arche_757 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 ^It would make the most sense to move HPD and the jails, however those are county jails, not city. Probably cheaper to build a new jail complex than retrofit a post office, which really isn't all that big considering those jails hold 9,000 inmates. I'd also like to see Franklin gone from the north side of the Bayou. No need. Just use Preston and go ahead and run Washington back across the Bayou and connect onto Commerce Street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Franklin would likely be re-worked somehow - perhaps even removed. Considering the scale of the work being talked about on here its easy to see a street changing quite a bit to accomodate something. I mean we're talking about MOVING all the county jails+private jails+digging a canal between White Oak and Buffalo Bayou. Versus removing 400' of street that's probably in bad shape anyway overhanging part of Buffalo Bayou... which one sounds easier to you.Yeah, a couple of those university submitted proposals has franklyn removed or set back further unto the property. They mess with streets all the time. Especially if light rail is involved I dont see rerouting Franklin to Washington as being a big deal. Franklin, Preston and Washington already merge past 45 anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 the post office site needs to be treated as the "gateway" (for lack of a better term) to the city of houston. the last thing we want is a quickly aging police headquarters fronting downtown with 24 hour activity surrounding law enforcement; let them build under the elevated section of 59 by the elysian viaduct or north of u of h on the bayou side. i want.....yes, i'm stomping my feet like a two year old....i want a monumental structure on the post office site that implies "welcome to oz (not the prison reference, the over the rainbow reference)/space city/the city of possibility/the city where dreams come true/the most diverse up and coming city in the country". while i'm on my soapbox in dreamland......i want a frank gehry or a morphosis or a renzo piano...i want something that is bold yet restrained; it doesn't turn it's back to the freeway or the bayou; it is beautiful from 360 degrees; it is mixed use, pedestrian friendly and connected to mass transit...... i know i'm not asking much......i just watched the secret life of walter mitty and feel like i need to go jump out of a helicopter and just freakin' go for it!! sorry...i digress. NO! XENOS!!! (channeling toula's father in "my big fat greek wedding"...possibly incorrectly) XENOS to more police structures on the bayou or in desirable locations! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 ^It would make the most sense to move HPD and the jails, however those are county jails, not city. Probably cheaper to build a new jail complex than retrofit a post office, which really isn't all that big considering those jails hold 9,000 inmates. I'd also like to see Franklin gone from the north side of the Bayou. No need. Just use Preston and go ahead and run Washington back across the Bayou and connect onto Commerce Street.yeah the fact they are county jails is the thing i wasnt sure about.. id assume they could still figure out a way to have both in the same location if they really wanted to. lets be honest here. with all the wild proposals to turn this site into something big, i dont think the city is going to sell it off to HPD. not to mention HPD probably cant pony up the money some of these developers can.but yeah. tear out franklin. run Washington through the site to Commerce and walla, youve got bayou frontage at the post office site. good thinking arche! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Knowing Houston I am surprised that it hasn't turned into a super Wal-Mart bookebded by an office depot and an Academy and surrounding by a gigantic parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Now now, its not quite that bad. I agree tear out Franklin and extend Washington along the backside, and reshape the hill. Hell they can tunnel under half of Boston, cover a freeway in Dallas build a flood wall in Amsterdam for the overall good of the community. This is not a big deal.If you have ever been to the post office you know what an outstanding view of downtown this is and I just think its a shame to givethat view to a detention center. It would be very easy from that point to connect the North bank a the Post Office site to the existing buffalo bayou park and hike and bike trails.Take the vacant lots on the south east side of Franklin east of the courthouse and create a supercell for both county and city inmates. There is already a mini prison across the street from Minute maid in a little two story white brick building and a federal jail a few streets south. Just consolidate and put some of it underground. Build a park on top of the rest. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Take the vacant lots on the south east side of Franklin east of the courthouse and create a supercell for both county and city inmates. There is already a mini prison across the street from Minute maid in a little two story white brick building and a federal jail a few streets south. Just consolidate and put some of it underground. Build a park on top of the rest.Why not a prison skyscraper in downtown (or the island blended in with a new mixed use development)?Chicago has one.. Though I would prefer ours have some glass cladding or something.http://www.emporis.com/building/metropolitancorrectionalcenter-chicago-il-usa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arche_757 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 (edited) Well, Harris County Baker Street jail is 9 floors already. I like the idea of maybe a two block 15 floor each jail. Set aside another block for a future 20 or so floor addition. In the mean time use it for something else? Would be a much greater use of the land. Again the problem is the County. Although Harris County is pretty well off (so I've heard), perhaps they could be persuaded to selling that land and doing something else - a joint venture with the City of Houston? Edited May 2, 2014 by arche_757 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota79 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 It would be outrageous for the City of Houston to screw this up. We already lost out when The Allen Parkway Village low income houses were replaced on the most prominent spot of our skyline and bayou. Even now, they could sell those low income apts and move them 1 mile away and provide much better housing for low income PLUS redevelop our entrance to DT. Geez! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Okay, I just had a solution that would solve two county problemsDomed penal colony. "Astrojail" We already used it to house thousands after katrina.The county could consolidate all of their jails to the dome. