location to build a tower. Just seems like a really random out-of-place spot. Just my opinion.

From today's Chronicle:

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2011/09/tower-to-rise-on-former-confederate-house-site/

Is there any way we can change the title to 35 stories instead of 27?

My geography professor at Texas A&M University said that if each person were stacked front to back, shoulder to shoulder, the entire worlds' population could fit in an average sized COUNTY. The example he used is that the world's population could fit inside Brazos County---again, if were standing shoulder to shoulder front to back.

There are 43,560 sq. ft in an acre and 640 acres in a sq. mile...so there would be 27,878,400 sq. ft. in one sq. mile. So let's assume that each person takes up 2 sq. ft. That means that 13,939,200 people could fit in one sq. mile. The example my professor used was Brazos County. Brazos County is 590 sq. miles. So 13,939,200 x 590 = 8,224,128,000!!!! So at this point in the game, you could fit the entire world's population into a single county and STILL have room to spare.

Now if you were to put everybody inside Harris County, you might even have enough room to raise your arm and pick your nose!

The people suck ass. Just my opinion. Can't stand the people there.

I'm surprised this hasn't splashed onto the scene yet:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2011/09/16/developer-plans-wyndham-hotel-downtown.html

What would a 250-room full service hotel stack up to be? Anybody have comparisons?

Simbha, tallest cities as in has the most number of buildings above a certain threshold---for example 400 ft and up. That's just an example. Considering that Miami only has 3 buildings in the entire metro Miami area that reach 700' or more (which no building in Florida rises to 800') then Houston has Miami beat by over a dozen buildings or more.

So in the Miami thread on Skyscraperpage, somebody had posted that Miami is on the verge of eclipsing Houston with height. This poster said Houston had two 1,000 ft, one 900 ft and seven 700+ft buildings. I realize that Houston has one 1,000 footer and two 900 ft buildings, but that's neither here nor there. The point of this post is the poster said that Miami, with it's three 700+ ft buildings will soon pass Houston in height due to all the planned residential highrises. Is that possible? Even in a booming market, building five or six highrises to the likes of 700+ feet would be an exercise in futility, waste and flooding a market that already has multiple buildings sitting vacant. Thoughts?

BTW, outside of New York City and Chicago, we ARE the tallest city in America aren't we?

That mural sums up all my above posts.....classic.

Breaking: You guys will be happy to know that I have opened my mind just enough to attend the festivities at Discovery Green tonight. I figured with it being a family oriented atmosphere, it shouldn't be too outlandish. If any of you are going, I'll be the "straight" guy you see walking around with a military crew cut---or close to it.

Wow, I feel kinda special that so much interest has been taken in my comments I want you guys to know that I don't take offense to any comments made. I stand by my beliefs that a Pride parade does not advocate for equal rights but rather reinforces negative stereotypes levied against our community. I am a guy. I love college football, outdoor sports, working out and eating pizza until I hurl. I like to drink beer and expel methane. Okay, that's graphic and disgusting but I digress. I like the fact that men get credit for a great bbq when in reality it was a woman (the wife or girlfriend) that prepared the table, veggies and seasoned the meat that we bbq. My point is that is, in many ways, what makes me a guy---aside from my penis. That's important. Being male is great. And all the above comes naturally to me, my dad, uncle, grandfather and countless college buddies--both *** and straight. However, waxing your body down, putting on a pair of panties with you sack hanging out one side is seen as a spectical to a lot of people---including the very people we are begging to get rights from.

The above is my old point. Here is my new point. Why not lead by example? Why not show the world that we are human beings that deserve to have the same privileges as straight married couples. The GLBT community continuously fights over things that will not advance the cause. For example, the word "marriage." The GLBT community demands to have the right to marry. Well some states have allowed 'civil unions.' It offers the exact same hospital visitation rights, the sharing of benefits amongst one another and allows us to adopt and many other things---just like a married couple. Why do we fight over the nomenclature? Some g-a-y people are still mad that it's not called 'marriage.' My dad used to tell me that there is a way to tell somebody to go to hell without telling them to go to hell. Why not take the same logic and settle for the name change in order to have the same rights? Why do guys prance around in panties---which even as a g-a-y guy---I find disturbing. It's not fair to me....somebody who goes to work every day, pays taxes, dresses normally, speaks normally and just wants to go home to a guy who loves me unconditionally---same as any heterosexual couple. But no, my spokesperson represents everything I am not---like a drag queen. Does that just not go against nature???

