capnmcbarnacle

Report from Nancy Sarnoff

A hotel flanked by two 2-lane streets, one 3-lane contraflow and a dead-ender??? Lord have mercy....or does he mean something like La Colombe D'or? Is this going to be the Lilliputian City Centre?

I've said all along and I'll say it again. I live in the hood and I'd rather see a high rise with 300 units than a nasty mid-rise Gables thing. I have a bad feeling about this one. I'm afaraid we are in for a big vacant lot for a long time, followed by something gross. I've heard nothing about the Dillick guy that gives me any confidence to think he understands anything about the neighborhood and what would fit there. That, and it's too easy to come up with disparaging anagrams with his name.

I totally agree. His reasoning for shutting down Two Pesos was lame. I am sure there was some $$$ under the table on that one. Seriously, how much difference is there between Burger King and McDonald's? Subway and Blimpie? Pizza Hut and Pizza Inn?

I think I recall reading that the judge actually commented on the "bright" color scheme of both restaurants and that they both offered drive-thrus as to why Two Pesos was a knock off! I miss the baby blue of the Two.

There was a maverick Two Pesos below Greenway Plaza for a long time after the case. I don't think the TC enforcers knew it was there. And apparently not enough customers did either because it's gone. But for awhile anyway, Two Pesos lived on....

If the developers walk away the infrastructure and streetscape improvements aren't done.

Ten million doesn't seem like much, but I have a hunch that is misleading. There might be a $10 million stimulus push to get them rolling, but I bet the long-term tax benefits are much greater than that. To someone like GID, who appears to look at this as a long-term holding and not a flip, that could be very appealing. I would think they would have a definite advantage positioning themselves in the market if the TIRZ funds went back to them and not to the TIRZ generally as it would for their competition, which is my understanding.

I think that was a good observation about a tacit agreement before the City announced it. I too would be surprised if the City threw that carrot out there knowing the backlash they could face without having any idea if it would be accepted. Interestingly enough, the vote yesterday was postponed by a weeke, presumably to let the story wither in the Chron...

13 just had a blurb that the boston company behind this is pulling out. as a result, the city is putting together a "stimulus" package so that the company will reconsider its decision.

According to the Chron, GID indicated they were about to put the project on hold indefinitely.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6352511.html

It was a tinier TC location. It got all lot of riff-raff late at night.

Einstein Bagels is a better choice.

That TC has been there a long, long, long time. And if anything, it got a lot less sketchy over the last few years. I'm mixed about seeing it go. It's not so much that I will miss the food at TC, but if they are going to change it I wish they'd put in something better than Einstein's bagels. How bout a Krystal's to compete with Little Big's? That way the yuppies and the riff raff could have mutually exclusive miniture hamgurger stands.

Even douches need a place to call home.

Yah. Major overreaction on my part. My neighbor down the street had a letter on his door... East side of norfolk is gonna be ate up for the next two months.

I don't think you overreacted, I think you saw several years into the future. I suspect someday we'll see Dunlavy/Woodhead as a Shepherd/

greenbriar or Waugh/Commonweatlh one way setup.

I don't know how much character is left to be derived from the gas station, fast food joints and the abandoned Blockbuster. Anything of sentimental value - Ruggles, the Greek place, Mary's...is actually a fair distance away from the actual intersection. I think there's a lot that could be done here, not all of it necessarily bad.

Edit: just re-read subdude's post - yes it certainly "used to" have character.

I have a sentimental attachment to Felix (cue the Tex-Mex tangent) and a sentimental, if not culinary, attachment to the Taco Cabana. The neighborhood is going to hell in a handbasket these days. I drove by Diner's News awhile back and saw it was being gutted. Is it just a matter of time until Numbers becomes a Restoration Hardware?

The first one was built on a Civil War graveyard with the people still in the ground (!) so the angry families insisted they name it Jeff Davis Hospital after the Southern hero. That one is now the Elder Street Artist Lofts at 1101 Elder, in the shadow of downtown.

The second one (pic) was built in 1937 at Allen Parkway at Taft and replaced the Elder Street one. The location is now the Federal Reserve building.

Let me continue to derail the topic by adding that there is an old monument put up by the UDC that marks or commemorates that there were a bunch of Confederate Soldiers buried there when there was a hospital at or near the site during the war. There was also a regular city cemetary there around the same time. The marker is west of the old hospital and is now on the grounds of the city motor pool. If you ask nicely, they might let you in to go back there. It's just a patch of grass and tree with a marker in a sea of blacktop. Totally bizarre and very houston.

wow, "Going up" needs to have a sub-thread....."Going Down"

I know that architecture people like little models of buildings almost as much as the building themselves, so the next time any of you are over this way be sure to stop by the new leasing office (in the old warehouse on Dunlavy) and be sure to check out the model of the development in the front window. It would be such a breath of fresh air to see it come to fruition...

