Last Chance To See 600 sq mi: Hidden
Missed Connections: Gefilte Fish...and "Chain Connections"
H-Town Rock
Rock Talk, Vol. IX
We were hoping that the nearly posthumous landmark designation and demolition-delaying rain spells might have given Weingarten Realty that last little bit of time to ruminate over their plans to demolish the River Oaks Shopping Center - unfortunately, according to Cherry Demolition, the bulldozers move in Tuesday to begin the demolition and make way for the big box anchor Barnes and Noble plus a four story parking garage.
We were sad to see places like Three Brothers Bakery and the Black Eyed Pea leave, but we're really worried about the huge chain store entering - this Barnes and Noble erases the need for Bookstop in the Alabama Theater, and judging from Weingarten's behavior, the Alabama will be just as disposable.
Weingarten has been quite reticent about the plans, as well as the respectably large outcry (for Houston, that is) about the demolition. All the bad publicity doesn't seem to matter either - perhaps "any publicity is good publicity" goes over well in the company's public relations department. Barring any collective amnesia of this event, which marks another loss (and potential onset of more losses) of 1930s-era art deco design, this will be another example of Houston's unique-turned-ordinary.
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have you seen the chronicle's posting for this online? The comments? I'm trying to register but it's not letting me. Will someone please comment on there. Apperently the people that read that are not of the opinion that there's anything worth preserving in Houston.
Houston is becoming a boring concrete wasteland! Even larger cities have the good sense to preserve historic landmarks! I gotta get outta this place!
Some truly classic and ignorant comments being made by both sides of the fence on this one on the Chronicle. WOW!
I like the folks over at the Chron who claim that the shopping center and theater should be torn down because they were rat-infested, dirty and attracting a clientele of bums and hippies. Those people are obviously so familiar with the place, it hurts my head.
The comments are the most entertaining part of the chronicle, or scary.
Weingarten is just keeping up with the demand the surrounding neighborhoods of River Oaks, Hyde Park, Rice Military and Cottage Groce are creating, due to all the home builders tearing down older single family bungalows and replacing them with ne high density multi-storey townhomes.
See the rendering of the new shopping center at this blog post:
http://xnomad.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/river-oaks-shopping-center-demolished/
The important message here, if you are old and unattractive, you should probably end it. Especially if you are rat-infested. Out with the old, in with the new...River Oaks will become a very lame version of L.A. How proud are you now?
Weingarten is just keeping up with the current President and CEO's demand to be an avaricious and dismissive bully.