IronTiger

I don't want to see where the tunnels go...that's common. It just doesn't show what's IN the tunnels.

Read somewhere (Wikipedia?) that after the floods, large submarine-style doors were put up at the entrances to prevent flooding.

They recently announced that they would be converting two stores in Bryan-College Station. Guess it was only a matter of time...

Should I be relieved or disappointed that these vigilantes weren't of the "costumed real-life superheroes" variety?

Oh geez, I didn't realize that! I thought they were goners, but I also thought the Hempstead Tollway was cancelled. Ah well, there goes another Mansard Roof McDonald's... I created another map, it looks east of the last area. Blue circles are the ones that were partially demolished but mostly intact, starting with the office building and moving onto the hotels. Antoine is to the west (but fully in the picture), the original IKEA is to the north.

That's a really neat article: after all, Houston is a huge city, makes sense it would be world class in many aspects, especially for people who may never have even visited the States, let alone Texas. However, I wouldn't call Market Street in The Woodlands "artsy". Montrose? Yes. The Woodlands? No.

First of the screenshots: this represents everything between Wirt Road and International Boulevard. McDonald's is the first red X on the lower left, then 59 Diner next to it, and so on.

Hey! Right now, I'm composing a list of buildings and structures demolished for the Katy Freeway expansion. It's extensive, but currently in a draft form, and I'd like your help in expanding it or making it better somehow. Because HAIF doesn't allow editing of posts after 2 hours, I'll make later updates, possibly including maps of some sort. major sources: http://www.houstonfreeways.com/modern/2005-04-23_i10_row_clearance.aspx http://www.texasfreeway.com/houston/photos/i10w/i10_right-of-way.shtml WESTBOUND INTERSTATE 10 This counts buildings as if heading west on I-10, looking out the right, major roads are marked. After a warehouse with a section cut in it for an MKT spur, the clearances begin. first is an office/light industrial building WIRT ROAD office building, northwest corner of Wirt Road and I-10 (picture seen in TexasFreeway.com) two office buildings (or apartments?) to the east of the Key Credit Union building Key Credit Union Building (northeast corner of Bingle and I-10) BINGLE ROAD part of the Westside Family YMCA (may operate under a different name, but a building was lost) VOSS ROAD ALL the houses on Cunningham Street, including the road itself. a cul-de-sac of houses Ciro's Cibo Italiani and the strip mall next to it CAMPBELL ROAD office building at northwest corner of Campbell and I-10 almost everything between Adkins and Anne is demolished, including office buildings, warehouse-like buildings, and St. James Furniture. Calico Corners is actually spared, though still moves out. just east of Lowe's two office buildings (appear to be office buildings, at least) two buildings near Lowe's, possibly commercial BUNKER HILL ROAD most buildings between Witte Road and Bunker Hill were demolished, if not for the freeway (although some were), became part of a huge shopping center anchored by H-E-B and others WITTE ROAD two buildings between the apartment complex and Witte Road a few units of an apartment complex gas station at northeast corner of Gessner and I-10 (appears to have Citgo colors, according to the Houston Freeways page) GESSNER DRIVE a stand-alone restaurant at the northwest corner of Gessner and I-10 (don't know name) part of a strip mall at the northwest corner of Gessner and I-10 (the strip mall was completely demolished later, though unrelated to the consruction) part of a storage-looking building just west of Conrad Sauer Road (rest of building intact) Bennigan's - just south of Chili's (which survived) BELTWAY 8 Igloo Manufacturing Facility - turned into retention pond, worth noting it was once connected to the MKT line via spur some buildings at the northeast corner of Biltmore and I-10 After this point, the only thing that appears to be razed for construction is some apartments near Sherwood Oaks - some units demolished, complex as a whole clipped ---END LIMITS OF WESTBOUND EXPANSION--- This is the Eastbound demolitions. Although there are some building changes (particularly a strip mall that was partially demolished, and then later demolished, plus some new restaurants), the main clearance starts at Wirt Road. gas station - though it looks like it could've been spared, on the west side of west side of Wirt Road. WIRT ROAD McDonald's - gray mansard roof, became part of National Tree & Shrub later 59 Diner - this too unknown restaurant - Dewar's? Dexar's? Take a look for yourself La Quinta Inn - well documented, two-level, motel style Denny's - next to La Quinta Inn Memorial 1 Motorcars - warehouse looking thing REI - Opened in the late 1990s, short lived INTERNATIONAL BLVD some kinda office building demolished except for a small chunk hanging off near the Antoine end Wellesley Inn & Suites - three story hotel with pool Private Self-Storage - largely still intact, still survives (under a different name, maybe?) Holiday Inn - big and fancy one. 11 stories. something that looks like a car dealership - this is the west of the building that survived the expansion unknown gas station - southwest corner of Silber and I-10 SILBER ROAD --END OF LIMITS OF EASTBOUND EXPANSION-- Please write in any corrections or something...just a project of mine.

