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Discovery Green Park At 1500 McKinney St.


c4smok

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Mason Park on the East End is getting 2 first class soccer fields put in right now at a cost of $600K. I'd guess that most of these soccer players are immigrant adults. I don't see much soccer activity amongst the local American hispanic kids in my neighborhood.

600k?!?!?! i need to get into the park biz! I know the soccer field at ingrando says no adults and i've seen the police run them off!

Edited by musicman
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600grand seems a wee bit too much for 2 new soccer fields......and most of us hispanic kids have been Americanized, we have finally discovered that soccer is "teh suck" basketball and football are much more fun to play

There's a sign posted at the park by the City indicating the cost. That's my point; the City is bending over backwards on this project building super soccer fields with bleachers etc. for, most likely, adult immigrant males here illegally. The hispanic kids are just American kids into exactly what you said, in fact it would seem more white suburban kids play soccer than inner-loopers of any ethnicity.

I think this new park might be a little hyperactive but it was a shrewd grab by the City seeing how scarce such a large parcel is/will be in the future.

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Houston is a world class city and needs world class projects. Yes, Houston has several beautiful parks that already exist, and could perhaps, be spruced up..............BUT this one is going to get more exposure because of its location AND will allow for the developement of residential towers and commercial endeavors.

We could delicate flower about the cost of almost anything being built and weigh the pros and cons all day. But i think we are missing the point. World class cities must embrace world class projects. This is one. Accept it. It is going to boost DT interests which is part of the Houston 2025 plan. Take a look at all the infrastucture being either redesigned or updated. City planners have a vision for DT. Let's just sit back and watch it unfold, shall we.

:closedeyes:

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No its not. It is a park...just a park. A small one, at that. Dirt, grass, trees, and water can be found anywhere.

It could be both a park and world class. Is there some reason you think the two are mutually exclusive? And you sure must know this by now, but Discovery Green will include much more than just dirt, grass, trees, and water. (I for one am glad they chose a name withOUT the word park, because it is so much more than just dirt, grass, trees, and water.)

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It could be both a park and world class. Is there some reason you think the two are mutually exclusive? And you sure must know this by now, but Discovery Green will include much more than just dirt, grass, trees, and water. (I for one am glad they chose a name withOUT the word park, because it is so much more than just dirt, grass, trees, and water.)

Exactly. :)

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As much as niche would like this to be an Aggie designed Walmart with an attached Cracker Barrel, it is actually a 12 acre civic developement with underground parking, 2 restaurants, amplitheatre, bandstand, fountains, sculpture and so much more. Just to clear things up a bit. ;)

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No its not. It is a park...just a park. A small one, at that. Dirt, grass, trees, and water can be found anywhere.

Usually your posts are informative. Why so bitter about this project? You don't see the potential??

:o

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Usually your posts are informative. Why so bitter about this project? You don't see the potential??

:o

Oh, I see the potential just fine. It has clearly had a significant economic impact, with the plans to build Park One Tower seeming to be pretty well in place. And to be clear, I like what's being put on that site. But to label it as "world class" just seems excessive. It is just a park...one with a lot of amenities...but nothing that is particularly special. Nothing spectacular or unique. Nothing that defines the city or is a signature landmark. To me, both Memorial and Hermann parks are still without a doubt the dominant recreational parks in this city.

Edited by TheNiche
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Now let's think about this. There is a Rockets game on Sat. night. or an Astros game or an event in the area. You could go to the park early, get a good parking spot, enjoy one of the restaurants and enjoy your afternoon. Without this park, that wouldn't be an option. I think this is a great commitment to downtown and to the people of Houston. We are fortunate to have generous donations to building this park whether is is $52 or $93 million. Add the new construction to boot and we have something. The Houston Pavilions and new retail coming in can't hurt either. I look forward to all these projects. Downtown is going to be much better for all of them. B)

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Now let's think about this. There is a Rockets game on Sat. night. or an Astros game or an event in the area. You could go to the park early, get a good parking spot, enjoy one of the restaurants and enjoy your afternoon. Without this park, that wouldn't be an option. I think this is a great commitment to downtown and to the people of Houston. We are fortunate to have generous donations to building this park whether is is $52 or $93 million. Add the new construction to boot and we have something. The Houston Pavilions and new retail coming in can't hurt either. I look forward to all these projects. Downtown is going to be much better for all of them. B)

Agreed.

