citykid09

You know the city requires 2 parking spots for a single family home because they say its needed because in Houston you have to drive everywhere you go. There are also so many parking spot requirments for each business. If the people in charge would undrestand that THIS requirement, poorly planned streets (only for vehicles not pedestrians, bikes, etc) and no shade tree requirement is the reason that Houston is being held off as a walkbale city, not heat and humidity.

Emporis has the height estimated at 533.24', Sounds about right, 13.33" per floor or so.

Intresting! This here says that its estimated to be only 400 feet.

Didn't this developer also buy the near by bank building? I wonder if they plan to also redevelop it into a higrise as well. 

I like feeder roads. For one thing, when there's an accident on the mainlanes and they're closed, the feeder roads can provide an alternate route that's still direct and doesn't involve snaking through residential areas. Feeder roads have also allowed for divided highways to be upgraded into freeways without eliminating at grade access to adjoining land. You can complain about clutter, but if you were in Atlanta driving down I-75, you'd probably see clutter and businesses if most of the freeways there weren't lined with pine trees and kudzu. Hmm, maybe that's the solution to the visual blight caused by feeders. Just plant a boatload of trees in the ROW between the mainlanes and feeder.

I know that Kudzu is considered an Invasive species, but I think it looks really good in the Atlanta area. It gives it an enchanted look. Does Houston have any Kudzu? I think I looked on a map before and it said that Harris county had some. It seems like the Galleria area has some near the Memorial Park area and across the freeway.

And the soultion with the trees between the freeways and the feeder is basically what I said, but I say plant trees along the feeder and have no businesses along the freeway only have businesses on streets that Inytersect the freeways.

A sample of Kudzu

I love seeing what's going on in Dallas and Austin, I'm a Texas booster, so it's good to see these developments. Now if only San Antonio could also join the fun and start getting some new taller buildings at least

I agree, I am a big time Texas booster. I am an American booster as well but when it comes to my State I'm a big time booster. And I agree it would be nice to see San Antonio get some new towers, even if its just a few in the core so that it could have a more established skyline. But as long as San Antonio keeps making its core more walkable and dense, I'm good.

Without a radical redesign, even with the Kirby Collection, Kirby will never be pedestrian friendly. I have taken walks down Kirby (I am usually the only pedestrian for several blocks), and have tried riding a bike down Kirby. Forget the bike, as traffic was too heavy to share the road, and I ended up riding on the sidewalk. (I have passed bicyclists on Alabama in my car, and they are very difficult to see or pass due to lane width and visibility). There are too many lanes of cars to comfortably walk or ride between 59 and Westheimer. The sidewalks feel too narrow and close to whizzing traffic and parking lots, plus there are many obstructions along the way. Dips and rises along the way due to driveways, and trees are in the path. On one Saturday I had to dodge at least 3 cars while walking on the sidewalk due to drivers pulling out from the lots straight into the sidewalk area without looking both ways. The presence of separate parking lots for each business discourages pedestrians since there is no need to walk, and there is really little to walk to as there is nothing between most lots. The setback of the businesses at Kirby and Alabama is also an issue as pedestrians must walk thru a sea of cars, on one side the parking lots' traffic, and the other side multiple lanes of vehicles on Kirby. Also the lack of street side storefront business entrances is an issue, since there is little to walk to other than walking around to a parking lot entrance. Kirby will not be a good pedestrian street unless there is traffic calming introduced by reducing the number of traffic lanes, providing better sidewalk design that is pedestrian friendly, lowering the speed limits, removing the driveways on Kirby, and increasing storefront and store entrance density on Kirby. I have heard Kirby called the new Post Oak, which his about right since that is not pedestrian friendly either. That said, I like the changes and new things on Kirby, but even with the hundreds of new apartments added few people actually walk at any given time of day.

Lets hope all of those problems go away with new street redevelopments since the city has said that (I think) all new major thoroughfare redos will be redone as complete streets.

Nice to see an article where someone did some homework. We often forget how much impact the sewer moratorium had on inner loop development.

