Simbha

I've been wondering about this for a while, and I finally thought about posting it here. Maybe someone can give some advice... I live near the border of the museum district and midtown. I often move around the southwest quadrant of the Loop, so I take the Richmond Exit off Spur 527 and then make a right at the light. When I arrive at the light, I'm in the second-to-right lane. There's a rightmost lane which is right-only and then my lane, from which I'm allowed to make a right turn or go straight. (The origin of the rightmost lane is unknown to me but it appears to come from Garrott St on Google maps.) The rightmost lane is very often empty - but when there's a car there, its driver most often tries to go straight or even make a left turn(!). I've noticed two accidents that have occurred there and I'd narrowly missed several when I moved into the area and didn't know the behavior of these drivers. My question is: Is there something that can be done? I don't know what they're called, but there are these short bumpy barrier thing-ies that separate the lanes, but they don't actually block anyone from going forward through the light or making a left turn - and I've seen people just hop them. The only solutions of which I could conceive is to either (i) inform HPD that the intersection may be a gold mine for them to hand out tickets or (ii) request that the city build a barrier in a quarter circle so that it forces those drivers to make a right turn. I've become much more cautious myself, but I don't think it's right that the drivers get away with such a dangerous action - and I'm very afraid the next accident may be deadly. Any advice on actions I could take would be appreciated. Edit: Changed description of the existing 'barrier'

I've read (somewhere and sometime) that Houston Center was supposed to be a much larger complex than it is now - perhaps as much as 25 or 30 buildings. I'm curious if any renderings of this more massive complex ever surfaced. Does anyone know of any renderings? Edit: I'm not sure if Historic Houston is the place for this thread, but I couldn't figure out anywhere else to put it.

That's great! Good job!

I agree that it would be good to update this regularly - or maybe have a sub-forum devoted to this with individual threads for each week. I like to visit ArtsHound (www.artshound.com) and click on the Free Events link on the top menu bar. Here are some things, but this is by no means a complete list... Friday, June 17 East End Studio Gallery (6:00pm): Opening reception for The Subconsious Bridge, a solo exhibition by Michael Draper, a local artist based out of Spring. NB: I don't know anything about the artist or his portfolio, but I know Mark Lacy who's the founder of the HIfC, which runs the EESG, and I generally trust his taste.Miller Outdoor Theatre (8:30pm): Summer Symphony Nights - Beethoven's Fifth plus Rhapsody in Blue Saturday, June 18 Miller Outdoor Theatre (8:30pm): Summer Symphony Nights - West Side StoryMarket Square Park (8:00pm): Outdoor movie showing of Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade Sunday, June 19 Miller Outdoor Theatre (8:00pm): Juneteenth Celebration, in observance of the announcement of the abolishment of slavery in Texas. I'll definitely be here; there's some great jazz and zydeco bands featured.Trader's Village (Unknown time): Festival de MariachiApparently, the Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center in Humble has a 'reptile open house' this Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm. I have no idea what will actually take place or be there.

Thanks for these. I don't recall the 'post office' building you mention, so I'll probably check it out this weekend. And, I agree that Factory looks more like chilling towers. And, thanks for pointing these out. I went by the list on Editor's sticky and didn't even think about what might be missing. Yes, it is!

Fair points, which I had thought too. Like you, I don't understand why the others don't appear on these lists (at least somewhere)...

I was looking at some stats on hospital heights this weekend, and I noticed what I think are some inconsistencies across various websites. The Wikipedia page for Guy's Tower in London indicates that it is the tallest hospital in the world (link) at 142.6m. Additionally, Emporis's listing for Guy's Tower (link) also states "This is the world's tallest hospital" in the notes. However, Emporis also has a listing of the world's tallest hospitals (link) which shows the O'Quinn Medical Tower as the tallest, at 145m. Also, the Methodist Outpatient Center is cited as being 512 ft (156m) here and Emporis shows the Memorial Hermann Tower at I-10 and the Beltway at 152.4m (link). Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza appears to be about 131m, so that would seem to be out of the running - although I thought it was comparable in height to the top of the St. Luke spires and the top of the Methodist Outpatient Center. So, am I wrong to think that Houston has several 'tallest hospitals in the world'? Does anyone know of any taller ones?

