Looking Forward through Past Plans: Downtown Houston in 2000, 2004, 2017 and Beyond

Here in Houston the Houston Downtown Management District is in the middle of their Plan Downtown effort, which aims to position Downtown Houston for a "competitive and enriched future." Through community meetings and a fantastic community input tool, which Sasaki has helped develop, called My Downtown, the group is looking to gather from the residents, workers and visitors of Downtown Houston what will help propel continued success of the district for the next number of years. If you're a Houstonian who happens to live in Downtown Houston, or someone who works or visits downtown, even sparingly, I'd suggest that you fill out the survey. The more data that is provided in the process, the better.

As we look forward and attempt to make the best plans we can for the future, it's important to look to the past. It's worth it to look back and see what some of the proposals for development in Downtown Houston were nearly 15 years ago. This is a quote from the project's website:

“Thirteen years have gone by since Downtown’s last comprehensive plan, and we’re made tremendous progress since then,” said Bob Eury, Executive Director of the Houston Downtown Management District (Downtown District). “Now it’s time for us to take a fresh look at what lies ahead and prepare for the future. Can Houston adapt to driverless cars, a sharing economy, collaborative work environments and work-life integration? How can we better prepare Downtown Houston for the next few decades?”

The Plan Downtown website includes a number of previous plans and reports that have helped shape the actions taken by entities within Downtown Houston. In a city known for its lack of planning, there are likely just as many aspirational plans for districts as other cities. In fact, there might be more. The oldest plan featured in the resources is the Houston Downtown Development Framework from 2004, a plan that opens with a quote from William C. Hogg, the chairman of the Houston City Planning Commission and Houston Forum of Civics, from approximately 1928. In a vision that is not on the minds of many today, he said

"When we build, let us build forever. Let it not be for the present delight for for the present use alone. Let it be such work that our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come that these stone walls will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they loop upon our labor and the wrought substance of them, 'See, this our father did for us.'"

This certainly hasn't been the mindset behind much of what has been built in Houston, or the rest of many other cities, but it's helpful to be reminded of the motivation that shaped the development of the cities and many of the districts that we celebrate and fight so hard to preserve today.

After perusing the 2004 plan for a while, there are a number of things that jump out. The biggest to me was the development opportunities that were missed along Houston's Buffalo Bayou, particularly what is labelled as the Waterview District. I continue to think that this is one of Houston's biggest missed opportunities. The trails adjacent to the bayous, are wonderful and a huge asset (I use them almost every day on my bike commute!), but there's a missed opportunity in the pattern of development extended up from the banks of the bayou. Much of the bayou at the northern end of Downtown Houston is consumed by Harris County judicial uses, with the Harris County Jail in a prime bayou-front location. For as bad of flooding that the Bayou receives, maybe that's been more of a blessing than a missed opportunity, but jail cells with bayou-front views seems like a bit of a missed opportunity when considering the other residential or commercial uses that could be harnessed to create an extension of Houston's Main Street. The Waterview District vision in the 2004 framework looked much like what Chicago has developed in its Chicago Riverwalk. The lure of water features in downtown districts cannot be understated, as evidenced in cities like San Antonio, Chicago, and even now Detroit.

Another interesting note was the proposal of a "North Canal" allowing much of White Oak Bayou to bypass the bottleneck of Buffalo Bayou just to the south, which would have been a backbone of the Waterview District. The canal would have sat where the current METRO bus lot is located on the east side of San Jacinto, just north of the Harris County Jail.

Looking back at some of the past plans for Downtown Houston, I wanted to highlight another plan developed for the Houston Downtown Management District that centered around Main Street. I suppose this is less of a plan and more of a vision of what Downtown Houston and other parts of the city might looks like with development centered around Main Street and the Red Line light rail transit corridor. Not only is Downtown Houston highlighted, but the entire Main Street corridor to the south to the current NRG Stadium.

This to scale model is quite impressive. Each Downtown Houston tower and building is made of balsa wood, with future development possibilities denoted through the use of white cardboard; trees and greenspace represented with foam.

From this perspective, you're looking to the south from the Near Northside, with the area near the University of Houston-Downtown in the foreground. This portion of North Main has not been built up as expected, and will be even more challenged by the relocation of I-10 and I-45 in the coming decade. Notice, there is no canal shown within the previously mentioned Waterview District area.

