The Great Hizzy!

Semipro is kind of right. Overall, Gaffney wasn't out of line... what he said was true, and it is frustrating to any athlete (remember, you have fans blaming Gaffney and the other receivers for not racking up big yardage when half the time Carr is running for his life before they can even finish their route). However, the "better organization" part kind of slipped out of his mouth without thought. If he had it to do over again, and with some advising, he wouldn't have added the comment.

Plus, Gaffney's a fellow Gator. Gotta give him the benefit of the doubt.

Best hidden treasure: kayaking on Buffalo Bayou through Bayou Bend and Memorial Park.

FWIW, there is a bit of new housing construction going on west of North Main and north of the proposed Hardy Yard project. Even better is that some of the existing housing stock in that area is being renovated and resold as upgraded housing.

It's kind of like the First Ward affect is moving north and east to a smaller degree.

In this, maybe the market is indeed shifting towards accomodating such a project.

LOL

Gotta love the username "The Scoop"

Best breakfast: the Breakfast Klub on Travis @ Alabama.

I'm more interested in its potential impact on the 'hoods just to the north. A lot of charming, older housing stock up there, some of it still in good condition.

I love the planned access to the intermodal, too. Of course, that's "If" it comes to fruition. It's an ambitious project and it's going to take a few years to realize it. I hope no one has a stroke while waiting, given the lack of patience displayed by a few.

Calm down (in advance).

I'd be very much in favor of the city adopting some "lot standards" for downtown and Midtown, standards that included landscaping requirements and pavement standards.

I believe the city already has requirements for "waste and litter" management for private and public lots. They're just not always enforced. Kind of like the homeless ordinances. Of course, I could also be wrong about the existence of these requirements.

Hey, here's a potential scenario: what if more parking lots were converted to parking garages? I'd imagine the price for parking would go up to help pay for construction costs. With the price of gas also rising, it might have an affect (or is effect?) on how people get to work in that more may start car pooling or taking the P&R.

Semi-pro,

You need to be careful posting such things. It risks interrupting the professional whiners from their ritual of crying about everything that's wrong with Houston.

Then again, they could use this as an opportunity cry about how "long" it's taking this to come about when every other city's shuttling these things out left and right. In fact, at some point, I expect a picture of some massive development in Phoenix, Fayetteville, AR or Tucumcari, NM that, as usual, puts Houston "to shame."

Tick, tick, tick...

I agree 'Coog.

And,

Red has a point about the psychological nature of buying and selling. Certain numbers add a stigma to a product. For credit companies, it's a credit score that begins with a 5 or less (or even a 6 or less).

This was in yesterday's HBJ but decided to post the article to start a discussion, since Chevron-Texaco increased their office demand a couple of weeks ago as well.

I've not heard any updated stats on the office vacancy rate but I'd imagine that it's under 20% again. The key to garnering any prospects for new office construction is getting the vacancy rate closer to 12%. I realize that the Bayou Place expansion will bring more office space into the market but still... the fact that over half a million feet of additional (meaning, beyond what was already expected) office space has been absorbed is a good sign.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...ml?surround=lfn

In keeping with our sinful indulgence of food and sorts, a Ben & Jerry's is supposedly opening at the Rice between Azuma and Chipotle. The sign's been there since November.

The point is, downtown Houston is very safe. Check police records concerning "crimes" committed in that zone. The problem is that people associate "the city (and that's pretty much any city)" with crime, so whether the notion of crime is true, it doesn't matter. The perception is there for some and that will keep them home.

Reminds me of the feature KHOU did a couple of years ago just after METRO Rail started running, and a reporter asked this guy who lived out in the 'burbs something like, "With all of the new attractions downtown and the events that going on there, would you mind visiting more often?"

And that guy's response was, "Too many people and they can be unruly. Plus, you have to worry about parking and whether or not somebody will try to rob you. I'll just stay out here and relax."

That's why a good number of people move to the suburbs. The perception of safety relative to the city.

Is it safe to walk around downtown at night? If not, that could be easily solved with increased police patrols on horse back-golf cart-patrol cars.

Other than a spare homeless person who might not be as docile as the rest of the homeless, I can't think of much of anything that could be construed as "troubling" about walking around DT at night. There are a couple of places that might offer themselves up to being good places for someone to try to mug you at night (south of Toyota Center, for example, before you get to St. Joe's, or the shady block just north of Main Street Square) but I've never once thought of DT being anything but relatively safe.

Actually, they've made quite a bit of progress. The basic structure is up and they'll soon be ready to start putting windows and doors on the exterior. They should make their September 2006 opening easily.

I could see those flying in Midtown, at the least.

Don't know if this is in another thread, but...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/busine...ff/3700770.html

You take it where you can get it.

Mystery solved. Good snooping, Lolita.

Intriguing info, TNJ. Is this in any connected to the empty lot that used to house Central Ford or is it yet ANOTHER project that's located next door? I'm sure it's been mentioned already in this thread but I'm still not sure.

Nevermind. I took a look at the highlighted site plan and it is indeed seperate from the Central Ford project. I wonder how these two projects will affect traffic on Westheimer at the West Loop. Post construction traffic is a bit better now (finally) but that could change once these projects are in full swing.

The biggest test for DT Houston, I think, will be how the new urban park and the proposed developments near it will eventually tie in with Houston Center, the Pavillions and then the Main Street Corridor.

Meanwhile, I'd like to see how the renovation of the Bayou--once it lands east of I-45 will be incorporateed into the northern end destinations like Market Square, Allen's Landing, the Aquarium, Bayou Place, the Theater District, and so on.

In echoing Subdude, a really great opportunity exists to develop mid-size residential projects near MMP, where old warehouses are already being redeveloped into new housing (Iron Works, etc). If we're patient and these public and private projects come to fruition, it's going to be an exciting 10-15 years for DT.

But baby steps. At least they're manuevering on the plot site for Houston Pavillions, what with the land sampling or whatever is taking place on the central block.

I like the way that Kirby starts as you leave the freeway toward Richmond. The art-deco looking building (across the street where the strip containing the old Jamaica Jamaica was) with the flush, wide sidewalks is a cool welcome of sorts. I hope that the new developments will reflect that...become something like a smaller-scaled version of L.A.'s Wilshire.

I agree. It's an attractive start to the corridor. The biggest eye sores are, like Snakes just mentioned, the old strip center where Jamiaca-Jamaica used to be. I like the landscaping on Kirby @ Alabama, too.

I predict in 5-7 years the Kirby Corridor will be a string of mid-and-highrises from about Westheimer to at least the SW Freeway. In particular, the intersection of Kirby @ Westheimer is going to be pretty impressive if the two key developments (the condo tower and then the large-scale mixed use midrise development accross from 2727) are built out as planned.

Place your bets: what do you think would be the most likely existing property on Kirby to be converted into a high/midrise structure? I'm placing my money on the gas station on the SW corner of Alabama @ Kirby.

Pretty sweet news. The first thing to go has to be the frayed and soiled carpeting.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

I'd tried to ask construction workers this morning what was up but they didn't have much to say. It would be nice if it were to become a park (I mean, for people, not cars). Alas, I suspect that they're probably improving the drainage beneath and then repaving the lot. You'd think one of the real estate reporters in town would've had a hot scoop if something more tasty was going on there.