Camden McGowen Station & Midtown Park At 2727 Travis St.

[monarch]

^^^ please allow us a moment to PRAY... that ESPN knew just what they were doing when they decided to use a midtown park that is currently under heavy construction as per their premier SUPERBOWL broadcasting site.  this site appears to require at least another 3x months of solid work in order to be completed.  heck, the SB is scheduled for 05 FEB 2017, and ESPN shall need a bit of time to set up their props and gear.  let us all pray for midtown park.......

[Sanjorade]

I think I saw my car in your video @phillip_white

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

espn is scrambling to find a location to broadcast from because they called a certain venue downtown a week after the NFL rented it for 9 days...

[hindesky]

I talked with several workers today and asked all of them if they would finish in time to let ESPN move in a couple weeks before the Super Bowl. ESPN will need some lead time to set up their broadcast stuff, all the workers said YES, they were working hard to finish in time. Apparently the guy running the operation is an old hand at this and has done work for Disney before to finish time sensitive builds.

[BeerNut]

I wonder if they will work 24/7 if they start to get behind.

[H-Town Man]

On ‎12‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 3:51 PM, phillip_white said:

It doesn't appear that much has changed on the park end, but the apartments are coming along nicely.  They have scaffolding in place on the Southern end of the building.  My guess is they'll try to have that end looking tidy for the ESPN broadcast while they finish up the rest of it.

 

 

 

What music is this? It reminds me of Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1.

Edited December 23, 2016 by H-Town Man

[urbanize713]

Some of the buildings in the park were actually lit up last night. It was some sort of blue lighting on that white structure. I am not really sure what it is or will be called.

[Urbannizer]

[bobruss]

I knew they would try and put a finished look on that end of the building for espn's cameras. Just like in the movies when they build out sets of cities with the false fronts.

[HoustonIsHome]

It's this park going to have enough space?

[Texasota]

For what? It should be roughly one Midtown-sized block.

[Texasota]

Oh you mean for the Superbowl thingy? Maybe? Is ESPN just broadcasting from here or are there associated events/festivities taking place as well?

[urbanize713]

some pics from today

 

[cspwal]

This seems like a disappointingly small amount of green space

 

[nate4l1f3]

I remember talking about this HUGE block as game changing....that's of course before seeing the plans..still nice but not game changing.

[monarch]

1 hour ago, cspwal said:

This seems like a disappointingly small amount of green space

 

 

^^^ let's give a bit of time.... not finished yet....

[Tonyhtown]

It's true is not yet finished but boy there's only about 3 weeks left for the superbowl it's really 4 but I assume it takes a week to set up for ESPN.

[HoustonIsHome]

On 12/31/2016 at 10:54 AM, Texasota said:

For what? It should be roughly one Midtown-sized block.

 

15 hours ago, cspwal said:

This seems like a disappointingly small amount of green space

 

He gets it^^^

 

Was hoping for a reliever park to help discover green stay green.

 

But this doesn't seem like its the space I imagined.

 

Not going on aesthetics so don't care about finished or not. 

I'm going on function. Market square is an aesthetic plus for the city even if it is small, but with a lot this size  I was hoping for both an  aesthetic plus and a function plus in terms of having a reliever for DG in a more urban setting than BB/ ET parks. 

 

I mean you are acting like 1 midtown sized block is an achievement.  Are not all midtown blocks about the size of a midtown block.

But when you get a space that is 2.5 times the size of a midtown block then alot a 1 block section to park space that isn't really extaordinary. I mean a block park can be replicated on any block. But a 1 block plus park is beyond ordinary. 

[H-Town Man]

18 hours ago, cspwal said:

This seems like a disappointingly small amount of green space

 

 

It is essentially an amenity for the apartments, the way the little park/plaza at 600 Travis is an amenity for that building. If it succeeds as an urban place where people gather spontaneously, without being drawn to this or that planned event, I will be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[phillip_white]

On 12/23/2016 at 10:36 AM, H-Town Man said:

 

What music is this? It reminds me of Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1.

Not sure. It's a random free song that was built into the software.

[MarathonMan]

I agree that the "Superblock" park Is not turning out very super in size.  It will be nice, but I think the project could have been better if they shifted the apartment development all the way north to McGowen.  I don't understand how the open space north of the apartments will be used when the project is complete.  

 

On a side note, in my opinion Baldwin Park is Midtown's crown jewel green space.  The true Superblock Park of the neighborhood.  Yet, it's all but forgotten by Midtown Management.  Their motto seems to be, "If it's east of Main Street, it doesn't exist."

[Urbannizer]

 

[phillip_white]

Flyover from today.  They've planted some of the fake forest and started on the fake waterway.  There were people onsite working at 6PM, so if they keep this pace I'm pretty sure the majority of it will be ready for Superbowl week.

 

 

[BigFootsSocks]

Is Camden working on the facade that faces the park because that's where they are in construction, or are they working on just that side so there's not a half-finished building in the background of ESPN's cameras?

[kbates2]

21 minutes ago, BigFootsSocks said:

Is Camden working on the facade that faces the park because that's where they are in construction, or are they working on just that side so there's not a half-finished building in the background of ESPN's cameras?

 

The latter.

[Tumbleweed_Tx]

ESPN will bring in a set if construction isn't finished

[HoustonIsHome]

On 1/5/2017 at 6:33 AM, MarathonMan said:

I agree that the "Superblock" park Is not turning out very super in size.  It will be nice, but I think the project could have been better if they shifted the apartment development all the way north to McGowen.  I don't understand how the open space north of the apartments will be used when the project is complete.  