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Without this park, that wouldn't be an option.

moo.

You act like downtown is 1000s of miles from the nearest water well.

That's a neat option from a marketing perspective, but I don't think I'd hang my hat on that one.

18,000 seats in Toyo vs. a couple of 100 table tops in these restaurants.

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I'm really excited about the park. I just hope it isn't over-designed. Usually when things are designed to be "world class," they end up being somewhat a farce of themselves. I REALLY hope Heargraves and all the others involved took that into consideration. To me simplicity is key. This park seems a bit much, but it might be just what we need right now.

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I'd still would have liked to see this park evolve organically. Great parks evolve over time with new features.

Start simple and let it grow. This one fell swoop approach may end up looking like some fake-ola lifestyle center in Sugar Land or The Woodlands.

Central Park in New York, and Millenium Park in Chicago were not organically created, to give two examples. They were mastered planned and built all at once. There may have been changes to some of the great parks over the years, just as there may be to this one over time, but the great ones were master planned.

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At the end of the day, 'Coog is right about one thing: we shall see. It's really hard to gauge what impact the park itself will have on the eastern half of DT. Many more factors are needed independent of the park. The park may be a draw, but only after the city and other parties do their part to promote the park. But not only that; the list of prospective developers have to come through and take the risk, to develop those projects that would tie in to the park and give that area some organic life.

Expecting someone from Sharpstown to come in to DT on a regular basis to hang out the Green is unrealistic. Yes, the DT working population may take to it to some degree--but again, not completely if the amenities and adjoining attractions aren't develop.

So we'll see. It seems like a nice start and the Park Tower would seem to only expand upon this nice start. After that... who knows.

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There is a difference between master planning and over-planning.

We shall see.

Is our new park in the same league as Central Park and Millenium Park?

How do they compare?

I was not comparing the 3 parks. I was reponding to your inaccurate description of the birth of great parks. Frankly, there is little direct comparison in the 3 parks, except that Discovery and Millenium are centrally located, similar in size and have several of the same amenities.

As for over planning, check out this list of amenities and tell what you believe to be over planned?

http://www.discoverygreen.com/en/cms/?104

Also, for a REAL example of over planning, check out Millenium Park and tell me that it is less over planned than Discovery. :blink:

I am not discounting your preference for more natural settings for a park. I am merely stating my preference for both. I believe that a proper balance is being struck with this one for it's location. I also enjoy the largely untouched beauty of Memorial, as well as the more amenity laden, yet still green aspect of Hermann. Each has it's place.

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:blink::blink: New Name for the Park -- Penis Park

I was taking a picture to put on this board when one of my coworkers comes in my office and looks at the park and starts to laugh...then informs me of the penis shaped dirt outline. Needless to say it was pretty funny, when you realize it.

DSC00188.jpg

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Oh, I see the potential just fine. It has clearly had a significant economic impact, with the plans to build Park One Tower seeming to be pretty well in place. And to be clear, I like what's being put on that site. But to label it as "world class" just seems excessive. It is just a park...one with a lot of amenities...but nothing that is particularly special. Nothing spectacular or unique. Nothing that defines the city or is a signature landmark. To me, both Memorial and Hermann parks are still without a doubt the dominant recreational parks in this city.

Point made. :rolleyes: i do agree that Memorial and Hermann parks are wonderful. Maybe i got a "little" carried away. It just sounded like you were complaining. Sometimes when i read these posts i get frustrated with the griping because, "Houston never gets anything decent....yada,yada, yada" OR when it does, the its, " Oh this will never fly" etc......... SO, i was just expressing my frustration. mia culpa. :rolleyes:

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