tell ya what.......the Kirby/Westheimer corner sure does look different with 2727 and the.............across the street (drawing a blank here).

Great pics. The weather today was beautiful across Texas. Perfect photography weather.

West Ave.


And, yeah, Kevin the weather was great yesterday. No real reason to stick around the hacienda other than maybe to watch the Final Four (even though Texas didn't make it).

I drove through that way earlier this afternoon and it looks like they've already moved some of the equipment onto the corner of the site. Interestingly enough, a number of the trees away from the densely wooded area are marked around with that orange netting, so it looks like they're going to save those.

Just up the road, there's now a fence up around that piece of land where Three Eldridge Place is going to be. Since there's one of those stormwater permit things attached to the fence, something should probably be happening soon... that's how things seem to work out most times it seems.

Didn't realize how many lowrise projects were going up in the Enclave either. Seemed like there was 4 or 5 I can remember right off the top of my head.

Just returned from my second visit to Houston. In January I stayed at the JW Marriott at the Galleria. This time I was across the street from One Park Place at the Four Seasons. It was a bit shocking to see the hugh power grid block across the street from the new Hilton. The sidewalks were as deserted this time downtown as they were in January. Not trying to diss the city, was just discouraged by what seemed like lots of fortress architecture. On another note, the downtown library interiors impress on a thoroughly original level.

That side of town never has any foot traffic or any traffic other then when theres a convention. But once DG is done and a few more towers appear in that area then there will be some, but there needs to be shopping in that area and residential buildings, but with One park place coming in, it will bring in some action to that area.

Perhaps there is something more we can do.

No one really lives in that area. People do live across the other side of 59, but there needs to be more shops and resaurants to bring people to that immediate area. I could image like a whole bunch of condo towers all over that area if only they would build them...

:yes:

yes, the park will only truly be successful if there is more dense living downtown. high rise condos are necessary around the park to increase traffic.

This photo is from 1988... unfortunately, after the boom in the early 80's, our skyline is different but not significantly so.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...om_freeway.jpg

002houston magazine has a good summary of some of the projects going on right now:
http://www.002mag.com/mag/current/pa...res%20(61).htm
http://www.002mag.com/mag/current/pa...res%20(62).htm
http://www.002mag.com/mag/current/pa...res%20(63).htm
http://www.002mag.com/mag/current/pa...res%20(64).htm

Why haven't I heard more about Americas Plaza?

It doesn't qualify as tall, but it's big news nonetheless. Especially as far as the airport goes...:banana:

http://images.chron.com/photos/2008/...ineGallery.jpg

$1.2 billion overhaul set for Bush Intercontinental

The city and Continental Airlines today announced a $1.2 billion overhaul of Terminal B at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, expected to take seven to 10 years.

The Houston Airport System and Continental Airlines will jointly pay to expand Terminal B from 360,000 square feet to 1.7 million square feet.

Continental will put up more than half the financing for Terminal B improvements through bonds, with the city doing the rest. A new $3 passenger facility fee, like one that is in place at Hobby Airport, also will help fund the makeover. No such fee is in place now at Intercontinental.

Continental is the terminal's sole tenant. Houston-based Continental Express, the airline's regional carrier largely operated by ExpressJet, occupies the facility.

The massive overhaul, which anticipates continued growth at Houston's largest airport, will include additional gates and a second Federal Inspection Services facility for U.S. Customs, indicating plans for international flights from the terminal.

The plans call for the number of gates to grow from some 40 to between 60 and 65.

"Houston's airport system is among the world's strongest and fastest-growing and this will help us keep it that way," Mayor Bill White said. "And as we prepare for the future, the city is happy to continue its strong partnership with Continental Airlines."

Intercontinental is the largest of the four hubs for Continental, which also concentrates operations in Cleveland, Newark, N.J., and Guam.

Continental operates 740 flights out of Houston to 179 nonstop destinations throughout the United States and internationally, and the airport is considered especially valuable as a gateway to Latin America...

@ rdavis4559, you can see the Reliant Energy Center before they added the crown.

then that pic is older than 1998...reliant energy got it's crown in 1994-1996 and judging by the cars (all 80's era cars), it looks more like 1988.

I said 1988. See above ^

Also, here is one of the Houston Pavilions skywalks. They've covered most of it in glass.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00364.jpg

Very Nice.

Yeah this Americas Plaza is news to me...

:cool:

Nice pics. :)

Ah yes. Americas Plaza. This is the old Mercado Del Sol thing if I remember correctly...

And here are a few shots of OPP from the Park Shops
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00366.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00367.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00368.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00369.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...9/IMG00370.jpg

that you did. my bad.