tigereye

I'm well aware of the difference between usuable space and footprint. The way the Twins are able to fit over 1 million square feet of usuable space onto the smallest foottprint for a major league ballpark is by building the ballpark upwards, much like the office tower concept you alluded to. This is why I brought this up. While I dont know the acreage of the site, if it is indeed a tight fit for a soccer stadium, the facility could be built upwards, like the Twins Ballpark. In fact, the Twins new Ballpark at 237 ft high, will be a full 42 ft higher then the 195 ft high Metrodome. But also, this ballpark runs right up to the sidewalks as well. And I happen to like that, it gives the venue and the area around it a more true urban feel. Now imagine Dynamo Stadium being fit into a tight space in the Warehouse District, much like the Twins ballpark or Fenway Park, to the point where the stadium runs right up to the sidewalk. I think, with all the nearby townhome developments surrounding the site, a stadium arrangement like this would create an urban neighborhood much like Wrigleyville or the area around Yawkey Way. Something like this would do wonders to changing the entire landscape of the East End area.

Well, if you do some research, you'll find one little fact. In regards to the sale of other MLS clubs AEG used to own, AEG did not sell those teams until a stadium deal was in place. This not only drove up the value of the sale, but IIRC, it ensured that AEG would hold promotional rights over the new venue, even after the sale of the MLS club. So given the timing of this De La Hoya link, following on the heels of reports of a soon-to-be completed stadium deal swirling, this might be the tell-tale sign that a downtown stadium deal is complete.

No surprises BUT..... When you have 2,000+ chanting " where's our stadium?" and a city council member (Adrian Garcia) loudly proclaiming on stage, "Lets make it (a stadium) happen!" l'd say things look very good this deal is signed off before Christmas. Also IIRC, no city council member nor the mayor have voiced opposition to this project. Me think we are only days (maybe weeks) away from a done deal....

Well consider this.... In Minneapolis, The Minnesota Twins are constructing their new 42,000 seat, 1 million square-foot ballpark on just EIGHT ACRES of land in Downtown Minneapolis. So I think the Dynamo, the city, and architects can find a way to make this site work for a 25,000 seat-max stadium that probably be less then 750,000 square feet.

As I and others have pointed out in the Big Soccer thread earlier this morning, I am taking this Chronicle article with a grain of salt. The Chron goes as far as to quote the deputy chair of public works, a high-level source in these negotations, as saying that a deal could be reached in two weeks. Then they make, what on the surface, appears to be statements that contradict this quote. So much for that scoop....sould I be excited at the prospects of this deal or nervous that the two sides are really far apart? Way to clear things up Chronicle! My choice? I choose to ignore the Chronicle article because, in the words on Dennis Green, "They (the Chronicle) are who we thought they were!" And I'm not gonna let them off the hook...

I agree. I was there last year, the place was still was packed and rowdy in orange, despite 7,000-8,000 making the trip to Dallas. I encourage all HAIFers to make this there MLS Cup party destination. You won't regret this decision...

The Mezzanine Lounge on 59 is likely ground zero for all Dynamo fans not going to DC. Myself included...

Playoffs begin 10/27 MLS Cup (Championship Game for those who dont follow) is 11/18. I know I've been told announcement forthcoming but honestly, IMO I seriously believe the announcement will not come until after 11/18 (After MLS Cup) Timing is the key. This is a new stadium announcement that will create excitement around the franchise, the fans and the city. Why make this announcement during the playoffs, where the excitement this announcement will create would instead be drowned out by the excitement of another title run. An announcement of this magnitude needs to made in the off-season so as to continue the excitement and momentum around the team through the off-season and into the new season. And lastly, a downtown pitch for the Dynamo huge news-worthy item in this city, which has been actively trying to improve its downtown core in many ways for the last decade. If the Front Office is smart, they make the announcement in the off-season to put some media attention on the team during the off-season, when the team is not in action on the pitch. Because face it....the only time this team get any face time with the local media nowadays is when there is a match played. And even in those instances, the Dynamo receives very little face time compared to what the Texans, Astros, and Rockets get. So my thinking is the Front Office capitalize's on this opportunity and makes the official announcement in the off-season .... and of course like always, someone here at HAIF will blow the lid off the secret before the Dynamo even get the chance to make the annoucnement. The looming question now stands to be which HAIFer scoops the story?????

Tunraround on the horizon? Me thinks so. For one, of late most clubs downtown are pulling in packed crowds. However, it looks nothing compared to downtown 2004 due to the fact that in 2004, there were more clubs open downtown at that time, that were all packed. The survivors are still clearly pulling in business however. And now, spots that were once vacant are now bieng occupied again 308 Main, the spot that was once home to Opus on Main St. next to the former MBar is now occupied again. LeveL Lounge will open soon there. With these clubs surviving coupled with newcomers to the scene and all of the new construction going on (Houston Pavillions, Discovery Park and surronding Lots) Downtown could be primed for good times once more when the construction dust settles in 2009.

Rumor has it that the downtown stadium is a done deal and an announcement is forthcoming.... can someone confirm this? Im absolutely giddy with excitement if this is true...*crosses fingers*

UPDATE: Fox 26 did a report tonight based solely on what the status of the project is. They also showed some more shots of the "modern hotel" look, as well as a shot of the site plan for the "modern look." The site plan illustrates the parking garage for the dome to be built on the east side (Fannin) walls of the dome in a "crescent moon" shape that follows the shape of the dome's walls. The interior shots clearly show the home plate area of the baseball diamond along with the section of seats directly behind homeplate, being retained in the design. However, it appears the homeplate area in the rendering is repositioned from the original dome baseball setup as to cater to the rest of the design for the redevloped dome. It appears sky-bridges will seperate the homeplate area from the pond areas. Also, one of the six restaurants planned will sit atop a "V" shaped pond on the north end of the dome. One more thing....looks like all of the rooms will have balconies that face towards the interior of the dome...but we all probably kenw that was coming anyways. Does anyone know whom is tapped for architect on this project....there are more renderings out there and Fox 26 was showing them way too fast so they could cut back to Damili Keith's ugly mug (she was doing the report) As for the status of the project, it was basically summed up as "all that is needed is financing" and that Astrodome Redevelopment Corp has until January 08' to secure that. (IIRC The Chornicle article made it sound like financing was already secured with Deutsche Bank WTF) Fox also asked Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on if he was optimistic on the Dome's plans. Emmett responded by saying that "he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic" about the project.

Duplicate....other guy above me had the same idea. Looking at the renderings, I actually think the Boathouse might pull more during the day becuse of its causl lounge type atmosphere. For some reason, it just reminds me of college, which I think will score big with park go-ers during the day. And really I think the Grove Bar could score big as an upscale club/lounge setup at night given its description in the article as a "glowing bar" and a "beacon" at night. Its setup and view of downtown benneth the trees and stars would be a huge and unique departure from the normal upscale club/lounge scene in Houston. And in the Spring and Fall seasons.....just thinking about it and comparing it to other places where pretty folk flock to in Houston.....I expect big success from this place. Schiller Del Grande is on the right track.....

First off, let me say that the parking lot south of Market Square Park needs to go immediately! It is the absolute worst spot a parking lot could be located in this city to date. That parking lot single-handedly destroys any urban ambience this park has tried to create at all.... So with that in mind, here's my idea...... Market Square Park needs to expand to the parking lot directly south of the park in an effort to make it more urban in a Central Park-type way with development bordering all sides of the park. Close down the section of Preston St that would run directly through the middle of this expanded park, so the park will run complete and uninterrupted by traffic. Then in the middle of the now expanded park, add a water feature centering around a sculpture (maybe move the Beatles sculpture to this site)....basically create a more memoriable and dramatic, stand-out signature for the park, in the heart of the park. I believe some for of dramaic signature might serve as an attaction to pull in visitors, unlike the Points of View stature the current park has. From there, add more decorative lighting for enhancement and night-time safety. Finally, add more park benches & chess tables to complement the additional green space added via expansion, thus offering more places where workers in nearby office towers or residents in nearby lofts can come to kill time in the peaceful surroundings of this true urban park, that is conveniently located nearby.

