Why don't Bryan-College Station attract higher paying jobs?

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PS3D
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In reply to Joe Schillaci 48 • 7:53p, 12/22/17
Slocum on a mobile said:
Quote:
And?

And the overall "F$%& you pions" attitude of the city is what really turns small business owners off to ever thinking about locating in the PRKS (People's Repulik of Kollege Station, for you uninitiated).

And I'm not going to name names of friends on Texags, period. It's bad for their business.
OK. You're friends with developers, fine (and by extension, have only heard their side of the story, probably embellished). To borrow a quote from this forum, I don't have a dog in this fight, but I certainly don't think that makes the city factually "anti-small business" until you can offer anything.

pepe the dog said:
Slocum on a mobile said:
Quote:
. I am still waiting for a third airline to be added at CLL.
As a long time resident you do remember when we had Continental, American and DELTA, connections don't you?



I had thought that I been told that Delta once flew to Easterwood, but I did a quick search on it and couldn't find anything, so I kept my mouth shut. I do remember when either Continental or American (I can't remember which) actually stopped service to Easterwood (sometime in the five years following 9/11) and was replaced with a third-party carrier that fixed that connection. It didn't last too long before the third-party carrier was either bought out or did something so that both brands returned. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.
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techno-ag
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In reply to PS3D • 9:59a, 12/23/17
AG
PS3D said:


See, this is how rumors get started. Like I said in another thread, despite the fact that the city does have some rather obtuse rules about building construction and there have been a few examples where the city's unwillingness to work with businesses have led to problems (Cajuns Bayou Grille and the patio). Yet all of these stories regarding developers are unsourced with no indication of projects or dates. If there was paperwork filed that should be on public record somewhere yet because of these alleged disputes somehow that becomes "College Station is stifling growth" despite evidence to the contrary (all those apartment complexes).
Know how I know you've never had to deal with CStat on a business opening?
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PS3D
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In reply to techno-ag • 10:29a, 12/23/17
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:


See, this is how rumors get started. Like I said in another thread, despite the fact that the city does have some rather obtuse rules about building construction and there have been a few examples where the city's unwillingness to work with businesses have led to problems (Cajuns Bayou Grille and the patio). Yet all of these stories regarding developers are unsourced with no indication of projects or dates. If there was paperwork filed that should be on public record somewhere yet because of these alleged disputes somehow that becomes "College Station is stifling growth" despite evidence to the contrary (all those apartment complexes).
Know how I know you've never had to deal with CStat on a business opening?

Because I basically said so in the post above yours?
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techno-ag
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In reply to PS3D • 10:41a, 12/23/17
AG
PS3D said:
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:


See, this is how rumors get started. Like I said in another thread, despite the fact that the city does have some rather obtuse rules about building construction and there have been a few examples where the city's unwillingness to work with businesses have led to problems (Cajuns Bayou Grille and the patio). Yet all of these stories regarding developers are unsourced with no indication of projects or dates. If there was paperwork filed that should be on public record somewhere yet because of these alleged disputes somehow that becomes "College Station is stifling growth" despite evidence to the contrary (all those apartment complexes).
Know how I know you've never had to deal with CStat on a business opening?

Because I basically said so in the post above yours?
I wouldn't be so quick to deny the veracity of what many on here have stated over the years, then. Time and again people have shared about these difficulties. They're not just making stuff up to fuel rumors.
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PS3D
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In reply to techno-ag • 10:51a, 12/23/17
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:


See, this is how rumors get started. Like I said in another thread, despite the fact that the city does have some rather obtuse rules about building construction and there have been a few examples where the city's unwillingness to work with businesses have led to problems (Cajuns Bayou Grille and the patio). Yet all of these stories regarding developers are unsourced with no indication of projects or dates. If there was paperwork filed that should be on public record somewhere yet because of these alleged disputes somehow that becomes "College Station is stifling growth" despite evidence to the contrary (all those apartment complexes).
Know how I know you've never had to deal with CStat on a business opening?

Because I basically said so in the post above yours?
I wouldn't be so quick to deny the veracity of what many on here have stated over the years, then. Time and again people have shared about these difficulties. They're not just making stuff up to fuel rumors.


