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New school for arts sought

By NANCY SARNOFF Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Oct. 17, 2009, 1:26AM

A downtown business group wants to see Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts build a new home in the Theater District.

Where exactly the school would go and how a new building would be financed hasn't been determined, but there are some prominent individuals supporting the move.

HISD spokesman Norm Uhl said there have been discussions, but they've all been preliminary.

Bob Eury, president of Central Houston, said the group has a list of possible downtown sites and that the architecture firm Gensler was hired to work on the plan because the company was involved in an earlier proposal to relocate the property.

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As a PVA grad, I really hope that HISD can afford to build a quality project that will accomodate the classroom, rehearsal, lab, perfomance spaces plus parking, all within a 62,500 sqft footprint, without skimping. It is going to cost so much more to go vertical. Please, please, please give HSPVA the quality campus this amazing school deserves.

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  • 3 months later...

Sorry if this has been posted somewhere else.

I attended the Neartown Montrose Community meeting this morning on HISD bond proposals and heard Ronnie Veselka (HISD) speak. He wanted us to know that all the proposals of building and renovating would be finished by 2020. He said 1300 Capitol street will be the new location of HSPVA campus because of it's location to performing arts venues. Really?!?

Plus after several questions over what would become of the building on Stanford where the HSPVA is now--answer-No one at HISD has any idea what will become of this building.

There is a huge sign outside of HSPVA that speaks to the remodeling being down right now.

Peter Brown spoke against the 1300 Capitol location and said land along the Washington corridor had been offered--even proposed/ donated to keep HSPVA being located on Capitol street.

What's going on?

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ost='411633']

What's wrong with putting it on Capitol?

At the meeting problems with Parking, Traffic& Public Transportation were brought up. Then a huge discussion about elevators and high School students as well as what a schlep it was to the other performing venues---plus a long discussion about why the HSPVA is being moved when millions are being spent right now on the current building.

I have to admit I find it hard to believe no one at HISD has any idea what will happen to current building on Stanford.

Edited by trymahjong
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eh, 1300 Capitol makes perfect sense. It's 5 blocks from Jones Hall. That's less than a 10 minute walk. Students are carrying heavy equipment? Their campus would be directly on the light rail line.

Yes, parking could be an issue, assuming that this one block is all that HISD owns. There are two blocks caddy-corner to this site that are currently completely vacant- perfect locations for parking garages and close enough to connect with skyways.

Would a location actually *in* the theater district be more convenient? Maybe, except that there are also venues on the east side of downtown now. This site is within easy walking distance of the Theater District, HOB, Discovery Green, the Convention Center etc.

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Veselka said it would cost $700 per square foot for this project-----it that the going price? The total cost of these bonds makes my head spin.

Really though I'm not sure the part that really rubs me the wrong way is abandoning the current location after meeting with the local residents and assuring them that

that property was being improved to help with the overall improvement of that neighborhood.

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Veselka said it would cost $700 per square foot for this project-----it that the going price? The total cost of these bonds makes my head spin.

Really though I'm not sure the part that really rubs me the wrong way is abandoning the current location after meeting with the local residents and assuring them that

that property was being improved to help with the overall improvement of that neighborhood.

The neighborhood has been well aware for a very long time that HSVPA would be leaving. It has only been a question of when funds would become available to build a new facility.

Edited by Houston19514
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At the meeting problems with Parking, Traffic& Public Transportation were brought up. Then a huge discussion about elevators and high School students as well as what a schlep it was to the other performing venues---plus a long discussion about why the HSPVA is being moved when millions are being spent right now on the current building.

I have to admit I find it hard to believe no one at HISD has any idea what will happen to current building on Stanford.

It sounds like you misunderstod most of the discussion. Most of the issues you are presenting are issues with the current HSVPA facility/location (possibly excepting the elevator "issue" and that hardly seems an issue in that any multi-level high school is going to have to have elevators.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

looks like this is official

http://blog.chron.co...nent-locations/

"HISD officials have said HSPVA will move downtown. The new school is planned for the 1300 block of Capitol near Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park. The district-owned site is now being used for parking.

Grier said the school could be be built atop a parking structure on the site."

Edited by DrLan34
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looks like this is official

http://blog.chron.co...nent-locations/

"HISD officials have said HSPVA will move downtown. The new school is planned for the 1300 block of Capitol near Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park. The district-owned site is now being used for parking.

Grier said the school could be be built atop a parking structure on the site."

I believe Grier was talking about DeBakey being built atop a parking structure. Your quote makes its seem as if you are talking about HSPVA.

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I believe Grier was talking about DeBakey being built atop a parking structure. Your quote makes its seem as if you are talking about HSPVA.

True, I thought it was for HSPVA, it is not.

looks like this is official

http://blog.chron.co...nent-locations/

"HISD officials have said HSPVA will move downtown. The new school is planned for the 1300 block of Capitol near Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park. The district-owned site is now being used for parking.

Grier said the school could be be built atop a parking structure on the site."

Parking structure would be for DeBakey, not HSPVA.

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The next big question, what will become of the old school?

A couple of mid rise apartments? Major mixed-use or maybe a park?

I believe HISD is doing some remodeling to the HSPVA building. They may retain the property and use it for other purposes. Maybe for administration purposes or possibly a new school. If not most likely a mid rise apartment building.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm curious why this project is being considered as JUST a high school or just an office tower. Someone posted a pic of 8 Spruce St. in NYC by F. Gehry; it's not just condo's and offices but has an elementary school at it's base. Considering the amount of public transportation at the Capital St. site it wouldn't be too hard to get a parking variance.

Edited by infinite_jim
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It would be cool if they did something like a public-private partnership and had residential on top of school. Would be a great use of space next to all the other (mainly residential) development going on nearby. It would allow for some of the construction costs to be lifted off of HISD and create a nice residential area in a pretty central location in downtown.  

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“For the new building, transparency will be very important,” said HSPVA student and violinist Gabriel Maffuz. “It’ll make you feel like you’re truly in an artistic environment.”

 

HSPVA Principal Scott Allen wants the new school to create a culture of inspiration. “We don’t want to have arts on one floor of the school and academics on another. It needs to be integrated,” he said.

 

http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2013/10/09/workshops-guide-designs-for-new-hspva-and-debakey-campuses/

 

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