Jump to content

bobruss

Full Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,594

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    13

 Content Type 

Everything posted by bobruss

  1. bobruss
    Okay, I just had a solution that would solve two county problems Domed penal colony. "Astrojail" We already used it to house thousands after katrina. The county could consolidate all of their jails to the dome.
  2. bobruss
    Now now, its not quite that bad. I agree tear out Franklin and extend Washington along the backside, and reshape the hill. Hell they can tunnel under half of Boston, cover a freeway in Dallas build a flood wall in Amsterdam for the overall good of the community. This is not a big deal. If you have ever been to the post office you know what an outstanding view of downtown this is and I just think its a shame to give that view to a detention center. It would be very easy from that point to connect the North bank a the Post Office site to the existing buffalo bayou park and hike and bike trails.Take the vacant lots on the south east side of Franklin east of the courthouse and create a supercell for both county and city inmates. There is already a mini prison across the street from Minute maid in a little two story white brick building and a federal jail a few streets south. Just consolidate and put some of it underground. Build a park on top of the rest.
  3. bobruss
    There's a very good editorial in the Houston Chronicle today lambasting the city for trying to buy the Post Office property instead of allowing developers to do what the city has been shelling out cash for. Building up the downtown residential community. I'm glad they took a stand and I have found that the more people who respond to city hall and the mayors office about this site, it could sway their decision. Send your councilmen and mayor an email with your thoughts. It helps.
  4. bobruss
    That was a very nice image infinite Jim. A different view of Uptown with quite a few cranes in the shot. Can you pass on what your vantage point was? Thanks
  5. bobruss
    This is a small project going on at M. D. Anderson in Med center and thought I'd get a few shots from my Ipad.
  6. bobruss
    They're taking down the fence around this project and thought I'd take a few images since the outside is pretty much finished.
  7. bobruss
    From a very good source this projects site work will begin on Monday. Just received street closure permits.
  8. bobruss
    Depending upon the tide I have seen pretty good size motor boats come up and dock at Allen's landing. They just have to be careful for low tide. I had some customers at Cabos, that would come up from the bay and I also think a few years back during one of the boat shows they brought up a couple of boats for publicity. I know that they use skimmer boats to fight the litter on the surface. I wouldn't suggest trying to go any further than Allen's Landing though.
  9. bobruss
    In another thread I suggested that perhaps the jails could be moved to another part of town. They could still be in downtown so it would be convenient to the courts, and the attorneys and law firms would still be close. Why not put them under ground. Build a large facility on the counties property but out of sight. Then we wouldn't have the visible stigma of the jails and the buffalo bayou plan could be carried out and have much more land on both sides of the bayou to work with. Even if we could just get back the north side of the bayou that would be fine. The south side has fully developed with the courts and penal buildings but there is still room on the north side if these facilities were relocated. I understand why it was done there in the first place but it seems like there could be a way to make this property available for a much more rewarding use than housing criminals. We don't need a Rykers Island .
  10. bobruss
    They are beautiful!
  11. bobruss
    I think its a shame that some of Houston's most historic and unique landscapes are devoted to the housing of criminals and courthouses. The beauty of the area is totally lost to Houstonian's, so that our justice and penal system can operate. Surely there is a more suitable location for all of this to be carried on somewhere else. I mean what were they thinking when they decided to locate everything on the bayou. And not just on one side but both sides are now heavily influenced by the courts and housing of criminals. Most of them are owned by the county and I think they could find somewhere farther west to create a new court and jails center. Since everyone likes to proclaim that the new center of Houston is somewhere west of the galleria lets move it out there. That way it would be more convenient for all of the citizens of west Harris county. Then we could repurpose all of that property along both sides of Buffalo and White Oak bayous downtown for residential, retail and recreational uses closer to the city center. It would also make it feasible to continue Buffalo bayou park east thru downtown to the larger tracts of land along the Bayou that could eventually become the foundation for future growth on the East side of downtown.
  12. bobruss
    Speaking of Apache, has anyone heard any rumors about this project. I've read in the business section where they have sold off several large tracts of leases recently and altered their direction in plans for the future energy wise but I haven't heard one word about what I think would be a very nice addition to this stretch of Post Oak. Can anyone shed any light on this project.