Quite possibly the most interesting aspect of this model is the proposed angular street extending from the area of what is now Discovery Green. A civic space was proposed for the Discovery Green area, however, there are far larger buildings surrounding that space now that were imagined here. Notice the angular street, extending to the southwest, and terminating at Main Street with some sort of square adjacent to the Pierce Elevated portion of I-45.

Here's another view of the angular street proposed through Downtown Houston. This undoubtedly would have made for quite the disruption in traffic patterns, but would have added a signature focal point radiating from a proposed monument, which is now Discovery Green.

The area surrounding Minute Maid Park has also seen an enhanced amount of development compared to the proposals shown above. With the addition of the Marriott Marquis, the Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites, the Greater Houston Partnership building and 500 Crawford, the northeastern portion of Downtown Houston has outpaced development in the southeast portion of Downtown Houston.

And that's the nature of plans. Some things stick, but most don't. You hope more sticks than doesn't. But people's minds change, funding changes, unforeseen investments or disinvestment happens.


(As a note, check out this to-scale model of Downtown Houston that is featured on SkyscraperCity.com. It's most impressive. Scale models of cities are always fascinating. Dan Gilbert has a model of Detroit, while others have been made of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and Moscow, among others.)

Houston night.jpg, an oft-used skyline photograph of Houston

Calling all photographers: we need an updated skyline night shot here in Houston.

Houston night.jpg

This is likely the most-used skyline photograph of Downtown Houston. And, it needs a bit of updating. Now, I'm sure there are thousands of skyline shots of Houston out there on the internet, but none as popular at this one, "Houston night.jpg".

The photo was taken by Flickr user eflon back in February of 2008 from the top of the Harris County parking structure at 1401 Congress Street, which sits atop the Harris County Federal Credit Union, a block to the east of the Harris County Civil Courthouse.

If you subscribe to email updates from Houston area organizations, or see news articles written about Houston, you've likely see this image before. It is included in the Wikimedia Commons, able to be used without requiring permission for non-commercial uses. This morning, Progrss, a group that tracks the trends and best practices in the transformation of cities all over the world, featured the photograph in an article announcing the network's partnership with the Rice Kinder Institute. The partnership is something to be celebrated, as it will help allow the City of Houston to start using "big data" to assist in solving Houston's biggest problems.

Houston's skyline has changed greatly since 2008. Of course, due to the angle of this photograph, much of the change in the southern portion will be eclipsed. But, we're missing a t least two of the now-iconic buildings that shape Houston's skyline.

For starters, we're missing BG Group Place (It'll probably be called Shell-something after Shell's acquisition of BG Group. BG Group Place was completed in 2011, three years after Houston night.jpg was taken.

We're also missing 609 Main at Texas.

Market Square Tower would have almost certainly been out of view, as just the extreme southern portion of the Lyric Center is captured, but this will be another one of Houston's skyline-shaping buildings.

A quick image search using Google Images shows that this image is everywhere. It's on a recycling website. One for emergency dentists too. And a marketing company, a tutoring company, a website for private security guards, and a recent Advance Auto Parts road trip planner set for those who were coming to Houston to experience Super Bowl LI.

It's odd how pictures and things like tweets and videos "go viral", and are used in such a wide variety of websites. When photographers allow their photos to be used by others, I suppose that will be expected. (Especially when it's a great photograph!). For as great of a photo as it is, we could use a little bit of an update, showing off the many changes in Houston's skyline.

Market Square Tower

On Tuesday night I had the opportunity to tour the much-anticipated Market Square Tower as a part of Central Houston's CHIME young professionals group. This will be Downtown Houston's tallest residential structure, and will serve as the tallest building on the northern end of Downtown Houston. Designed by hometown architects Jackson & Ryan, the project is being built by Harvey Builders adjacent to Market Square Park.

Philip Schneidau, CEO of Woodbranch Investments Corp. welcomed the CHIME group, updating us on the status of the tower, explaining his desire to build a residential tower in Downtown Houston, and answered a number of questions from those in attendance. He said that Woodbranch had owned the site (a former surface parking lot) for over 20 years, but it was about three and a half years ago when he was convinced building a residential tower was the right move.

Originally, Schnideau suggested a 30-story tower, but was rebuffed by Woodbranch's New York City investors, who suggested a 55-story tower. Everyone involved in the project settled on 40 stories.

After settling its height, Schnideau said each of the parties brainstormed amenities. He noted that there were between 30 and 40, including his and her spas, a golf simulator, and a game room. 

