pineda Posted August 19, 2005 Author Share Posted August 19, 2005 And it just opened, too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 So ICON is going into bankruptcy and Cielo is also dying. Downtown is sure dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 From what I understand, ICON was doing quite well with bookings, it may have more to do with bad management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Cielo dying, but Bombay Pizza and Samba Grille are successes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttuchris Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Cielo's food and service is awful. I am okay with them dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feufoma Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Swamplot reports that Books a Million at the Pavilions is closing on January 15. Not good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totheskies Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Well I hate to lose such a nice bookstore in downtown, but truth be told I don't think Books a Million is a good fit for downtown. It has a TERRIBLE Christian slant that's just annoying when you try to shop there (I'm a Christian btw). We need a company that's going to be more fair in its media distribution for Downtown. Borders or Barnes and Noble would have been better tenants for downtown. Hopefully something nice will go in its place though, and we can be thankful that the coporate shifts will put more interest in HP's retail scope. I'm betting that this anchor spot won't be vacant for too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KinkaidAlum Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 You aren't the only one who noticed the Christian-Conservative slant of Books-A-Million. I went once to try and support a new downtown business but was rather turned off. However, I did know that if I ever wanted to buy a book "written" by Mrs. Palin in the future, that I could find one at Books-A-Million.I'll stick with the Brazos Bookstore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lotus Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Maybe not dying but changing, no doubt. What really might be dying is a high-consumption lifestyle. To state the obvious, folks are out of work, disposible, discretionary income has dried up and DT was never a solid retail location anyway. Books a Million seemed like a big gamble betting on the Pavilions being a draw, and they are a draw, if you're a bus passenger looking for a place to go pee.... And if/when the fake stock market rally pops, we'll unfortunately see a lot more "surprise" business failures in more established areas of town. Dollar stores, thrift shops and organized flea markets might be the new trend and I also expect to see creative new ventures. Recycled products, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I was in a Books-a-Million last December in Florida. If what you mean by "Christian slant" as "some Joel Osteen books", that doesn't really count, as Joel Osteen is as much authentic Christian as ramen noodles are authentic Asian food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 DT was never a solid retail location anyway.Bingo.Musicman, downtown was never really alive to begin with. Therefore it cannot die.I'd go even further. It's on par with claiming that a salt flat, whereupon receiving a quarter-inch of rain, is now drying up, and is therefore dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 What ridiculous commentary. It's like me ripping on some indie bookstore for being a godless commie haven filled with long-haired dope fiends.You guys are obviously just looking for something to be offended by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Call it whatever you like, Books a Million wasn't selling what downtown was buying. Not enough of it, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feufoma Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The bookstore at Houston Center closed last year as well. Note to self: when thinking about opening a business in DTH skip the bookstore idea. I get a bad feeling about the viability of Pavilions. DTH just can't support it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The bookstore at Houston Center closed last year as well. Note to self: when thinking about opening a business in DTH skip the bookstore idea. I get a bad feeling about the viability of Pavilions. DTH just can't support it...Perhaps it simply is that a bookstore of that size can't be supported, but that doesn't mean another business can't make a better go at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister X Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Downtown Houston survived the great oil bust of the 1980s, Hurricane Ike and Bud Adams' Oilers. But the closing of Books-A-Million, ICON and CIELO has finally killed downtown. I guess it's just a matter of time before the theatre district, Hess Tower, House of Blues, and Minute Maid Park close down too. People are so stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Downtown Houston survived the great oil bust of the 1980s, Hurricane Ike and Bud Adams' Oilers. But the closing of Books-A-Million, ICON and CIELO has finally killed downtown. I guess it's just a matter of time before the theatre district, Hess Tower, House of Blues, and Minute Maid Park close down too. People are so stupid.And Tundradome, err, Toyota Center.And the convention center.And Disco Green.I heard that there are two options: rather than demolishing everything, they're just going to call in the military to do a tactical strike and glass the place over and turn it into a large surface area parking lot. The other option is that Walmart, Bestbuy, Home Depot, Hobby Lobby, General Bob's Army Surplus and some other big box stores are clamoring to buy the land and turn DT into 1960 central (no one has told them that it will ultimately fail because it is being put in Downtown). In true Houston fashion, there would be no access for pedestrians. I also heard they are going to install sniper towers to take out anyone planning on cycling to, or even within a mile radius of the big box stores. I think in this scenario, Cal Worthington and his dog spot would be coming back to open a new Chevy dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniepwils Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 The bookstore at Houston Center closed last year as well. Note to self: when thinking about opening a business in DTH skip the bookstore idea. I get a bad feeling about the viability of Pavilions. DTH just can't support it...That is because that chain of stores was closing numerous stores... that Borders did quite well to be honest, it was packed all the time from 11ish to 