nmainguy

in spanish there is no such thing as a tamale. tamal is the singular version of tamales. mostly likely an english speaker just dropped the s and voila, tamale. there is probably an indian derivation and spelling as well but most mexicans still speak spanish.

just as there is no such thing as chicken fajitas. fajitas are beef.

as for chimichanga, i'll bet it is US creation.

If you're done with your spanish lesson and hijacking another thread, could we keep it on topic?

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Therefore, the Planning Commission denied the application without predjudice asking that the developer go back to the drawing board.

This is similar to what Walgreens was confronted with when they wanted to build at Heights and 20th. The Heights Association tried to work with them but they were intractable. So Walgreens lost and CVS won with a more site-sensitive design.

From the April 2006 HHA Newsletter:

Commercial New ConstructionThe CVS Pharmacy building (Tom Smith, manager) at 110 W. 20th St. was nominated by Janet Buchheit. The building replaced a boarded-up building and a neglected vacant lot. CVS worked hard to accommodate the concerns of the Heights Land Use committee with siting, design, and landscaping

Does any of this bickering have anything to do with blvd place...way too far off topic.

It seems it's been hijacked...again.

To move forward may require going back a bit. Downtown (DT) used to be quite livable and walk able. DT was blanketed with covered sidewalks (ala The Rice; Foleys/Macys) that blocked out the harsh sun and heat. Downtown used to be connected to Allen Parkway and the bayou and what we now call Midtown. That was destroyed with 45 and the Pierce elevated. If Boston was able to wrangle the money for the Big Dig then surely we could wrangle a fraction of that to combine 45 with 10 in order to by-pass DT thus reconnecting it to our green space to the west and Midtown to the south. Couldn

Current lottery funds are used as a replacement for education funds which are shifted to other areas of state spending-not as a suppliment. Therefore, there has been no enhancement to the education fund [as promised]. 60% goes to winnings. Almost 30% goes to the Foundation School Fund. Around 10% goes to vendors.

In the last 10 years only 8 billion dollars has been deposited into the fund.

I'm not arguing for or against...I just feel our elected officials should have their feet held to the fire until we are assured that where they say the profits will end up will actually end up there.

As far as the appropriatness of a grocery with a little deli in a major mixed use project, take a look at the massive project at Columbus Circle in Manhattan where a "flagship" Whole Foods anchors the project, which includes upscale retail and restaurants, as well as residential and office space. The dining/take-out section in this Whole Foods makes Eatsi's look like the food counter in the corner Mini Mart.

Exactly. Whole Foods TWC is constantly packed with breakfast, lunch and dinner patrons in addition to afternoon commuters taking home a quality meal. This could be on a smaller yet similar and profitable scale at the San Felipie/Post Oak location.

It would be hard for me to imagine (say) a 40-50 story skyscraper going up where Jones Plaza is now... completely blocking Pennzoil Place and taking away some sky from the BofA, leaving a competition.

You don't have to imagine: Johnson did it with his BoA building to block the view of his Pennzoil building. He was such a kidder.

I mean, the Williams Tower by itself is rather unremarkable except for its sheer size and utter dominance of that area.

[Phillip Johnson attempts to kick some sense into niche's head from the grave...but to no avail]

So, will the new CVS be across the street from the new Walgreens, or cattycorner from it?

...and loose Someburger??? No way, Jose!

I'm OK with a Walgreens there as long as the Tamales Factory relocates nearby-I'm just not sure there's enough room for a Walgreens unless they aquire the entire block from Studewood to Oak Ridge and from 11th to Davis Hardware.

If they do build, it would be nice if they took a cue from CVS at Yale and 20th.

Maybe a map will stop The Pedant from hijacking yet another thread with wasted bandwidth:

Any news on major tenants for the office tower? My doctor has considered opening a satellite location...not sure where he is on that at this time.

Any idea what's going on at this intersection? There's currently an abandoned plaza, and I drive by fairly often wondering what's going to happen to it. Recently I saw a sign talking about some sort of new development but I was unable to read it. Does anybody know?

It's going to be a redesigned strip center. Basicly the same as before except with less skanky tenants.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online...es/II/hri7.html

Independence Heights used to be its own city - It was later annexed into Houston.

...was the first African-American town incorporated in Texas, a town with a disappearing history.

http://indepheights.rice.edu/about.htm

There are tax advantages to investing in the original Independence Heights-see my map in post #3-but if the disadvantages appear to outweigh the advantages, then actual developement will be a long time in coming. As an investor, I would advise buying raw land and holding it for the time being if you can afford it. We live just south of IH and note that while it hasn't increased in desirabilty, it has not decreased. Like hbcu stated, it is in a great location and is prime for redevelopment in the near future.

