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Houston Botanical Garden At The Glenbrook Golf Course


cloud713

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It looks like the hardy yards are ~50 acres, KBR is 136 acres, and astroworld was around 75 acres.. I think astroworld would be the best location of the 3 for a botanical gardens IMO, but I'm sure the owners want too much money for the land, and HLSAR bought half the property already. KBR just seems in too shady of an area and too isolated, and hardy yards would be better suited as a mixed use development. As much as I enjoy golfing im thinking the course off 45 that spans both sides of the bayou, with a little bayou wrapping around the west side of the course would be the best setting for a garden. Right off 45 for easy access. They'd just have to plant some really tall skyrocket junipers or some big trees along the north side to block any refineries from view., heh. The only reason Gus wortham isn't in the middle of no where is the light rail line they're building out there.. But I don't see many people taking what's likely to be the least utilized light rail line in the system all the way out to the gardens.

I'll take the KBR site.

A Botanical Gradens at that site could be a catalyst to jump start Buffalo Bayou redevelopment further eastward from Downtown. Both projects would compliment each other perfectly IMO

IIRC, the original 2000's plan for eastward development of Buffalo Bayou called for a Bontanical Gardens & amphitheater. They keep that plan and make the Botanical Gardens a reality at KBR.

EDIT: Found it.

http://www.buffalobayou.org/pdf/East_Sector.pdf

Edited by tigereye
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Sounds kind of like moody gardens in a public park.. Which I would be down for. The San Antonio botanical gardens feature some enclosed glass domes that are pretty neat looking. And I've always liked the butterfly dome in the museum district..

Yes to everything you said cloud713. I just feel Houston is ready and poised for HUGE national attention projects. It's like Hillary2016. It's hers to lose. NOW, it's Htown's to lose when so much seems to be going our way. (according to print media of course). So, a great botanical garden, a new theme park, iconic towers, museums, fountains, projects, cutting edge transport (I am thinking MagLev) etc, etc. Would be feathers in Houston's cap that would help it transcend to it's potential.
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Yes to everything you said cloud713. I just feel Houston is ready and poised for HUGE national attention projects. It's like Hillary2016. It's hers to lose. NOW, it's Htown's to lose when so much seems to be going our way. (according to print media of course). So, a great botanical garden, a new theme park, iconic towers, museums, fountains, projects, cutting edge transport (I am thinking MagLev) etc, etc. Would be feathers in Houston's cap that would help it transcend to it's potential.

haha, one can dream. unfortunately i think our plate is pretty full through 2017. i dont see the city trying (or wanting for that matter) to start a new huge project in the middle of hosting the superbowl. hopefully the boom will continue through the decade (wishful thinking, i know), and we can get some serious projects planned during the next few years to start construction after the superbowl is over. we will have a new iconic tower by then (609 Main), possibly a new theme park by then if the Grand Texas theme park happens, and will be in the process of getting a new world class museum addition (Holl MFAH expansion, due to be completed around 2019 i believe. though maybe the new Menil drawing institute will be finished by the superbowl?). i wonder if there are any plans for new fountains. there was a plan for one to book end the new shopping district in downtown, near discovery green, back in the 2011 plans. not sure if thats still the case. i wish they would close off the other two halfs of Main St around Main Street Square so there are 3 full continuous blocks closed off for a pedestrian promenade, and add more fountains to the area. unfortunately i dont see any new cutting edge transportation, or any new transportation for that matter happening by 2017, besides the Uptown BRT line, and the 2 current rail projects. no matter what though, Houston is sure to be looking good for the superbowl...

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KBR site is out.  The mayor said so at the townhall meeting on 3-31.  Botanic Garden folks could not afford to buy it.  They want a long term cheap lease from COH.

figures. i wonder who owns the property on the other side of the bayou from KBR? it would be cool if a botanical garden spanned both sides of the bayou with pedestrian bridges across the bayou and smaller canal/stream/spurs trenched/branching off through the site, forming small islands like a delta at the end of a river or something. each island could have its own themed garden. that would all be assuming someone could buy the property south/across the bayou from KBR, and convince the KBR owners to allow the garden people to develop a botanical garden on the western half of their property. it would be a long shot, but im having second thoughts on it being a bad place to put a garden. its right off of 59 and i10, would be encircled by the EaDo streetcar system if it gets built, and is very close to downtown/would have the best views of the skyline out of most all the potential sites. plus it could potentially be a boon to help gentrify that area.

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  • 8 months later...
  • 4 months later...

so has anyone been to any major botanical gardens? I've only been to the Denver Botanic Gardens and San Antonio Botanical Gardens, at 23 acres and 33 acres each. Glenbrook Golf Course is 120 acres.. that would be a huge garden. granted NYC somehow manages to have a sprawling 250 acre botanical garden..? I'm not sure how it works though, so I'm asking those who have been to the huge gardens. it doesn't seem like theres any way you could possibly see everything there without making an entire day out of it..?

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San Francisco's Botabical Garden in Golden Gate Park is so beautiful it makes you cry. I'm not sure how big it is, but you can easily get lost, and it's difficult to see the whole thing in one visit.

Not sure about the drought but by all accounts, San Francisco's climate is wonderful. That may contribute to it.

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San Francisco's Botabical Garden in Golden Gate Park is so beautiful it makes you cry. I'm not sure how big it is, but you can easily get lost, and it's difficult to see the whole thing in one visit.

i looked it up.. San Francisco Botanical Gardens are 55 acres.. so less than half the size of the planned Houston gardens.

here are some photos from the 23 acre Denver Botanic Garden yesterday..

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IMG_2173_zps4l9ygpui.jpg

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San Francisco's Botabical Garden in Golden Gate Park is so beautiful it makes you cry. I'm not sure how big it is, but you can easily get lost, and it's difficult to see the whole thing in one visit.

Every time a cable car rings it's bell, naviguessor gets a new set of wings. Edited by Montrose1100
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  • 7 months later...
Plans to transform city-owned green spaces in the East End into a marquee golf course and a landmark botanical garden took a big step forward this week, Mayor Annise Parker announced Friday.

 

The Houston Golf Association and Houston Botanic Garden each met initial $5 million fundraising targets in their efforts to restore Gus Wortham Golf Course and to build a garden at Glenbrook Golf Course.

 

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Fundraising-goals-met-for-botanic-garden-golf-6730543.php

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  • 2 weeks later...

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