After 4 years of officially being a member and six years of browsing the forums, I finally reached the rank of Post Office (100 posts). w00t! As I was looking at my newly earned badge, I realized that I didn't recognize the post office in the picture. It appears to be downtown, but it doesn't look like either the current DT PO or the old one which is now the US customs office. So, I started looking at the other badges and realized I didn't recognize many of the buildings/places. There's a separate, but closed, thread that shows all the icons of HAIF here, but doesn't indicate which images are what: http://www.houstonar...anks-and-icons/. Perhaps the reason this isn't listed anywhere I can find is because I'm the only one who can't figure them out on my own... Below, I've listed what I can figure out so far; I'd be appreciative if someone could fill in the blanks. Public Park (0) - ___________ Parking Lot (5) - ___________ Billboard (10) - ___________ Bridge (15) - ___________ Drive-Through (25) - ___________ Strip Mall (35) - ___________ Single-Family House (75) - ___________ Post Office (100) - ___________ Parking Garage (150) - ___________ Museum (200) - MFAH Low Rise (300) - Harris County Family Law Center Theater (400) - ___________ Theatre (500) - Hobby Center for the Performing Arts Condominium (600) - Warwick Towers Convention Center (700) - George R. Brown Convention Center Mid Rise (800) - 1801 Main St Stadium (900) - Toyota Center Freeway Interchange (1000) - ___________ Hospital (1100) - Memorial Hermann Hospital (TMC) University (1200) - UH Factory (1300) - ___________ Lighthouse (1500) - ___________ Hotel (2000) - The old Days Inn downtown (Might I suggest this be changed? ) High Rise (3000) - Harris County Civil Courts Ferris Wheel (4000) - ___________ Neo-Classical Skyscraper (5000) - Niels Esperson Building

I'm glad you found them useful. You're welcome to contact me (email via my profile), and I'll be very happy to help in any way I can. However, please note that I'm somewhat limited in what I can do because (i) I am not affiliated with the Hines School of Architecture (I was in the business college) and (ii) my affiliation with even the business school is only as an occasional adjunct now. I do know some people and might be able to help in some ways, however, so it wouldn't be a complete waste to contact me.

I was interested in this thread when it first started, so I'm bumping it to see if there's been any progress on this project...

Just as no contract is valid until it's signed by all parties, it's also the case that all contracts can be broken - though, usually with consequences. I'm not suggesting you automatically go out and violate your contract with your current agent; however, I believe you should always consider that as an option and simply be aware of (and strongly consider) the ramifications of such an action. If it turns out that's better than the alternative [staying within the contract], then you can - and maybe should - break the contract. But, be sure you're aware of the full consequences of doing so. A lawyer may be able to assist you in the legal analysis of this. That's generic advice. In this particular case, it's likely that a legal analysis will show that breaking your contract may result in costs which exceed what you're trying to avoid (i.e., one month's rent). However, note that there's nearly always a term/duration to the agreement that you have with your realtor; be sure to read it carefully and see if there's any wiggle room. Again, you may wish to have an attorney look into the matter, too - if it's of consequence to you. There IS another option available... Simply don't renew the lease of the tenant which your current realtor finds. That may seem petty, and it certainly has the potential to punish an innocent bystander (your tenant) for something which is not their fault, but it is a way to stay true to the terms of the agreement with your realtor and yet not give them a dime after the first renewal. One final note: I spoke with a friend of mine who's a residential property investor about your question. He indicated that, while technically some contracts do come with those clauses, they're not usually enforced. Sure, they're enforceable but realtors (in his experience) usually don't go around checking whether a previous tenant has renewed. They're on to bigger and better things. Arguably, the onus would be on the realtor to enforce the clause of the contract and bill you for the renewal fee (if it comes down to that). Just try to negotiate it, and you'll probably win out. Good luck! Edit: Edited to say "Good luck!"

