Jump to content


AndyN

Member Since 07 Apr 2004
Offline Last Active Mar 19 2024 03:03 PM
-----

#151346 Trinity River Vision

Posted by AndyN on 15 March 2024 - 10:40 PM

 


From what I took from the article the concern seemed to come more from the consultants who, as well as adjust height restrictions to add density, want to loosen the minimum height restrictions because they said that it would give developers more flexibility to create shops, restaurants and music and art venues.

 

Let's not and just say we did. I'd hate to see suburban style development on the island.




#151339 North Texas Interurbans

Posted by AndyN on 15 March 2024 - 01:00 PM

The auction has concluded and I am relieved to report that someone did buy the NTT Crimson Limited Interurban trailer, No. 417. The car received no bids for most of the duration of the auction but it ended up selling for $8,000. The car is largely wood with steel reinforcement, so that bid amount tells me the buyer is looking for something more than scrap value (unless they are planning to recycle the wood). Unfortunately, the winning buyer is unknown except that they are based in North Carolina. I look forward to learning more about the buyer and their identity.




#151253 High Speed Rail - Texas

Posted by AndyN on 11 March 2024 - 10:30 PM

Where the hell are they getting this idea of having to tear down Reunion? 

 

 

 

 

It's a red herring floated by the Hunt Group. They're worried the elevated tracks will have negative affects on the hotel. Reunion now has its own Facebook page and it looks like the train and guideway are 2-3 stories tall in their rendering of the propose alignment. They also added a big wall at the bottom. Silliness.

 

The Shinkansen in Tokyo fits in amazing with the downtown buildings. Also, I stayed in a hotel in Kyoto in the station with the tracks within 10 feet of my window. I didn't know whether there was a train there unless I had the curtains open.




#151194 Possible Mixed Use Project at S. Main & Vickery

Posted by AndyN on 08 March 2024 - 01:50 PM

It'd be nice if that Oncor substation wasn't so prominently on the corner.




#150965 The Harrison (515-521 Samuels Avenue) Multifamily

Posted by AndyN on 27 February 2024 - 11:50 AM

Steel was rising when I drove by a week or two ago. Within the last few days, the ground floor seems to be largely framed up but I didn't get a fresh picture. Looks like someone needs to review the SWPPP and freshen up that construction entrance.

 

TheHarrison.jpg




#150739 Trinity Highline (Samuels and Gounah)

Posted by AndyN on 15 February 2024 - 12:19 AM

Progress photo:

 

image000005.jpg




#150738 Avid Hotel

Posted by AndyN on 15 February 2024 - 12:10 AM

image000000.jpg




#150711 Nold Park at Pavilion

Posted by AndyN on 13 February 2024 - 06:03 PM

I've been playing with different layouts and the only way I can deal with access is to turn the drive into a one-way and try to buy additional property from the neighbors to loop it back to the street. Having a driveway wide enough to accommodate 2-way traffic just eats up too much width. I've got another idea to flips the units 90 degrees and stagger the fronts, hiding parking in the back with three-point turn-around driveways but not sure if I can squeeze in the commercial space I wanted. 

 

staggered.jpg

 

So the front doors would be on the lower right corner of the buildings with an ample sidewalk and landscape areas leading to the street. Trying to hide the garage access behind/left of the buildings. Not sure if my dimensions are realistic at this point, just trying to get the general concept drawn out.




#150351 Nold Park at Pavilion

Posted by AndyN on 20 January 2024 - 06:11 PM

Nitixope, I do like those townhomes on Watercourse Drive. I couldn't believe they are getting away with about 16' of paving for access to the rear-entry garages, which includes a 4' private sidewalk. But, then I saw the one-way sign at the exit and that makes sense. My problem is that I would have to put in a drive that can handle two-way traffic and that really eats up my lot width. Still playing with it in a sandbox drawing.

 

Crestline, I can wish this tract faced Samuels but I can only develop the property I have. If I could throw in a small neighborhood retail space, that would be an accomplishment nobody else has achieved on Samuels Avenue yet.

 

And, the streetcar is unrestored with no seats so it wouldn't be much of a forum meetup place at this time.




