BryanS

As soon as we let Continental get away with illuminating the top of their building with their logo... it was down hill from there.

As I made the curve around the Pierce elevated from Allen Parkway, headed south... I was like: Jesus! Then I had to stop myself: "Hey... wait a minute... That's the response they're going for!"

It appeared to be illuminated by several thousand incandescent bulbs. Chaser lights, blue neon, and strobes would have better.

It sure is nice, and refreshing even, to see some of that suburban B-8 taste make it right to the middle of downtown.

Brings back memories of NIN. Like in this disturbing piece of work:

I really liked this song... until I saw the video. It has pig (parts) in it, too.

This has Y2K stamped all over it. The biggest non-event, event. 10's of thousands die every year from flu. So far, "mild cases" with the occasional expected deaths...

Someone told me you can't run gas into an upstairs detached apartment. Was he crazy?

Yes.

Question: Baybrook Mall did not have Foley's when it opened (it would compete with Almeda). When did Foley's open then?

From what I have, it was...

Joske's (mid 1970s-1987) -> Dillard's (1987-mid 1990s) -> Foley's (2005-)

Sears (mid 1970s)

Montgomery Ward (mid 1970s-2000) -> Foley's (2001-2004) -> razed -> JCPenney (2005-present)

Mervyn's (mid 1980s-2006) -> vacant

Macy's (mid 1980s-mid 1990s) -> Dillard's (mid 1990s-present)

All that matters on this list is Sears. And nothing else.

Just off the top of my head, but I'll break it down like this:

design: $2000

permit: $1000

engineering: $1000

site prep: $500

foundation: $8000

windows: $500

frame material: $5000

frame/siding/windstorm labor: $5000

trusses: $1000

siding: $2000

roofing: $1200

painting: $3000

sheetrock: $5000

cabinets: $1500

doors and trim: $700

trim labor: $3000

plumbing: $7000 (includes tying in sewer to existing)

HVAC 2 ton: $4000

Insulation fiberglass: $1200

Electrical: $8000

Kitchen Ctop: $750

Bathroom Marble: $350

tile work: $1000

carpet: $1000

Garage door and openner: $750

total: $64450

I probably left out a couple of things. And I'm sure you can cut costs here and there. But those are realistic costs. Contractor fees are not included.

Bryan is right. Labor costs are high, but you cannot do any electical, plumbing, HVAC yourself. All else is fair game.

Yes, you can. All you need are the permits/inspections. Please let me know if I am wrong. Or do it anyway and screw the permits. But that's just me... A/C work, let the pros do it. Electrical, plumbing, framing, roofing, sheetrock, etc, etc. are all easy. Look how much you can save doing most of the framing, electrical, plumbing, sheetrock yourself (or with helper)...

I'm not patient enough for BryanS to respond, but I think that your estimate is reasonable. I suppose someone could contract it out themselves and save quite a bit, but they'd probably either eat it later on when they're fixing their mistakes or just figure out that this is beyond the scope of what they can pull off and still manage to keep a day job. Possibly both.

Now lets remove some assumptions. Let's say that the garage apartment had to be up to code, but that the second floor was permitted as a workshop area (such as for an artist that wants to have a studio for themselves), not as a residence, and that the lower level was just a carport rather than an enclosed garage, with the floor joists sitting on steel poles. Hardiplank, no windows. No plumbing. Limited electrical, 1,800 BTU window shaker. How low can you go?

My apologies for the delays... I just got through doing some taping and floating... and am now drinking my margarita...

I do feel sorry for anyone building a structure, as you describe. Where I come from, such structures are called pole barns; fitting for only parking tractors in.

Doing the work yourself... I'd say no more than 45K. That is... you doing the work... Based on a 65K estimate having someone else do everything for you... 45K does not seem unreasonable. Of course, you'll spend every weekend for a year building it... but... considering doing that and paying as you go vs. taking out loan financing and paying for years, even decades... one year building a structure outright is a small expense.

Considering that I am basically rebuilding/remodeling half of my house down here... and correcting countless mistakes that the builder... who "passed" his inspection... built... I give little weight that builders and some inspectors at COH really know what the hell they're doing. I prefer they stay clear. Being an accomplished rocket scientist, I know enough about basic physics and structural mechanics, and about 20 years doing this kind of work, to do it right.

Building a huge garage apartment on your property will draw attention to yourself. So permits may be unavoidable in that case, depending on which part of the city you live.

100K on a garage apartment... that you plan to rent for income... does not make sense to me. Because for 95K you can buy a single family house in Freeport, rent it out for $200 more per month (over a garage apt), and pocket about 5K in cash. Plus, the renters are not in your backyard. You can even hire a property management company, and still come out ahead.

EDIT: My 45K estimate is for a fully finished structure (you doing the work, subing out A/C); not the pole barn that TheNiche describes.

Thank God I know enough about construction to build these myself, if I had too. 60K? 80K? 100k? What a rip off. At any of those prices.

I'm locked in with Tara Energy for a year at 10.45, but that might just be a deal for renewing customers.

Never heard of them. Sad that we can get something like electricity from no-name companies, that we've never heard of. Something is seriously screwed up.

You know, I like our church, but I really just don't feel that this church's cross is big enough. I'm going to go become a member at Sagemont instead. Now those are some guys who really know how to build a cross.

This is the line of reasoning that you're using to say that a big cross will bring in new members and revenue streams?

As strange as it seems... it probably will... the mega-church business is a business. Sagemont launched a sneak attack on Grace... and now they will get the spoils of this "big" competition...