Yes. No written contract is valid until it's been negotiated and signed by both parties. Like any negotiation, you have to be willing to walk away from the table in order to be in the strongest position. In this case, those are standard terms but the corresponding clauses in the agreement can be removed. It's never seemed reasonable to me that an agent receive an extra month's rent upon renewal if they're not actively engaged in the renewal itself. It's difficult enough to make money as a property investor even without an average of 8.3% of revenue being cut off the top. Please note that attempting to negotiate this may result in your walking away from the agent and attempting to find another - who themselves might have the same terms. However, it sounds like you're in the beginning of the process and haven't yet found a lessee. If that's the case, you may not be hindered significantly by 'shopping around'. Just be sure you don't already have a contractual obligation with your current agent which prevents you from doing so.

I didn't see this anywhere else, so here goes... A new folk-art inspired greenspace called Smither Park is being planned for the 1/2 acre lot adjacent to the Orange Show. The park's development is being sponsored by the Orange Show in memory of John H. Smither. The design is by Dan Phillips (although I can't tell if he's doing the overall park layout or just the pieces within the park). Here's the website: http://smitherpark.org/Smither_Park_Website/Welcome.html ... and a rendering (found on the site): http://smitherpark.org/Smither_Park_Website/Welcome_files/shapeimage_1.png

Here's a rendering, from InnerLooped (http://innerlooped.com/809/post-midtown-phase-iii/).

It looks like this is a no-go - for now. According to this article by Nancy (and posted by Editor on a different thread): http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/sarnoff/7595071.html Too bad. It's a nice looking complex. Perhaps it'll be built in the future. I wonder what this means for the overall expansion of the TMC. Obviously, 1.8 million square ft is a lot, but what about other expansion efforts? Are they halted too?

In the same vein as NenaE's link, here's another by Stephen Fox: http://citemag.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ModernHomecraft_Fox_Cite42.pdf Also, depending on which university you're attending, you may be eligible to receive materials from (say) UH through an interlibrary loan. Here's the link to UH's site on ILL's: http://info.lib.uh.edu/services/interlibrary-loan. You may wish to check out Lending Policy for a bit more information. Rice and other schools may have similar arrangements. Another option is to affiliate yourself with a professor at a school from which you wish to receive privileges. I once had a student from another university request assistance from me in obtaining materials from the UH library. I was able to help the student in navigating some of the bureaucracy on our side and ultimately obtain some reference materials. I received an acknowledgement in her dissertation for that. If you'll be specific about which school you're attending, there may be other, specific options available.

Yeah, I realize it's uninteresting... but it seems to me that a 6-story self-storage facility is an inevitability in a city that's slowly developing more building density. I don't care for the idea, but I like the fact that it's a symptom of growing mid-rises throughout the inner loop - regardless of their usage.

According to this report on CNN, the Qantas flight between Sydney and Dallas which is advertised here in Houston (and, I'm sure, elsewhere) was touted as the world's longest flight. It didn't quite make it... Again, according to the same report:

Here are my (rather suspect) numbers on this: At the beginning, when the ball first drops onto the similar-looking ledges (at about :44), it takes approximately 7 seconds for it to travel what I counted as 25 steps. The ball in the person's hand makes it appear to me to be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and so I estimate each ledge is about 4" wide. So, the ball traveled about 100" in 7 seconds. The ball rolls for about 120 seconds. So... 120 seconds/7 seconds per 100" is roughly 143 feet. No doubt there's some acceleration and deceleration over the period of the video, but I'm not sure how to calculate those based on what we can see. I think a number of between 120 to 180 feet seems reasonable.

I like the design of the Beck - but I understand that (perhaps 'objectively') it was a disappointment to many. I hope the design of the new building bridges the spaces around it well - specifically, the Law building, the Beck building, the Methodist church, the Presbyterian church, and the sculpture garden. Perhaps I'm too optimistic... That's a lot to ask...

Thanks. Just out of curiosity -- How are the number of views of a topic on the forum affected by topic merges? Does the system just sum the views?

