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Montrose Collective: Office Building With Retail At 888 Westheimer Rd.


trymahjong

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On 12/30/2019 at 9:46 AM, Luminare said:

So some interesting insider industry info. Recently learned that the architect responsible for this design, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, is opening up a Houston office. They have already established themselves as the next big player in town regarding commercial architecture. Expect to see their name on more projects to come, and have an influence on Houston's mixed-use scene as well as commercial architecture aesthetics.

I walk that area daily because my job is on 18th. I’ll have to walk by the offices tomorrow. 

Edited by j_cuevas713
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Wow. What a great place to pick up guys! Especially rendering #8. A one stop party plaza in the middle of Montrose. Can't wait to hang out here from morning till midnight. We need 4 more of these at the intersection of Westhiemer and Montrose with apartments on top instead of offices so I never have to leave!

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Someone should start a recycling nursery. Contract with developers to clear unwanted shrubbery and trees and recycle them. Manicure them and sell them for projects.

It just seems like such a waste to just cut it all down, and throw it in the landfills.

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4 hours ago, bobruss said:

Someone should start a recycling nursery. Contract with developers to clear unwanted shrubbery and trees and recycle them. Manicure them and sell them for projects.

It just seems like such a waste to just cut it all down, and throw it in the landfills.


most wouldn’t survive being removed and the labor cost to get them out would be high. It’s a nice idea though... some things would have a better chance at surviving than others. These materials are best grounded up and used as mulch.

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6 hours ago, hindesky said:

7lYAQv6.jpg

12881K0.jpg

 

well I'm already impressed to see that patch they are doing because...

 

5 hours ago, bobruss said:

Nice patch!

 

 

they actually aren't required to do this. So yeah its very nice. Of course its also good PR, but even if its for selfish reasons its a smart thing to do that is also a nice thing to do. Hopefully this can become the norm.

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2 minutes ago, gene said:

Honestly since this is being done, i wonder if they will begin to make all the surrounding (and eventually all of lower Westheimer) sidewalks better? hopefully! 

 

There's a great plan in place! It's just been kicked down the road to at least 2023 again.

 

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/37468-lower-westheimer-reconstruction

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38 minutes ago, wilcal said:

 

There's a great plan in place! It's just been kicked down the road to at least 2023 again.

 

https://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/37468-lower-westheimer-reconstruction

 

well dang but hey at least it is in the works...

i rode my bike along those sidewalks ONCE................ 😲

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1 hour ago, architeckton said:

 

It's probably only temporary until the scaffolding and construction fence are up.

 

This is why I detest Twitter or what I refer to as the "Twatter". All it takes is a few moments to think about why it might be closed to get to this conclusion. But now I, the Twatter poster, need validation right now the moment I see it!

Edited by Luminare
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26 minutes ago, wilcal said:

Even if they are under construction, there's still supposed to be a temporary sidewalk if they close the main one. 

 

This is supposed to be the temp sidewalk. They can close it off for a limited period of time to erect scaffolding. This a completely normal thing to do. They haven't even started demo nor construction.

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17 hours ago, Luminare said:

 

This is supposed to be the temp sidewalk. They can close it off for a limited period of time to erect scaffolding. This a completely normal thing to do. They haven't even started demo nor construction.

 

Houston Public Works actually commented on another discussion of the sidewalk and a lane of traffic being closed for The Sophie on Memorial and they said an ADA alternative must be established if the sidewalk is closed.  Backtracking for wheelchairs is at least feasible on Westheimer. Not so much so on Memorial with one sidewalk. 

 

I'll see if I can swing by and see if the sidewalk has reopened yet. These covered sidewalk barriers are so NYC! lol

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1 hour ago, wilcal said:

 

Houston Public Works actually commented on another discussion of the sidewalk and a lane of traffic being closed for The Sophie on Memorial and they said an ADA alternative must be established if the sidewalk is closed.  Backtracking for wheelchairs is at least feasible on Westheimer. Not so much so on Memorial with one sidewalk. 

 

I'll see if I can swing by and see if the sidewalk has reopened yet. These covered sidewalk barriers are so NYC! lol

 

I completely get it, and understand where you are coming from. However, what I don't like with social media, and that includes this forum sometimes is just because we get to observe the process doesn't mean we are a part of it, yet strangely some feel like they have ownership of it or the right to interject themselves into it. The process must be respected, and even though the result is something of which you speak, an unobstructed sidewalk that is also ADA accessible, there is a process to setting that up which takes time. We can't project what should be the outcome, or conclusion when it still has to go through the process to get there. More than anything, in Architecture and Construction, is respecting and not violating the process, which in my opinion is way more important than the end product or outcome. We don't know where they are at in the process of setting this up because we don't have the schedule. If they are following the schedule and this is setup in the timeframe they have specified for the city than that is what is important, not people like us that have no business butting into the process. We need to just sit back and let them do their work. Our interjections are just going to slow things down, and will only do more harm than good.

 

EDIT: I only say this, even though this is such a small incident, and because its actually important. Plus I bring it up do to the weird notion in todays world that people feel like they have a right to be in everyones business, or some kind of social obligation to interfere in ones process when they don't immediately see their subjective end outcome or conclusion that they imagine.

Edited by Luminare
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The person that posted that on Twitter was in-fact walking on the sidewalk, so they did become a de facto part of it. 

 

HPW said that the official policy is to report these to 311, which is pretty brutal as it easily takes days to investigate. 

 

It took me almost 6 months to force the Brass Tap (well, their landlord) to install grates over the tree planters because they added a patio and it made the sidewalk not ADA compliant. Turns out that they had their plan rejected from the city for this reason, built the patio anyway and never even paid the fee to utilize the city ROW. No repercussions and the solution that was developed still sucks (metal grates set on top of existing granite chunks which, you guessed it have adjusted/sunk a bit). 

 

So yes, being a lay-pedestrian and being annoying to the construction crews is... annoying to the crews, but the city barely gives a flying flip about sidewalk enforcement. In my mind, there is a social obligation to interfere in the process when it appears to break the law. There may be some leeway granted by the city, but the situation is that they have appeared to close the sidewalk without providing or marking an alternative, so they appear to be in violation.

 

There are some four story town homes being built next door to me and they are finishing the framing on the third floor right now. I saw a worker tight-rope walking an exterior wall 2x4 cap without a safety harness. Should I not worry and trust that they are following the process? I'm not in the industry, but gonna guess that isn't part of the process. 

 

TLDR: construction companies don't get the benefit of the doubt from me, especially when blocking sidewalks are concerned lol

 

 

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I don't understand how the 4TH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA can't enforce simple sidewalk rules. We have all these "pilot" programs for walkable neighborhoods for what? Why do we need pilot programs? Look at NYC as your pilot program, DONE. I file a 311 complaint about simple sidewalk maintenance often, and I get the same response, "It's the property owner's responsibility." Then why tell me to file a 311 complaint??? This city want's more walkability then shoots itself in the foot. 

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