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Texasota

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Everything posted by Texasota

  1. Texasota
    I didn't say they could; I said you were oversimplifying things. There are plenty of incentives and regulations that can affect developer behavior.
  2. Texasota
    No. They build what is most profitable based on existing regulations on what property is available. Some municipalities have regulations that incentivize rehabilitation of existing structures. We do not. Some municipalities have regulations that discourage sitting on vacant lots or using them as surface parking. We do not. Developers here buy any property that is available, raze whatever is on it and then build something else. There is no incentive to even consider something else.
  3. Texasota
    How much vacant land is there still in Midtown? or Downtown? Or, hell, even in Montrose? (A lot. The answer is a lot.) And yet developers are destroying perfectly usable housing rather than building actual infill, and removing all the remaining affordable housing near downtown. And when I say "affordable", I mean to people making the median national wage, not actual poor people. Affordable housing is really only practical with older buildings; new builds are just too expensive to sell as anything other than "luxury." This guy's screed definitely went overboard, but there is a real point buried in there.
  4. Texasota
    Huh? The new buildings are all pushed up against the street with retail on the sidewalk. Not to say that this looks perfect, but it does look relatively pedestrian-oriented, to the extent that is even possible in this context.
  5. Texasota
    I have to a hard time believing very many people think Highland Village is particularly beautiful, though the palms are definitely its saving grace. I would think that the most beautiful streets in Houston are those around Rice, North and South Blvd, etc. Obviously trees of that size are impossible on Main Street downtown, but something that at least casts some shade would be better than a palm tree. Even downtown, which has built-in shade from tall, zero lot line buildings, can use every bit of shade it can get in the summer.
  6. Texasota
    It's fine. More importantly, it's contemporary. Woo y'all. Woo.
  7. Texasota
    Ugh. Really? Twin Peaks style? Disappointing- I like that building.
  8. Texasota
    Have you been to the 300 block of Main? Because there's tons of places on the block alone and the area tends to be reasonably busy. Admittedly, these are bars, not clubs, so the vibe is very different from the scene in the mid '00s. Not sure that's a bad thing though.
  9. Texasota
    It kind of looks like a light house. Maybe it will be nautical-themed.
  10. Texasota
    I think this plaza has an enormous amount of potential; I honestly love both library buildings. Right now the plaza just seems ...unfinished. Ideally they'd actually narrow walker and mckinney and join the plaza, hermann square park and tranquility, but that would of course anger the freeway people.
  11. Texasota
    There's also just a huge amount of late night activity in the immediate area that can easily continue to support the business as long as it stays right in the thick of it.
  12. Texasota
    Hmmm. Do they know that this site is in a historic district? I'm not sure they do...
  13. Texasota
    it ...looks like a hospital
  14. Texasota
    That parking podium is pretty bad, but considering the location that's probably ok. I would like to see what the Ruiz side looks like though.
  15. Texasota
    One more vacant block on Main going away would be great, and I even don't hate the design. Now if only that church across the street would sell off its enormous parking lots.
  16. Texasota
    would be awfully bueno. I'd imagine one of the management district's priorities is to get rid of vacant blocks along Main.
  17. Texasota
    It will be interesting to see how fast the GFR in Mid-Main (which seems to be much more thoughtfully designed) fills up.
  18. Texasota
    Why do you hate poor Memorial Park? I think they're different things, and I'm not sure why they need to compete for "premier" status. Herman Park is a more traditional, carefully manicured park with major attractions (zoo, museums) surrounding it. Buffalo Bayou Park is both a more practical (running/cycling trails, can be used for commuters coming downtown) and more "wild" park. Personally, I prefer Buffalo Bayou and Memorial as "parks," but I would almost describe Herman Park as an exaggerated plaza. It has a different function and I think it's very successful on those terms.
  19. Texasota
    unfortunate. This would have been a positive addition AND filled in a vacant lot at a major intersection.
  20. Texasota
    the term was a failed experiment, but unfortunately it's still used for the superneighborhood.
  21. Texasota
    No! It got reskinned. Near the ballpark.
  22. Texasota
    Ew, what?
  23. Texasota
    Are they all invasive? If not, then I'm firmly pro-vine. Also pro-spanish moss.
  24. Texasota
    It's contemporary, so that's good. Except for that little pavilion. That looks cheap.
  25. Texasota
    Put a parking garage on the block immediately north. Or the one immediately northeast. Both blocks are seriously underutilized and neither has anything of architectural interest. Even better, put mixed use buildings on both of those blocks and include enough parking in their garages for the grocery store as well.
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