CoolBuddy06

1. Airlines will ask for bailout by June.

2. There will be a terrorist attempt in UK.

one year after, does anyone know how these cameras are doing?

To me Alley Theatre and GRB belong to that list, Amegy Bank building don't.

Everyone's right about fireworks here. I still get scared to post here sometimes. But I think we're all likeminds still. And we have enough teenage members to make it happen someday.

Edit: I know some guys here who don't even go to 'Off topic' section because they're sensitive.

Yeah the topic is just to get you in here, but I'm curious nonetheless. Have we seen or when are we going to see two HAIFers get married? It will be more interesting if they met here isn't it? One sure thing is that they will never lack places to go.

Many people that you will assume should see the big picture about this tanking economy just don't have the right pair of glasses on. People are losing homes, homes are losing values and so are all of those skyscrapers around. Property and stock are a sizeable part of company assets and they're chipping off. I feel sorry for architects and builders because they'll be the part of the last to recover from the slowdown, when good times get around. With so many businesses closing, filing for bankruptcy, or sizing down, new office building will be announced only by nutsy execs. I know people on this forum know all this and more, but it beats me when other people makes comments like 'once Bush is gone this bad economy is going with him' and the like.

The ramps on the northern side of the 288/610 interchange were designed originally with the eventual addition of express (now toll) lanes in mind. the inner of the two lanes would split off and lead to these express lanes. Since they were never built (yet), they had to merge the two lanes together until the lanes were built. Once the toll lanes are built, the inner lanes will be finally connected to them, allowing access to the toll lanes from 610 and improving traffic flow in general. Just watch and see.

There's a thread I started on 288 expansion. In it ToryGattis gave a detailed explanation of how 610 would look in his blog. Lemme look for it. Here.

did not establish consistent walk/work out regimen.

improved a little on being a better example/mentor

rental property now empty and on the market for 5 months

took an excel class, access no longer necessary

purchased new ac/heat system

still shopping for a car

fasted tv, alcohol, soft drinks & fast food for 40 days for spiritual pursuits.

participated in one charity event

did not take a vacation

while fasting from tv for 40 days i read everything on my list except ephemeral city

2009

walk/work out regularly

sell or lease rental property

take cooking classes at viking cooking school at hubbell & hudson

home improvements

buy new car

fast unhealthy activities two 40 day periods

more community involvement

get second job

take a vacation

give nephew the best senior events possible as graduation approaches

it's going to be a busy year.

I will rate you excellent. What I've read on this thread have encouraged me to have resolutions. I'm still compiling a list.

My wife got sexually harassed by a bum a few days ago, for the first time.

Yay.

That's a criminal. And it's the exception. Laws are hardly made if unpleasant incidents are not overwhelming. While I will be troubled if that happened to my wife, in the end you'll see that it just reminds us of the fact that we'll never have a perfect society.

oh, bums, downtown bums. i need to get my eyes checked, thought the title was "downtown burns".

...and you, sir, need to set you text size to largest.

Hopefully, that question was a joke.

The Seven Liberal Arts

Though I felt stupid, it wasn't a joke. I just don't know why and how liberal got tagged on. I will read the article you linked later. There's no end to learning.

I guess we can argue this later, but I worked just as hard for my Liberal Arts education as you did for whatever the f*ck you have. I have taught at UHD, and San Jacinto College, and maintain a private voice studio. I work at UofH main. I have sang professionally in the Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Little Rock, New Orleans, and Kansas City metropolitan areas, and have even sang as a cantor for Ely Cathedral in England. Wish I could say there's more, but hey I'm only 26. Not bad for a degree that "doesn't count". Talk about your own education, but don't make generalities about someone else.

Just curious - why is 'Arts' prefixed with 'Liberal'? Is it liberal as in Conservatives' poison or what? I think courses like music, dance, and painting should be plain 'Arts'; philosophy & co may be labelled liberal.

Back to topic. Houston City University still sounds good to me, or City University of Houston.

Fa la la la! And I thought I was being negative before (which I kind of felt guilty about).

I don't like human clutter, either. Especially when it's cold because peoples' jackets and coats make them larger than they really are and spaces tighter. I don't like to wear jackets if I can't help it, because it feels like I've been swallowed by a Muppet and makes me not aware of my size. It's not like the jackets have nerves in them. You can't feel anything like whether or not you're dragging your arm through filth, which is always a top concern. Crowded resturants are bad because there are people on all sides of you and if their jackets are puffy it makes it worse.

I just realized I must have claustrophobia when it comes to bulky coats.

That got me laughing, as if Houstonians are not fat enough. Just to prove that I live in one of the hottest places in US, I refuse to buy a coat. Walking from my house to the driveway, from the car to the elevator, or running from the car inside the store don't require a coat. Just my opinion.

how long before it connects with 521?

At the going rate I'll guess April 30 2009.

METRO can't service areas south of the BW 8 on SH 288. It is out of the service area. The city of Pearland and a portion of Brazoria County would have to have an election and accept a higher property taxes to become part of the service area. Northeast areas of Fort Bend County have turned down METRO expansion measures before.