Schnideau noted that the tower is aiming for opening in late October (I believe the leasing agents said October 26). Only about 15 or 16 floors will be ready for the grand opening, as well as all the tower's amenities, with 4 floors being opened each month thereafter. The tower's penthouses on the 39th floor would be the last to be finished.

Paper City featured a story about the tower in June, summing up the number of amenities that Market Square Tower will boast. In that story Schnideau said  “We didn’t feel like there was enough demand." (referring to living units in Downtown Houston.) "Just in the last five years, we’ve seen the demand pick up.” This is no thanks to the Downtown Living Initiative, an economic development program established to spur multifamily and mixed-use development in Downtown Houston. The program aimed at providing this boost to up to 5,000 units. Currently, there are approximately 2,729 units under construction in Downtown Houston, with another 2,458 units planned. 

When asked about the estimated construction cost per square foot, Schnideau answered "It's a lot." He suggested that the project was over budget, but that it was more important to deliver a great quality product.

After finishing with questions, groups of 10 or so made their way up the exterior construction elevators to the building's 39th floor. This floor will host the tower's four penthouses, which will each cost tenants about $16,000 per month. The view from the units (especially the west penthouse) will be unbeatable.

We took the stairs up to the 40th floor amenity deck, but we were unable to take a walk into the tower's glass-bottom cantilevered pool. The amenity deck is nowhere near completed, but will offer a spectacular swimming setting when it's finished. Residents will be able to gaze down upon to Market Square Park, and face the rest of the Downtown Houston skyline to the south.

The ground floor will likely not feature any retail, aside from something like a cafe or coffee shop. Nothing seems to be final with respect to that space at this point. The building's lobby will feature an intricate marble floor and glass ceilings. It was evident to everyone in attendance that the developers had spared no expense in the materials of the building. Market Square Tower will be a great addition to Downtown Houston.

Here are a few renderings from the tower's website:

America's Pastime: Baseball or Cheap Parking?

A parking lot along Austin Street in Downtown Houston, a few blocks from Minute Maid Park (Saturday, April 16, 2016) 

As the Houston Astros played their home opener last week against the defending World Series-winning Kansas City Royals, america's pastime was restored. No, not baseball: cheap parking at sporting events, or, at least grumbling about the lack of cheap parking at sporting events. The Houston Chronicle featured an article on Tuesday chronicling the high prices that some fans paid to park their car on opening day. Now, remember, this is opening day, not a mid-season matchup against the Minnesota Twins in the middle of July. (Someone paid $60 to park on opening day and didn't get a ton of sympathy in the comments section). The article highlighted the continued construction in Downtown Houston, much of which has taken place on former surface parking lots. (I attended games this past Saturday and Sunday, and parking prices were back to normal. Although, I was disappointed that the Astros took two out of three games from my Tigers.)

The parking complaints even drew a response from Houston's mayor, Sylvester Turner. He offered suggestions that Houston's METRO transit agency might be able to work with the team to create a shuttle system that allows fans to park further outside downtown, and that additional businesses might look to offer their parking garages to accommodate fan parking.

Rest assured parking lot fans, there is relief on the way. There are more surface lots headed to Downtown Houston. Just this week the Astros announced that they had purchased the property that currently houses New Hope Housing's Hamilton Houses. And, not to be outdone, it was announced that after demolishing the Houston Chronicle building, a surface parking lot will take its place (at least for now, we presume).

Parking lots on Preston Street, two blocks from Minute Maid Park

But, as in many other large cities, driving your car into Downtown Houston is not necessary to attend a sporting event. Given Houston's recent new bus network, as well as the recent opening of new light rail lines in the past year and a half, it is a bit surprising that those transportation options are not mentioned at all on the Astros website. The team's directions page offers no suggestion other than driving to the park. This is even more surprising, considering that Minute Maid Park is located within the city's downtown district, and not in a suburban setting, like Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. 

METRO has been active on social media for the past week, reminding fans that they can easily access Downtown Houston and Minute Maid Park by bus or light rail. METRO noted that they had partnered with the Astros last year to promote the agency's new light rail lines.

The Minnesota Twins offer fantastic transportation content on their website providing their fans with bus, light rail and train travel information. (I have personally used the METRO light rail to see a Twins game, and it was a great experience.) The Minnesota Twins boast: "Served by light rail, more than 20 bus routes, I-394 express bus service, SouthWest Transit and the Northstar Commuter Rail line, Target Field is more accessible by public transit than any other ballpark in America."