The tunnels aren't as deep as subways, and one of the oldest parts of Houston (dating back to the 1930s, or the 1960s, depending on who you talk to).

Didn't want to start a new topic, but I'm looking for a map of the tunnels (with the actual tenants, not just where they are), but what bothers me is I've swear I've seen an interactive one or something online fairly recently! Anyone know what I'm talking about? EDIT: It wasn't this one, but it does work.

Interesting thing about Circle K. They bought up UtoteM in the mid-1980s, but completely left the Texas area later. There used to be a Circle K near the College Station Walmart, but it was gone by 1998.

There's a thread on the impending doom of the Foley's Building here.

I don't know when 7-Eleven left the area the first time, but it's coming back in Waco, and in Temple, there's an intersection with two 7-Elevens directly across the street (a small street, not a highway) from each other. One used to be a Mobil as of May 2011, apparently.

I have a really bad feeling that the thing is going to be a hole in the ground for a few years. I was horrified when I read the paper today: I went there last summer (2011).

What about Greenspoint? Greenspoint as a whole area is continuing to die (Exxon bailing for parts north), so rail wouldn't be worth it to that area. Or would it put interest back in and make it viable? Maybe have Greenspoint Mall become sort of some commuters mecca (worked for one mall in the DC area) instead of a traditional shopping mall?

Part of the difference is that DART had all this room to expand on relatively straight abandoned rail lines. Houston does not have that luxury. The Katy, in particular, was located too close to a freeway that needed to expand, or was a curvy mess running through highly residential areas. The rail line that parallels 59 MIGHT be a good alternative, and in fact IS planned for partial conversion to light rail.

Wow. Houston was hit that badly by the oil crash? That's a tale I'd like to hear more about--I mean, it seems that the 1970s and 1980s there was explosive growth, but it did more than just stop?

Those are all of the 610 location, I believe.

The Auchan at Beltway 8 was built as an Auchan in the 1980s (replaced nothing). The Auchan on 610 was originally built as (until early 1990s, I think?) a Target with an adjacent Target grocery store. /topic summary

Was that their old warehouse that burned down in a 1994 fire, then?

Ugh, didn't even realize that southbound Main wasn't even thorough anymore. Yech. Whose idea was to run it up and down Main Street, anyway?

Don't know why I'm so curious about this, but I've been exploring around Houston in Google Maps, and Main Street is...interesting. Extremely tight right of way for one northbound lane, one southbound lane, and trains. No bike lanes, turn lanes, or parking. What was it like before the light rail came through (as in, recent history)? A picture would be good, but a description would be good, too.

Weingarten's was long gone by the early 1990s (closed and bought by Safeway in the mid-1980s). The "red dot" was probably the result of Grand Union's buyout of the store for a few years.

I heard it still kinda resembles the old Auchan in the interior, if you ever get a chance to see it.

I was asking specifically about the College Station FedMart, but thanks.