Commuter rail is also a waste of money for the amount of people that are available to use it. On top of that, most will not want to use it.

Commuter rail is not a simple installation either. It has to work around the freight rail carriers schedule which is increasingly getting busier. The rail companies will force METRO to build all needed improvements to allow the freight operations complete freedom while still allow commuter rail. In the end, the rail companies don't have to do a damn thing. It's their tracks.

All of these issues factor into why commuter rail is such a crappy option. Not just ridership. A toll facility is cheaper, more flexible, and giver users more freedom.

Well said kjb. I think we just looked past those elections and logistics.

Both are great places to live IMO. When you factor in shopping, dining and other lifestyle stuff, I'd choose Telfair.

Well, there are several park and ride locations along 288 that always seemed to be full. Seems like they could expand and leverage these for a commuter rail that ties into the existing light rail leading to the TMC and DT.

Several park and ride locations along 288 that always seem to be full? I only know of two locations on FM 518 and Hwy 6. Those are no P&R, they are just carpool-vanpool locations and are not well utilised compared to the number of people living in the area.

A few Metro express in the morning and evening may not be a bad idea to start, but many people here are just not so enthusiastic about commuter stuff.

Heard it through the grapevine.

Whole Foods would be nice don't you think? Katy residents already has many Walmart, HEB, and Kroger stores to choose from.

It's an HEB.

How do you know?

Friday, December 12, 2008

Katy Main Street set to go

Partners move forward with mixed-use project in stationary market

Houston Business Journal - by Jennifer Dawson Reporter

With commercial real estate activity almost at a standstill, a local development team is preparing to break ground in January on an 86-acre project called Katy Main Street.

The mixed-use development is designed to include 485,000 square feet of retail space, 500,000 square feet of office space and a full-service hotel and convention center at the southwest corner of Interstate 10 and Pin Oak Road in Katy.

Walgreen Co. has agreed to lease space for a drugstore in the first phase of Katy Main Street, which is being built across the street from Katy Mills Mall.

A grocery company is also on board as an anchor tenant, but the developer will not release the store's name.

"It's a very nice, high-end, well-known brand," says J. Troy Maxwell, a principal with Woodcreek Development Co.

Woodcreek and BPI Realty Services Inc. are developing Katy Main Street in a 50-50 partnership.

Woodcreek, with a track record in creating residential communities and developing commercial properties, is handling all of the infrastructure and utility work.

BPI Realty, with nearly 30 years of experience in developing shopping centers and land deals, is marketing the new pedestrian-friendly site to retailers.

Katy Main Street is moving ahead with construction on the strength of a bank deal secured a year ago.

The Woodcreek/BPI Realty partnership bought the vacant site inside the Katy city limits a year ago from the Goodrich family, with financing from IBC Bank.

Maxwell says IBC agreed at the time to provide construction lending on the project, and is now following through with that agreement.

Some of the equity for Katy Main Street was raised from a group of investors in Maxwell's hometown of Lufkin, as well as from a few Houston investors.

Robert Anthony, a Woodcreek principal, says financing is in place for all phases of the development, though terms are being kept under wraps.

"We're ready to move forward on the entire project, and we have financing to do that," Anthony says.

More selective retailers

Katy Main Street will be built in phases, but the infrastructure will be developed all at once.

Beginning in January, work will commence on drainage, roads, utilities, walkways and landscaping.

"There is not going to be a section that's not finished," Maxwell says. "The entire project is actually moving forward."

He says infrastructure work was put on hold until the grocery store decided where to be positioned on the property. If the store site was tweaked, Maxwell says, changing road plans in the middle of the process would have been very costly.

"We didn't want to put anything on the ground until the grocery anchor was nailed down," Maxwell says.

Katy Main Street's small phase one development will include approximately 25,000 square feet of speculative retail space next to the Walgreen's, as well as several pad sites for a bank and restaurants. Future phases of the project are expected to be constructed in 2010.

Link

I never heard of anything like this. Foreclosed homes that I know of are still pristine.

The Sharpstown store is already advertising up to 30% off laptops, lower discounts on all store items.

bought me a sony bravia last week cheaper than i've seen it this week. now a camera is in my sights from bestbuy.com

Thank you. I saw desktop deals on Circuit City website last week, was waiting for lower prices today, only to see that they removed printers from the deals and were selling at roughly 50 bucks higher.

I bought a 1TB WD hard drive for my DVR. Hate to delete soccer games, and FIFA has tons of tournaments now.

All I see in there is job security.

JP Morgan Chase Tower- You'll want to pass it up as a tall box until you see that angle on the south side.

Williams Tower - For those corners and the beacon.

Bank of America Building - The tallest Dutch house in America.

Niels Bsperson Buildings - The only time I've seen 'Neo classical' and 'skyscraper' fittingly used together.

Pennzoil Place - The day I fully decipher those angles, I'll move a motion for it's, no, their removal from top ten.

Heritage Plaza.

The 1910 courthouse.

I searched for either I-10 or I-45 history and got here. I was kind of shy about diving into your conversations even when I have same opinions. I know I'll join someday, until the editor introduced rankings.