PLANS TO PUT A HIGHRISE ON A TEXAS RANGERS STADIUM PARKING LOT RESURFACE YET AGAIN Meanwhile, in Arlington: The Arlington City Council and the Texas Rangers baseball team are discussing plans for a mixed-use highrise development on a parking lot next to Globe Life Park; the issue will be discussed at tonight’s City Council meeting. This is the fourth time plans have begun to move forward on developing the area around the stadium into a new downtown core — the last effort, in the leadup to the 2009 recession, ended in a tangle of reciprocal lawsuits between various developers of the 1.2-million-sq.-ft. “GloryPark” project and then-Rangers-owner Tom Hicks. Current plans under discussion include restaurant, retail, hotel, convention, and entertainment space; past plans have included residential development and a lake for watersports. [Dallas Morning News]
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COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE PERSECUTION OF FANTASY SOUTHERN GOTHIC 
“First they came for the colleges (Cell Block D and the McMurtry Unit), but I was not an undergraduate so I said nothing; then they came for the academic buildings (Brockman Hall and the Moody Arts Center), but I was not on faculty so, again, I stayed silent; then they came for the administrative office buildings and parking garages (this eyesore) and there was no one left to speak for me.” [Ghost of Ralph Adams Cram, commenting on Strategically Placed Fig Leaves Will Shield Bashful Rice U. Parking Garage from Medical Scrutiny] Illustration: Lulu
LAST CHANCE LOOMS TO MAIL ON YALE 
Regular customers of the seriously-named Heights Finance Station US post office at 1050 Yale St. got an early Christmas present this month: a letter from management, tucked into each P.O. box with care, informing them that the branch is shutting down at the end of the month. The facility will dispense its last book of stamps at 5 P.M. on December 30; come 2016, Heights-area postal operations will be consolidated at the remodeled T.W. House Carrier Annex at Bevis and W. 19th St. in the distant wilds of northern Shady Acres, a 2-mile drive northwest from Yale station. The 6,161 sq.-ft. Yale building is for sale; the property occupies an acre of central Heights turf, standing across W. 11th Street from neo-diner Lola and across Yale from open-any-day-now ice house 8 Row Flint. [Previously on Swamplot] Photo: Swamplot inbox; Notice: MKultra25 via HAIF
HOUSTON OIL COMPANY WANTS TO BUILD AN ISLAND ON THE ALASKAN COAST Meanwhile, in Prudhoe Bay: Houston-based oil company Hilcorp is seeking permission to construct 23-ac. Liberty Island off the north coast of Alaska by trucking 83,000 cu. yd. of gravel (more than 3 times the volume of the Astrodome) across sea ice to a hole, cut 6 miles offshore above only 19 feet of water. The island would serve as a base for several offshore drilling projects, collectively the first in federal waters off the Alaskan coast. A 5.6-mile undersea pipeline is part of the project. Manmade gravel islands have been in use in the region’s oil fields for decades. [Hilcorp, Associated Press]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: VERTICAL SPRAWL AND OTHER HIGH CONCEPTS 
“Since every time they ‘fix’ the West Loop it immediately fills up, I think we have the makings for the 11th Wonder of the World: the first freeway skyscraper! Perhaps we can make it a mixed-use freeway by adding some small shops and apartments along the side of the road (with a parallel parking lane), some microtel rooms like they have in Tokyo, and — just to prove we have a penchant for ‘green living’ — one level could be an extension of Memorial Park! Don’t forget: we also need ground-floor retail, a multiplex theater, and on the very top level, a replacement for AstroWorld, with the world’s longest linear roller coaster! It will have to have a new name — perhaps ‘Westlooptopia’?” [sjh, commenting on Look! Up in the Air! It’s Second Story West Loop Express Lanes!] Illustration: Lulu
