Comment of the Day: An Alternate Route for Cleaning Up Downtown’s Image

COMMENT OF THE DAY: AN ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR CLEANING UP DOWNTOWN’S IMAGE  “Well, if the problem is defined as ‘Pierce Elevated drivers see blight’ — then one solution is to get rid of the blight; another is to get rid of the Pierce Elevated. It’s probably obvious by now which is more likely to happen.” [_,  commenting on Downtown’s Preeminent Dilapidated Hotel Tower Now Outfitted To Greet I-45ers with New Nametags, Fewer Window Panes] Photo of former Days Inn: Bob Russell

11 Comment

  • Why can’t we have both? The blight is largely *because* of Pierce Elevated depressing property values and making the area undesirable. Get rid of it and I suspect you’ll see renewed interest in development and cleaning up the area.

  • I would rather have a million blighted buildings than a .5 sq. mile downtown comprised of 8 buildings and 700 miles of underground tunnels for moles, I mean office workers.

  • ^ Be careful what you wish for, Onepunchman. A million blighted buildings is a lot.

  • Now you’re confusing the “thing itself” with the purpose for which it is used. The Pierce Elevated for the purpose of moving (and I use the word “moving” with advisement) vehicular traffic certainly contributes to the adjacent property values. Take the vehicles away and repurpose, design and program the “thing itself” and you have a multi-modal conduit and destination that transcends the City’s grid, enhancing adjacent property values and redefining the boundaries of the city/midtown/eado/nearwest.

  • It wouldn’t take a lot to get to a million blighted buildings in this town. Not with Westwood, Greenspoint, Sunnyside and Acres Homes leading the charge.
    .
    If you ask some people in H Town: Blight is a sign of Freedom, and something to be welcomed.

  • “ZAW It wouldn’t take a lot to get to a million blighted buildings in this town”
    .
    Hey man, I’m working as hard as I can to get a million blighted buildings in town. But I’m only one person! I can only do so much! :)

  • Shabby Montrose/Heights chic doesn’t count as blighted. Of course it is subjective…. Correction: Shabby Montrose/Heights chic SHOULDNT count as blighted.

  • The current owner has invested a little less than ~5 mil since late 2011. Peanuts for 34 storey tower. He’s just gonna wait and see and has another decade long timeline before he will flip it to a developer who will then actually do the renovation work. In the meantime it wouldn’t surprise me if they find some dead bodies up in there. Place gives me the creeps.

  • Also I do wonder who was outbid by 1.00 dollar at the foreclosure sale…Would they have gotten this place renovated by now.. who knows…

  • If Houston is thinking to reroute Pierce Elevated, it would be nice to close off that section and turn it into green space like the Highline in NYC.

  • First, get rid of that piece of crap in the picture. Number one priority.