Yet nobody ever gives details despite the fact that it should be public domain. Bigger question is why the same people that accuse the city of being unfriendly are quick to jump to the defense of developers.
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techno-ag
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In reply to PS3D • 10:54a, 12/23/17
AG
PS3D said:
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:
techno-ag said:
PS3D said:


See, this is how rumors get started. Like I said in another thread, despite the fact that the city does have some rather obtuse rules about building construction and there have been a few examples where the city's unwillingness to work with businesses have led to problems (Cajuns Bayou Grille and the patio). Yet all of these stories regarding developers are unsourced with no indication of projects or dates. If there was paperwork filed that should be on public record somewhere yet because of these alleged disputes somehow that becomes "College Station is stifling growth" despite evidence to the contrary (all those apartment complexes).
Know how I know you've never had to deal with CStat on a business opening?

Because I basically said so in the post above yours?
I wouldn't be so quick to deny the veracity of what many on here have stated over the years, then. Time and again people have shared about these difficulties. They're not just making stuff up to fuel rumors.


Yet nobody ever gives details despite the fact that it should be public domain. Bigger question is why the same people that accuse the city of being unfriendly are quick to jump to the defense of developers.
I'm not sure where one could go for a public record of some of this stuff. Most of the ones I know of involve the city changing requirements at the last minute.
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cslifer
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In reply to techno-ag • 11:28a, 12/23/17
Examples? My understanding is that the each step of the planning/building process is very well documented so these type things should be very easy to prove. Any business owner is hopefully getting things in writing when it comes to something this important.
Example: approved building plans and permit issued, then city tells you that the plans have to change something. The business owner would be able to produce the previously acceptable plans.
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lost my dog
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3:29p, 12/23/17
I just drove up Wellborn, and passed the new HEB site, the new Whataburger site, and more new student housing where the Goodwill used to be. Things do get built, just maybe not as easily as developers would like.

But the original question was good jobs. Let's think about a situation where CS said no to a developer, and the world didn't end. Weingarten wanted to put a Walmart at Rock Prairie and the bypass. The city wouldn't rezone. Now there's a new hospital there.

Medical jobs >>> Walmart jobs

There can be nice, high-paying jobs in town. They aren't going to come from retail or restaurants; that's the nature of those fields. And those seem to be the sort of projects that development types complain about the city restricting them from building.

But yeah, some examples would be nice.
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PS3D
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In reply to lost my dog • 12:15a, 12/24/17
lost my dog said:
I just drove up Wellborn, and passed the new HEB site, the new Whataburger site, and more new student housing where the Goodwill used to be. Things do get built, just maybe not as easily as developers would like.

But the original question was good jobs. Let's think about a situation where CS said no to a developer, and the world didn't end. Weingarten wanted to put a Walmart at Rock Prairie and the bypass. The city wouldn't rezone. Now there's a new hospital there.

Medical jobs >>> Walmart jobs

There can be nice, high-paying jobs in town. They aren't going to come from retail or restaurants; that's the nature of those fields. And those seem to be the sort of projects that development types complain about the city restricting them from building.

But yeah, some examples would be nice.
Wal-Mart was the one that dropped plans even back in 2006, but Weingarten was still pushing the rezoning without any plans for what they wanted to do with it. And in the end, Weingarten still was able to get a gas station and a small strip center in a downsized plat.

Had Wal-Mart had gotten on board with the plan and kept on it, there would've been nothing CoCS could've done. What probably changed everything on that regard was Albertsons. Allegedly, Wal-Mart had been interested in buying out the adjacent Albertsons to expand, which they wouldn't, until Albertsons changed hands in 2006 and the new owners were much more open to selling off store sites. By the time Wal-Mart bought the Albertsons (selling from Albertsons Inc. to Wal-Mart save for a brief time through a third party shell company--see BCAD), the deal to use Albertsons to expand Wal-Mart was more or less finalized.

But if Albertsons wasn't willing to sell out, then Wal-Mart would've backed Weingarten and College Station would have to play ball. The city's dealings with Weingarten are well-documented and you can make a case for either one. This is why I suspect that Slocum on a mobile isn't telling us information because if the developers really were innocent (and truthful) then proof can be provided without issue. We may never know, but until then we can't pass judgement on CoCS being "anti-business" or what have you.

From reading this thread and others, I think that A&M does have a huge part in preventing businesses in locating in Bryan and College Station alike. Perhaps a certain Texas A&M Chancellor has made efforts to kill businesses locating here that weren't linked to him, much like what happened to the Biocorridor?
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cslifer
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8:21a, 12/24/17
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FeLahar
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In reply to PS3D • 10:45a, 12/24/17
AG
interesting thread, learned a lot here

PS3D, a gentle "pot-kettle" call out on your inputs...You asked others for evidence of claims in the thread...so, curious how A&M and Sharp are preventing businesses from setting up shop (or succeeding) in BCS? It is hard not to drive thru the biocorridor now and imagine it was just an open field not 10 years ago...iBio, ViaSat, Stella, Fuji. Most (all?) other locales would celebrate that ad nauseam. I'm genuining interested in how they (A&M writ large) fit into the biz ecosystem since they are such a large force in the community.

thanks again and merry christmas everyone!
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PS3D
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In reply to FeLahar • 11:45a, 12/24/17
FeLahar said:
interesting thread, learned a lot here

PS3D, a gentle "pot-kettle" call out on your inputs...You asked others for evidence of claims in the thread...so, curious how A&M and Sharp are preventing businesses from setting up shop (or succeeding) in BCS? It is hard not to drive thru the biocorridor now and imagine it was just an open field not 10 years ago...iBio, ViaSat, Stella, Fuji. Most (all?) other locales would celebrate that ad nauseam. I'm genuining interested in how they (A&M writ large) fit into the biz ecosystem since they are such a large force in the community.

thanks again and merry christmas everyone!
There was another thread where Sharp had fired the Biocorridor guy and a lot of the companies that were supposed to be there pulled out. (Fuji ended up locating in the building where (I believe) the flu vaccine production plant was supposed to be). That too, may just be a theory, but I don't have inner workings of the university, and I definitely don't have proof that Sharp is preventing businesses from locating here. (It is just speculation)

I do not fault Slocum on a mobile's lack of evidence (despite that the information is out there, somewhere). He made it very clear what side he is on and who he associates with, and his silence on the issue says enough to me that the city is not as anti-development as he claims.
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FeLahar
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In reply to PS3D • 12:31p, 12/24/17
AG
understood on both points, thanks for clarification. And thanks for starting this thread...i think the mixture and spirit of inputs show just what a difficult effort it is to bring such positions/careers here.
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biobioprof
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In reply to PS3D • 6:54p, 12/24/17
PS3D said:
From reading this thread and others, I think that A&M does have a huge part in preventing businesses in locating in Bryan and College Station alike. Perhaps a certain Texas A&M Chancellor has made efforts to kill businesses locating here that weren't linked to him, much like what happened to the Biocorridor?
Curious about what you think the story is on the biocorridor and the mechanism by which an A&M Chancellor would prevent a business from locating there.

Other than cutting off the crony capitalism funds, which I wouldn't count as killing worthwhile businesses.
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cslifer
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In reply to [removed post] • 11:02p, 12/24/17
So you are basing all this on something you did 10 years ago?? A lot has changed around here since then, especially city council/p&z board, heck I would guess a lot of the staff you dealt with aren't there anymore. So far as Carps goes, you should talk to the vendors he was dealing with. It wasn't the city that was the problem, it was a lack of funds on his part. He left at least on large unpaid invoice I am aware of.
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PS3D
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In reply to [removed post] • 8:26a, 12/25/17
Slocum on a mobile said:
PS3D: Yes, I have a good friend that is a developer. I also have personal experience with setting up a non profit first in College Station, then in Bryan around 10 years ago. The experience with dealing with Bryan on building out a space was night and day different than with College Station.

Like Techno says, I'm not the only one who has pointed this out. Try talking to the guy who tried to put a porch on the Cajun place and ask his opinion on the city...