The information that is included on the Twins' website is the sort of information that Houston's sports teams should be providing their fans as well. The Houston Texans provide small mention of METRO's light rail in the team's Parking FAQ's. As the Texans own the parking lots that fans use, it may be more of a business decision to not offer more public transportation options on the team's website. But make no mistake, our athletic teams have the ability to provide continued support of the opportunities that are offered through public transit.

Parking lots along Preston Street, two blocks from Minute Maid Park

Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium, home of the Dynamo and Dash, encourages "guests to consider walking, biking, taking public transit, or carpooling to avoid traffic, save on gas and parking, and reducing your carbon footprint."  The Houston Rockets also feature a page giving fans notice that public transportation to the Toyota Center is possible.

When looking at other baseball teams around the country, many feature descriptions as to how fans can attend games using transit. Even Detroit, which is ridiculed for its people mover and overall lack of regional transit, includes directions on how to use SMART or DDOT to travel.  

Of course, transit robust cities like New York can find mass transit directions on both the Yankees and Mets websites, as can fans of the San Francisco's Giants, and Chicago's Cubs (who strongly encourage the use of public transportation) and White Sox.

When it comes to parking, people generally seem to want to park somewhere close enough to their destination where they can see it. However, in a downtown district this is problematic. To have that sort of access will cost you more, a result of supply and demand. As Houston continues to see its downtown grow and mature, parking, and surface parking especially, may be more costly. But don't be fooled, there is a great deal of parking available downtown. (Check out the Downtown District's interactive parking map to find a lot or garage.) It's also worth noting that based on a 2015 Major League Baseball Fan Index, that the prices for Houston's parking were $15.00, which is almost a dollar lower than the league's average parking price of $15.89.

It might mean you have to walk a few blocks to find a cheaper rate. Of course there are considerations for people that may not physically be able to walk as far, or where taking transit is not practical. But as Houston's downtown continues to mature, you might find that your experience is actually pleasant. You might even find yourself parked on a stool after the game in one of local establishments, forgetting you had to walk a few blocks to park your car. It's important for Houstonians to know that they aren't bound to driving their car to watch the Astros, or any other team professional sports team, or major event, in Downtown Houston. It's a bit freeing to know you've got some other, cheaper, choices. 

Art Blocks At Main Street Square: Realizing Main Street Square

artblockshouston.org

This Saturday Houston's own The Suffers will be headlining The Big Bash, a celebration commemorating the inauguration of Art Blocks at Main Street Square in Downtown Houston.

Art Blocks Houston is an effort by the Houston Downtown Management District to further activate and utilize the area of Main Street between Dallas Street and Walker Street through the installation of public art. The Downtown District notes that "From lessons learned about public art's capacity to awaken change in areas that have not yet realized their full potential, Art Blocks strives to enliven Main Street Square." A number of art selections have been placed along Main Street, which also recently saw physical improvements to its streetscape (As did Dallas Street.)

Main Street Square was completed in 2004 in conjunction with the opening of Houston's Red Line light rail. In 2004, Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin visited Houston near the time that the city was hosting the Super Bowl. He noted the contrast of Houston's development in 2004 compared to that of the oil boom in the 1980's. A portion of Kamin's review includes an emphasis on public spaces, and a mention of Main Street Square, Houston's pedestrian mall. Kamin notes that "Of course, lots of pedestrian malls, like the one on State Street that Chicago got rid of in the mid-1990s, have flopped. Yet this one may have a happier fate." Kamin goes on to say that "Of course, one vibrant pedestrian mall will not make Houston a Paris on the prairie." But, the rest of his review, which consisted of commentary surrounding Houston's then-recently-opened light rail, was complementary.

As noted in the summer 2004 edition of the Rice Design Alliance's Cite magazine, Main Street Square is a small remnant of the Making Main Street Happen design competition that led designers Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn to create a master plan for Main Street. (A 1999 Cite article gives even more information behind Houston's Main Street Coalition and Main Street design). Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn might be best known for their design of New York City's Battery Park City. A 2000 Main Street Coalition Strategic Plan for the area re-emphasizes the desire and recognition of public art in maintaining vibrant public spaces, especially one that lies within the geographic center of Downtown Houston.

