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I haven't dug through all of the details but I have some skepticism about this project (and not just because of "buzzwords").

Here is the top graphic from the article (I neglected to include in the above posting):

Renderings of existing and proposed sections of I-45 through Downtown. Source: TxDOT.

More surface grade highway. Houston floods. Often.

And as it currenly exists The "Pierce Elevated" has crossroads that go under it. Would they be turned into tunnels?

Then there was this quote:
Given the experience of other cities that have decommissioned highways, real estate currently flanking the Pierce Elevated all the way to its connection with IH-10 would likely rise tremendously in value. The neighborhood immediately west of Downtown would also take a boost. Developers and businesses along the corridor would have ample reason to celebrate.

Our crooked city is run by the property developers in the Downtown business partnership (and has been since at least the 1950s). Tearing down our interstate highway to appease them is not in the public interest.

Neither was building billions of dollars worth of stadiums to appease them.

Neither is handing them our downtown (central) post office or jail all so we can build ourselves NEW facilities and they get prime real estate for more entertainment districts (funded by "redevelopment zone" taxes) and high rent condos.

“Our crooked city is run by the property developers in the Downtown business partnership (and has been since at least the 1950s). Tearing down our interstate highway to appease them is not in the public interest......&....”Neither was building billions of dollars worth of stadiums to appease them.......&...”Neither is handing them our downtown (central) post office or jail all so we can build ourselves NEW facilities and they get prime real estate for more entertainment districts (funded by “redevelopment zone” taxes) and high rent condos.”

Maybe “Alternative X” should be, using the power of eminent domain for a very brief spell of one Saturday and one Sunday, ALL land owners in the downtown district would have all the land collected into a joint holding company with each owner allotted shares in proportion to their land’s market value at midnight on the Friday before, but held in escrow by the city, and then that holding company given full title to the stretches of highway around downtown Houston, incurring a debt to the city of Houston, held by 30-year bonds, and then that holding company “privatized” back to the original owners, in their new collective ownership and each property with a perpetual & transferable lease to each original owner. Then, they can do what they want, and raise their own money - go themselves into more debt - to pay for remodeling Houston’s highways for their benefit.

Fanciful yes, but you get my point.

Our crooked city is run by the property developers in the Downtown business partnership (and has been since at least the 1950s).

Real estate investors get wealthier the more population density increases. Unfortunately a population density higher than a small town always results in majority Democrat voters. As the developers get rich, America turns into a third world socialist dystopia. To add insult to injury, the developers can re-finance their higher valued properties to get money out and they pay NO INCOME TAXES on that money. As long as they or their heirs don't cash out, they live 100% income tax free.