Discovery Green Park At 1500 McKinney St.

[RedScare]

I agree. Going to the restaurant at the golf course is pretty well separated from the rest of the park. Your only view is of golfers.

I like the thought of an open style restaurant overlooking the park. Rent will also help pay for upkeep. A number of smaller kiosks would be nice, too. Nothing is worse than going to a park and not being able to buy a drink. This is important in a warm climate like ours. I hope they put in a few chess tables too.

[Guest danax]

I like the thought of an open style restaurant overlooking the park. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I haven't read the last batch of posts but are they talking sidewalk cafes perhaps? Aren't sidewalk cafes universally loved in cities? Can you ever have enough of them Downtown? They create such a city feel. We have so few.

Convention center park. This is important. This is our chance to have thousands spread the good word about their experiences here. Hope we do this one up right.

Let the conventioners feel like they're on vacation, not at some work function. Yeah, it's hotter than hell here in summer. Can't we come up with state-of-the-art outdoor cooling systems creating coolness while dining outdoors? If so, those places would be packed. Let 'em go home talking about how, "that Houston, how clever they are. They really know how to make you feel good."

[RedScare]

Yes, they are suggesting lots of sidewalk tables, many of which would be covered to protect from sun and rain. They are also suggesting misters on the promenade. That suggests that they may use them in other places if needed.

[MidtownCoog]

spark any sort of development

And herein lies the conundrum that has perplexed Houston for ages.

The city already has a lot of "sparks" downtown, but no truly raging fires.

I am convinced that the city needs a few less "sparks" and should concentrate on getting the kindling hot in all the other spots underway in downtown.

It's getting pretty murky between private development and the COH projects.

[bachanon]

is it really possible in a free market to concentrate on these "sparks"? the various accomplishments that have occurred within the downtown area will eventually produce the critical mass we all long for. it simply takes time. it does seem like a lifetime when you watch it as closely as we do. the new park is a perfect fit IMO. if and when the pavilions project gets off the ground we will see more pieces of the puzzle come together. it is truly exciting the changes that are taking place for houston. not just with new development but the mindset of houstonians. unfortunately for us fans of urban renewal, long term change takes, well, a long time.

[kjb434]

Good point bachanon.

I think the downtown development is moving quite nicely. We aren't going to have the explosive growthing like in China, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Downtown is quite on tract. Any many of the people in the planning and proposal side from more public projects happy with the way things are going.

We are seeing more developers interested in downtown from other cities as the word gets out that there is another urban space that needs filling.

Houston has great space available that is ripe for development and developers are noticing, but they all can't just jump and go. These projects take time to go through feasibility, they need approvals to go forward. Financing is always a concern. But I've learn to take these news and proposals and say great, but not to get my hopes up and dashed when it doesn't happen.

If I had the position and the power to move these project forward, I would, but me and many of us are spectators in the process and can only watch.

[Tejo]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone can provide a link or pics of the just released plans for the new downtown park/GRB.

I searched other threads for info and I've found nothing.

Thanks- Tejo

[Guest danax]

Welcome Tejo. I don't know about just released plans but here's one discussion we had recently

[robot]

Hey guys, I'm hoping someone can provide a link or pics of the just released plans for the new downtown park/GRB.

I searched other threads for info and I've found nothing.

Thanks- Tejo

Here's all I've come up with so far: http://www.pps.org/info/projectexp/houston_park

Originally, if I remember correctly, this new GRB fronting park was imagined to be similar to Bryant Park in Manhattan. Bryant Park is roughly a great lunchtime gathering spot with a patch of grass for free concerts, lined with trees around the park's perimeter, adjacent to the main branch of the NY Public Library. It works really well there, and that concept could also work really well at our convention center since it is adjacent to the office buildlings and would attract office workers of Houston Center buildings and the conventioneers from the GRB and Hilton Americas Hotel. It may also spur residential high-rise growth along it's borders. There is a small rendering on the above website url link. Hope that is helpful.

[TJones]

Great, a new place for all the bums to sleep, maybe it'll take them from in front of the Toyota Center.

[Montrose1100]

That area is covered with people who harras me everytime I'm there. If I don't give them money, they spit on me, and curse like god doesn't exsist. Infact, I had to -run- away from one of them, who basically threatened me. I let an HPD horsie know about em'.

*I hate to say it, but I think there from Katrina.

