MontroseNeighborhoodCafe Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 Big dreams outline future plans for downtown Houston Developers are planning more sidewalks and family-friendly attractions to help bring more residents to downtown Houston. By Jessica Willey ABC13 Eyewitness News (10/18/04 - HOUSTON) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 18, 2004 Share Posted October 18, 2004 Damn. You beat me to it!I thought it was an excellent article, I'm looking for more information on the actual plans and drawings myself. Should be interesting, never figured they would be able to move the entire section of freeway like that w/o a major problem. Which looks like it would be, considering there are some bulidings that are probably going to go up in the near future. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 whoa, that sounds freakin awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Damn. You beat me to it!I thought it was an excellent article, I'm looking for more information on the actual plans and drawings myself. Should be interesting, never figured they would be able to move the entire section of freeway like that w/o a major problem. Which looks like it would be, considering there are some bulidings that are probably going to go up in the near future. Ricco<{POST_SNAPBACK}>well damn, you beat me to it too.First thing that came to mind is the new building scheduled on Pierce, near the old Boy Scout building - would that be doomed before it's even built?Perhaps NOW is the time to do land acquisition so TXDOT doesn't have to pay to demolish buildings that haven't been built yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Well, it's going to be fascinating to see how they're goin to do that. But when you think about it, it's actually a more effecient way of redoing the freeway. It will alllow the construction of a freeway w/ little disruption of the regular lanes!Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzerain Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Here is another article Oct. 19, 2004, 12:26AM Group works to bring families downtown Plan includes relocating section of Interstate 45 By MIKE SNYDER Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Business and civic leaders unveiled plans Monday to attract thousands of new residents to downtown Houston by making the area more appealing to families, enhancing street life and improving access and transportation. Freeway Realignment This 20-year vision for downtown would continue the transformation that began in the 1990s with housing developments, sports venues, cultural attractions and the city's first light rail line. It proposes financial incentives to bring retailers downtown, new parks and schools to attract families with children, and measures to strengthen downtown's traditional role as a business center. Its boldest proposal is a realignment and redesign of Interstate 45 from the western end of the Pierce Elevated to Interstate 10. Downtown planners said this would improve access from the freeway to Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway, which connect downtown to west side neighborhoods. The "Houston Downtown Development Framework" will be formally presented today at the annual meeting of Central Houston Inc., which developed the document along with three other downtown organizations. Guy Hagstette, the planning and capital projects director for the Downtown District, said the continued development of a diverse, vibrant downtown is essential to Houston's quality of life and economic success. "With globalization, our competition has become global," Hagstette said. "We are meeting head to head with a lot of incredible cities around the world." A key feature of the plan is to increase from about 3,000 to 20,000 the number of downtown residents by developing a broader range of housing prices and styles. One strategy, Hagstette said, is to encourage development of schools and other facilities to attract families with children. An expanding population would enhance security by putting more pedestrians on the street, the plan says. It calls for a mix of high-rise residential buildings, "mixed-use" projects combining housing and retail, and transformation of surface parking lots into medium-density residential neighborhoods. Bringing back retail Hagstette said more residents would help to restore downtown's once-vigorous retail activity, which declined in the 1970s and '80s as some stores moved to suburban malls while others closed. The Downtown District, funded by dues paid by its members, could provide financial incentives to qualified retailers who move or start new businesses downtown, Hagstette said. "Early on, it can be daunting for a retailer to come in as the first one on a block," he said. Sidewalks jammed with pedestrians are another attraction to street-level shops. The downtown plan calls for encouraging street vendors and performers, improving sidewalks and taking other steps to invite pedestrian activity. Building on the construction of new sports arenas and major performance halls such as the Hobby Center, the plan calls for attractions for daytime visitors and families Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 The focus should be on getting people to live in Midtown.There is plenty of room for growth. We don't want to end up like New York, do we?And I think moving I-45 is a joke. Might as well just demolish Pierce Elevated in the procees, eh?Sheesh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 I don't know how they're going to do some of this without zoning. The land is priced so high that it will only allow expensive highrises, and without any kind of regulations, the highrises are likely to be isolated and car-oriented. Moving I-45 is a great plan, although the Hobby Center will be a horrible eyesore once that's done (not to mention the back of Bayou Place). The McKinney ramp could be rebuilt as a graceful, all-steel design arching over the Bayou. The Bayou could be turned into a very nice green corridor through here.I hope they espouse the Bayou Master Plan and focus seriously on removing those buildings and sloping the banks up to Commerce St. This could make that whole northeast section of downtown an attractive