RIP gravel lot at 8th and Spring. May I never lay eyes on you again.
Re: the MMPT, I can't help but share in the pessimism. I've argued extensively about this on city-data, but I think the hurdles inherent to getting commuter rail all the way to downtown are so daunting that we should plan a terminal that can have a future rail component, or just give up. It's likely that, for the next ~10 years, and quite possibly forever, the transit aspect of the MMPT will just be a glorified bus station.
Hopefully the mixed use component is major and successful. That part of downtown has incredible potential and this could be a catalyst for improvement. If someday a commuter train is added into the mix, it will be icing on the cake I guess.