I can think of a few places that ran out of funds trying to open dealing with CS red tape, like Carp's... I was pretty vocal on that thread. Didn't see you piping up pro city in that one.
https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/2750474/2#discussion
So because I show suspicion with your stories, I CLEARLY must be pro-city? :P

I never said you were lying, if that's what you're thinking. Your developer buddies gave you their side of the story that makes them look the most sympathetic. You know very well that all this stuff can be tracked back to permits and records but by giving out that information it would show the full information of the details between the city and the developer. You're afraid (or you know) that the real story could potentially make the developer less sympathetic but you're not willing to do that because you are a personal friend.

The deal with Cajuns Bayou Grille, if the stories are to believed, that (and correct me if I'm wrong), the patio could not be added unless the parking lot was brought up to code (paved), which the owner wasn't willing to do. With Carp's, the holdup with the city was all rumor, and if you believe that, then I've got an inside scoop on Trader Joe's building in Northgate.

Quote:
The city is a pain in the ass for things like layout, signage, quantity of seating, number of entry/exits, etc. etc. etc. Carps is still working through it.


But Carp's already had the signage up and probably had everything else down. A lot of smaller businesses have been able to build out stores, why couldn't Carp's?

Well, that's all I gotta say today. Merry Christmas!
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The Original AG 76
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In reply to PS3D • 4:05p, 12/25/17
AG
PS3D said:
Slocum on a mobile said:
PS3D: Yes, I have a good friend that is a developer. I also have personal experience with setting up a non profit first in College Station, then in Bryan around 10 years ago. The experience with dealing with Bryan on building out a space was night and day different than with College Station.

Like Techno says, I'm not the only one who has pointed this out. Try talking to the guy who tried to put a porch on the Cajun place and ask his opinion on the city...

I can think of a few places that ran out of funds trying to open dealing with CS red tape, like Carp's... I was pretty vocal on that thread. Didn't see you piping up pro city in that one.
https://texags.com/forums/35/topics/2750474/2#discussion
So because I show suspicion with your stories, I CLEARLY must be pro-city? :P

I never said you were lying, if that's what you're thinking. Your developer buddies gave you their side of the story that makes them look the most sympathetic. You know very well that all this stuff can be tracked back to permits and records but by giving out that information it would show the full information of the details between the city and the developer. You're afraid (or you know) that the real story could potentially make the developer less sympathetic but you're not willing to do that because you are a personal friend.

The deal with Cajuns Bayou Grille, if the stories are to believed, that (and correct me if I'm wrong), the patio could not be added unless the parking lot was brought up to code (paved), which the owner wasn't willing to do. With Carp's, the holdup with the city was all rumor, and if you believe that, then I've got an inside scoop on Trader Joe's building in Northgate.

Quote:
The city is a pain in the ass for things like layout, signage, quantity of seating, number of entry/exits, etc. etc. etc. Carps is still working through it.


But Carp's already had the signage up and probably had everything else down. A lot of smaller businesses have been able to build out stores, why couldn't Carp's?

Well, that's all I gotta say today. Merry Christmas!
What you are failing to understand is that for WHATEVER reasons there is a very real perception that CS is very ..extremely.. hard to deal with. There needs to be a realization and some attempt to correct this IF THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO !
I meet folks all over the state in my political dealings. Lots of developers, so-called movers and shakers, business owners etc.... LOTS and LOTS of Aggies. Many times the conversations roll around to where we are retiring as my friends know we are very close to pulling the plug. When I say College Station the usual response from the business types is something along the lines of..." Would love to be in CS but its just too hard to do business with the city..." I hear this from business developers and residential developers. It may be 100% bogus and it actually may be a smooth wonderful skip in the park to deal with our beloved overlords BUT that aint the perception valid or NOT .
We have been doing a lot of remodeling and upgrading on our place in Brazos County. The first question EVERY potential contractor asks ( we are on the edge of town) is " are you in the city limits ?" When I answer NO the response is ALWAYS ..."thats soo much better..we can actually do your project, you are lucky.."
I don't have a dog in this hunt since I'm not interested in building a damn thing , I love the area regardless of if we get a Pappasithootergolftop.....whatever..I'm simply pointing out that those that DO need to work on fixing the horrible PERCEPTION about doing business with CS.