As many Houstonians know, there are many parts of Downtown Houston that are alive during the 9 to 5 workday, then seemingly become desolate. Main Street is becoming increasingly busy with the addition of new bars and restaurants, but this is primarily north of Main Street Square, whose blocks become a bit desolate as evening sets. Some of this can be attributed to the fact that a number of the blockfaces contain buildings without any active public spaces, or without retail that is open after the work day.

Given its somewhat desolate nature at night, Main Street Square has also been home to a number of people loitering, further keeping people away from its pedestrian plaza. The blocks between Dallas Street and McKinney Street have little to attract anyone to it, aside from a few ledges which to sit. The only retail spaces are Corner Bakery Cafe that sits at the corner of McKinney and Main Street, and is open weekdays from 6:30 AM to 4 PM, and the Main Food Store. The result, a fairly isolated landscape outside of the business day.

Back to the topic of Art Blocks; The Downtown District further provides that "Pop up performances, interactive experiences and community festivals will add to a schedule of events that complements the spirit of the major public art commissions." This is important, as many successful public spaces rely on something to attract people to them, usually programming and activities. This is known as triangulation.

William Whyte's The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces addresses this issue, providing that triangulation is one of the effective ingredients for a successful, social public space. Triangulation brings the passerby into a space. It connects people to places. That is what Art Blocks aims to do.

As I mentioned in a previous post looking at the design of Houston Center, we've looked to our bayous as conduits of activity and vitality. We're rightfully restoring them, attracting a variety of users. William Whyte would also contend that the same should be applied to city streets. He says, "The street is the river of life of the city. They come to these places not to escape it, but to partake of it."

So Houston, get out and enjoy your streets, enjoy some art, and enjoy your public places. Let's hope that this is another example to prove Kamin's 2004 hunch; that Houston's public places can continue to become the places they were envisioned to be.

Help us celebrate #ArtBlocksHou at Main Street Square on Sat 4/16 with art, food & music! https://t.co/AjireqlrpO pic.twitter.com/NAcdc0Kc1W

— Downtown Houston (@DowntownHouston) April 14, 2016

William Whyte and Houston: Revisiting Houston Center - The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

As I begin to prepare to take the AICP exam, the American Planning Association's professional institute, I was again reminded of the fantastic work of William H. Whyte (1917-1999). To those outside of the urban planning field, the name might not ring a bell, but, you've probably been influenced by his work. He spent much of his life studying corporate norms and organizational structures. While writing for Fortune Magazine, Whyte coined the term "Groupthink". After releasing his 1956 book The Organization Man, Whyte turned his attention to cities.

Whyte took to studying how people use our cities; how they interact with one another, with their environment. The Project for Public Spaces notes that "What emerged through his intuitive analysis is an extremely human, often amusing view of what is staggeringly obvious, but often goes unnoticed, about people’s behavior in public spaces." I agree.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

In his work The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, Whyte studies how New Yorkers use plazas and open spaces. These were plazas that were provided by builders in exchange for increased floor area ratios. Builders installed more plazas, but what resulted was empty spaces. Whyte is famous for his quote, "It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished." Turns out, there were many spaces that were built that actually repelled people. The same holds true today.


The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces: William H. Whyte from Nelly Oli on Vimeo.

Some plazas did have lots of people though. So, Whyte and his research team went to work to figure out what made them work. The Planning Commission of New York City claimed that if Whyte and his team could create a set of factual claims, that they would alter the open space requirements contained in the city's zoning code.

Downtown Houston Art: The Houston Oracle in Two Parts

This week I took a quick lap around a few blocks downtown on my break. I went to check in on what I thought were facade improvements to Bayou Place (Or Revention Music Center, or whatever it's called these days). I had seen them a few weeks ago, and noticed they hadn't made much progress lately. I thought that there may be additional entrances being added to the building for some reason. But, in hindsight I should have known the large walls aside Bagby Street would be coveted canvases.

As the lone pedestrian passing under Bayou Place on Bagby Street, I witnessed a man wrestling with a piece of corrugated metal. This was Stephen Korns, a Houston artist. I stopped and chatted with Korns to ask about the installation of "The Houston Oracle in Two Parts". (A PDF document from the Houston Arts Alliance can be found here to summarize the display.) You can hear more about the project in a recent interview with the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston's organization that is responsible for much of the city's civic art.