area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR3985 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Here is another article!!City acquires land for downtown parkJenna ColleyHouston Business JournalThe City of Houston plans to groom a 13-acre park in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center to serve as downtown Houston's cultural core. While speaking at Central Houston Inc.'s annual meeting Tuesday, Mayor Bill White announced that the city has acquired 5.29 acres from Crescent Real Estate Equities Ltd. to complete the municipalities' ownership of the "Superblock." That zone includes space in front of the convention center and a block immediately to the west - all of which will be made into the urban park slated for opening in late 2007. The new central park would entail over $35 million in private contributions, according to the mayor's office. "Great cities preserve land for public plazas, parks and gathering places for the future," said White. "We now have an opportunity - probably our last opportunity as a city - to create a place like that for us in Houston's central core. A new major park will be an enduring legacy for our efforts to improve Houston's quality of life." Eighty percent or more of incremental funds required to complete the acquisition and development of the park will be raised from private sources. Design and development will be accomplished through a private/public partnership. White currently is working with a number of interested individuals and organizations to secure the private funding required for site acquisition, design and construction. The schedule calls for site acquisition to be complete by the end of 2004, pending Houston City Council approval of the project and agreement with those private funders. Design is scheduled to begin in 2005 and construction will commence in 2006. A main driver behind the park is it's impact on attracting high-quality, mixed-use urban development, with residential, retail and uses that complement the convention center and sports facilities. "Real estate experts believe that the park will sharply accelerate responsible growth within the city, strengthening the tax base of the city and county and school district, and allowing the taxpayers to recoup this public investment," said White. None of the city's contributions will be funded through property taxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Wow, I like the idea of a park. Hopefully though it turns out to be a real gem, and not a quick cruddy job. But im still for a bit of zoning laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 The city is doing the right thing on the park, but I'd be leary about how much pull these "real estate experts" and "private parties" have on the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 The park is a very exciting development. Any info on the exact boundaries of it? I hope they'll build a spectacular fountain there. Something around which people can gather just to watch the water and lights. It's amazing what a little water and some colored lights can do. Throw in some choreographed music and it's even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatline Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Bill White scores again. Awesome news! Since the seller is Crescent, I'm guessing that some of the future park is Houston Center Gardens land. That would be great in that there is already 15+ years worth of tree growth built in. . .will be fairly mature for a new park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Flatline, it looks like you are correct about the location. Since my earlier post, I found the press release on the Mayor's website. It includes a little aerial view with the parkland colored in green, I guess. (It doesn't exactly explain the picture. For example, there is also some land marked in yellow... I don't know if that will also be part of the park or not... anyway, here is the link.Mayor's new downtown park Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 I'm glad to see that we're entering a new phase of development downtown. After the build up to the light rail and the superbowl ended it seemed like things went into a latent period, with no clear direction on what the vision for downtown would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Why don't they just develope east of Downtown, or "SoDo" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 Why don't they just develope east of Downtown, or "SoDo" ?Becuase developers are ready to turn a quick buck. Why else would they "dontate" land and money?That part of DT is just about "developed" already. Imagine how much they could do with the struggling Warehouse District. Still, I'll take a park whereever, but this project has "Houston Developers" written all over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Posted October 19, 2004 Share Posted October 19, 2004 And I think moving I-45 is a joke. Might as well just demolish Pierce Elevated in the procees, eh?Sheesh.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Nah, the Pierce Elevated was just rebuilt a few years ago... it's going to stay put exactly where it is for awhile. The section of 45 they're referring to is farther north, mainly the section running over the bayou and then connecting to I-10.... That is all the original concrete that was built 40-50 years ago and that will need to be replaced anyway eventually. As the article says they won't re-align it until it's scheduled by TxDot to rebuild it, which probably won't be for another 20 years. I think it's a good idea to redo it, and especially consolidate all of those ramps so it won't be such a spaghetti bowl there. I'm curious though to see exactly where they are going to put it, especially in relation to the newly completed "Sabine Lofts" and the Aquarium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 Becuase developers are ready to turn a quick buck. Why else would they "dontate" land and money?That part of DT is just about "developed" already. Imagine how much they could do with the struggling Warehouse District. Still, I'll take a park whereever, but this project has "Houston Developers" written all over it.uhhh, check the list of people who created the "main street project" (which included light rail) and the buffalo bayou partnership. like you said....."houston developers written all over it". is this a bad thing? the city gets a large park and crescent, who owns land around the perimeter and sold land to the park effort will benefit as well as the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 I think the "main street project" put more people out of busines than in it.Why can't the city do something on its own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 20, 2004 Share Posted October 20, 2004 I think H-town man got it right. Houston is great at coming up with plans and frameworks, but the problem is always that there is no legal mechanism to implement them. The plans are drawn up by private groups, not the city, and the city has little authority, money, or even interest in making them happen. We won't get very far with these plans by just crossing our fingers and hoping that private developers and landowners happen to share the vision (recognizing that sometimes private developers do try to step up to the plate, as with Main St Square). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 The renderings of the park are great. I'll try to post them soon. Actually, the city has bought the land and has the money to build the park (as per Mayor White). This is very different from years past when so many groups had so many plans and almost none were implemented. During his speech to Central Houston, Mayor White alluded to ideas being a dime a dozen in this town. I think he's stepping up and will get this park done in 2-3 years. My problem is that I think the park is poorly placed. A park by a convention center doesn't draw a lot of residents in my opinion. McGowen Green would have been better served as a useful neighborhood park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I had heard the announcement this morning on 88.7 and understand that it is meant to entice additional retail/restaurants to the nearby areas. I wonder how this affect Uptown Park Shops? Will it "cannibalize" their sales, or will more friendly competition encourage even more interest in the area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I hope they acquire those parking lots and make this thing a full rectangle, as opposed to just going with the curvy shape. I doubt there's much you can build on those little pieces at the corners. I wonder what the history is behind this thing anyway. Were those curves always there, or is it something they did when the convention center was built? Is that when they put the existing field there? Why did they just make a field and not do anything with it?Not to sound negative, but I would not want to be the architect who has to come up with a park for the east side of downtown. The area seems to almost defy any sense of place. As for the convention center... you might as well try to create an urban park next to a Sam's Club. I think the best bet would be to do a Millennium Park thing and just cram a bunch of stuff in it. Make people forget that they're on the east side of downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmancuso Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Fifteen months in the making, downtown development leaders are calling these plans the framework for the future of downtown. They are long-term and even include the possibility of moving I-45awesome news...i say we just get rid of I-45 altogether...i hate that freeway. let's give it to austin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 My bad, I don't mean Uptown Park, that's near the Galleria. I mean The Park Shoppes on San Jacinto, near the Four Seasons. For awhile, it was called Uptown Park. (I think it's always had a bit of a identity crisis, though.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 The renderings of the park are great. I'll try to post them soon. Actually, the city has bought the land and has the money to build the park (as per Mayor White). This is very different from years past when so many groups had so many plans and almost none were implemented. During his speech to Central Houston, Mayor White alluded to ideas being a dime a dozen in this town. I think he's stepping up and will get this park done in 2-3 years. My problem is that I think the park is poorly placed. A park by a convention center doesn't draw a lot of residents in my opinion. McGowen Green would have been better served as a useful neighborhood park.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Poorly placed? I think not!The park is placed between the Toyota Center, and Minute maid, as well as the GRB and the Hilton. The land behind it is mostly surface lots, which, wen land values rise, will be a great place for excellent urban development. What is there is good, and what will be there is even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 Were those curves always there, or is it something they did when the convention center was built? Is that when they put the existing field there? Why did they just make a field and not do anything with it?The curved streets were built when the George R. Brown was under construction. Those streets originally continued on straight but were rerouted to help route traffic around the convention center, since it cut off several blocks.As for why nothing was ever done with some of this land, I don't know. Crescent has owned much of that land for years now. Some of it had been developed into a park-like setting but much was left undeveloped. I'm glad the city made this purchase, as it will keep the space open and green. As long as Crescent owned it there was the chance that it would be developed into a building or parking garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 It's practically a park already.This is where ESPN set up for the Super Bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted October 21, 2004 Share Posted October 21, 2004 I think the best bet would be to do a Millennium Park thing and just cram a bunch of stuff in it. Make people forget that they're on the east side of downtown.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I agree 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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