And I just have to ask this re CARPS.....why the HELL is it ANY city's business about the LAYOUT or SEATING inside a business ? Why the HELL do you think that some city employee or code puke knows better than an owner how to layout and seat HIS business ? Perhaps that is why we can't communicate. I can not fathom in my wildest dreams how anyone can allow this level of intrusion by some city on ANY private business of any kind. Honestly I really am asking for you to honestly defend a city actually telling ANYONE how to layout or seat its eatery.....
And I believe that the issue at the cajun place was that they wanted to build a patio and it would reduce the number of parking spaces..again WHY THE HELL IS IT A CITY'S BUSINESS HOW MANY SPACES AN OWNER THINKS HE NEEDS ??? I have a real basic hatred of this type of busy-body intrusion ..it is NOTHING more than old fashioned corruption and theft by some damn code freak or inspector sanctioned by the elected mafia.
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Oogway
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In reply to The Original AG 76 • 5:34p, 12/25/17
While I agree with your points regarding the perception and its effect (whether or not the perception is valid), as far as the city holding a business accountable for certain items like parking or seating, it gets more complicated and your view may depend upon many things.

If you are extremely opposed to government interference, then you might want no restrictions. However, if the patrons begin parking throughout the neighborhood and blocking driveways every night, then that opens up a whole new kettle of worms.

Fires in restaurants are fortunately rare, but if the restaurant is popular and the owner adds more seats, then there are means of egress issues. That may even be a state code in addition to city? I would like to add that most restaurants probably try and do the right thing since flame broiled customers are bad for business, so that is where citizens have to decide how much government they think is necessary given that there is a line between too little and too much government and regulation and that line is not the same for all people all of the time!
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The Original AG 76
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In reply to Oogway • 5:49p, 12/25/17
AG
Oogway said:
While I agree with your points regarding the perception and its effect (whether or not the perception is valid), as far as the city holding a business accountable for certain items like parking or seating, it gets more complicated and your view may depend upon many things.

If you are extremely opposed to government interference, then you might want no restrictions. However, if the patrons begin parking throughout the neighborhood and blocking driveways every night, then that opens up a whole new kettle of worms.

Fires in restaurants are fortunately rare, but if the restaurant is popular and the owner adds more seats, then there are means of egress issues. That may even be a state code in addition to city? I would like to add that most restaurants probably try and do the right thing since flame broiled customers are bad for business, so that is where citizens have to decide how much government they think is necessary given that there is a line between too little and too much government and regulation and that line is not the same for all people all of the time!
I might give you the parking space thing except there already is a law enforcement mechanism to solve the blocking or illegal parking issue. Also there are already fire code occupancy rules ..that still does NOT give me any reason why some city should care HOW they are seated. The fire marshal can say MAX OCCUPANCY 25 or whatever yet the city actually wants to " approve" where the owner sets the tables and chairs ???
This is nothing but a scam to extort bribes and kickbacks..nothing else ....and , sadly, it's done in every city.
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cslifer
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In reply to The Original AG 76 • 7:11p, 12/25/17
I think you are worked up about nothing. I was kind of bored (family already went home) and looked through as much of the city info as I could handle. All I can find about seating is that it can't be more than the occupancy load posted and can't block emergency exits. I enjoy beating on the city as much as the next guy, but let's make sure we are mad about real things, not tilting at windmills.
ETA: I honestly have no idea why everyone is so up in arms over a business (Carps) that never opened. It is sad that people would rather get online and complain about a business that never opened, when there is a great new bar in that EXACT LOCATION!!
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PS3D
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10:58p, 12/25/17
The city does have requirements on a number of parking spots in relation to square footage but so does Houston. Also, the number of seats and their placement is fire code, which I believe extends to beyond the city. I also did some research (like cslifer) about any code regarding placement of chairs. There isn't.
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lost my dog
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5:40p, 12/27/17
I'll simply note again that regardless of how you feel about the city and what they tell restaurants, restaurants are not high paying jobs.

(Why do these threads always degenerate into CoCS bashing?)

