Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/452972
Rice University and the Texas Medical Center. With the opening of METRO's Purple and Green Lines, living without a car will be even easier. We are also advocates of alternative modes of transportation. We are big supporters of B-cycle, Houston's bike-share program, and we operate Greenlink, a free weekday circulator. There are now zip cars available, and a new bicycle connector through Downtown is in the works. JD: Describe what a visitor from out-of-town should do when visiting Downtown Houston for two days. BE: I would certainly recommend that they stay Downtown, as we are centrally located, and, like I said above, you can get around sans car. Hopefully an event is happening at one of the parks — something cool and Houston-centric such as a silent film at Discovery Green or Blanket Bingo at Market Square Park, or maybe a big citywide festival at Sam Houston Park. I would definitely check out the arts scene, either a performance in the Theater District or hop on the METRORail for a short ride to one of Houston's many museums. They can run, walk, or B-cycle on Buffalo Bayou. When you stay Downtown, you are also within walking distance to baseball, basketball, and soccer at Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, and BBVA Compass Stadium (and NRG Stadium is also on METRO's Red Line). Live music, Mexican food, and margaritas are always very high on my list. JD: How will the Theater District change in the next few years? BE: First off, Alley Theatre is moving rapidly on a significant renovation of its famous building. Also, Houston First is finishing up a master plan for the Theater District, and we hope to see physical improvements to the area beginning with a potential redesign of Jones Plaza and creating a more walkable and exciting pedestrian experience. There is significant room for improvement of the area's sense of place to be on par with the high quality of performances within the halls. JD: Is Downtown jogger-friendly? BE: Yes. With a rapidly expanding bayou greenways system, Downtown will have a growing number of portals to excellent trails. Within Downtown, wide sidewalks provide for safe access to these from almost any location. I run through Downtown almost every weekend and have done so for decades. I am an advocate of good drinking fountains, and we could use more. johndaugherty.com Bob Eury Downtown's Leading Man JD: Congratulations on being inducted into the Houston Marathon Hall of Fame. I believe the 2015 Houston Marathon will be your 32nd. What motivates you to participate year after year? BE: The thrill of finishing a challenging race has never gone away, and I hope that it never will until I am no longer able to compete. Knowing that another race is out there is a nonnegotiable motivator that keeps me running! JD: Do you live Downtown? BE: People ask me if we live Downtown or would we consider it. Gayle and I have lived in the same block off South Shepherd for the 40 years we have lived in Houston. In the late 1990s, we considered living Downtown while we were building a new home. I was touring a wonderful Downtown loft under construction. I looked out the window, and it hit me like a lightning bolt: if I lived Downtown, and my job is Downtown, I would never stop working! JD: What would people be surprised to learn about you? BE: Although I'm a Louisville native, my first trip to Churchill Downs was after I graduated from college. I was a stringer photographer for the Louisville Courier Journal, shooting Secretariat setting his unbeaten Derby record. JD: What is your favorite building Downtown — architecturally speaking — and why? BE: This is a difficult question for someone with a design background; there are a lot of great choices! I have always appreciated the former Tenneco Building, now the Kinder Morgan Building, because its design by SOM graciously adapts the International Style skyscraper for our Gulf Coast climate by setting the windows back from the building's face, thus creating comfortable sun-shading verandas. JD: If you were to commit to an entirely different career, what would be your first choice? BE: It's hard for me to imagine any other career, as I'm doing exactly what I want to do, and I love doing it. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to help shape the center of a rising global metropolis with possibilities that we really cannot fully imagine! Rendering courtesy of Randall Davis Company. d o c k d o g s ® a t d i s c o v e r y g r e e n l P h o t o b y b i l l J a c o m e t l The 28-story Catalyst Houston at 1423 Texas Avenue, being developed by Marquette Cos., will feature 361 units, some of which will overlook Minute Maid Park. Catalyst Houston will be on 1.4 acres at city Block 52. Starts at $4,460/month. Completion date: Summer 2016. Rendering courtesy of Marquette Companies. Photo by Katya Horner. Developer Randall Davis plans to build Marlowe, Downtown's first condominium project in more than a decade. Davis received a Downtown Living Initiative incentive. The 20-story high-rise will be located on the corner of Caroline and Polk and will have 100 one- to three- bedroom residences, ranging in size from 909 to 2,500 square feet. Pictured: Discovery Green. The vision of Downtown Houston with beautiful corridors and green spaces is becoming a reality. bo b eu r y , a h o u s t o n h a l l of f a m e m a r a t hon r u n n e r . 2 0 1 5 w a s h i s 3 2n d r a c e l Continued from Page 3