Toyota moving American HQ from Los Angeles area to Plano: Possible development of Japanese community in DFW

[ArchFan]

The buffalo bayou redevelopment which was spurred by kinders $35M is one of the greater philanthropic civic projects in the country.

 

I think I'm partially responsible for us going off topic.  

 

But, I agree that the Buffalo Bayou project is terrific!  Actually, it fits my philosophy of how we should develop Houston going forward:  focus on being the best Houston we can (e.g., on quality of life issues) and less on building things for bragging rights or to impress outsiders.

[mollusk]

OK, I can no longer resist.  This is not kind, and full of stereotypes.  But there is also truth:  "You may not be from Plano, but then again, nobody is, because Plano was invented in the 1980s."  

 

http://jalopnik.com/a-guide-to-plano-texas-for-toyota-employees-being-forc-1579103819

 

Does the "no bashing Dallas" rule run out when you get past the High Five?

[ArchFan]

I actually visited Plano in the 70s and it was "way out in the country" then.  Heck, even the area around UT-Dallas in Richardson seemed to be mostly cornfields!  Quite a change.

[Ross]

We lived in Plano from 1969 to 1972. Population was 15,000 or so, there was one High School that had recently become 4A, and there was pretty much nothing West of 75. I recently read that the last undeveloped area in Plano is being developed, putting it on a par with the other cities in the area that are land locked and unable to grow.

[ArchFan]

I greatly appreciate the philanthropy of the Kinders, so maybe I should just shut up.  

 

Nevertheless ... I am still impressed by the contributions wealthy Dallas boosters have made to their city.  I imagine that the philanthropy involved in the Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science do not pale by comparison.  However, those are two very big family names, so perhaps they garner more attention.  I realize that families who are perhaps not so well known nationally have made really big contributions to the arts in our city.

[Houston19514]

I greatly appreciate the philanthropy of the Kinders, so maybe I should just shut up.  

 

Nevertheless ... I am still impressed by the contributions wealthy Dallas boosters have made to their city.  I imagine that the philanthropy involved in the Crow Collection of Asian Art and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science do not pale by comparison.  However, those are two very big family names, so perhaps they garner more attention.  I realize that families who are perhaps not so well known nationally have made really big contributions to the arts in our city.

 

Ya think??

 

Yours is nothing but classic "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence".  I cannot understand why so many Houstonians, especially on this board, are so stuck in that way of thinking.

 

What about the Duncan family wing recently added to our Museum of Natural Science (the addition is larger than the entire Perot Museum)?

How about the Menil?

How about the Beck Building at MFAH? 

or Caroline Weiss Law's bequest to MFAH of an estate worth more than $400 Million?

[arche_757]

We often overlook that which is closest.

 

Perhaps some on this board just wish we had a "modern" Menil family who wanted to build a new musuem?  They see the Perot Cube in Dallas and think "WOW! Wish Houston could get something cool like that!"  When in fact we've HAD that, perhaps not in as grand of a architectural piece as the Perot, but still had that for decades now in the HMNS.  Or the Menil.  Or decades old theater district.  Or the University of Houston.  Or Rice.  Or much of the Medical Center.

[livincinco]

It was really unfortunate that legal issues necessitated the liquidation of John O'Quinn's estate.  His intent was to donate his collection to form what would have been a world class auto museum.  Unfortunately, sometimes things don't work out the way that they are planned and the vast majority of the collection was sold at auction.

 

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Car-collection-s-fate-uncertain-after-O-Quinn-s-1725043.php

 

 

[mkultra25]

It was really unfortunate that legal issues necessitated the liquidation of John O'Quinn's estate.  His intent was to donate his collection to form what would have been a world class auto museum.  Unfortunately, sometimes things don't work out the way that they are planned and the vast majority of the collection was sold at auction.

 

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Car-collection-s-fate-uncertain-after-O-Quinn-s-1725043.php

 

Well, we used to have a world class auto museum, but it had such a low profile that few people knew about it. Jerry J. Moore had an astounding collection of Duesenbergs, Packards, pre-war Cadillacs, and many other classics. A fair chunk of them were tucked into a nondescript metal building off the North Loop near Yale bearing a modest sign proclaiming it as "The Antique Car Museum". Of course, Moore got into some financial difficulties before his death, necessitating the liquidation of his collection (among other assets). 

 

That said, I certainly share your dismay at the disposition of O'Quinn's collection. I'm fairly sure he had the largest and most diverse collection of anyone not named Jay Leno, and a museum built around it would have almost certainly been the nearest thing to the second coming of Bill Harrah's late, lamented collection that we're likely to see any time soon. 

[Mr. Mojito]

Dallas Morning News: Dallas/Fort Worth Airport executive didn’t know whom he was briefing (but he apparently did OK)

 

 

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport CEO Sean Donohue had an unusual meeting about three months ago.

 

Speaking Tuesday afternoon to the New Cities Summit in Dallas, Donohue recalled that he was asked to brief a dozen people coming to the airport. But, he was told, he couldn’t know who the people were.

Under those conditions, he told them about his sprawling airport with its seven runways and five terminals.

 

In late April, he found out who the visitors were – Toyota representatives who were considering relocating the Japanese carmaker’s U.S. headquarters. Toyota announced April 29 that it would move its offices and 4,000 jobs to Plano.

 

[ArchFan]

Ya think??

 

Yours is nothing but classic "the grass is greener on the other side of the fence".  I cannot understand why so many Houstonians, especially on this board, are so stuck in that way of thinking.

 

What about the Duncan family wing recently added to our Museum of Natural Science (the addition is larger than the entire Perot Museum)?

How about the Menil?

How about the Beck Building at MFAH? 

or Caroline Weiss Law's bequest to MFAH of an estate worth more than $400 Million?

 

Thanks for pointing those other examples of philanthropy in Houston (which I was aware of).  I guess I'm not expressing myself well, because I think we probably agree more than you think.  

 

I think arch_757's speculation captured some of the emotional motivation for my posts.  On one hand, I like it that we have had some recent nice additions that do not reflect a (perhaps adolescent) need to shout "look at me!".   OTOH, I guess there must still be some adolescent in me, because I sometimes wish Houston would get more glitzy stuff.   Like in the days when Pennzoil Place garnered national and international attention.  

 

I think will will stop reacting to this off-topic discussion.  Feel free to have the last word, if you like ... I don't mind, and I actually appreciate your comments.

[arche_757]

I don't think it an adolescent response.  More of a wistfulness that we continue to get nice buildings and additions to town.  Houston's cultural scene is older than anywhere else in the state, and richer with possible exception of the 2 museums in Fort Worth, though I fully expect that MFA will eventually surpass those collections in time given the size and money of Houston versus Fort Worth.

 

I too want Houston to have the best.  If say the Duncan family decided to fund a new art gallery dedicated to Antiquities and hire XYZ Starchitect to design the space I wouldn't scoff at the idea because the Menil and MFA already have nice antiquity sections.  I would very much applaud that!

 

I understand what ArchFan is saying, and appreciate people having an interest in their city.  Great things don't happen without a spark, sparks do not happen without first a dream of something greater.  Perhaps ArchFan will make billions in reverse engineering pig fat and spend lavishly on a new school for the arts here in Houston?  I'd be very happy with that idea.