Some types of high paying jobs are 1) medical, 2) legal (for corporate law, not generally criminal), and 3) IT/software/data analysis.

We do well with type 1. We won't do well with type 2 until big Houston law firms open branch offices here (which would depend on more transportation). I don't understand why we don't do better with type 3 (although I suppose I could find out.)
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bcstx06
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6:12p, 1/1/18
I don't see why people on here are always hard on the City of College Station about its requirements for new businesses. Regardless of the hassle, businesses still locate in College Station and at the end of the day the businesses deal with it.

College Station invested in the future when it came to improvements it has made on University Drive and Texas Ave and it is holding businesses to a hire standard as it should. Bryan on the other hand did not invest in Texas Ave in the past and now it is paying for it with all of the blight that it is offering incentives to fix up (lipstick on a pig). As I have said in the past, the Bryan side of Texas Ave needs a drastic makeover.

The extension of University Drive by the city of Bryan is a great investment into the future for the city though.
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FlyRod
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9:31a, 1/2/18
Finally a post that makes (a lot) sense.
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Captn_Ag05
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In reply to bcstx06 • 9:38a, 1/2/18
AG
bcstx06 said:
I don't see why people on here are always hard on the City of College Station about its requirements for new businesses. Regardless of the hassle, businesses still locate in College Station and at the end of the day the businesses deal with it.

College Station invested in the future when it came to improvements it has made on University Drive and Texas Ave and it is holding businesses to a hire standard as it should. Bryan on the other hand did not invest in Texas Ave in the past and now it is paying for it with all of the blight that it is offering incentives to fix up (lipstick on a pig). As I have said in the past, the Bryan side of Texas Ave needs a drastic makeover.

The extension of University Drive by the city of Bryan is a great investment into the future for the city though.
Agreed that Texas in Bryan is a mess. It is hard to believe the difference between the two cities on that stretch.

Not to derail the thread too much, but on the extension of University - how far is that extension planned to be (as in what distance)?
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DBSwooper
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In reply to bcstx06 • 10:06a, 1/2/18
bcstx06 said:
I don't see why people on here are always hard on the City of College Station about its requirements for new businesses. Regardless of the hassle, businesses still locate in College Station and at the end of the day the businesses deal with it.

College Station invested in the future when it came to improvements it has made on University Drive and Texas Ave and it is holding businesses to a hire standard as it should. Bryan on the other hand did not invest in Texas Ave in the past and now it is paying for it with all of the blight that it is offering incentives to fix up (lipstick on a pig). As I have said in the past, the Bryan side of Texas Ave needs a drastic makeover.

The extension of University Drive by the city of Bryan is a great investment into the future for the city though.
Some would argue that much of that perceived blight is from the above ground utilities that are very prominent on Texas Ave north of the College Station city limits and not due to the older buildings per se.
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rsa
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In reply to bcstx06 • 8:10p, 1/2/18
AG
bcstx06 said:
I don't see why people on here are always hard on the City of College Station about its requirements for new businesses. Regardless of the hassle, businesses still locate in College Station and at the end of the day the businesses deal with it.


Because it's the City of College Station. I truly think that if someone were to come to CS and open a Kim Jong Un-themed sweet shop with no business plan, put their 8-month old twins in charge, and rely on the change in their cup holder as their operating capital, when that business spectacularly fails there will be wags on this board blaming CoCS for the failure. Facts don't matter when CoCS can be blamed for all business problems.
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2:37p, 1/4/18
lost my dog
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In reply to [removed post] • 1:35p, 1/5/18
No offense to anyone who works at one, but call centers aren't "good jobs". You're not making 6 figures working the phones at a call center.

The real money in IT is on the engineering and higher management side (and higher management needs engineers below them.)

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Joe Schillaci 48
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In reply to PS3D • 2:25p, 1/5/18
AG
PS3D said:
Slocum on a mobile said:
Quote:
And?

And the overall "F$%& you pions" attitude of the city is what really turns small business owners off to ever thinking about locating in the PRKS (People's Repulik of Kollege Station, for you uninitiated).