Jeff Davis was more yellow

Bite your tongue Yankee.

Every bit helps. We did the same thing with our 1929 bungalow on Harold and our block neighbors were inspired to do the same with their own when they saw our renovation. The immediate area north of Wilshire does have some tradition of restoring, although there is some lot filler meditteranean stucco stuff appearing a little further west.

And your inspiration has me stuck in a rental house in Oak Forest while I remodel! Damn you and your inspiration Sidegate, I want to go home!! Hopefully I'll be home in a month and we can do the bar crawl.

I have to say I'm torn on the Wilshire replacement. I don't really have a problem with going vertical -- 200 units are 200 units whether it goes vertical or goes in midrise. If given the choice of having a building like the new 25 story job at Studemont and Memorial, or another 5 story midrise like they have at Dunlavy & Richmond, I think I'll go vertical. I find them more interesting to look at.

Now that the aesthetics are out of the way, I do worry about adding that many units at the intersection. How many units are in Wilshire Village anyway?

I'm betting we lost my favorite Black-eyed Pea for what will turn out to be an empty strip mall.

Don't be so gloomy. They'll have the bookstore to anchor it, and I heard Lawry's Prime Rib might take the restaurant spot. They could add some huge video screens and they'll have a "Lids" and maybe "American Apparel" will finally take that spot across the street.... Oh wait, wrong strip mall.

Or Three Brothers...too bad all that money spent to rebuild (plus the already high rents) will price out most everyone.

I remember a few years ago when someone at Weingarten talked about how those of us in the neighborhood should be grateful and excited that we would be getting a Barnes & Noble there, along with other nationally known anchor stores. Yippee. Maybe they can put an Applebee's there.

I'm sorry to hear that it won't be a Vallone restaurant. I think Tony and Jeff working together would have produced a great place and I was looking forward to getting tanked on the controversial balcony. The bummer here is that whatever replaces it will probably not be as good, and may not be local. I suppose we could always use another Taqueria though...

Feh. I like the current size. Why does it need to be bigger or more visible?

Menil has a huge collection that is not on display and the addition of the Whitney collection would justify more gallery space. What I have always respected about Menil is that it has significant works by well known artists, that would draw people to the museum, that it doesn't display unless it fits in with the rest of an exhibition. I'm all for adding space so that more of the collection can be exhibited in a sensible way.

Yeah- right next to the new hair salon that opened up there not too long ago.

I like these buildings. No, they're not some kind of groundbreaking, significant work, but I like them. Let's start with the measuring stick of Houston retail architecture -- it's not a strip mall. That alone is a relief. Second, they were designed to house some local businesses -- Solution has been around for a long time -- it used to be on Brun -- and a lot of the people who work there live in the neighborhood. It's easy to forget that as much as people might like to commission an architectural fantasy, they have things called budgets. Third, they got a variance to come out to the sidewalk. Even if the store entrances don't front Westheimer, we have large storefront windows along the street. This fits in nicely with Paulies, the cupcake place, the other boutiques, etc. And as for the design, it's not Tuscan. Thank God. I don't find it to be bland, and it's not some bad mediterranean thing that looks out of place. It's a basic, clean, contemporary design. Montrose has an interesting blend of architecture and this is now part of it. I suppose someday we'll look back and say it looks like basic early 21st century architecture. I see nothing wrong with that. I certainly like these buildings better than the parking lot that was there and now that they are finished and landscaped I think they are a fine addition to the neighborhood.

Strictly for what it's worth...

I emailed the developers and asked when they expected to start construciton and they told me...this year.

Speculate away.

I still see work going on at the leasing office, and they have certainly turned that old warehouse into quite a space. I also see people out on the site itself so it's not like the property is sitting itotally idle ala High Street, Sonoma, Titan... Keep your fingers crossed.

^^ I love the "older feel" of the design, and in a skyline like Houston's, it makes OPP look all the more special. These post-modern residential structures are ok, but they look very repetitive. How many flat topped, all glass structures can you have in one place?

We've got our fair share of post-modern residential towers in Houston. They're just not being built in downtown (which is fine by me).

I think this building turned out great so far. From vantage points within and outside of downtown I think it certainly catches your eye becase of the distinctive red brick and roof. It manages to look like an older and more traditional residential building without crossing over into the bad knockoffs of classics that we see so often. When I see it along with the other towers it immediately stands out as a residential building -- the balconies, the brick, the roof -- they all let you know right away what it is, and do so without confusing it for a hotel. I really enjoy catching glimpses of it from downtown and noticing how dramatically different it is from the glass and steel office buildings around it. Kudos on this one.

Let's not forget about Turnberry's office.

You cut to the core of me, Lockmat.

