Jump to content

Discovery Green Park At 1500 McKinney St.


c4smok

Recommended Posts

June 4, 2006

National Perspectives

How a Park Changed a Chicago Neighborhood

By ROBERT SHAROFF

CHICAGO

MILLENNIUM PARK, the $475 million modernist playground that opened at the edge of Lake Michigan here two years ago, has quickly become one of the city's leading tourist attractions. What is less known, however, is that the 24.6-acre park

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So The Park Shops will be cut off from the Downtown Park directly, but will have a high-rise in front of it? Does that help or hurt The Park Shops?

I was expecting at first that The Park Shops would be a boundary to the Park (partially because of the name "Park Shops"), because they're revitalizing the Shops.

The name is actually the Houston Center Shops. Was changed years ago. But I still call it the Park Shops at times too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting warmer. The Shops At Houston Center.

And they still stink as much now as they did when I worked in Two Houston Center. So much for the renovation.

http://www.theshopsathoustoncenter.com/

So lets say you owned the Shops at Houston Center. What would you do to make them better? What wouls have of made your expeience working at 2 Houston Center any better?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mainly the look and feel. It needs to shake it's 80s funk.

Better interior lighting would be a good start. It's serves well, but seems like it could be made into a much more enjoyable experience.

And bring back Brooks Brothers! J.A. Bank just does not do it for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mainly the look and feel. It needs to shake it's 80s funk.

Better interior lighting would be a good start. It's serves well, but seems like it could be made into a much more enjoyable experience.

And bring back Brooks Brothers! J.A. Bank just does not do it for me.

Have you the seen the most recent renovations. I think it looks much nicer and the 80's funk seems gone to me. I am not sure if the renovations are completed yet, but I when I was over there a month ago it looked much better than it had in years.

I think J.A. Banks is a good fit. I find Brooks Brothers a bit too pricey for my likes. Their product is far and away more supiorior to J.A. Banks, but out of my range. :angry2:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has been a few months for me I guess.

We venture over for dumplings or Twisted Fork now and then.

Maybe I'll check it out this week.

Twisted Fork is gone. There is a new concept opening there. I cannot remember the name right now but it is a PF Changs Knockoff from what I hear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So lets say you owned the Shops at Houston Center. What would you do to make them better? What wouls have of made your expeience working at 2 Houston Center any better?

Tearing it down would be a good start. It was a failure the day it opened-unless you like fast food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lets tear down the shops and then put up the Pavillion. Make lots of sense to me.

Good idea but the Pavillions is being built a couple of blocks over. The shops land could be great residential once they tore it down.

B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thats an original post !! Way to put some thought it in.

Lets tear down the shops and then put up the Pavillion. Make lots of sense to me.

I don't really think that the Park shops or whatever it's called now can really be a much more successful retail destination than it is now. It was designed according to the original plan for Houston Center that was later abandoned - ie to serve thousands of residents living in condos that were never built. That is why it has so little street presence, because ground level was intended to have nothing but parking. The owners have done their best, and it is better than it was, but I think its prospects are still limited.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really think that the Park shops or whatever it's called now can really be a much more successful retail destination than it is now. It was designed according to the original plan for Houston Center that was later abandoned - ie to serve thousands of residents living in condos that were never built. That is why it has so little street presence, because ground level was intended to have nothing but parking. The owners have done their best, and it is better than it was, but I think its prospects are still limited.

I 100% agree with you. It is not feasibly to tear it down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

New additions to the downtown park website:

Groundbreaking ceremony and construction to begin October 16, at which time they will also announce the name of the park. The entire park is scheduled to be open January 2, 2008, with the parking garage and main restaurant scheduled to open in the fall of 2007.

Edited by Houston19514
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Groundbreaking ceremony and construction to begin October 16, at which time they will also announce the name of the park.

How much do you want to bet they'll name it after some stupid politician. Are they accepting submissions for names? We could come up with something better. Or maybe they will be selling naming rights?

"Gallery Furniture Park at Houston Center" :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another name that my psychic voices are whispering is a possibility is Lloyd Bentsen Park, since he just died recently, and he was a politician, and they can never resist naming things after politicians, and he was a great Texan blah blah blah blah, and because the attempted re-naming of 59 after him never caught on with the public, so they might figure he's worth another shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i did a quick search for the thread but was unable to find it. might as well update it here...

from a source that i consider extremely reliable, especially for this deal, the downtown park will have a ground breaking in august of this year. there could be a setback but they are moving forward without a doubt.

additionally, they will have a city-wide naming contest for the park.

finally, and more on topic, fingers deal will break ground shortly after the park does. finger has the option to purchase / lease adjacent land and will if phase 1 performs well. it will not be named the park tower because of a conflict with an existing building with the same name.

this message will self destruct in 5....4....

According to the park's website, groundbreaking and the start of construction of the park is scheduled for October 16.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to the park's website, groundbreaking and the start of construction of the park is scheduled for October 16.

okay, then i guess my source, whom i have complete faith in and who has personal, intimate knowledge of behind closed doors conversations, would give me an earlier date :mellow:

i just passed along what ive heard, so take it fwiw and dont shoot the messenger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...