Houston19514

Already did. The only thing it has in common with the 70's and 80's attempts you reference is they both involve retail. But to spell it out for you: We are not closing any streets. We are not making the proposed retail spaces difficult to get to. We are not building or proposing any glassy malls closed off from the streets and sidewalks. We are not building any pedestrian-only streets.

This post makes about as much sense as your ridiculous claims that a bridge carrying the traffic on the west side of downtown would be a "bridge to nowhere." The only thing this plan has in common with the 70s and 80s revival attempts is that they both involve retail.

Energy is not the same as oil. The ExxonMobil study projects China's consumption of oil will continue to grow through 2040 (the end point of the study projections).

Your attempt to fog the issue by switching from global demand to OECD demand is, let's just say, unconvincing. Like I said, let me know when there is evidence of declining demand for oil. I'm all eyes.http://naturalresourcecharter.org/sites/default/files/Hasan%20Qabazard.pdf

More precisely, the "Chase" project downtown is just an investment by JP Morgan Assert Management,, a different part of the JP Morgan Chase empire. It has nothing at all to do with the JPMorgan Chase employee base downtown.

Many places do, especially when it comes to suburban development, (at least to the extent anyone "lauded" the parking for this development, which is a bit of a stretch.

He also clearly, unequivocally and repeatedly stated they had no intention of duplicating any Houston inatiituiton programs.It may have escaped your attention that offering undergraduate courses is NOT the same as offering a full undergraduate degree program. (And by the way, I indeed found the source on my own. I found it, listened to it, quoted it and linked it before you posted the link; attention to detail is is obviously not your strong suit,)

Yeah, it really is not that complicated. McRaven repeatedly emphasized they have no desire to duplicate offerings of other Houston institutions. Listen to the hearing.

No. UT admitted no such thing. I just listened to the whole thing. In fact, McRaven specifically stated several time that they do not want to duplicate the offerings of other Houston institutions. "Part of the charge to the task force will be 'don't duplicate work that's already going on; Let's find opportunities that may not be available in Houston; OR where there is more of a demand than there is a supply." Not sure how you could claim to have listened to this and get it so wrong. McRaven wasn't even the last witness at the hearing.

So, should we also kick out the encroaching UT-Houston Health Science Center? MD Anderson?

Do you have a source or link for the claim in your first paragraph? I found it. You painted quite a false picture. I encourage all interested parties to listen to it. McRaven talked about undergraduate education in response to the very first question (and the question wasn't even asking about undergraduate classes)... He did not have to be badgered into admitting it as you implied: "What we’re not trying to build here is the University of Texas at Houston. My thinking going into this is of a collaborative, innovative hub; will there be some opportunities for undergraduate education? Absolutely. That is certainly part of the intent and we will work with all the institutions in the region to make sure that we’re not duplicating, but there we’re providing a service to the people of Houston and to Texas." Another Rep then asked "First, I thought you said this was going to be a research facility and you just said something about undergraduate programs. Is it going to be both?" McRaven: "Absolutely. My thinking on this is, as I said, it's an innovation hub. So it's collaboration. It is research. It is education. It is undergraduate education. It may be, graduate-level education. These are the sort of things we need to look at as we pull this task force together. What I want the task force to do is; I don't want you to be constrained. [A lot of times people are constrained by the framework or the infrastructure or by the way we've done it in the past.] What I'm telling them is, we've got a blank canvas here. Think about ways to deliver higher education or education better. Think about ways to collaborate. I'm offering all the institutions in the region to come collaborate with us. So, we should leave nothing off the table when it comes to what we have the opportunity to do on this property." Rep recited UH's effort to build campus in Northwest Houston; and A&M's attempt to affiliate with South Texas College of Law and concerns about UH, TSU, community colleges, etc. "Again, recognizing all your concerns. We're years away. So concerns about are we going to coordinate with the Coordinating Board, etc. The answer is, absolutely we will. But we have to take the opportunity first over the course of the next year to sort of frame where we hope to go with this. And then we'll be in a much better position to come forward and give you our ideas. And if those ideas don't meet with the direction the state wants to go, the LBB, or the Coordinating Board, then I think we relook them. This was initially about ensuring that we had property/land from which we can do things we've never done before. To pursue opportunities. So the idea we will bring more higher education, more research, more collaboration, more business to Houston and to the folks in the surrounding area is... I just don't understand how that can be a bad idea.. . . Any time you can deliver more high quality education, I think you need to do it. But again, we don't want to do anything that impedes the University of Houston's incredible rise to Tier 1 Status. I'm a huge supporter of that. I think we can do this in ways that can benefit both institutions. I intend to do it in ways that will benefit both of us."

