COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW TOUGH WOULD IT BE TO TURN HOUSTON PAVILIONS INSIDE OUT? 
“This was mentioned before with the Pavilions…but worth mentioning again—who designed the layout? I agree with other posters—if you drive by you hardly notice the Pavilions exist. The stores face inward so things may be noticeable if [you’re] passing (i.e. walking) through it….but not if you’re driving by from the streets. This is Houston…we don’t exactly walk outside. If the Pavilions had the resources, they should spend it on revamping the outside so people can see what businesses are there from the streets.” [Chris, commenting on Books-A-Million Bailing out of Houston Pavilions; previously on Swamplot] Photo of Pavilions model: Jim Porter [license]
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Thems hiding thems hiding! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
The issue isn’t design. The issue is Houston. There is no walking culture, little downtown residential and people won’t pay for parking while they shop. Look at “The Park.” It has struggled forever. Any mall that has twice as many places to eat as to shop understands that all they really have to offer is lunch.
I work downtown on Smith Street and I seem to be the only one of my co-workers who even knows this place exists. I’ve been by a few times during lunch but I get tired of being accosted by bums and head back underground. A Books-A-Million was not a good idea for downtown anyway. No one lives downtown, this is a business district not a residential area. We have plenty of residential areas in Houston. Why does everyone think that downtown should be another one? People don’t live in downtown Houston because they don’t want to. There’s just no compelling reason to live there over Montrose, the Villages, etc…
The design is really bad though. Most of it is just a big blank wall from the street.
Who made the better decision in siting their developments? CityCentre or Pavillions?
I am looking out my window at about 30 stories of people living downtown in a brand new apartment high rise. While it will never be Manhattan, more and more people are seeing living downtown as a viable option. If the City grows by two million people in the next ten years (which might be a conservative figure), even more people will look to downtown to avoid traffic and the high cost of inner loop-non-downtown real estate.
The Pavillions does have successful (so far) restaurants and bars. But the quote of the day is spot on as to why no retail has been able to sprout up in addition to the original anchors (Books a Million and XXI). They built it and no additional retail came. Thus, Books a Million is gone.
I drove by it about a year ago and for the first time noticed the silver sign hanging over the street, which prompted me to wonder if there was some business or development there. I live very close to downtown and had never heard of it.
I later went online to see what it was all about, and found out there is a bowling alley (a very expensive version of one), a restaurant (also very expensive), a Books-A-Million (very expensive for Amazon users and avid readers like me), AND they only have pay/valet parking.
I also was intimidated by the pics on the Pavilions’ website, showing mug after mug of wealthy looking, dressed to the hilt yups and dames altered by plastic surgery.
What usually gets me downtown is free weekend street parking, beer specials at certain bars, and discounted or free (handed-down) arts and Astros tickets. Oh – and formerly, the Angelika.
I like to think most middle-class Houstonians share my tastes, summed up by: cheap Mexican food and free parking. Put that into the mix and the number of visitors would double.
I love the Pavillions! Why does everything have to be in your face? Perhaps an adveture for you to go investigate instead of needing to know everything before going there???? AND I have not had plastic surgery nor am I a “yup”. Love the Pavillions!
Yes, there is a new 30+ story high rise apartment building downtown. I guess I exaggerated a little when I said “no one” lives downtown. How’s this? Very, very few people live downtown. How many years were there between the last two high-rise apartment buildings built downtown? I think it was about 30 years, wasn’t it? What’s the population of the downtown area? I think it’s just a few thousand right?
I think this may have more to do with declining bookstores. With the Kindle, Nook, IPad, and more on the way, this seems to be pretty standard. That combined with the fact that you buy books at leisure, not so much in the middle of the workday. How many Blockbusters have closed?
Also, what’s up Swamplot? Nothing about the dollhouse fire or the Barnes and Noble closing at the Galleria? Still on vacay?
Could be that he’s waiting until there’s more information available. Last I heard, only one body had been found and it was not yet identified.
@Pax @PYEWACKET2: We hope to have updates on those and other stories soon. In the meantime, you can check out Candace Garcia’s photos from the Heights scene here.
I believe there are laws preventing it, but I think some big jumbotron type screens advertising the Pavilions would be a good start (It seems all BIG cities have these) Since they had dropped their rent to $3,000 You have got to think that there is more to this than just not doing business. I wonder who will move in once they are gone?