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 In case anyone took my comments as negative. No I wasn't suggesting that the refugees from New Orleans were criminals. Just that we had sheltered thousands of people there before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchFan Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 ... If you have ever been to the post office you know what an outstanding view of downtown this is and I just think its a shame to givethat view to a detention center ... My thought, exactly. That is a super-primo view. There aren't many places that provide such a close-up panoramic view of the downtown high-rises, unobstructed by elevated freeways. I think it would be terrific if the property could be developed in such a way as to provide restaurants and bars with that view, plus of the bayou and associated amenities ... plus being a short walk from the Wortham Center. Personally, I would lean toward having the north side (away from the bayou) developed as high-rise residential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernz Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Okay, I just had a solution that would solve two county problemsDomed penal colony. "Astrojail" We already used it to house thousands after katrina.The county could consolidate all of their jails to the dome.Bingo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 the post office site needs to be treated as the "gateway" (for lack of a better term) to the city of houston. the last thing we want is a quickly aging police headquarters fronting downtown with 24 hour activity surrounding law enforcement; let them build under the elevated section of 59 by the elysian viaduct or north of u of h on the bayou side.i want.....yes, i'm stomping my feet like a two year old....i want a monumental structure on the post office site that implies "welcome to oz (not the prison reference, the over the rainbow reference)/space city/the city of possibility/the city where dreams come true/the most diverse up and coming city in the country". while i'm on my soapbox in dreamland......i want a frank gehry or a morphosis or a renzo piano...i want something that is bold yet restrained; it doesn't turn it's back to the freeway or the bayou; it is beautiful from 360 degrees; it is mixed use, pedestrian friendly and connected to mass transit......i know i'm not asking much......i just watched the secret life of walter mitty and feel like i need to go jump out of a helicopter and just freakin' go for it!! sorry...i digress.NO! XENOS!!! (channeling toula's father in "my big fat greek wedding"...possibly incorrectly) XENOS to more police structures on the bayou or in desirable locations!Except for one or two details, you've basically just described the Spirit of Houston statue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 That was probably one of the worst ideas. Thank goodness city council agreed. We already have someone putting out tacky concrete public sculptures and we don't need any more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Stairs are cheap, and they've been done elsewhere along the Bayou recently.I just noticed there are already stairs right at the southeast corner of the Post Office site Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chi-Char-Hou-Dal Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Ha to whoever said "the north canal will be coming soon" I'm young and optimistic but I don't expect that will happen until 2030 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobruss Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 For anyone who has not been on this site, you should go down and see the view of downtown, the property itself and the proximity to the bayou. I just think there is a much better land use than jail and courthouses. This site would provide room for residences in an attractive section of the bayou, especially if we could get Franklin rerouted to Preston or Washington. Larger infrastructure projects are tackled all the time. The county owns most of the land along Commerce and Franklin east of the courthouses, and could trade a property with the city so a new county/city mixed use facility could be built. It would be convenient to all of the courthousesand allow the Post Office site to become a positive space instead of another jail. Besides the Post Office site is not really that close to the courts anyway. This site intersects with Bagby. The courts are on Franklin and San Jacinto and farther East. Sometimes its more important to think about aesthetics and the future of the area and I just feel that it would be better served by a well planned mixed use development. We only get this chance once. lets not screw it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Ha to whoever said "the north canal will be coming soon" I'm young and optimistic but I don't expect that will happen until 2030I never said it was "coming soon". But it was apparently approved in the budget last year. http://m.imgur.com/IvPwMRX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chi-Char-Hou-Dal Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Well I am blown away. My bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Well I am blown away. My badno worries.. that one is for flood control, so its actually important for the city, whereas the south canal was just for entertainment/touristy/development purposes. whether or not the north canal ever gets developed like the SA riverwalk, I have no idea. but I don't see any part of the island/that stretch of the bayou being very popular for development or boating as long as there is a prison there.lets build that skyscraper prison! heh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Let's move the jail to the unsold Astroworld site.;-) It would free up prime land and occupy that empty field. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Let's move the jail to the unsold Astroworld site.;-) It would free up prime land and occupy that empty field.Lol, I know you are being playful, but the Rodeo and the Texans runs this city. Anything that will interfere with those two gets crushedIn fact, if you want something done with that post office spot all you do is hitch it to the Rodeo and they will get er done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 From what I read it seems the city has abandoned trying to get the post office site. It makes since to simply move the Police department and the rest of the courts to where the jails and other courts are right now. Then develop the Franklin lot in tandem with the rerouting of I-45. I swear though that TXdot is manned by monkeys because all the alternatives really suck right now. The only bright spot is the re-routing, but i have no clue why they will not simply trench the rest of 59 and trench I-45 with it.....or idk maybe just have traffic go on the same lanes as 59?? No the current proposal would then make that whole area into a super highway of...guess......14 freakin lanes! UGH. I'm not even kidding too. Go look at the I45 north and above site....it makes me sick -.- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 This would be an excellent site for a commuter rail transit hub. Assuming that's out, I can only hope for some distinctive residential buildings with ground floor retail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 1. Legalize gambling and build about 8 themed casinos on there.2. Sell it to South Texas College of Law so when they consolidate with UHD they will be right there. 3. Build a giant Hellipad for extraterrestrial landings.4. Sell it to the Landrys guy, he will know what to do with it. His ideas are cheesier than mine.5. Build a proper museum for NASA there so that we can be awarded proper shuttles. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luminare Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Edited May 19, 2014 by Luminare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted May 19, 2014 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Tillman Fertitta just might get a Golden Nugget built there with a roller coaster swooping around the property. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchFan Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 1. Legalize gambling and build about 8 themed casinos on there.2. Sell it to South Texas College of Law so when they consolidate with UHD they will be right there.3. Build a giant Hellipad for extraterrestrial landings.4. Sell it to the Landrys guy, he will know what to do with it. His ideas are cheesier than mine.5. Build a proper museum for NASA there so that we can be awarded proper shuttles. Kudos! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted May 20, 2014 Share Posted May 20, 2014 (edited) - Edited July 8, 2019 by Timoric 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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