 

 

I walked by this today along McGowen and just realists how huge of a set back the apartment is on that side.  That thing must be 50 ft.

What are they going to do with that space?  You can fit another park on that spot.  

[cspwal]

They are having a small plaza with a restruant or two around it on the McGowen side

"R. 4000 SF Event lawn"

"S. 6000 SF Tree Grove and Plaza"

 

So yeah there is room for another park on that side 

[H-Town Man]

3 hours ago, cspwal said:

 

 

The Urban Land Institute should just make this their new logo already.

 

[HoustonIsHome]

I think "Allowing extraordinary opportunities to turn into painfully unremarkable cityscapes" is a more fitting motto.

 

[Urbannizer]

https://houston-texas-us.blogspot.com/2017/01/tree-transplanting-in-midtown-underway.html?view=classic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[monarch]

^^^ @Urbannizer excellent illustrations as always urb!

[hindesky]

[asubrt]

Looks like they're not going to get it done in time. ESPN is moving their coverage downtown (to a parking lot!)

 

http://www.chron.com/sports/superbowl/article/ESPN-moving-Super-Bowl-set-downtown-10863962.php

['Stonian]

The rain expected all this week certainly didn't help an already tight schedule. ESPN probably had the alternate site in mind all along. 

[cloud713]

Yeah, but a parking lot.. really? I could see that for the 2004 super bowl, but I thought we were finally starting to shed our parking lot identity.. Tinsley Park/Buffalo Bayou would of been a great spot with a nice backdrop.

[Naviguessor]

^^ you mean this Tinsley Park? 

[swtsig]

let's just hope the rain subsides after this week and we get two weeks of relatively dry weather.

[The Pragmatist]

13 minutes ago, swtsig said:

let's just hope the rain subsides after this week and we get two weeks of relatively dry weather.

 

Long-range forecasts are hinting at cooler temperatures and below average rainfall for the period starting next week through February 10, but forecasting that far out can be hit and miss.

[nate4l1f3]

Reading the article it didn't necessarily mention the move was because the park wouldn't be ready.  The article actually mentioned that they will still have events at the park during SB.  As far as backdrop goes root square park and the DT skyline are better IMO, 

[cspwal]

Fun thing - on Google maps this block still has some "buildings" drawn in, so I used streetview to look, and as recently as April 2014 there was a nice brick building there and a couple of other smaller buildings.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7503175,-95.3648311,3a,75y,13.86h,94.94t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ssNzXHcRW5Lkgc2aZti4m2A!2e0!5s20140401T000000!7i13312!8i6656

 

I didn't realize that Camden had been the one to level this block in preparation for the residential towers that are still on hold

[Chi-Char-Hou-Dal]

it was a banquet hall space as i member.

 

[Chi-Char-Hou-Dal]

[H-Town Man]

Camden probably had it for them as contingency all along. Money's still going to the same people. This should get more foot traffic and be a better backdrop as other have said, although Camden doesn't get to advertise their new building.

 

[Houston19514]

8 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

Camden probably had it for them as contingency all along. Money's still going to the same people. This should get more foot traffic and be a better backdrop as other have said, although Camden doesn't get to advertise their new building.

 

 

I imagine you are correct that they had this contingency in mind all along.  But it's not correct to say the money is still going to the same people.  Camden does not own Midtown Park.

[jmitch94]

7 hours ago, The Pragmatist said:

 

Long-range forecasts are hinting at cooler temperatures and below average rainfall for the period starting next week through February 10, but forecasting that far out can be hit and miss.

 

I took one meteorology class in college so I'm what you can call an expert and can confirm. From what I learned up to 5 days out is pretty accurate, 5-7 is somewhat accurate, and 7+ is mostly a guess. 

[samagon]

22 hours ago, cloud713 said:

Yeah, but a parking lot.. really? I could see that for the 2004 super bowl, but I thought we were finally starting to shed our parking lot identity.. Tinsley Park/Buffalo Bayou would of been a great spot with a nice backdrop.

 

The viewers on TV won't notice it's a parking lot. They'll (probably) see a backdrop with the basketball park, or the skyline. It will be immensely easier for the crews to set things up too.

 

11 hours ago, jmitch94 said:

 

I took one meteorology class in college so I'm what you can call an expert and can confirm. From what I learned up to 5 days out is pretty accurate, 5-7 is somewhat accurate, and 7+ is mostly a guess. 

 

I make the weather! All of this moisture coming up out of the Gulf is gonna push off to the east and hit Altoona.

[H-Town Man]

18 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

 

I imagine you are correct that they had this contingency in mind all along.  But it's not correct to say the money is still going to the same people.  Camden does not own Midtown Park.

 

I know they don't own the park, but I am speculating that they are involved enough in its construction that there is something on their end for the park hosting ESPN. Seems like too much of a coincidence that ESPN would go from one Camden-related site to another site owned by Camden. Although maybe all of the money (assuming there was money involved) was going to go to the Midtown Redevelopment Authority, and Campo just saw it as a chance to advertise his new building as backdrop, so he helped arrange the deal. 

 

[kbates2]

1 hour ago, H-Town Man said:

 

Campo just saw it as a chance to advertise his new building as backdrop, so he helped arrange the deal. 

 

 

We have a winner.

[j_cuevas713]

I wonder how big of an idiot Ric Campo feels like knowing that ESPN is no longer going to showcase his development as their backdrop.