With the Heights being outrageously overpriced for the world's smallest house...how long before the area known as Studewood off North Main north of 610 gets serious consideration from developers?

The area features great access and is nothing but alot of churches and older homes and the kids aren't returning to settle in the area and the older residents are getting up in age.

Do you think the area will shift since right across the freeway it's a boom? Is it time to start looking for land close to 610 hope for a nice profit?

That area is Independence Heights-not Studewood. It's very historic but parts are very scarey at the same time. Alot of artists are relocating to the northern portions, however.

Do you suppose the Chronicle will get the word one of these days?

...as soon as crack girl "reporter" Sarnoff gets a fax I'm sure she'll publish it.

when you do start the work esp the services that will be hidden behind sheetrock, you (and your knowledgeable friends) should make several walk thrus determine 1)where you think your furniture may go when complete and 2) what will you need to add (electrical outlets, antenna, cat 5, phone lines, etc) to make the furniture config possible 3) are light switches in correct places ( 3ways needed, nothing on wrong side of doors etc.)

similar things can be said for the other services but for me electrical is the most critical.

music has a pretty good grip on the topic but I would not take furniture placement as a guide for where utility ports are placed because furniture is mobile while utility ports are somewhat static. In my first rental property, I instructed my electrician to place duplex and phone jacks as close together and as low as possible on any wall I had painted with a red "X". Almost every wall in every room had the X except the baths and kitchens. He balked and required 50% of the cost of his service up-front because he had never done that and thought I was crazy.

30 years later he not only installs duplex and phone jacks close together-and sometimes in the floor-he adds broadband connections as well. My partner and I are also his girl's godfathers in addition to being equal partners.

Damn, I love my life!

Quite frankly, I can't locate an east of dt site that can accommodate a soccer stadium and practice fields without closing some major thoughrouhfares. If their goal is a stadium with practice fields, many of you have your hearts in the right place but reality dictates a different location. A large chunk of land east of downtown is too valuable to be given up for my favorite sport. I still contend their original Delmar location is a win-win for the Dynamo and HISD.

Just for informational purposes: an editorial, letters and a blog.

I don't have a dog in this hunt but I'd hate to see Wortham leveled when there is still a huge chunk of land at 290 and 610 [Delmar] potentially available.

Yeah, i don't know what the whole point of the rennovation was anyway. It's like they've done nothing at all. It really still looks like the same ol' ugly Exxon Mobil building

The exterior work was not a rennovation as such. It was a stablization of the exterior. As for the inside, it is still a forest of columns set on 10' centers.

I was up in my best friend's office last week helping him pack for his move to Exxon's Greenway offices. I asked him why he was being so frantic and he said he could not wait to get out of "this stinking hell-hole." He used to be in the old First City Exxon space adjacent to the Pavillions and South Texas and was looking forward to perhaps buying or leasing another condo there. Then Exxon moved him to Bell Street and now to Greenway. As it turns out, the condos at the Pavilions are dead so he is now looking at properties around Greenway.

I was the big kid who was outside writing my name in the snow.

That was YOU???????

Don't need any link because that day is etched in my memory. I was in Mrs. Tillinghast

See also Guidry News. Apparently Guidry News had a reporter at the meeting. Can you imagine?

I'm shocked!

I guess the chron's fax machines must be on the blink since our crack girl reporter Nancy seems oblivious as usual.

Note merged topics.

One of my best friends ended up in that boat shack on High Island. I lived through the trama as I'm sure H2B did as well. It's a tough row to hoe being a young boy or girl having to witness the horrors of an event such as this. I know that H2B, myself, my sisters and my cousin had to endure an experience that few adults could barely have the idea of the horror we were a part of.

Back in the real world, this project is complex and complex efforts take time and patience.

There are so many factors involved:

Public and private financing-already secured.

Remediation-almost complete.

Permits-already secured.

Just because there are still parked cars on portions of the site only means the leasees are going to milk every last cent of income until the time comes for them to move out.

Still doesn't mean anything. When they brake ground, trucks, workers and a crane starts to move in that's when I'll say the Houston Pavilions is going up. Until then, I doubt it.

I'll be holding my breath-hanging on your every word.

Ok. Thanks. You too Ricco.

Still highly controversial since life (whether it is or isn't)is involved and the weighing whether it's worth it for the "greater good."

Well, good luck finding a candidate that opposes all abortion and favors saving all embryos and how he or she plans to pay for it.