I'm not saying I agree with these churches. I differ with their philosophy, not what they build in their front yard...

By the way... have you driven by it or not? I know its at B-8 and 45... I know your types might need to pack a sack lunch for that kind of travel outside of 610... but have you driven by it? I was a hater of the idea of big crosses... until I drove by and saw it really wasn't that bad.

I'm tempted to keep egging you on, as each of your posts is better than the last. But, alas, I have tired of commenting on the pagan idols of the baptists. Lucky for you...and for me...you live down there, and I do not. So, you can be awed by the idol, yet it will not even "cross" my mind. Sounds like a win-win.

Like I said... I had views exactly like yours... I was supposed to be disgusted by such a gratuitous display... but the dislike/anger just wasn't there. Their church sits on 25+ acres. Cross is not so big, when you take that into account... All I said when I drove by it was: Wow! ... not Wow! I hate it! or Wow! I love it! ... just indifferent to it.

In a word, YES.

¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ¹⁸"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good

Good to know that the world's poverty, hunger, pain and suffering has been alleviated, leaving funds available to build an inexpensive idol.

But is it? Would you not consider it part of their church? Kinda like their building? And their parking lot? Or should have they have to sit out in the middle of a field and walk to church barefoot in order to lend any credence to them alleviating the world's poverty, hunger, pain, and suffering?

[Citation needed] What was the price, including permits from the COH and FAA? If you don't know, how can you say how inexpensive it was?

You should go to church. And ask them.

The cheapness of the monument makes it OK? Is this what happens to one's logic when they've bought one too many cheap plastic items from Walmart?

There's a difference between cheap and inexpensive. I didn't say cheap. I said inexpensive. Target has inexpensive items. Wal-mart has cheap items.

It would be hard for them to defend spending millions of dollars on a monument and not supporting charities, and giving, helping heal the world, etc. They're still doing that... and had enough left over to build a cross for their church.

Also... even though 170 to 200 feet seems "big" ... not as big as you think. As I said, it would be different story had they made it out of granite, towering 500 feet into the air, forcing air traffic diversions... but that's not what they did...

Drive by it. I did. I told myself: "I'm supposed to be angry at this! .... " but I just didn't feel anger. I don't know what else to say.

sorry, i must disagree. if the christian community wants to cheapen their faith by ridiculous symbols over substance, ridicule and cheap shots should be expected. like begets like. cheesy crosses require ugly responses. if god's work is nothing more than a symbol of "marked territory", no one should be amazed that people of little faith disregard these "symbols". good intentions are not action. building a symbol of christ's death does nothing for the person dying of cancer or losing their career. loving one's neighbor as one loves their own family does more for the soul than a hundred big ass crosses. stupid, dumb ass, christians. work where you are. love those near to you. quit building pagan symbols that have nothing to do with real spirituality.

This used to be my line of reasoning... until I drove by it. They built it in a day (or two at most), quickly. And probably didn't spend that much, compared to their budget, to build it. Had it taken months of slave labor, building to the sky a monument of stone, hand chiseled, so high that airplanes flying into Hobby were forced to fly around it... you could argue many of your points.

But they built it in a day, using inexpensive methods/materials. And it looks better than the AMC 30. I don't know what else to say. It "goes" with their church.

My disagreement with Christianity is not so much the symbols of it... but the teachings/beliefs/blind/ignorant followers hypocritical leaders. That's where the problem is, for many (not all) Christian denominations.

Kinda like this man:

Look familiar? You've probably seen him on TV. His 29-year old son was caught in a have-sex-in-the-park police sting, up in Dallas. http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_10636.php. Not that I agree with those entrapment stings... but anyway...

I drove by the Sagemont cross last night... I don't think it

A really, really ugly Porsche - the new Panamera:

The real 4-door sports car... or 4DSC as Nissan would say.

Bland and boring? You must not have seen the "Soviet" style buildings that A&M threw up in the late 70's/early 80's to deal with the population explosion on campus.

The Mitchell Physics Building covers up the view from University Dr. of the Blocker building, a truly awe-inspiring piece of design:

Oh, I've seen them. What is being built, is only a modest upgrade from above, IMO.

Bland and boring.

Jesus! For the love of God! Those are NUTREAS!!! Don't feed those BY HAND! God people! The Louisiana State Police go out and shoot these things, every night, for clogging up the sewers!

No fair using this graphic... That's TheNiche... replying to one of my posts...

Drugs??

But in the mean time, they're all extremists? Wow.

...not all... but I would suspect. One day you're eating lunch at a Cafe, you thought was safe, and then you're dead. Hard to live in that kind of world and not be on edge... Like I said, a few bad apples...

Given the degree of "architecture" in many of the protestant churches in the area, the bar is surely not set very high.

Like Grace Community Church, down here near Clear Lake on I-45...

So all Muslims are basically the same?

Not all of them. I know (of) some Muslims. I don't disagree with them... as a person. Just their religion. Hate the sin. Love the sinner. Where have I heard that before? ... Hmm... Unfortunately, there have been a few bad apples, in recent history. That have basically ruined it for everyone else. I'm sure in about 50 years... after such incidents of recent history no longer occur... no one would give any second thoughts to building such a community center, or call into question the "peacefulness" of such a religion.

Me too, but I'm not opposed to people building churches and mosques and such. It sounds like you think this is bad for Houston because it's Islamic.

...not a fan of Islam, given recent history... or the communist Chinese... I don't have to like everybody in this world.