THE NEW STANDOUT ON THE CORNER OF FAIRFAX AND WILSHIRE Meanwhile, in L.A.: The Petersen Automotive Museum reopened to visitors this week after a reddish redo spearheaded by NY design firm Kohn Pedersen Fox — to somewhat mixed reviews from architecture critics. Is the building’s new swirly facade of stainless-steel ribbons “kind of hideous,” “too Vegas,” or just “gloriously badâ€? [The Architect’s Newspaper; LA Times]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE GROHE IN THE SHOWER, THE CHICKEN ON THE FLOOR, THE ‘CAUFFERED’ CEILING, AND OTHER TALES OF CAREFULLY OBSERVED RENOVATION 
“So yeah, I didn’t know this site existed until my realtor pointed out that my shower head was on here — and of course he told me not to comment, but who am I to listen? I am a woman. For the record, all of the electrical, plumbing and insulation has been replaced or is new, and we actually fired two contractors because we felt like their quality wasn’t up to par with our expectations or something that we would be proud to sell, but after working with them, I can see why @commonsense would feel that way . . . we felt the same, but I promise ALL corners weren’t cut, just the ones that no one would notice. :) I’m kidding — honestly, it is costing us a little more because of it, but I am a Grohe and Hansgrohe girl, and no one could tell me that we were using any other shower faucets and fixtures. Thanks for complimenting the paint color, it is Repose Gray from Sherwin Williams, freaking goes with everything. @Lykos, my realtor swears it was a mistake, but I told him to leave “shower heard†because I thought your comment was hilarious. But then I thought, “shower hear†might be funnier because of the play on “here†and “hearâ€. Also, I think he was drinking with the ‘cauffered’ thing while listing this. He is correcting that, and we appreciate your pointing it out. Please keep thinking we’re funny. @Texmex01: Right? I would have thought the same thing, but location, and who am I to judge? @Gisgo: Again, market. I actually prefer that the kitchen be separate, so that if I accidentally drop someone’s chicken on the floor and have to put it back on a plate, no one knows but me. This whole open concept thing means I’d be cooking another chicken breast. @Toby, you’re welcome to come take more professional shots, the wide angle seems to drain the battery so the flash wasn’t working at that point if I remember correctly. Regardless of all of that, we had a party there with some investor friends and there is leftover beer and wine, so if you did want to see it in person, I’d be happy to meet you there. :) Oh, and @Benjy, this is for you: https://mubi.com/films/plan-9-from-outer-space” [Kile, commenting on Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: It Came to Me in the Shower]. Photo: HAR
COMMENT OF THE DAY: PULLED OUT JUST IN TIME 
“I feel so lucky! My wife and I were planning our move away from Houston, originally, in summer 2016 but we moved up the timeline to summer 2015. We sold our townhouse last summer and made a bunch in equity after only 2 years! It felt crazy at the time. Now there is a townhouse in the same complex that has been sitting for months and months compared to ours selling in 3 weeks. I don’t think life would be the same at all if we had waited. It feels like we slid out of Houston on a high note. Good luck Houston, may the odds be ever in your favor.” [Duston, commenting on All Signs Pointing to a Houston Slowdown; A TIRZ for Montrose] Illustration: Lulu
COMMENT OF THE DAY RUNNER-UP: SHOULDN’T EVERYBODY BE SELLING INTO A DOWNTURN? 