We've heard the "everything on schedule, groundbreaking is coming in a few months" for over a year now. I wouldn't get your hopes up, especially in this environment.

This is an interesing one because my understanding had been that these guys had lots of equity in this thing and were somewhat buffered from financing issues. And everything has also pointed to these guys being longterm holders of this property. Obviously I'm hoping that the fact they are looking well down the road will keep them on schedule. Who knows what things will be like in a couple years when this thing is ready to go -- being the only mixed use development ready to take people on if the economy is on track would be a stellar position. But that's a lot of ifs.

One thing I did notice is that two lots of townhouses, four units, have now been fenced off along West Clay. I don't know when the developers acquired these, but I think the chainlink fencing around them is new.

The marketing building is a big project -- much more than the standard mobile home setup. I just hope that all of these steps mean that if this thing is delayed, it is just a delay and not the end of it. I think this thing can be great.

Does anyone know of an old stationers store downtown that sells house numbers?

For old house numbers you might want to try Atkin's Architectural Antiques on Fannin.

One thing to consider is the type of retail that exists in the tunnels and whether there is any market for it after hours. It's not like the tunnels are full of great retail and restaurants. You tend to have the following businesses, many of which simply provide the opportunity to take care of errands away from home:

1. Dentists/Barbershops/Eyeglass shops & optometrists/watch and jewelry repair/dry cleaners -- won't be open after hours anyway.

2. Convenience stores -- Need a coke, candy, lotto ticket? Does DT need 50 of these moved to the sidewalk?

3. Stationary and office supply stores/corporate mug shots -- only office people need this stuff.

4. Gift shop/tchochkes/bad retail -- need a gift for the secretary, care for a scarf to match your dress, or a holiday sweater?

5. Restaurants/coffe places/smoothie bars -- they feed 200,000 people for lunch. How many can afford to stay open to feed 5,000 people after hours? Too much supply, not enough demand. How many Alonti Delis do we need after hours? How about 20?

Look, I'd like to see stuff on the sidewalk, but most of what is the in the tunnels doesn't translate to anything other than the office crowd that needs a quick bite or get their watch fixed.

...? Tax only businesses that are subterranean? Well that seems like a pretty strange standard. Would a convenience store in a building's basement get charged this underground tax?

I've always thought calling it the "tunnels" is a bit of a misnomer. The first time I took an out of towner there, who had been hearing about them, their reaction was "It's basically just businesses in the lobby basements," which it is. Obviously there are tunnels under the streets that the city gives permission for, but this is nothing more than lobby businesses that have moved downstairs. As has been noted, the "tunnels" are basically the building basements and they are paid for and maintained by the buildings.

Ive worked downtown for a bit over two years now, and i love the tunnels. I'm baffled how anyone could not like them, in the summer i can take a quick hike to the Park shops to grab some dumplings at Doozo and i'm not a sweaty mess nor have i been struck by a car when i get back... awesome.

I don't think the retail in the tunnels really takes away from the street level either, because there would just be more stuff closed on the street level at night. I want stuff on the street level that will be open late.

This made me laugh. I have officed downtown for 10 years and try to walk street level most of the time, but I thanked God for the tunnels when I'd walk from Two Shell to Doozo's for dumplings in August.

I personally take sidewalks a lot -- and then I get to the building with the buisness I want to go to and enter and go downstairs. If the retail were at street level -- like the eyeglass place in Esperson or Rose Clothier's in Houston Club -- it's not like it draws more business. People take the tunnels and then go up to the street. I don't think anymore people would frequent those places if the tunnels weren't there. I don't think people downtown use either -- tunnel or sidewalk -- to meander and window-shop. Either method is just a way to get to a specific detination. Would all that stuff at sidewalk level add to the appearance of bustle? Yes. But I don't think it would generate more income for the businesses. It would just look cool to have people 6 abreast on the sidewalk.

By the way, there is a section of tunnel heading north from Bank of America building toward the Alley Theatre and Birraporetti's that has these colored lights in it. It's long, the lighting is flourescent, and it is very antisceptic. I think it is white walls and a black floor. And it's always empty. If you walk at the right pace, your dress shoes sound just like Yul Brenner's cowboy boots walking down those creepy tunnels in the movie Westworld. There is definitely an appeal to exploring the tunnels.

Link to Sears/ Robinson Warehouse Pics: http://www.historichouston.org/newsite/ima...exas/index.html

Link to Flood article, mentions Sears: http://books.google.com/books?id=bYIIV5Zob...result#PPA90,M1

These sites were mentioned above, by other HAIFers.

These are the best pics I've seen yet, of the original Sears bldg.

Found some old Allison pics. The first is of the side door to the buliding along Montrose, a good ways up from Allen Parkway. The othes are the intersection of Montrose and Allen Parkway and Memorial. Gives you a good idea of what happens around there when big ones hit...