During our conversation Korns explained that the two panels, on the east and west sides of Bagby Street, were made of salvaged building materials. One panel, the corrugated metal panel, looks industrial, while the other looks residential, and is representative of the early Houston homes that can be seen in Downtown Houston's Sam Houston Park.

The residential-looking display will feature a window, which will have a screen behind it. The screen will loop video content of Houston's early years, and portraits of Houstonians. The industrial display will feature a window as well, looping a video of NASA earth perspectives.

The lighting above Bagby Street will also correspond to the moon's phases, much like the lighting along Buffalo Bayou's Sabine Promenade, which was installed by Korns in 2006. Finally, ambient recordings of the voices of people will play, questioning Houstonians about their life in Houston. Questions such as "How many hours do you work", "When was the last time you had your picture taken?", or "Do you socialize with the people you work with?" will play aloud for passersby.

As Houston continues to cast vision for its theater and arts districts, public art will be a focal point. The pedestrian experience of Houstonians in Downtown Houston continues to improve. There's no question about that. But, some of the added art may result in us asking ourselves some questions about our lives in Houston and the legacies we'll leave for future residents.

I'm excited to see the final product. The installation should be finished in the coming weeks.

Give Your Pie a Try - Downtown Houston's Your Pie to Open January 8, 2016

Yesterday evening I attended a soft opening event for Your Pie, a fast-casual pizza place that will soon be opening at 1625 Main Street, at the bottom of SkyHouse Houston. (Yes, one of Houston's residential high-rises actually has a retail and dining component!) As part of Central Houston's CHIME group, we had the privilege of giving the folks at Your Pie a simulation of their "down-the-line" pizza operation.

We've known about the restaurant since the spring, but it is now just set to open Friday, January 8th. Math people will like this: To celebrate the restaurant's grand opening on Friday January 8th, Your Pie will be offering pizzas for just $3.14 from 11AM to Midnight.

Yes, it's true that you essentially make your own pizza, or at least get to choose your own toppings. It's not quite as exhilarating as Kramer describes his make-your-own-pizza restaurant in Seinfeld's "Male Unbonding" episode. No, you won't be able to shove your arms into a 600 degree oven, but you are given free reign in selecting your toppings.


There are three crusts, around a half dozen sauces and cheeses, and over 30 toppings. Pizzas, panini, and salads will run $8.99. Of course, if you can't choose, there were a few favorite combinations for each already selected on the menu. (I enjoyed the Nat, with a pesto sauce, mozzarella, feta, sun-dried tomatoes spinach and chicken). There are 25 craft beers on tap, as well as selection of wine, and one of the ever popular Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.

Co-owner of the Houston Your Pie location, Cindy Thomsen of Houston's Personette Group, spoke to CHIME members about her desire to be one of the first people to bring the steadily growing restaurant category of fast-casual pizza to Houston. (Pie Five, another fast-casual pizza restaurant, recently opened at 107 Yale Street near the Houston Heights. It's comparable to Your Pie, with small variations in topping selection.) She and real estate partner, Laurie Personette-Null, had their eyes set on the location for 18 months, and explored franchising a number of other fast-casual pizza brands before selecting Your Pie. They noted that they chose Your Pie because of the quality of ingredients and the company's people. Thomsen also mentioned that she and Personette-Null had secured exclusive rights to any other Houston-area Your Pie locations, and plan to open additional Your Pie locations in the future. Your Pie founder Drew French was even on hand last night to assist in guiding the location's grand opening this Friday.

Cindy Thomsen and Laurie Personette-Null welcome Central Houston's CHIME group

The Your Pie chain originates from Athens, Georgia, having opened in 2008. It's been making its way westward with its most recently opened store in Homewood, Alabama. Planned locations include Mesa, Arizona, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

You Pie founder, Drew French, center

At $8.99, this might be a bit more than people are willing to spend for a pizza, especially given the distance that the restaurant is from Downtown Houston's concentration of office buildings, but the quality of the ingredients will likely make up for the price. I'd imagine the addition of a second SkyHouse residential tower (SkyHouse Main), and the Block 334 Residences will be an additional boost to business.

Your Pie will be another welcomed dining addition to the southern portion of Downtown Houston, joining Burger Theory in the recently opened Holiday Inn Houston Downtown. If you're in Downtown Houston (or want to take the METRORail, as a stop is just steps away) and are looking for a quick pizza fix with the freedom of a large number of quality toppings, be sure to give Your Pie a try. Included below are some additional pictures of Wednesday night's soft opening.

"The Nat"