I'm a business consultant, and one of my analysts recently took on the task of looking at some macro-level data on large metropolitan areas in the US. I thought some here might find a few of the basic comparisons interesting. Most of this won't be surprising to 'people in the know', however. Method: To conduct this portion of the analysis, we looked at data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis on the breakdown of US GDP by metropolitan area (MSA). Data is available from 2001 to 2009. We also included population data estimates from the US Census Bureau for 2000 to 2010. Comparisons were made between the top 25 MSA's as ranked by 2010 population. All GDP figures are nominal (i.e., don't account for inflation). The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for US urban consumers was used to estimate inflation rates. Basic findings (about Houston): 1. From 2001 to 2009, the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX MSA's portion of GDP grew from about $233 billion to about $363 billion (56%). This was the highest growth rate of the MSA's examined. 2. Houston's population grew by 1,231,393 from 2000 to 2010, the most of any MSA examined. Second was the DFW MSA, at +1,210,229. Also, Houston's population grew by 126% over this period. This is the third-highest growth rate of the MSA's examined - behind Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (130%) and Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ (129%). 3. Houston's share of the total US GDP has grown from 2.54% in 2001 to 2.88% in 2009. The latter is the fifth highest of the MSA's studied. Also, the increase in this share - +13.29% - is the highest of the MSA's studied. (Washington was second, with an increase of +12.57%.) 4. Houston's per capita GDP (i.e., attributed GDP divided by MSA population) ranked 6th of the largest MSA's in 2009, at about $62k. The top 5 were: San Francisco ($78k); Washington ($74k); Seattle ($67k); Boston ($65k); and New York ($63k). Other peer cities to Houston in terms of population are: Philadelphia (#11 -- $56k); DFW (#12 -- $55k); Atlanta (#16 -- $48k); and Miami (#18 -- $46k). 5. Houston fell in the middle of the pack (11 of 25) in terms of its per capita GDP growth from 2001 to 2009. This figure grew by 29% over this period. Compare this to the top 5: San Diego (+41%); Washington (+39%); San Francisco (+36%); Los Angeles (36%); and Baltimore (+35%). Five large MSA's exhibited per capita GDP growth of less than the total inflation rate of 21% from 2001 to 2009: Riverside-San Bernardino; Dallas-Fort Worth; Phoenix; Atlanta; and Detroit.

Excellent new, IMO. I wonder what the name will be... It's possible it's named for the Alfred Glassell, Jr or even Peter Marzio himself - or another major donor, if one emerges. It's exciting to see some great names being batted around for the design firm. To the mods: This topic may be best merged with (the?) original topic found here: http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/24047-new-mfah-building.

I had an odd dream last night in which Houston was the capital of Texas. The city looked very different, with the principal difference being that the city was far denser in population/buildings. There were at least 4 supertalls in the skyline. When I woke up, I thought about it - and I thought that this probably wouldn't be the case, because I've always heard that Houston's lack of extreme density is due to its not having major physical boundaries. I'm curious as to what others think Houston might look like if it were the capital (excluding being the host of the Capitol itself, of course). Here are some other differences I saw in my dream: - UT-Houston was a full-scale, massive university. UH was a private, but large school (think NYU). - There was a massive, metal monument in the city - something like the Eiffel Tower. - Both light rail and rapid transit were prominent. - There was considerably more crime in the city (or, it seemed that way - maybe because of the higher density). - Buffalo Bayou just north of downtown was developed into a shopping district; the bayou there had been widened tremendously to control flooding. - There was a trolley system in the uptown area. - There was a large, permanent (7-day) farmer's market in the Heights. My time in the dream was spent only in the central core of the city, so I can't comment on what I might have seen in the outskirts.

I don't know anything about these apartments, but... I've always been curious as to how difficult is it to buy an apartment complex and tear it down when there are people who reside there. I imagine at least some of these people have contracts, and I would suppose one would have to wait until all the contracts are expired to kick people out. Might that mean that one would have to budget for up to a year-long waiting period before tearing the whole complex down, or can the new owner simply nullify the contracts somehow? And, can it be done in stages as long as some buildings become completely unoccupied sooner than others, or does that present a hazard to the other tenants?