intencity77

Looks more like a gross mass of concrete slab to me.

Does anyone really believe this?

Well I believe it'll eventually open. Lol. When we moved here in the East End the finish date was to be 2012. Oh, how I remember. They are almost two years late and the whole line still isn't complete! I have almost front row seats from my house to the rail line and this past month it's been testing heavily as if it is already in use, back and forth, honking its horn. It'll get done at some point but it is getting closer, despite the snails pace.

Maybe a Kroger Marketplace, replacing the nearby Kroger on Polk? There are none within the city, but if we are to consider HEB Plus, who have no inner city stores either and frankly haven't built any in a while, then a Kroger Marketplace could also be a possibility.

Link to more information below, click on the pdf flyer and zoom in on the door front of the large retail site, notice the "GROCERY VESTIBULE & CART STORAGE" *fingers crossed its an HEB*

http://www.lovettcommercial.com/Detail.aspx?idwebarea=36&webid=234

The other vestibule says GM VESTIBULE. Is it possible this could be a general merchandise/grocery store hybrid, like a Super Target, and not solely a grocery store? Coincidentally, there was a big hoopla last week on Swamplot when they announced development plans Lovett had drawn up for its nearby Harrisburg/Lockwood plot. Their plans had included a Joe V's grocery store, shops, office space, pad sites and a garage. Only to find out later that those plans had fallen through and have since been deleted from their website. So take this current Fingers plan with a grain of salt. If the Harrisburg plot is any indication, I wouldn't bet on Lovett developing the Fingers property anytime soon, though I can foresee them demo'ing everything for the time being.

The park concept is awful. Hope it stalls out and doesn't get built, leaving room for a first class theme park.

Is this rendering purely conceptual at this point? If so, I wouldn't put much hope that the final product ends up looking anything like this. Don't get me wrong I think a transit oriented center will do well at this location, I just don't expect anything grandiose as this.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I like the latest design best. I think the earlier versions looked conceptual and clunky; and they have been refined into a more elegant tower. Flashy is not necessarily better.

Sorry, but this hotel was designed to be "flashy" otherwise why build a huge rooftop pool in the shape of Texas and have over 1000 rooms? Besides it's not like a lot of Houston's buildings are flashy anyway, if anything most are designed pretty conservatively. Houston could use a bit more flashier buildings IMO. A lot of convention center hotels are being built with the wow factor these days. Look at lighting on the Omni in Dallas, whether one likes it or not, no one could argue that it isn't flashy. While the end result (if this truly is the end result) of the Marquis is not entirely horrible, it is a bit disappointing compared to its initial renderings.

I think a botanical garden is just what our city needs and as an East End resident I fully support it! I believe the proposed gardens would be a better use of the land and would be more, all around inviting than any golf course. Instead of this public land existing mainly for just golfers, it could be of use for everyone! I seriously don't see how any rational East End resident could be against this, unless they are an avid golfer and use the course to a great extent. Besides, this is the way of Houston, nothing and I do mean nothing ever sticks around permanently, including "historic" golf courses. Let's get this built!

I guess it is better than what is there now.

Oh goodness, the good ol' "it's better than what's there now" justification.

Ugh stars, really! I don't know...this building is starting to throw me hints of the hideous Harris County Civil Courhouse building.

I predict METRO opening the east end line and have it go until the station before the freight tracks and running a shuttle to Magnolia Transit Center from there until the underpass is built.

I believe that is the plan (minus the shuttle). Someone at Metro mentioned this awhile back, but their plans are always changing, so who knows. The line will stop at the Altic Station for now. The rail yard for this line is also located before the yet to be constructed underpass.

friend of mine just told me he saw a train being towed along the east line.

Just testing?

Yes, Metro sent the email out awhile back. Clearance testing will be happening for the next two weeks. Started January 25th.

What is the closest grocery store to downtown in general? Randall's in midtown, Kroger on grey, or maybe the Kroger on studemont?

On the east side there is also a Kroger on Cullen/Polk, which is close to downtown as well.

Looks like there is nothing actually happening. http://swamplot.com/central-square-plazas-new-green-graffiti-defense/2014-01-07/#comment-1133295

Wow! Not another built up disappointment. Hope it isn't true because this building has sat vacant and in disrepair long enough!

