Downtown macys closing (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: renting, casinos, sales tax)

[City Love]

I've been cycling around downtown a lot lately and the biggest issue I see is parking. The Pavilions is a great concept, but the parking can be very inconvenient. In a city full of people who are use to cars, I think a lot of people drive a little further out to have the convenience of parking near that particular store.

Hopefully Macy's reopens in a new location. Maybe closer to the new convention hotels about to break ground. That would be a great boost for EaDo as well!

[Truth713]

Originally Posted by City Love

I've been cycling around downtown a lot lately and the biggest issue I see is parking. The Pavilions is a great concept, but the parking can be very inconvenient. In a city full of people who are use to cars, I think a lot of people drive a little further out to have the convenience of parking near that particular store.

Hopefully Macy's reopens in a new location. Maybe closer to the new convention hotels about to break ground. That would be a great boost for EaDo as well!

you may have a point, maybe main streets needs to shift its retail location and focus on making main street a bar/Cub scene.. it may already be heading in that direction on its own most of the new places opening along main street are bars and restraunts no new retail at all..

downtown maybe better served focusing it retail along the new convention hotel

[wardwhirlboromarlpool1955]

If the Sears does indeed move here, and the current Sears gets demolished, would there be enough room on the old Sears site to move the Fiesta there? I think the Sears has more square feet than the Fiesta, but the Sears of course has two floors and perhaps a smaller footprint.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by jek74

over rated. Fun for tourists though. They can shop there and buy the EXACT same stuff as back home for 30% more. Winner!

All those people flying in to shop in the touristy Michigan Avenue....all that outside sales tax revenue and all that hotel and restaurant tax the city of Chicago is pumping out of those tourist paying 30% more. Some of us think a shopping mecca (clean) bringing outside tax revenue would be healthy for downtown Houston. WE see see what the Houston model is doing to downtown Houston. Gutting it.

[jek74]

Originally Posted by Chicago3rd

All those people flying in to shop in the touristy Michigan Avenue....all that outside sales tax revenue and all that hotel and restaurant tax the city of Chicago is pumping out of those tourist paying 30% more. Some of us think a shopping mecca (clean) bringing outside tax revenue would be healthy for downtown Houston. WE see see what the Houston model is doing to downtown Houston. Gutting it.

Chicago is broke buddy. Has been for a while. I hope to God Houston does not become Chicago, from a government perspective. I'll move if it does.

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by City Love

I've been cycling around downtown a lot lately and the biggest issue I see is parking. The Pavilions is a great concept, but the parking can be very inconvenient. In a city full of people who are use to cars, I think a lot of people drive a little further out to have the convenience of parking near that particular store.

Hopefully Macy's reopens in a new location. Maybe closer to the new convention hotels about to break ground. That would be a great boost for EaDo as well!

I'm in the camp that Houston has too many parking lots. There need to be more parking towers. Build up, not out. The Pavillions could do with a parking lot above or underneath it. A lot of cities have managed to build walls around parking lots, so at the very least, it's not an eyesore.

[Truth713]

Originally Posted by theSUBlime

I'm in the camp that Houston has too many parking lots. There need to be more parking towers. Build up, not out. The Pavillions could do with a parking lot above or underneath it. A lot of cities have managed to build walls around parking lots, so at the very least, it's not an eyesore.

Pavillion has a parking lot beside it looks like a normal buliding

[jfre81]

I guess something useful or interesting in that long-wasted block would be asking too much.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by jek74

Chicago is broke buddy. Has been for a while. I hope to God Houston does not become Chicago, from a government perspective. I'll move if it does.

Support your come back with facts that show us the thriving downtown Houston. Tons of cities have improved their downtown core since the 1970's (Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Minneapolis, San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth). Houston is treading water. What works and what doesn't work in downtown Houston. Lots not working in downtown Houston...and with all the thriving of this area one would expect a world class revival.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...-building-boom

CHicago is also having a lot of companies closing down offices in the burbs and moving to the downtown.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...k-into-chicago

Downtown seeing residential boom; population up 36% in last decade
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...go-s-city-hall

Downtown Chicago Grows, and Grows Younger, as the Rest of the City Ages and Shrinks
http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...s-and-Shrinks/
The area around the Performing Arts area is really a great area on weekend nights. Houston just needs to spread that out a little and stop making parking lots.

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

Why all the hate on this Art Deco building? South Beach thrives on it. Does this make Houston one of the only cities without a downtown department store? Even Cincinnati has one...

Cincinnati has two: Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue