Camden McGowen Station & Midtown Park At 2727 Travis St.

[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.