I guess we should demand they pack up their UT Health Science Center and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and get the hell out of our town altogether. And take UTMB along too. We don't need their stinkin' burnt orange anywhere in our town. (And yes, I'm being totally sarcastic.) It appears it's time, again, for some peoploe to review what has actually been proposed.

I wonder how much of that article is correct. It's a little hard to look put much faith in a reporter who writes that this project, which very obviously takes up two full city blocks,"takes up most of a city block."

The document explains it in some detail: "Clean Zones are most often established by the enactment of a temporary city ordinance... Clean Zone ordinances generally should address: -- Temporary Structures and Inflatables - Restrictions on temporary structures, including, but not limited to, temporary retail locations. This should also include restrictions on installation or display of "inflatables". -- Temporary Signage and Building Wraps ... -- Temporary Sales Permits... -- Enforcement - Local law enforcement should be expressly permitted to enforce the ordinance by removing prohibited signage and structures, in addition to any fines that may be imposed."

I don't think the export ban lift has anything to do with LNG exports. The export ban only related to crude oil.

You can get neighborhood crime statistics on the HPD website.

I think it's more like a small mouse in the room. Let us know when there is some evidence of declining global demand for oil. Maybe some evidence will appear over the next several decades; but so far, not so much.

Correct. and I think maybe an addition. Here's the description from the project website: The new campus will support the school’s IB program and Business Administration program with a four-story academic wing and adjacent athletics facility, various levels of interior renovation to the existing historic building, a new multi-level parking garage, larger athletics fields, and the preservation of the park-like front lawn on Westheimer Road. Same for Davis HS: The work will be a combination of renovation to the historical building and the addition of new construction for the school’s culinary and fine arts programs.

Why would either party (Texaco building apartments or Magnolia Hotel) would be interested in paying for a tunnel connection between the two?

But did it really? Is it really accurate to say that 1960s "vibrant shopping scene" was supported [solely, or even primarily] by the inner loop population? We (and every other metro area) did not have nearly the suburban shopping options we have now. In 1960, the vibrant downtown shopping scene was supported by the entire metro population (about 1.1 million). In 1960, if you wanted to shop at Foley's, you had to go downtown (I think the first suburban Foley's was opened in 1961 at Sharpstown); If you wanted to shop at Neiman Marcus, you had to go downtown; If you wanted to shop at Sakowitz, you had to go downtown; etc., etc., etc. Basically, if you wanted to do any serious shopping, you had to go downtown.

Sorry to be the bearer of good news, but the City does have an assistance program available for businesses harmed by the Dallas Street retail reconstruction project.

It seems the only mention of it being an Aloft are in the Chronicle's very brief article from last summer. Given that the development's own website does not mention "Aloft" at all, it seems there's a very good chance, that, if it was ever planned to be an Aloft, perhaps those plans have changed. (and there's at least as good of a chance that Aloft was never in the plans at all and the Chron just got it wrong.) Interesting to note, also, that the developer's website says it will be a 185-room boutique hotel, while the Chron says the Aloft was going to be 120 rooms. FWIW, if this actually going to be an Aloft, it would make five Aloft hotels in the Houston area: 1. the existing Aloft by the Galleria 2. Aloft downtown scheduled to open in June 2016 3. Aloft Houston West (Katy) scheduled to open in 2 years 4. Aloft Shenandoah (Woodlands) scheduled to open in 2 years.

What laws of Texas have they violated?

The building is listed as 20 floors with 12 floors of parking, so about 8 floors of lease space, at least some of which are almost 53,000 square feet. There's also lease space on the ground and tunnel levels.

Riiiiggghhht. LOL