#150350 North Texas Interurbans

Posted by AndyN on 20 January 2024 - 05:41 PM

Anyone looking for a Northern Texas Traction Crimson Limited Interurban car? No. 417 is available for auction https://www.aumannau...n-70397/details

 

The car was part of a lake cottage at Eagle Mountain Lake with No. 25 and No. 411 after service ended. No. 25 was restored for static display at the intermodal station and 411 ended up on display in Burleson. 417 was acquired by the now-defunct Edwards Car company and was partially restored and converted to dining car service. The car is in very good condition and even has its crimson and milk glass stained glass windows in storage. The car was being converted in the Kershaw building but was abandoned there after they folded. Mr. Kershaw has since passed and the entire collection is up for auction. Mr. Kershaw had an incredible collection and there are several other railcars and rare automobiles on the block.

 

You might be able to get the car for $1 or $10, but shipping from the building in Montgomery, Alabama could cost you in excess of $10k. Good luck.

 

ntt407-2023.jpg




#150299 Nold Park at Pavilion

Posted by AndyN on 17 January 2024 - 04:32 PM

Call me a dreamer, but wouldn't it be cool to have a small pub, cafe or coffeeshop on the end of the building facing Pavillion Street?

 

CommercialEndCap.jpg




#150297 Nold Park at Pavilion

Posted by AndyN on 17 January 2024 - 04:25 PM

I'm inspired by this townhome design by www.architecturaldesigns.com 

I did see a comment on the Poindexter project that the city prefers that the long edge of the building parallel to the street. I'd like to put in an access drive along the east property line and the length of the building perpendicular to Pavillion Street. I'd also like to get Pavillion Street renamed to the correct spelling, pavilion.

 

idea1.jpg




#150296 Nold Park at Pavilion

Posted by AndyN on 17 January 2024 - 04:15 PM

In 2005, I bought a vacant lot on the courthouse steps for back taxes. It was part of the old Rosedale Streetcar Pavilion which eventually became Gruenwald's Pavilion. I was planning to build a house to replace the one that burned down. A few years later, I bought the house next door which was built in 1910 using some of the wood from the old pavilion. After my mom passed, my family has been divesting our property on Eagle Mountain Lake. The tax value on the vacant lot has grown substantially and I decided to put a rental house on it so it was at least paying the tax burden. I had a house designed that reflects the style of the houses in the neighborhood.

 

frontelev.jpg

 

When the pavilion closed, the property was developed as rental properties. After Mr. Gruenwald passed, his wife and son started selling the houses off by metes and bounds descriptions, never having a proper subdivision plat. The city is requiring me to submit a plat before I can get a building permit. I am going to offer to include my neighbors who are also unplatted. It will be a low cost thing for me because I am a registered professional land surveyor and already paid for an exhaustive survey of the block to determine my boundaries. One of the matching houses at 1105 Pavillion was demolished because of substandard conditions and the owner has declared the intent to rebuild. They will also need a plat to get the building permit.

 

There is development pressure on the neighborhood and we are located in the Downtown Design District. The townhome(?) development at 1101 Poindexter seems to foreshadow the future of the neighborhood as land values go up along with demand for new housing in proximity to downtown and Panther Island. I am beginning to think that a better use of the property would be Townhomes or Manor House. And if I do that, I would probably demolish my existing house at 1017 Pavillion to have more space. Perhaps use the 1928 streetcar as a poolhouse? The two lots are just over 217 feet deep and 97 feet wide at the front and 91 at the back.

 

PLAT-DRAFTl.jpg

 

So my idea for this post is to have a charrette to put the forum's collective knowledge together to see what might be possible. I can go up to three stories and probably 4 to 6 units. I am thinking to include 2 smaller units thatt would serve as an affordable option. 

 

I will share some ideas over the coming days and look forward to feedback.

 

NoldParkKML.jpg




#150189 The W. T. Waggoner Bldg

Posted by AndyN on 09 January 2024 - 04:04 PM

I hope the building owner has the ability to return the building to service. This is my favorite early tallest building extant. Very iconic Fort Worth building and part of the backdrop buildings for the travelling Northern Texas Traction model exhibit (of which one of the scale models still exists).




#146425 The Harrison (515-521 Samuels Avenue) Multifamily

Posted by AndyN on 09 June 2023 - 04:25 PM

Demolition and grubbing commenced 6/8/2023.