Waterway Square Park At 31 Waterway Square Pl.

[bachanon]

Budget approved for 'The Woodlands living room'

By: BURTON SPEAKMAN, HCN/Courier staff 11/03/2004

The Town Center Improvement District Board will finance the creation of a new public area on The Woodlands Waterway.

Waterway Square will be east of The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center and south of Cinemark Tinseltown 17 on the Waterway. The Woodlands Land Development Company donated .7 acres of land to the TCID for the project and will construct the park. The $4,343,164 project will be paid for through TCID sales tax and hotel occupancy tax.

It will include a two-story fountain, a water wall designed to appear like a waterfall, a pop-up fountain for children and a covered area that can be used for performances.

TCID Chairman Bob Kinnear said the project is scheduled to be completed in early 2006.

"We've been looking at plans for this area for years, and it has progressively got better and better," Kinnear said. "We would most likely buy the finished product."

The park will be the final piece of the ambiance TCID is trying to accomplish.

Waterway Square is meant to be the main town square on the Waterway, said Thomas D'Alesandro, president and CEO of The Woodlands Operating Company. The goal is to make the public square animated through use, he said. Other town squares along the Waterway have all been built above the level of the water.

It will offer people a place on the Waterway to rest or watch other people, he said.

"It will be The Woodlands living room," D'Alesandro said.

Original plans included a new parking garage and some art projects at the park, TCID President Frank Robinson said.

However, The Woodlands Land Development Company now is developing plans to expand the parking garage at the Waterway Marriott with two additional floors. It also is planning two additional garages that will accompany commercial development in the area between Waterway Square, Cinemark Tinseltown 17 and The Woodlands Mall expansion, Robinson said.

Before these commercial areas are developed, they will be flat-surface parking, he said.

Kinnear said much of the commercial space around the public area will become restaurants and offices.

It will benefit Town Center by creating new jobs in the professional, retail and restaurant industries, Robinson said.

"It's increasing our tax base," he said.

When this project is finished along with the planned development surrounding it, there will be a livable downtown area in Town Center, he said.

"This development will have an impact on everything around it," Robinson said.

Burton Speakman may be reached at bspeakman@mail.hcnonline.net.

[yall_are_nutty]

rendering at www.thewoodlands.net

http://www.thewoodlands.net/newspub/story.cfm?ID=1298

Design Approved for Construction of Waterway Square

Landmark Nautilus Fountain, Cascading Waterfalls, Major Civic Plaza Planned

by The Woodlands Operating Company

The conceptual design has been approved and construction is scheduled to begin next year on Waterway Square, the centerpiece of The Woodlands Waterway

[houstonsemipro]

This is great, great, great, GREAT!!!! Man i love the WOODLANDS!!!

[houstonsemipro]

This is the new planned Waterway Square!

[bachanon]

that rendering must be from original drawings of town center. the tinseltown multiplex is centered where waterway avenue dead ends. the large building immediately behind waterway square is also occupied by tinseltown and a parking garage.

regardless, this development will be a major factor in creating "critical mass" in town center and along the waterway. i can't wait!!!!

[bachanon]

images of waterway square are from the design firm sasaki associates.

sasaki

[kzseattle]

images of waterway square are from the design firm sasaki associates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Like I said, Woodlands is always coming up with something newer and better. Perhaps, the city of Houston could learn a thing or two. When is this supposed to complete? Also, I am trying to figure out the orientation. Where exactly would this be located, given the location of Woodland mall extension?

[houstonsemipro]

Don't worry. In 2011, the Woodlands will offically be apart of houston, but right now it's in the metro. Keep things up Woodlands.

[bachanon]

i believe this is on the north side of the waterway, across the street from tinseltown and some parking garages on lake robbins. it's one block south of the mall expansion.

[bachanon]

Woodlands sets Waterway Square design plans

Venue to feature massive fountain, variety of retail, eatery offerings

By BETH KUHLES

Chronicle Correspondent

The company that developed various water features at Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida has helped to design the fountain that will be the centerpiece of the new Waterway Square in The Woodlands.

"It is one of the most significant achievements in the community," said the Rev. Ed Robb, chairman of the Town Center Improvement District. "It will be aesthetically unparalleled. It will be dynamic and very pedestrian friendly. It will be an attraction and make us more of a destination."

link to story

[97saturn]

I know there has been alot of focus on Discovery Green's opening tomorrow, however why isn't anyone talking about the fountains that were turned on today at the Woodlands Waterway Square? Afterall this is supposed to be a major attraction for the Woodlands and the metro Houston area.

