sevfiv

MKUltra, some people have a neat trick where they will park in the neighborhood west of the theater and then cross the street.

parking across richmond is pretty easy, too - usually

do have an idea of how long your stay will be?

i went to chicago in february, and stayed for almost a week without spending loads of money.

what kind of tourist-y things do you want to do when you go somewhere?

another email update, from Save Our Landmarks:

We are pleased to report that in spite of a serious rumor that Weingarten Realty Investments (WRI) was going to begin illegal demolition of the north curve of the River Oaks Shopping Center, there will be none. WRI has applied for a Certificate of Appropriation for that portion which is the first step in obtaining a demolition permit (see plans released by WRI that pertain to this demolition and re-building of the historic curve) and now has to wait until August 8 to demolish the historic curve. Demolishing this curve and building a new one is akin to taking an original door off a historic home and replacing it with a new one - it denigrates the historical value of the entire property.

We have been meeting with WRI representatives and with community leaders to find a solution to save the Alabama and River Oaks Theatre sites. We have supplied them with alternate architectural renderings that would keep the curve from being demolished, we have encouraged them to become "Adaptive Re-Use" leaders in the building community, and we have told them we would wholeheartedly support the River Oaks Shopping Center continuing as a unique center with one-of-a-kind stores, many of which are run by local business owners. This is a great opportunity for WRI, one of the largest real estate investment trust companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, to be a leader using this shopping center as an example. This shopping center is only one of approximately 325 retail properties owned by WRI, but is a jewel in their portfolio that is part of the growth of their company that began in Houston with Joe Weingarten and is still headquartered here.

Here is some action that you can take now and in the coming days to help our cause:

Attend public hearings that include consideration of designating both historic sites as landmarks: The first one is run by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission this Wednesday, June 13, 3pm at the City Hall Annex at 900 Bagby Street and the next one is run by the Planning Commission on Thursday, June 21, 2:30pm at the City Hall Annex. We would like to have people there in support of designating these two sites as historic landmarks.

Write WRI and Barnes and Noble as suggested on our website at www.saveourlandmarks.org.

Stay tuned to media and our emails about any news or help we or other preservation groups need with regards to this process.

Encourage your friends to sign on to our email list.

Thank you for your help in Saving Our Landmarks.

I've looked all over and can't find a thread for it. Is there one already? I thought this would have been talked about plenty already.

yeah - the name sonoma wasn't known at the time the thread began:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=4373

fyi via email:

Sarah Gish from Save Our Landmarks writes with this info about an impending ILLEGAL demolition -

There are rumors from very legitimate sources that a section of the River Oaks Shopping Center will be demolished soon, perhaps before Wednesday, when the city

i can't get in to youtube to search, but here are some frames from the episode:

http://blog.davidteoh.com/archives/2005/11...k_gehry_in.html

The head of PR/Development at Bufalo Bayou Partnership told me several weeks ago that they are moving ahead with the project. Level 1: Canoe rental. Level 2: Partnership offices (currently housed on Vine Street). Level 3 and Roof: Event space. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

glad to hear things are moving ahead - thanks for the update

in houston, it is becoming irreplaceable (the architectural style/period)

i'll amend my previous post to clarify that taken concretely, anything can be replaced with anything

the term irreplaceable is often associated with items that are unique, and not done justice by something newer and similar

like merriam webster kindly illustrates:

: not replaceable <an irreplaceable antique>

http://images.chron.com/photos/2007/06/04/...opupGallery.jpg

The blonde bimbo on the right was a wanna-be Playboy Playmate once upon a time.

the two on the left have "crazy eyes"

^i think all are assuming that the tenants are renting

if not, though, they might just want the $ incentive. i'm sure it is somewhat decent.

i used to live across the way from an older woman who owned a fourplex - she said a developer offered to buy her property and give her a unit in the condo-plex (?)...she refused. maybe she was stretching the truth, but she was very adamant about holding out as long as possible.

ugh.

in houston, it is becoming irreplaceable (the architectural style/period)

weingarten already owns it, for the sake of simplicity

and as far as taking things from society, they haven't yet, but it will occur when the wrecking ball appears - it is a "give" - corporations don't have to make the decision to preserve

i am glad that i and others that promote preservation add to your amazement

yeah, one house per lot that close in might have been deemed urban sprawl a hundred years ago...