  13. bobruss
    I don't care how tall they are. I just hate the thought of having residential areas downtown with nowhere for people to walk to, without retail on the first floor. I just think about places like Manhattan where every block are shops and restaurants bookstores cleaners. I know everyone gets tired of hearing about ground floor retail, but if it is not planned in the design in the first place they wont be able to put it in later and then everyone will still go to the garage and drive somewhere for conveniences that should be located within walking distance. Thats how you build up a sense of community. If we really want downtown to work were going top have to get people who live and work on the sidewalks. Now I'll get off my soapbox. One last question who owns the parking lot right across from bank of the Southwest (the Block)? Why isn't someone planning a tower there. Its the logical spot for a super tall and it would be the icing on the cake.
  14. bobruss
    I saw a crew out taking soil samples at lunch time today! It exciting to see so much activity East of Main. Once all this construction is done the east side is going to have an incredible view. Unlike the West side which is beautiful. but doesn't appear to have much depth or infill. Kind of like the sets in western movies if you understand my point. On the East side you can see all of the medium size building with the wall of talls in the background. This will be a beautiful view of Houston. Here's a shot I found of the East side of downtown circa 1959, when they were first building the Eastex freeway. You can see all of the small warehouses and two and three story buildings that used to fill all of those blocks before Texas Eastern came along and bought up the big chunk of east downtown that is now Houston Center. Click on image for detailed image.
  15. bobruss
    I just drove by the site during lunch and by the looks of it today I'd say by early next week they'll have this thing down.
  16. bobruss
    It would be nice to know their reasoning for cutting down mature Live Oaks. I would have preferred seeing them trimmed back, but not down. There aren't enough trees down town to begin with. I'm sure these trees were in the city right of way, and Did the city grant permission, or are they going to fine the developer Like they recently have for residential developers? I'm not trying to make this a big deal but I would like to know why they chose to do this.
  17. bobruss
    I think its mostly prairie, forest, and marsh.
  18. bobruss
    I understand that, but I have seen rivers in other cities that don't look nearly as impressive as Buffalo bayou as small as it is. Once downtown and its confluence with another (White oak) bayou, it actually is a fairly good size body of water. This transformation would make a gully look inviting. There's already a lot of buzz and more curious visitors. No matter the size of the stream it will attract attention both in visitors and national press. Its going to be a very attractive park.
  19. bobruss
    Hard work by Anne Olsen, her staff, and Guy Hagstette, for delivering one of the great civic projects for Houston. This has been in the works for a very long time and when completed will completely transform this area around Buffalo Bayou into one of the great Urban parks in the U.S..
  20. bobruss
    It is a wonderful pool, but they weren't thinking about afternoon sun which is why most people go out to sit by the pool and this looks to loose the sun by early noon.
  21. bobruss
    You are correct sir, but Triton, I also said ( A Sunday morning ). The last two Sundays have been pretty cloudy.
  22. bobruss
    Must have been taken early on a Sunday morning.
  23. bobruss
    Looks like its related to the Penguin Arms Apartments on Revere between Alabama and Westheimer.
  24. bobruss
    So, since they've already closed the parking lot does that mean they might start a little earlier than originally suggested. I'm looking forward to this project and the long term changes it will present for future residential projects in the neighborhood. It just goes to show you what a park will do if they utilize it and create an interest in people actually using them. Market Square Park was just a hangout for street people until the redesign and utilization plans were put into place. The planning firm from Boston who did this park and Discovery Green deserve a lot of the credit for getting the city to create these magnets and growth incubators. Which also makes me think that the Village Association has missed the chance of creating a nice park in the village now that there is so much residential going in. There should be some kind of park in that area.
  25. bobruss
    I have been watching them dig up and roll on large cylinders the 100 year old oaks that were in the parking lot. They're moving some across the street to the Miller theater side. Pretty amazing considering the size.if you haven't seen them you should go by. I imagine the pyramid builders would have liked the cylinders they're using. I noticed where they are building the Levy park tower there are several oaks sitting on blocks waiting to be planted in Levy park. Also the thickness of the root ball is surprising.
×
×
  • Create New...