Hate to burst everyone's bubble about Dynamo and inner-city renewal but, after constructing 3 new facilities, the scope of AEG's Houston plans were just too big for the city.... Its time to shift your focus south for the future location of AEG's sports and entertainment complex. For Dynamo...the land of Pears beckons....... (I really wanted to say "the land of Pears Beckhams" but that might get people thinking a litle too hard)

So let me get this straight, this project is seperate from the twin towers of BLVD PLace. So in Uptown's future, we might see..... 1. Twin 35 story towers constructed 2. BLVD PLace twin towers constructed 3. Turnberry 38-story tower constructed If all this comes to fruition, thats 5 significant new towers added to the Uptown skyline. Ladies and gentlemen - It might be time to start photoshoping what the future could look like in Uptown.

......every rendering Ive ever seen for BLVD Place (dating all the way back to Riva Place) has always included "Twin Towers" in its design. Thus I believe this is meant for BLVD Place.

This was considered and MBar's owner actaully had a target....it was on the same block, just further south. It used to be Opus. But the rent was apparently too high for that space, especially given the fact that the scene is shifting further south to mid-town. On a side note - after the raid at Suede this weekend, expect that place will close its doors as well.

(2500 Cool Points to DJ V Lawrence for giving me props) And IIRC, wouldn't Metro's Southeast BRT would run on Harrisburg past the stadium....

Time to shake this thread up with some news and a lil "inside info!" First off, the news end of things..... Pearland Stadium - TheFacts.com Pearland Stadium - Chron.com Webster Stadium - Chron.com Now remember this line....this might point into what direction probably has the most likelyhood fo becoming the next home of the Dynamo. So essentially the Dynamo are already doing preliminary engineering on sites in Houston and Sugar Land. To me, the fact that they are doing work on these sites says the Dynamo believe these two sites have the strongest potiential in becoming the future home of the Dynamo. Personally, I believe there would be too many political obstacles to overcome in getting a deal in Sugar Land. So this leads me to believe the Dynamo have a deal in the workings here in Houston. This is where "my info" comes into play. Once upon a time, Sylvia Garcia upset many Dynamo fans by making a stink over the team's original name, Houston 1836, thus forcing them to change to the Dynamo. Now she apparently is trying to make amends....well actually she's just using the Dynamo to make a certain pet project of her's, a reality. That pet project is the under-preforming 150 acre Gus Wortham Golf Course, which she has been trying to convert into a massive all-sports facility to better-serve the Hispanic community its located in, possilby revitalizing it. Coincidently, her vision has always included soccer fields. This project stems from her belief that the golf course doesn't best serve inner-city youths and that this all-sports park would possibly funnel youths away from the gangs that plague the area, this revitalizing the area. In the past, Garcia has gone as far as to meet with city and county officials. The Dynamo's vision is not just for a soccer stadium, rather a soccer park that surrounds the stadium with soccer fields, like Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX. This concept coincidently fits perfect with Garcia's visions for the future of the Gus Wortham Golf Course property. And now apparently, these two parties are working together to make both of their visions, become reality. So barring Garcia going "flip" on the Dynamo again, look for inner-city revitalization on the city's East End in the form of Dynamo Soccer Park....which might include a plaza retail developement as well. If all goes well, look for the team to hold true to their plans and make an announcement in late March or early April, coinciding with the kick-off of the 2007 MLS season. More info as it comes in.....

Not actually. MBar had 3 floors, as well as an unknown 4th floor. 1. You had the main floor ground level. 2. You had the basement, complete with a bar and restrooms. The was also a secret lounge behind the bar, this was where the old vault used to be for Houston Citizen's Bank. The boilers were also back here as well, but they were to the left and down the hall. The vault is still intact. Some very wild things happened back there ...hehe, I'd rather not elaborate. But if you open both areas up to eachother, you have a very large area. 3. You had the upstairs balcony level overlooking the main floor. Now if you get rid of the balconies for one complete floor level, you have an area exactly as large as the main floor, which is very large. 4. The level no one ever saw. Offices and another lounge. Its above the balconies. Only accesible via the back right corner staircase thats on the way to the basement. Most took this staircase to get to the balcony level. The stairs continue form there....but most were too drunk to realize it and go up further. I feel this area is large enough for a full scale Wal-Greens including grocery section - mius the drive through of course. Sadly enough, the only way this happens is with the grand ornate architecture of the interior of this building being gutted for the bland cookie-cutter acrchitecture you would expect to find from a grocery store. That would be the real loss. Everyone associated with Mbar, myself including, have pretty much vowed never to go in there when it makes its transformation to Wal-Greens...its just goona be sad. If anything, I would have prefered MBar to be bought out by someone who would have preserved the all aspects of the architecture of this building, interior included. Tillman Fertita would have been great. Imagine a Vic & Anthony's with seating in that grand lobby... An excellent opportunity to creat something grand, will instead go by the wayside. And then there's the block itself, which, has taken a hit. Gone are Mbar and Opus. Infact, IIRC, that whole block is shuttered, except for tha one small club in between MBar and Opus that's still in operation.