“So if someone could lend me some clarity on the housing market I would appreciate it. This is how I understand it: Median price is down, number of sales are down, however inventory went down to 3.6 months as well. Houses in the 150-250 range are still doing fine though. The first two issues seem to be related to anemic sales in the luxury market due to the loss of oil/gas workers, but I don’t understand how inventory can tighten when sales are down. Could someone help me out here?” [MrEction, commenting on All Signs Pointing to a Houston Slowdown; A TIRZ for Montrose] Illustration: Lulu
A SEAWALL IN CANADA TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO COMBATING COASTAL EROSION Meanwhile, in Vancouver: Those familiar with Galveston’s frequent sand replenishment projects likely know that flat seawalls can exacerbate beach erosion by reflecting wave energy that would dissipate more readily in a natural sandy setting. In response so-called king tides pummeling the coast of Vancouver, a Canadian landscape artist collaborated with a biologist and engineers to address beach erosion in a new way. Blending principles of ecology, hydrology, and aesthetics, Metamorphous incorporates boulders, plant life, and an angular a steel structure intended to rust away altogether in less than 100 years. The functional public art piece slows the flow of water as it rushes inland, causing sand to be deposited on the beach for the first time in resident memory. [Citylab]
COMMENT OF THE DAY: THAT PAIN IN YOUR CHEST MIGHT BE MORE THAN JUST NOSTALGIA 
“If someone wants to sit down to do an oral history with me and my husband, it will basically contain a list of every former club or restaurant you can expect to be overhauled beyond all recognition or torn down. The Pig? The Ale House? Fabulous Satellite Lounge? RIP, Lucky Burger. Your memory will live on in our hearts – maybe literally, lodged in an artery, hardened to the realities of tear-it-up-and-do-it-over Houston.” [Andrea, commenting on Tyvek Ghost of Lucky Burger Rises at the Corner of Richmond and Mandell] Illustration: Lulu
COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHY WOULD HOUSTON WANT TO REJECT A NEW UNIVERSITY? 
“Well, oil prices are down, the city is going broke and there are op-eds suggesting that the political end of the oil industry is what the future holds in store. I absolutely do not trust UH to ideologically lead the city out of this mess. It’s as simple as that, and I can’t be the only person who thinks that. Anyway, almost every large city has more than one public university system, and it’s somewhat extortionist to insist that everything be channeled through UH simply because that’s what UH prefers. UH has failed to keep pace with the ambitions and upward mobility of its home city, and doubling down on its inadequacies by adopting a defensive stance is exactly the wrong move.” [anon22, commenting on The Best Views of the New UT Houston Campus Are Available Now from the Fairway on the 5th Hole, Above a Trash Heap] Illustration: Lulu
CONSUMERS SEEK TO ESCAPE FROM HEAVY SMOG BY BUYING MORE CARS Meanwhile, in China: Unusually heavy smog levels led to disruptions across the country this morning. Beijing issued its first-ever Red Alert for unsafe air quality, shutting down schools and business across the capitol as particulate matter measurements topped out at 10 times higher than World Health Organization safety standards. National news agency Xinhua reported a deadly 33-car pileup in Shanxi province, exacerbated by poor visibility due to smog. On the East Coast, Hangzhou air traffic faced delays caused by smoggy conditions, which reduced visibility to 250 meters. Smog levels are expected to continue at today’s extreme levels for several more days. November smog is also thought to have contributed to a spike in car sales — the commonly held perception that air is cleaner inside a car is thought to be boosting vehicle purchases. Increased auto ownership in the past decade is ranked alongside coal-fired power plants as a leading cause of Chinese air pollution. [Independent, Xinhua, Bloomberg]
PHOTOS OF THE OIL DERRICKS THAT ONCE TOWERED OVER ALL THOSE FAMOUS CALIFORNIA BEACHES Meanwhile, in Los Angeles: Northern California’s redwoods are striking, but the forests of oil derricks that once spread across areas of urban southern California leave a distinct impression as well. The Retronauts at Mashable have pulled together a collection of photos of densely-spaced derricks that loomed over Venice, Long Beach, Signal Hill, and other well-known L.A. areas in the 1920’s and 30’s. The derricks can be seen standing tall in, around, and over urban scenes across the region — between houses, in commercial areas, and at the beach, all the way to the water’s edge. [Mashable]
THE TIPLINE IS STANDING BY Eels in the water line in Piney Point? If you’ve got the scoop, or even just a hint of one, Swamplot wants to hear about it! Send your tips and photos to Swamplot’s special email address, found here. And while you’re at it, be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and sign up for our email list.
Eyes on the Swamp