Yes, they did homework. I had no idea about the restrictions the city had in the 1970s. imagine what the city would have looked like it had allowed all the development that wanted to come into the inner city.

Whats in the little 1-2 story building that looks white with a red and green roof right across the street from this tower? That spot looks prime for redevelopment.

Fist off, can we no longer edit post? I noticed that one of the pictures I posted above went away.

I guess I wouldn't mind feeder or frontage roads, but I like them without development and surrounded by a forest of trees, that is just my opinion.

I love it! Keep them coming Uptown. The more the better!

About time we don't get a box shaped building.

I prefer freeways surrounded by trees like the one below.

I don't like this look below at all. I would rather see a thick forest of trees and then a nice city skyline in the distance.

Dallas did close off one of the side streets for light rail (it was never a through road to begin with).

Either way, Austin already has a rail system of sorts (it runs on standard gauge, there's nothing wrong with that). Don't give me the "it's a commuter rail, it NEEDS local light rail" shpiel either, I've heard it before.

Perhaps a trolley to take people around the Capital/downtown/UT area. That sounds reasonable.

I think a trolley rail system would work well for downtown Austin.

Houston's light rail may have high ridership, but look what it has done to the streets. There are cables every where, its hard to turn, wrecks with vehicles, wrecks with people, stops at lights sometimes, ugly ass rail cross gaurds, slow, etc. When you have your own right of way its much faster and a more enjoyable ride. If Austin wants on street light rail, then they might as well build a BTR instead because to me its a waste to put light rail on streets with cars. If they insist on rail on the road, then a trolley wuld be a much better fit.

Sometimes I kind of hate that light rail was ever invented because certin cities have used the techonology in the cheapest of ways (on city streets).

I think Austin is making a big mistake about building their system on the streets like Houston. The city leaders should come to Houston and see how NOT to do rail. Rail on the streets is not a good idea. Austin has plenty of green space to give rail its own right of way. If they want model their light rail after another city, why not model it after another progressive city such as itself. Look at how Seattle, Denver, or Dallas built theirs.

I choose uptown, but only because there is the one angle of downtown that I don't like that they always show when they show Houston to the world. You know which one I am talking about. The one with the big open field, the freeway in the front and the big buildings with the gaps in-between them.

I think H&M will draw people in. But I would like to see Macy's ome back and wouldn't it be nice if someone in the Foley's Family brought back that department store? Is that family still around? Also an urban HEB.

They should buy all of the I-10 feeder property and plant a thick little forest of trees trees to buffer the development from the freeway. It just doesn't seem that cool when you look over and a freeway is right in your face.

When you have had HEB who would go back to Albertsons? No one! The only grocery store that is not in the area that I think would do good is Publix.

I see now reading fast, trying to watch the NFL draft. Where in BCS do you see potential locations for Aldi?

I don't remember titling this thread as "coming back to Houston" I thought I titled it "coming to Houston." Since the distribution center is up and running in Rosenberg, I wonder if they will now expand to the Bryan/College Station area?

Its weird that I can't find any images of it online other then this, but here is what the Villa Maria/Welbron Road/Rail Road crossing looks like. Its not the best image, but it give you an idea of what can be done at Westheimer and the train crossing.

If a city the size of Bryan can do it, why can't Houston on its premier street?

With the new Mid Lane Mixed-Use going up, I figured that I should bring this topic back up. I just don't see how a highend area like this would not be pushing for the tracks to be burried.

Also would finally force some good major alternative transportation gains

I totally agree. It is tragic to think that the Grand Parkway is getting built though and the already sprawled Houston will now suffer from even more.

How many floors does it have now?

I saw this awhile back and I like it, but am I the only one who thinks this is not grand enough for downtown? It looks like something that should be in the museum district. The main building is just too short.

I see this as a good thing. Although the "town center" area will be mostly withing Bryan city limits, I see this as being like a new downtown for both cities. To me it is kind of far from the core of BCS and I think many people from out of town might not know its there or how to get to it. I guess HWY 47 will be like our new west bypass and eventually become a loop with HWY 6. 2818 will become part of the middle of the two cities.