Edited October 29, 2005 by Montrose1100

[RedScare]

I have worked downtown since 1996, and I have never had a single bum harrass me other than the obligatory request for change. If I don't have any, I have never had one get upset with me. No yelling. No threats. I wonder what you are doing that provokes such a different response.

The only New Orleans resident I've met was on Gray in Midtown. He asked me for a smoke. He was so friendly about it, I gave him the rest of my box, which had 4 more in it.

One guy, possibly a Katrina evacuee, told me his entire disabled vet story. I explained to him how he would get more change with less effort by shortening his sales pitch. He thanked me for the advice.

I suggest either saying nothing at all, or, if that is unavoidable, just reply that you are out of change, maybe with a shrug. These guys know the drill. You do not need to say any more than that.

[TJones]

I'll tell you about the day I quit giving money to panhandlers, I was at a red light at kirkwood and westheimer. I was between jobs, and literally down to my last few dollars. A bum at the corner knocked on my window, I roll it down, he asks for money, I look down to see I have about $1.00 or so of loose change. I figure i need some good Karma, I scoop all the change and hand it to him, and roll up my window. He knocks on the window again, and says, " I have plenty of change, here." and hands me back the money. I ask him, "Oh, you want the folding kind of money ?" he says, "well, yeah !" I tell him to go "F" himself and throw the change at his feet as the light turns green, I then drive off staring that jackass in the eye. I was completely taken aback by this. This occurred in 1996 or so, and since then, only give "homeless" food, not leftovers or doggybags, I usually buy an extra burger, just in case.

[Talbot]

^Yeah, if that happened to me, I bet my perception of them would change quite a bit too.

[NewMND]

Well it's good you've had pleasant experiences with the homeless, but I was harrassed going to a Rockets game, and no, I didn't do anything to provoke it, besides saying I don't have any change. So running into the homeless downtown is not always a pleasant experience for everybody, and I'm not saying they are all a nuisance, but they're not all delightful either.

[YakuzaIce]

Back on topic, here is a new rendering that was posted at SSP.

[WesternGulf]

Back on topic, here is a new rendering that was posted at SSP.

Yeah that is found on the link in this thread.

[YakuzaIce]

Oh yeah, I only checked if it was in Danax's link. I forgot about that one. I guess that is where you got it from?

[DJ V Lawrence]

Back on topic, here is a new rendering that was posted at SSP.

Just to clarify, where would parking be for the convention center once this park is underway? Is there a parking garage there? (stupid question )

[Houstonian in Iraq]

I beleieve there is still plenty of parking around the convention center. The parking wouldn't be right up front like it was prior to the park. That just means people would have to walk, which might just mean a bit more pedestrian traffic.

Which is always good.

Edited October 31, 2005 by Houstonian in Iraq

[Houston19514]

The plan includes underground parking, underneath the park. and of course the new Toyota Center parking building adds additional parking available to convention center attendees.

[houstonsemipro]

The plan includes underground parking, underneath the park. and of course the new Toyota Center parking building adds additional parking available to convention center attendees.

That's a A+! Underground parking.

[ssullivan]

There's also the additional parking garage that was built during the construction of the Hilton Americas and GRB expansion. That garage is connected to both buildings by skywalks and was designed to have enough space to accomodate both the hotel and the GRB, as well as overflow for the Toyota Center.

[DJ V Lawrence]

The plan includes underground parking, underneath the park. and of course the new Toyota Center parking building adds additional parking available to convention center attendees.

Thanx dudes

[houstonfella]

The plan includes underground parking, underneath the park. and of course the new Toyota Center parking building adds additional parking available to convention center attendees.

Underground parking is awesome. I park in Theater District Parking at Bayou Place and enjoy the walk underground (totally climate controlled). Of course, I have the option of going outside as well. Bayou Place and a park are above the underground lot. It prevents the surface lot unattraction.

[citykid09]

http://www.pps.org/info/projectexp/houston_park

[bkjones98]

Has anyone seen any work being done on this project? I don't think I have.

--Just wondering

[Subdude]

No work yet - the design hasn't been finalized.

[bkjones98]

Plans to build a huge parking garage under the New Park. I am not an engineer, but I think this plan may limit what they intended on building in the park, namely, the lakes. I could be wrong. There is a huge parking garage under Tranquility Park.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...tml?jst=b_ln_hl

-

[The Great Hizzy!]

Slated to begin construction by end of 2006. The garage would be beneath the large mixed-use public park that would take up two existing parking lots on the south side of the current Houston Center Gardens. The proposed underground garage would replace the lost ground-level parking.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/sto...09/daily32.html