citizen4rmptown

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bolerobell/4661602110/

BB's Cafe to open new location in downtown Houston

BB’s Cafe is gearing up to open a new location in downtown Houston’s Theater District.Building on the success of its Montrose location, the cafe will soon be tempting taste buds in downtown with the opening of its second location at the corner of Louisiana and Texas Avenue.

The cafe will open in the summer, serving weekday lunches and offering a variety of office and event-friendly catering options. With the debut of theater season in the fall, the new location’s hours will be extended to include dinner and beyond, providing an after-dark dining option for residents and patrons of nearby arts and entertainment venues.

BB’s “Tex-Orleans” menu includes nearly two dozen overstuffed signature po’ boys, Mexico City-style tacos, homemade gumbo, grillades and grits, appetizers and healthy salads.

Brooks Bassler opened the original BB’s Cafe at 2710 Montrose in 2007

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/05/10/daily7.html

From SSP JMancuso

I'll post a webcam update later, as well.

From SSP JMancuso

I'm not sure if this has been discussed/mentioned, but it appears that:

The new 28,000-sq.-ft Phoenicia Specialty Foods — smaller than the 55,000-sq.-ft. store on Westheimer near Kirkwood — is expected to open at the end of this year across McKinney St. from the Downtown park, in the ground floor of the One Park Place apartment tower. But park visitors will likely have to walk around the building to get their freekeh on: The store’s entrance will face Austin St.

From Swamplot.

http://swamplot.com/swamplot-award-winners-converge-as-phoenicia-moves-in-next-to-discovery-green/2010-05-05/

Not bad news, just thought that this isn't the most appealing entrance for park-goers, and unless there's a sign of the grocery store in the front, I'm sure that many people will never know about Phoenicia as it won't face the park.

The good thing is, this will be closer to the Shops at Houston Center, so more people will be exposed to that as well. Im wondering though, is it going to be accessible from OPP's front entrance, in that case, people can just use the front entrance and go into the grocery store inside, or will this be seperated from OPP, with the only entrance on Austin St? It appears to be the latter, unfortunately.

Heres an update mostly taken by LSyd, and I think 1 by Geomorph, and another by diskojoe.

From SSP

Update by JohnMe on SSP

Good progress on exterior

The schedule is something that makes me wonder if the Texans will improve.

Last year, they had the 15th toughest schedule, this year tied with the Titans for the toughest,

on a season where we're supposed to make the playoffs, and since we had a 9-7 record last year, I

wonder if we'll actually improve.

Just as long as we stay mentally tough, healthy, and start the year off good, I think we'll make it, but if we even get close to losing 4 games in a row, again, its over for our playoff hopes. All in all a great season, a great schedule even if challenging, and looking forward to it.

The Chron Article

Harris County Commissioners Court approved the framework of a deal today to become a partner in a $95 million professional soccer stadium project east of downtown Houston.

Under the deal, approved by the Houston City Council last week, the city and county would contribute $10 million each toward infrastructure for a Dynamo stadium and $7.5 million each for purchase of the land. The Dynamo has committed to spending $60 million to construct a stadium.

As Dynamo fan Eric Nordstrom described it, “Fix the roads, we'll build the house.”

County Judge Ed Emmett emphasized that the Dynamo deal differs sharply from past stadium projects in which taxpayers picked up a much greater share of the tab.

“This is a team building its own stadium,” Emmett said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/soc/6956695.html

They're not right now, but that mentality seriously needs to change. This city is hurting for hotel rooms... especially inside the loop. The Galleria doesn't even have enough for its daily business. Downtown would be able to attract a lot more conventions, festivals, etc. if we had more hotel rooms. Tall is not something I care about, but we need another hotel that is at least the size of the Hilton Americas to be truly competitive.

ES is going to make an awesome impact from 45s.

I don't know if the city is really hurting for hotel rooms, last i read in the HBJ, the city's hotel revenues have actually decreased(and predicted to so for the 2nd year in a row), definetely not a sign that more hotel rooms are needed. We're also expected to perform worse than the nation. In the Downtown area, however, you are correct, it does need more hotels.

http://houston.bizjo...29/daily31.html

What's nice is that this area of DT looks like it will be the hotel district, with the Four Seasons, Hilton, Embassy Suites all close together, and OPP, I really see the potential for more resiential and hotels here to create a more virbrant downtown.

I see it too, on the side of the building that actually faces Wortham Center, but I'll post an update as it progresses more.

This might actually end up looking like the rendering, one reason I say this is because the skywalk in the rendering looks so weird, but they've already constructed that wave design on it, so it wasn't just for show.

Also noticed from the webcam is that they've fenced off that green area next to the site, don't know what it is, a park? part of the bayou? In any case, its fenced off, and am wondering if anybody knows why?

You can see Hess Tower as well on the left. Pretty cool update from the view of Minute Maid Park.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickwatson/4506585269/

Update by jfre81 on his great thread:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=180575

Update by jfre81 on his great thread,

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=180575

It would be cool to have a plaza that does more for the fans, than just look like a gathering space, along the lines of what the KC Wizards stadium will look like.

Council approves deal for new Dynamo stadium

The Houston City Council unanimously approved an agreement this morning that is expected to pave the way for a new professional sports stadium for the Houston Dynamo and the Texas Southern University football team.

Although some council members voiced concerns about the finances of the $95 million public/private project, many came to view the deal to be in the city's best interest.

“This is a great day for the city of Houston and a great day for Harris County,” said Councilman James Rodriguez, in whose district on the east side of downtown the stadium will be built.

The next step in the process will be Tuesday at Harris County Commissioners Court when the deal has to be approved by the county.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6947815.html

Well, you usually don't expect Embassy Suites to be a defining building in your skyline.

I think this is the best response to all the people who have complained about the Embassy Suites being so short. (+1)

And really hotels in Houston aren't built tall, this is no Miami. Our tallest, the Hyatt Regency, at 30 stories, suffers being

located next to true skyscrapers, and makes no visible impact, although you sometimes see it peeking through buildings when your on the freeway.

The Hilton-Americas makes a good impact from the Gulf Freeway, and thats it.

Starting to rise over the Houston Skyline.

Taken from jfre81's Heights Thread.

A clearer update.

Flickr Rainer Ebert

If you look closely, you see Hess Tower rise over One Park Place. I really think Hess Tower is taller than OPP now.

Flickr fabfemme

I reallly like this view and perspective.

Both from flickr Rainer Ebert

From JohnMe in SSP

Very nice pics. I like this building a lot, even tho' it doesn't have a major impact on the DT skyline from most angles. I think most of us expected that, anyway. In another location, away from so many other tall buildings, it would really stand out.

I'd like to think that the parties behind this building will be rewarded for their willingness to invest in good design ... which might motivate others (when the market improves) to take that into consideration, as well.

Yeah, like this.

Flickr