Get ready for this........last night, got to see many of my peeps who used to work at MBar. It did officially close on Saturday (1/13) BTW. Most of them landed gigs in midtown. Well, last night, I saw the former GM of the place, Carlos. He told me why the club went down. It had nothing to do with business. It had everything to do with who was gonna replace MBar at the old Citizens Bank site. MBar is gonna be replaced by a WAL-GREENS For those who dont know, the Site is at the corner of Main and Preston Alot of us have campaigned for a grocery store downtown. Now while Wal-Greens is a CVS-Clone, in reality, its also the closest thing downtown has ever had to a full fledge grocery store. I guess the transformation of Downtown into a more friendlier residential component has begun. So how do you feel about this? You against the CVS-Close raiding the Downtown nightlife scene. Or are you for this mini grocery store helping downtowns residential aspirations? Discuss.

First off, Im not supposed to let this out....I promised my source. But after hearing this news, I felt compelled to post it here, seeing as this forum isnt as well known, I feel safe to post it here. But most importantly, Im all for downtown development and this I feel is a huge loss for the Downtown nightlife/club scene. I feel when I post what I know, most will take me seriously and understand my point of view and offer up ther own insightfull analysis or logical opinion. In the club promoting industry, the time from January to Spring Break is usually a dry time, when club's see their least business. Reasons vary from cold weather, to school starting back up, to the crowd being simply partied out from the holidays. Of late, Things have been slowing and crowds have been thining downtown. The fear is that alot of smaller downtown clubs will not make it to see Spring Break, something my trusted source ominously confirmed. And when a big Club venue downtown goes down this soon, it will cause gitters downtown for other samller venues, which might cause a few to pull the trigger and pull out of downtown. The big club I speak of going down is MBar. This is sad for me since majority of my friends work here. It wasnt just a club for me, It was more like going to a frat party and socializing. For the last few years of my life, Ive had some memoriable times here. This place means alot to me and Im truly sadden to hear of its impending demise. From what Ive been told, it will close before Janurary is out. In fact, Ive even been told that last Saturday night was its Final Night. For Downtown, This means no more MilkShake nights on Thursday nights, which was a huge "celebrity-filled" draw 4 years strong. The same could be said for Saturday's as well. When a smaller venue like Dean's across the street sees another larger neighbor close its doors (Opus close by as well) it does not bode well for the downtown scene. Can Downtown's nightlife scene survive this dry time? From what I hear, there are going to be alot of vacancies opening up soon where clubs used to be.

Nope, you guys got it all wrong. The first retractable-roofed stadium built EVER was Stade Olimpique (Olympic Stadium) in Montreal, which opend in 1976 Th stadium was marked with a giant tower that soared over 200 feet over the stadium and was supposed to pick up the fabric roof much like an umbrella, in a folding motion that seemd a far-fetched idea from the start. From the moment it was built, it gave problems. It retracted once in a test before the 1976 Olympic Games, but then never opened for the Games themselves due to sealing problems with the roof. Over the next 12 years, it opened very rarely. In the 1988 season, the whole roof was completely removed, making Olympic Stadium and outdoor facility. The next year, a fixed roof was constructed, thus making it a domed stadium for good.

So how about my idea then......Close Crawford St permanantly from Discovery Green to Toyota Center, 1 block southward. This would extend the pedestrian promenade past the front entrance of the Hilton Americas to the front doors of Toyota Center, linking both via a pedestrian promenade, with Discovery Green. And were only talking about one block...and given the flow of Crawford and surrounding streets, not many vehicles will miss a 1 block long Crawford St. Better yet my dream would be for this (above) to happen and the Utility station opposite the Hilton on Crawford St to give way to development. That site would be perfect for offices or high-rise residences with ground floor retail. Me thinks this is a solid plan...."IF" we could get that utility station to move. What a waste of a terrific site.