Don't know about it being "zeta turf" but I also doubt this rumor is true. Yes, there are new town homes in that area and it's been improving, but IMO it's just not enough for any grocery chain to justify building a store. Unless there is some kind of huge secret residential plan for the KBR site, then maybe HEB might consider, but even then I doubt it. Like I commented on Swamplot, HEB isn't really known for opening new "pioneer type" stores in less established areas of Houston. HEB's other lower concept stores Mi Tienda or Joe V's are more probable in this scenario. In fact, Lovett Commercial already has a Joe V's Smartshop proposed for the corner of Harrisburg and Eastwood, which makes this KBR HEB rumor even less true since these locations are so close by.

The bus station needs to be centrally located, not out in Magnolia Park.

Maybe out on Harrisburg along the new light rail. Maybe.

But honestly, I think the existing station just needs to be cleaned up or replaced on site, and given better security. Its location makes sense.

No thanks! Eastwood and maybe EaDo would fight that idea off tooth and nail. Besides, the East End already has enough of Houston's "undesirable" type places. Concentrating all them in one place would not be a good idea as suggested by another commenter.

According to the Eastwood Civic Associations FB page, the Houston Botanic Gardens will be discussing their plans to convert half of the Gus Wortham Golf Course into gardens at tonight's Super Neighborhood 64/88 meeting. So I am guessing this Wortham proposal IS legitimate. Then again, this Houston Botanic Garden entity has had proposals for gardens all around town over the years! Originally, it was to be located at Herman Brown Park in Northeast Houston, then in Cullinan Park, as discussed, and now at the Wortham Golf Course. Really, how hard is it to pick a site and just stick with it! For those interested, tonight's meeting will be held at 2002 S. Wayside at 6:30p.

I don't know if isolation is going to be a problem. The restaurants already attract a sizable crowd from outside the immediate area. Drove by Saturday evening and alot of people were at both Ninfas and El Tiempo, many waiting outside. I was actually a bit shocked. I think the new esplanade is gonna feed off the restaurant patrons who have probably already seen the construction and intrigued by it. The East End Street Fest should be a perfect fit and a weekly farmers market would be great too.

Believe it was an Academy store in the final years of its existence.

After Globe, I believe it was a Mervyn's, then (after Mervyn's moved across Gessner into the former Lord & Taylor space) it became an Oshman's SuperSports in its final years.

Help me out other "chronologically enhanced" HAIF'ers; which building had the "weather ball" on top? Was it the old Continental Oil Company building?

I vaguely remember a spherical element that was lit up in different colors to indicate changes in the weather. It was probably tied to barometric pressure readings and whether those were rising or falling. True that a smart phone can give that information including RADAR but a quick glance on top of a tall building is faster and safer when driving on the Pierce Elevated even if not as detailed.

This would be 1300 Main Street or Travis Tower. According to Emporis "The originial design of the building once had corporate signage for Conoco, including a "Weatherball" of colored light that would change to inform people of weather conditions."

The immediate area has changed a little but I think the gentrification the flyer is referring to is most likely Eastwood and EaDo. I have my doubts about this getting built too, but I get a feeling the Joe V's probably will get done and a maybe a few of the random pad sites. The office space just seems too over ambitious to me.

Looks like Lovett Commercial has updated their plans for their Harrisburg Crossing development to include a Joe V's Smart Shop grocery store, Ross, more retail space, a 3 story office building, pad sites and a 4 story parking garage.

http://www.lovettcommercial.com/pic/dwnFeatures.aspx?webid=117

They really chopped off that crown and to think that was one of the most striking things about the hotel, along with the Texas shaped pool area. It now looks shorter making the building as a whole appear less significant than the original rendering. Is it possible in this town to build something according to the initial rendering or does every project have to be scaled down in some fashion?

No EaDo, NoDo, NoMo, or anything else.

EaDo is a done deal. Has been for years, doubt it will change anytime soon.

Remember guys, this is just phase one that's been built. This is the old rendering of the completed site:

I'd recommend reserving your final opinions on this one until the rest of the site is built up. I am certain that with the rest of it filled it, that this will fit much better than it does now, and your opinions will all be more positive.

But on the other hand, you also have to remember the many projects in Houston that initially had multiple phases which were later canceled. It's very common. Let's hope not with this project because that building really doesn't look so great all by itself.