And I'm not going to name names of friends on Texags, period. It's bad for their business.
OK. You're friends with developers, fine (and by extension, have only heard their side of the story, probably embellished). To borrow a quote from this forum, I don't have a dog in this fight, but I certainly don't think that makes the city factually "anti-small business" until you can offer anything.

pepe the dog said:
Slocum on a mobile said:
Quote:
. I am still waiting for a third airline to be added at CLL.
As a long time resident you do remember when we had Continental, American and DELTA, connections don't you?



I had thought that I been told that Delta once flew to Easterwood, but I did a quick search on it and couldn't find anything, so I kept my mouth shut. I do remember when either Continental or American (I can't remember which) actually stopped service to Easterwood (sometime in the five years following 9/11) and was replaced with a third-party carrier that fixed that connection. It didn't last too long before the third-party carrier was either bought out or did something so that both brands returned. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.


Delta flew CLL-DFW. They operated under the name of ASA. ASA has gone out of business. I don't live in the area anymore but at the time the new terminal opened Continental (later United) was the first counter, American Eagle was second and Delta ASA was the third position. Delta/ASA flew the Embraer, sometimes painted in Delta colors and sometimes painted like the one pictured.

Before the new terminal was built all airlines flew out of the older still existing building. There have been several off the top of my head I remember Rio that flew from CLL to DFW in aircraft painted in bright yellow paint.

Before the existing terminal was built, there was no charge for parking at the airport.
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91_Aggie
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3:03p, 1/5/18
AG
Back in 1994, my job included a lot of travel. I flew out of CLL very often.
We had
  • American (about 8 or 9 flights daily to DFW... which is crazy since most of them were over half-empty)
  • continental (about 5 or 6 flights daily to IAH)
  • And Delta (only about 3 or 4 flights) to DFW

I usually tried to fly Continental to keep all my frequent flier miles on the same airline.

I only flew the Delta a few times... plane was very small... 1 seat on each side of aisle. And co-pilot gave the safety information. I was the only person on the flight back to CLL on one of them.

Delta eventually stopped service.

then later American dropped down to only 3 or 4 flights a day out of CLL

At some point I think either Continential or American ceased service altogether, although at one time American changed to the small jets exclusively into CLL, but that stopped very quickly.

Good times. I remember that the Continental Flight used to be only about 15 or 20 minutes in the air, BUT the stewardess would bring out the drink/snack cart and offer everyone a drink and pretzels/peanuts.


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PS3D
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In reply to 91_Aggie • 12:49a, 1/6/18
91_Aggie said:
At some point I think either Continential or American ceased service altogether, although at one time American changed to the small jets exclusively into CLL, but that stopped very quickly
That does seem to corroborate my memory of one of the two airlines pulling out and we had to have a third party to make the connection. Funny how we all seem to remember this but can't remember which one pulled out, when it pulled out, what was the name of the airline, and how we got Continental/American again.
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GoneGirl
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In reply to BigBubba • 11:09a, 1/9/18
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BigBubba said:
Better paying jobs does not necessarily mean better quality of life. We left Houston 10 years ago and took a 40% cut in our household income and it was the best decision of our lives.

The bigger cities pay more because because it is needed to attract people. If the exact same job at the exact same pay was available in Houston and College Station, I would bet that 80% of people choose College Station over Houston (even Longhorns). The 20% would be mostly the younger, single crowd and people that don't have kids.

That being said, there has been growth in the medical field and there are other smaller companies that pay well but you don't here much about them because of their small size.

Also, we have one of the highest paid coaching staffs in the nation. ;-)
People in College Station always say that. We moved to Houston 10 years ago because my husband could make what we were both making combined. With me working as well, we make about 3x what we'd be making in College Station.

We live in a NE Houston suburb on a lake, with great schools and a excellent quality of life. We have a 3,000 sq ft home in a excellent master planned community, without college student neighbors partying at all times of the day and night, and we bought it at a reasonable price (less than $300,000).

The reason salaries are low in BCS is because you have college students that will work for almost nothing, and a whole population who've convinced themselves that CS is some sort of Mayberry/Nirvana combination worth taking a pay cut to live in. If the demand for higher pay was there, the pay would be too.
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