After her first night in jail, Hilton

well, nevermind. this kinda blows electric out of the water...err, oil:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/4869099.html

The major U.S. refiners of gasoline, from Big Oil companies like Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. to stand-alone refiners like Valero Energy, are seeing some of the strongest profits ever as pump prices reach new peaks.

In the first quarter, profits for the 11 companies with domestic refining operations shot up 22 percent to $4.7 billion, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

For the stand-alone refiners, the jump was a mind-blowing 579 percent to $248 million, as refineries boosted output and the spread widened between what the companies paid for crude oil and what they charged for gasoline, said the agency, part of the Department of Energy.

any chance that someone will do something good and bring back a car like the EV1?

cars like Zaps are looking too pricey to "invest" in (http://www.zapworld.com/), and Kurrents...yeah.

what are the chances (and what would be the cost) of the Volt?

another article on the brick streets:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/4861337.html

Public Works and Engineering officials have pledged that once the water and sewer lines are rebuilt, the original bricks will be returned to their positions. That hasn't satisfied some preservationists, who argue that once the bricks are moved, they lose their historical significance. They would like to see the city realign the utility lines under sidewalk easements and leave the bricked streets undisturbed, an option that city engineers say is not feasible.

Feeding opposition to the city plan is the fact that promises by City Hall to work to preserve Fourth Ward have been repeatedly disregarded. Much-ballyhooed plans to build affordable housing gave way to far pricier construction and gentrification.

As Andrews Street resident Deborah Seitzer told the Chronicle's David Ellison, "There's a lack of trust for the city in whether or not they will actually do what they say they are going to do."

6 p.m., Sunday, June 10, 2007

Tour meets at Market Square Park, Travis at Congress

GHPA

oh, most definitely it is a challenge, and one that is met with mostly repudiation from developers and the city it seems

if this one case follows in true Houston style, the shopping center will be altered and the theater gone.

sorry about the fragmented sentences earlier this morning - i was tired and left a few participles...dangling

submitting a certificate of formation with the secretary of state, assigning a registered agent / three directors, and naming a board of directors (and filing for 501

over 21 years ago about 900 people marched on main st. to protest the demolition of the Shamrock, and a group was formed with over 3,000 individual offers of help. even Glenn McCarthy spoke out.

the TMC speculated they would build eight structures on the site.

with more and better means of communication these days, one would think something similar could be put together. sure, the shopping center/theater is not the Shamrock, but it is nonetheless a vital and central part of the neighborhood and Houston as a whole, and the architectural style in itself is dwindling away.

i guess those of us who advocate for preservation/restoration/adaptive reuse can explain the reasoning over and over to deaf ears (civic history, pride, education, aesthetics, and yes, economic incentives) but overall, it is just something you feel and inherently want to support

that is true, but some of us are not only more nostalgic than others and also can't see the harm in leaving something as-is. weingarten has its reasons, and i see them as rude and bogus.

aaaanyhow, here is a sanborn map from 1925 - not sure how far the country club extended, but Gray St. ended about a block west of Waugh. the location of the river oaks shopping center (below section 501 and to the left of section 508) wasn't even given a detailed map, so it was probably just greenspace. or just space.

wow - this will keep me up all night!

and mama ninfa was in the foley's ad?!

there is going to be a Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission public hearing addressing the pending landmark designation for the shopping center on June 13 at 3pm at the City Hall Annex (900 Bagby)

i encourage anyone interested to attend and be seen and heard!

any chance that someone will do something good and bring back a car like the EV1?

cars like Zaps are looking too pricey to "invest" in (http://www.zapworld.com/), and Kurrents...yeah.

what are the chances (and what would be the cost) of the Volt?

yeah, Ikea has very simple wood frame/slat beds, and you can choose from different mattresses

"working with asbestos" isn't fun. a professional should at least come out to your property and make an assessment if you don't know exactly where it is or if particulate matter can get out. otherwise, asbestos can be left alone - just don't disturb it.

otherwise, abatement is necessary and would require completely enclosing the areas with heavy plastic sheets, shutting down air ventilation, creating a double entry to the area, and safely bagging of material and properly disposing of it.

then air quality tests are performed to make sure nothing is left floating around.

as for outside - not so sure - what mumbles mentioned above does seem silly