sevfiv Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Apologies if this has been mentioned before -- I was looking at some aerial maps of the Gulfgate area and was wondering what the building(s) is/are on the south side of the 610 pedestrian bridge from the mall (in the red triangle). This image is from 1989 but it was all demolished by 2002 when Gulfgate Mall was being overhauled. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnu Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 (edited) Apologies if this has been mentioned before -- I was looking at some aerial maps of the Gulfgate area and was wondering what the building(s) is/are on the south side of the 610 pedestrian bridge from the mall (in the red triangle). This image is from 1989 but it was all demolished by 2002 when Gulfgate Mall was being overhauled. TIA! The Gulfgate Twin movie theater. Can't remember what the building was in the very top right corner of the triangle. Edit: My sister thinks the building on the top right in the triangle (corner of Evergreen) was a gas station. Maybe Exxon. Edited February 13, 2011 by gnu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) I vaquely remember a Western Auto or White's at that location. But I could be wrong. I think they primarily sold automobile tires, but they had bicycles and red wagons too. The theater sat on a hill, the bldg. you speak of was at ground or street level. The theater property was probably sculpted as needed for bldg. and bridge elevation purposes. Would like to have witnessed the whole mall shopping center as it was being developed, in stages, just to see how it was done. The different levels always fascinated me. Edited February 14, 2011 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 This thread reminded me, they have redone the bridge, it looks really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) http://mall-hall-of-...arch?q=gulfgateThis link shows the movie theater from the Gulfgate parking lot , across 610 South (originally Holmes Rd.). I like those bonsai trees, there was one on each side.You can see how high it was elevated. Stairs led down from the theater main lobby entrance to a pedestrian pick-up drive at the foot of the bridge. Kids used to roll down the hill for fun. The original plan was to have medical offices across the bridge. Plans were changed, obviously. Edited February 14, 2011 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 my buddy used to work there.... got some free popcorn... back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I saw the movie Firefox with Clint Eastwood at that place when the movie came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I also remember seeing the movie "Firefox" there as well and the "Man from Snowy River" #1 as well. There use to be a passenger drop off point just under the pedistrain bridge. My mother use to drop my friends and I off there and we would have fun scrambling up the hill (Of course avoiding the stairs) to the top just to see who could get there first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura1406 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) Here is a recent picture of the new foot bridge. Edited February 15, 2011 by Laura1406 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 610 pedestrian bridge This thread reminded me, they have redone the bridge, it looks really nice.Here is a recent picture of the new foot bridge.I wonder how TXDOT (or whichever agency was responsible) was persuaded to include a footbridge at all. Other neighborhoods could have benefitted from such a simple improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/2771-gulfgate-shopping-centermall/page__st__50__p__329557__hl__gulfgate__fromsearch__1#entry329557here's another HAIF thread on Gulfgate, included is a b/w photo of the original bridge design. I liked the shape of the old bridge pillars.In post #83's postcard you can see a bldg that pre-dated the movie theater, wonder what that was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msteele6 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I vaquely remember a Western Auto or White's at that location. But I could be wrong. I think they primarily sold automobile tires, but they had bicycles and red wagons too. The theater sat on a hill, the bldg. you speak of was at ground or street level. The theater property was probably sculpted as needed for bldg. and bridge elevation purposes. Would like to have witnessed the whole mall shopping center as it was being developed, in stages, just to see how it was done. The different levels always fascinated me.I watched as Gulfgate was being built in the fifties (as a small child) and I still remember that a huge hill was built up first, on flat ground, I assume that the underground portion of the mall (the store rooms, basements, the auditorium, etc.) were constructed, and then the stores proper were constructed on top of the finished basement construction. Very few buildings in Houston were constructed with basements (the old Sears on Harrisburg comes to mind) and I guess that this method of construction was chosen in order to provide stores with basement storerooms without having to actually excavate. By the way, there were at least two truck entrances that allowed for deliveries to be made under the mall, one on the 610 Loop side and one beneath Joske's.The main impression of the mall under construction was of the enormous man made hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicocasanova Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 The Gulfgate Twin movie theater. Can't remember what the building was in the very top right corner of the triangle. Edit: My sister thinks the building on the top right in the triangle (corner of Evergreen) was a gas station. Maybe Exxon. Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I watched as Gulfgate was being built in the fifties (as a small child) and I still remember that a huge hill was built up first, on flat ground, I assume that the underground portion of the mall (the store rooms, basements, the auditorium, etc.) were constructed, and then the stores proper were constructed on top of the finished basement construction. Very few buildings in Houston were constructed with basements (the old Sears on Harrisburg comes to mind) and I guess that this method of construction was chosen in order to provide stores with basement storerooms without having to actually excavate. By the way, there were at least two truck entrances that allowed for deliveries to be made under the mall, one on the 610 Loop side and one beneath Joske's.The main impression of the mall under construction was of the enormous man made hill.Interesting about the basement. The Midtown Sears also has a basement. Most buildings downtown have basements. Actually, deliveries to Chase Tower are made down under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there? I think it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasepies Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Here's a photo of it, but I don't know when it was taken. Does anyone know if that sign is still there? Still there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earlydays Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Interesting about the basement. The Midtown Sears also has a basement. Most buildings downtown have basements. Actually, deliveries to Chase Tower are made down under....and many of these downtown basements are connected by tunnels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJboutit Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I remember waiting in line waiting at the bridge for the movie theater to see Superman I or was II I can not remembers I was only like 4 to 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicocasanova Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I found a video on youtube.com of someone driving along that section of IH-610: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJboutit Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 ^^^ That video does not even show that bridge the video started at about 610 east & 59 north & went to 225 then east on 225 I never saw this bridge. The funny thing about the video the driver is doing about 85mph I know the video was speed up about 5 times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjmcge Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Yep, went over it many times while my parents were shopping. They would go to the mall. I and my friends would go to the theatre. I don't remember what the other building could have been. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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