I really try not to hate. I promise. But I have been silent on the issue for a long time and I feel as though I am speaking amongst a mature group here who is open minded to my thoughts. I think at the end of the day, I believe everybody should share in the same equalities as everybody else. However I am guilty of something that MLK spoke about: "for it is not the words of our enemies that we remember but the silence of our friends in the face of opposition." I know I have not been supportive of the g-a-y cause but until I see a community that can have a monogamous relationships, longevity in those relationships and a change in attitude amongst the community, I can't partake in such events. I know in my heart that the day when we can hold hands with our loved one in public without being chastised is approaching---just like white and black couples can now do. Mark Twain said that the challenges in life make it interesting. It's overcoming them that makes it meaningful. I am cautiously optimistic that the ideals in my community, that I am apart of by force---not choice, will realize that pushing or forcing something not fully understood, ie religion, politics or sexual orientation, is a sure way to create far more foes than friends.

THIS IS JUST MY OPINION...

but I hope you work on your internalized homophobia. All *** guys tend to struggle with these issues. Quite frankly, now that I am 40, I've come to view Pride in much the same way as I view Mardi Gras. Pride isn't about creating change or passing legislation. It's about celebrating our differences and simply having FUN. It's the one time of year that you can feel safe on the streets, act out, hold your boyfriend's hand, and celebrate the utter ridiculousness of roller derby girls inter mingling with Christians while politicians glad handle and go-go boys bounce.

While I don't agree with everything I see out at Pride, I do appreciate the right of others to let their hair down and go wild.

As an aside, I am a preppy-ish guy that hangs out at straight beer joints (99% of my friends are breeders) and loves college football. I don't drink cocktails with umbrellas but love to bring my own koozi to keep the longneck from sweating. I haven't been to a *** bar in years but do look forward to the Pride Parade every year!

My suggestion, come hang out at Poison Girl and have a good time. Quite frankly, there will be 25% of the population that will never accept us so come be with the 75% that already do!

I can relate to your point of view. Perhaps I do have internal homophobia---which is the most hypocritical thing ever. However, being a jock/frat type, you'd never be able to point me out in a crowd as being *** and being seen in an area where people are of free spirit makes me uncomfortable and quite frankly a bit frustrated that i've never been able to get to that point. To the outside world, I am a 'breeder' as you comically put it and so are my friends. While all my friends know and accept me for who I really am, they seem to be more frustrated than me about living a double life. Funny how that works out.

THIS IS JUST MY OPINION WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE:

I don't see how Pride help's advance the idea of equal rights amongst our peers who are ignorant to the fact that we are normal people who think, feel emotion, bleed, sweat, smile and cry like everybody else. People hate what they do not understand. The Irish faced bigotry at the turn of the last century. Signs in store fronts read 'Irish, need not apply.' Then it was the civil rights movement. Then it was immigration and a socio-economic status of a lot of hispanics that seemed to threaten our ideals and way of life here in America. Now it's gays and the threat of diluting what the true meaning of marriage is and so on. The point is I don't see how guys prancing around in skimpy underwear with legs shaved and dressing like woman advances the cause. I think many are disgusted by it and subjects me to a stereotype that is a total misrepresentation as to who I am. While I don't judge or condemn those that go, I choose not to partake in it because it represents everything I am not. If we as a community want acceptance, we have to show the world that we can love, MONOGAMOUSLY, and treat others with respect (have you been to a *** bar where everybody feels up on everybody) that not only is expected by others but I expect for myself.

AGAIN, THIS IS MY OPINION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE.