Houstonian in Iraq

It was bought by a Conroe based company. They are still not sure what they are going to do with the land. I just hope they don't do a Conroe development i.e. big national brand chains in strip malls.

Here's the article

So I pass by Summit Place or Plaza, right next to Lakewood Church/Compaq Cente/Summit, and that project look totally idiotic. First I noticed that the pyramid shaped caps on the towers were way out of proportion to the rest of the building (all the had to do was copy the cap on the Mercedes dealership next door) then they are building a garage behind it that you can see is towering over it from the freeway. Doesn't look like the architects did any mass models! To top it off, the garage look like it will be unfinished concrete while the store fronts are brick! Talk about another uninspired project for Houston. I was hoping that something good would be built there. I also hate the Spanish Colonial strip malls they built on the other side of the freeway, replete with the fake tile roofs. Why can't the city embrace some modern architecture for once?

Sounds bad does any body have any pics.

I almost hate strip malls as much as surface lots

site plan

this link has the best overview. Yes the dog areas are shown. guess some people will be taking their limos cause there's a valet as well. since this is supposed to tie into the pavillions guess the valet will be good.

as for waiting for a stros game, i've never had to park that far away.

It wasn't on this rendering that was originally posted.

As for the Stros game I meant if you have some time to kill it's only a short walk away.

I'm out of town and would of liked to be there. As for the dog area I didnt see it on the map but saw it later listed as an amenity.

I think overall this will be a cool place to hang out, while waiting for a 'Stros game, or for visitors at a convention, or guest at the hotels.

rendering

another redering from the chron.

I see they did away with the dog area and the stream and a couple other things. It doesn't look as cramed just like some people on this forum wanted. I like it

Nice

what floor is the observation deck on in Wells Fargo?

According to the downtown web site it's on the 58th floor

I just noticed that spotlights have been installed on several of the light rail poles in the Historic District of Main Street. The spots are aimed upward at the buildings. Has anyone been downtown at night in the last several days to see what they look like?

Do they look perminent or something temporary maybe for an event? Maybe the city has read about people on this forum complaining about better lighting for the skyline and they're doing something about it

Love the pond. It's exciting when you start seeing renderings.

Yeah it is, I wish I could get a closer look and see what the final design is.....oh well guess I have to wait until later today (9 May)

The official grand public unvailing is suppose to be on 9 May. Media might of got a sneak peak.

KHOU has avery small picture of the model.

link to story: http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/kho...k.1fdd5961.html

I like that the pond area looks bigger than originally planned

I was going through a downtown website and found that Wells Fargo has a observation deck

Wells Fargo Plaza

1000 Louisiana

At 71 stories, Wells Fargo Plaza is the second tallest building in Houston, and the tallest all-glass-exterior building in the Western Hemisphere. Take an elevator up to the 58th floor to get a wonderful view of Houston.

Has anyone been there?

Everything in one, retail, eatery, residental, and a cinema? I vote YES! For a cinema. Look at the world's largest mall, they have a cinema inside. What makes the galleria so different?

You sold me....hey they have a roller coaster too......we can have it going in and out stores and garages....it can pick you up at your car and drop you off at the ice rink

Thanks for the pics. Good thing it's still really early in the season so they can recover. GO 'STROS!!!!!!

I've wondered about this building. I think the building itelf was there for years, it's been getting refurfished for years now. I thought they were going to be lofts. It does look nice

I was wondering if it is possible to go to the observation deck at the chase tower? Do they let people in there?

Do you mean the sky lobby on the 60th floor. If so yeah it's open to the public.

cool thanks you guys

Breaking holy ground

Incarnate Word Academy will celebrate the 133rd anniversary of the Academy's Foundation Day and break ground for the school's new $8.5 million Fine Arts Center at 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 5.

The three-story center for the school, which has been in downtown for more than a century, will be built at the corner of Crawford and Capitol streets.

Cool, does anyone know what was there(please let it be a surface lot )

I still live by Northline Mall and I agree that something does need to be done with it.

Its kind of sad when the only thing a mall has to offer you is tennis shoes and a burger king.

Yeah it is pretty bad I call it the "Hallway"

QUOTE(Artgirl @ Friday, February 4th, 2005 @ 3:42pm)

I also live in the Lindale park area and I do think that is a good idea because really there are no places of any convenience to shop. The only Wal-mart that is around is on 45 at West road and that place is a nightmare, overcrowded, poorly maintained and usually understocked. And forget finding a Target or a decent grocery store close by.I like you will take what I can get. I see anything as an improvement.

Yeah that Walmart and the one off of Dunville or just nasty. I heard the rumor of a Walmart or Target going up where it's being demolished. Does anyone know if anything is set in stone open air market, walmart, target or yes more parking?

my girlfriend's dad's company got the bid to install dry wall and the windows on the residential building

Sweet, do they have a set date for groundbreaking? This summer is a bit vague

Hello

I'm new to the board but have been reading posts for the past several weeks. I am from California but lived in Houston for many years as I was growing up. I am now in CA again as an Urban Design consultant but still visit Houston several times a year. This is my first post. What is going on with this project? I am a little confused so far. Have they broken ground yet? This is just a rumor and please don't take it any other way but I hear that California Pizza Kitchen is interested. Is this project really going to go forward? It is hard to find reliable information on this project.

Welcome amsterdam. So far to my knowledge they haven't broken gound yet we were looking at a possible May groundbreaking but that seems like a slimmer chance every day. Some people have said it's not unusual for a date to be pushed back a few months. So I'm still optimistic. It appeared that some "soil samples" were taken not too long ago. So far the only two tenants on board is House of Blues (HOB) and Lucky Strike Bowling.

According to the Downtown Park website, the "official" (which I presume means final) design is to be released May 9.

Here's exactly what the announcement flyer says

Houston Downtown Park Conservancy

P.O. Box 130646

Houston, TX 77219-0646

Tel: 713-333-1161

Fax: 713-333-1162

For Immediate Release

Contact: Claudia Morlan

Elmore Public Relations

713-524-0661 (O) or 832-725-6884 (M)

(Please do not publish phone numbers)

Official Design of Houston

Dude, that is such a cool little story. I will think of your ground-pounding ass every time I drive down Taylor Street...not in that gay way, though. I know that's not allowed.

LOL

The diagonal line between the 1st and 6th wards is apparently arbitrary. However, it seems to make it clear that the Target site would have been 1st ward, as would be everything east of it.

I grew up in this area from '78-'89. We always knew it as 1st ward. A friend of the family lived where the Target's going up, they gave her a pretty good deal for her house. Our family was renting a house right across Crocket Elementary what is now the schools parking lot. I told my mom about all the development going on she said " I told your dad he should of bought something in that area while it was still cheap"

dbigtex56 Posted Yesterday, 12:19 PM

I can identify with that sort of mentality. The house in which I grew up was finally sold last year, yet in some respects it's still "mine". My parents lived there for more than fifty years, and I know it like the back of my hand. To some of us a house represents a sort of stability, and its loss is a sad occasion indeed

So true. I still remember everything about our old house, from the outside plumbing to the holes in the floor, to the stains in the ceiling from where water leaked in. As crappy as the house was we had a great time as a family there, it wasn't until much later that I realized we were poor. I wouldn't trade that entire time for anything though

concur with carousel. they could have reused the one from astroworld. It was an antique.

It was also refurbished in 98, I forget how old it was.

Isn't there already a carousel in downtown at the aquarium? I could be wrong it's been years since I last been