2ish.Books-A-Million and bookstores all together aren't doing well right now with more and more people reading books off of ereaders.That is too bad about Cielo, when they first opened they had really good food, then it just went down hill along with the service. Which is very shocking since the Bella family owns it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfastx Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 In order for downtown to be more vibrant, two things need to happen: (1) more residental buildings and (2) more retail. We are trying to put too much retail, without the residents to support it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 In order for downtown to be more vibrant, two things need to happen: (1) more residental buildings and (2) more retail. We are trying to put too much retail, without the residents to support it.I think the bookstore would have had more of a fighting chance if the hotel element was included in the construction, along with with the office tower being occupied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Books-A-Million and bookstores all together aren't doing well right now with more and more people reading books off of ereaders....and the fact that one can buy the same generic mass-market books for less money online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Perhaps it simply is that a bookstore of that size can't be supported, but that doesn't mean another business can't make a better go at it.Bookstores in general are having a tough time. Even the huge chains. Brentano's is long gone. Borders is closing hundreds of stores, even profitable ones. Barnes and Noble is looking for someone to buy the whole chain. And either Borders or B&N or both are in bankruptcy. The big chains thought CDs and DVD sales were going to save them. Then iTunes and Netflix blew that out of the water.Amazon built a coffin for bookstores. The iPad and Kindle are driving the nails into it. Opening a Books-a-Million in downtown Houston was silly to begin with.Pretty soon there will only been neighborhood and specialty bookstores left. For Christmas I gave my wife a gift certificate to a bookstore that only sells mysteries. It doesn't look like it's doing well financially, but I think it's important to support local businesses.In short, I don't think it has anything to do with Houston or downtown or the Pavillions. It's just a crappy time to open a buggy whip boutique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I think the bookstore would have had more of a fighting chance if the hotel element was included in the construction, along with with the office tower being occupied.The bookstore might have had a fighting chance if the proposed hotel and about ten others like it had been built within a couple of blocks distance.The irony is that the developers of HP removed the hotel and residential components from the project when the market weakened, moved the deal significantly forward by the time that the economy began to improve again, and regretted not being able to include the additional components even as they closed the construction loan. And while the project was under construction, it looked increasingly like money had been left on the table. Then the project delivered, the economy crashed, and the retail bombed. By sheer luck, the office space filled, but a hotel and residences probably would've crashed the property anyway and resulted in rapid foreclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highway6 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well.. it was only a flesh wound...http://swamplot.com/books-a-million-at-houston-pavilions-back-from-the-dead/2011-01-04/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrLan34 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well.. it was only a flesh wound...http://swamplot.com/...ead/2011-01-04/wow that is some cheap rent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister X Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 See. Downtown Houston averted another catastrophe. Maybe it will survive after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Magic Johnson's group has bought the Icon and will rebrand it with a national chain. This is a smart move, especially if they team up with Starwood (Westin, Sheraton, W). Starwood has absolutely no presence downtown and, to me, that is insane. This would be perfect as a Westin. As a former traveling consultant, I will say that Starwood draws in a ton of business just from customer loyalty programs. I don't travel nearly as much as I used to but I still use my Starwood Amex for everything because I love their program. This would be a very underrated impact move for downtown if it happens - particularly that side of downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 We should all do more to support this thing. Even if most of us have to drive 47 miles to get to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniepwils Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 We should all do more to support this thing. Even if most of us have to drive 47 miles to get to it.Are you talking about the bookstore? or HP as a whole?I live three blocks from HP and frequent both Mia Bella and Guadalajara at least once a week, even Lucky Strikes and the Piano bar next door, as for the bookstore...well, I first joined Books-A-Millions club for $20.00 a year thinking their books would be cheaper than Amazon. They aren't... even when you join their club. Now...I have a Kindle so no reason to enter it at all, I do feel bad, but that bookstore isn't going to survive for very long, even if they have almost free rent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniepwils Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 Magic Johnson's group has bought the Icon and will rebrand it with a national chain. This is a smart move, especially if they team up with Starwood (Westin, Sheraton, W). Starwood has absolutely no presence downtown and, to me, that is insane. This would be perfect as a Westin. As a former traveling consultant, I will say that Starwood draws in a ton of business just from customer loyalty programs. I don't travel nearly as much as I used to but I still use my Starwood Amex for everything because I love their program. This would be a very underrated impact move for downtown if it happens - particularly that side of downtown.I have to agree with you on this post. My favorite "chain" or "brand" of hotels is Starwood. I do belong to their program and use them when I can, but having a boyfriend who gets free hotel rooms at any Hilton, Doubletree or Waldord Astoria is hard to pass up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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