The Fountains at Waterway Square is expected to be among the top 5 in the nation. Where's the coverage??

[lockmat]

Here's a little video of the fountains I took tonight.

[bachanon]

cool thanks. i didn't want to fight the people and the parking. i work right there, so i plan to enjoy it on quieter nights.

great pics.

[97saturn]

WOW! Wonderful Pics. I been living in Houston 3 years from Kansas City, Mo (City of Fountains) and am glad to see The Woodlands past all the fountains in the city there in the display i can see in the photos.

[lockmat]

Here is one last one I forgot. I tried to get the fireworks in the background but the camera wasn't cooperating. I was walkin around during the fireworks, so I kind of saw then. Seemed to have only lasted about five mins. Kind of lame. The M.C. of the whole shabang sure was hypin TW a lot like it was the greatest thing ever. Art Rascone was there as well since he's a Woodlands resident.

[97saturn]

Again thanks for the coverage. I will have to make my way out there soon to see it live.

[Trae]

Discovery Green>>Woodlands Fountains.

[lockmat]

Discovery Green>>Woodlands Fountains.

who cares? why compare?

[Trae]

It was said in the first post of this thread. "Discovery Green's opening tomorrow, however why isn't anyone talking about the fountains that were turned on today at the Woodlands Waterway Square?" Those fountains don't compare to DG and what it is doing for the city. That's probably why no one was talking about them. That, and the DG thread is a few years old now.

[97saturn]

Trae there was no comparism intended, because both projects are equally important to the entire metroplitan area. I would say that Discovery Green is important to all that are looking for a urban downtown park for the downtown residents, the suburbanites that want to escape for more of an urban feel and for the visitors that come to the area. The fountains are important for the same reasons. I am from kansas city where people are always surrounding the many fountains located there for recreation and just to relax. I can only guess with the large influx of others around the country moving here that some may be looking for the same options that they are familiar with, as well as the reasons that they moved here.

[97saturn]

Look at both projects pictures so far, they both show that they bring people together and that is very important to what houston and its diversity is all about. Just more options to quality of life.

[wxman]

Yeah, but ours didn't cost over 100 million dollars to do the same thing. It's easy to pick out the jealous types on this board.

[N Judah]

Interesting thoughts, wxman. What are some reasons Discovery Green might cost so much more than the Woodlands fountains? And how much did those Woodlands fountains cost, anyway?

[wxman]

Interesting thoughts, wxman. What are some reasons Discovery Green might cost so much more than the Woodlands fountains? And how much did those Woodlands fountains cost, anyway?

I don't know the exact total of the fountains. But I can promise you it wasn't 100 million dollars. The logistics of DG as far as parking and convenience really puts DG at a disadvantage. I mean if you were going to invest 100 million, I'm not sure I would have done it there. Like I read in the paper, would you be willing to pack up the family for a picnic 15, 20, 30 miles away and have to fight traffic, parking and everything else? Especially when many of the burbs or outlying parts of the city itself have just as many parks and jogging trails...if not more. Plus, DG seems more of a playground rather than a park. There's not much natural about it. It's small, has a square lake that you can race boats in, a watertree, resturant and god knows what else. Just seems rather clustered to me. It's a nice addition to DT, but at a price of more than 100 million, I'm not sure it was worth it...especially if it only attracts downtown residents. Time will tell though.

[Trae]

Trae there was no comparism intended, because both projects are equally important to the entire metroplitan area. I would say that Discovery Green is important to all that are looking for a urban downtown park for the downtown residents, the suburbanites that want to escape for more of an urban feel and for the visitors that come to the area. The fountains are important for the same reasons. I am from kansas city where people are always surrounding the many fountains located there for recreation and just to relax. I can only guess with the large influx of others around the country moving here that some may be looking for the same options that they are familiar with, as well as the reasons that they moved here.

I don't know. I don't see anyone traveling to the Woodlands from say, Katy, Sugar Land, or Pearland just to see fountains. It is a nice for Southern Montogmery County though and the pictures look nice.

I don't know the exact total of the fountains. But I can promise you it wasn't 100 million dollars. The logistics of DG as far as parking and convenience really puts DG at a disadvantage. I mean if you were going to invest 100 million, I'm not sure I would have done it there. Like I read in the paper, would you be willing to pack up the family for a picnic 15, 20, 30 miles away and have to fight traffic, parking and everything else? Especially when many of the burbs or outlying parts of the city itself have just as many parks and jogging trails...if not more. Plus, DG seems more of a playground rather than a park. There's not much natural about it. It's small, has a square lake that you can race boats in, a watertree, resturant and god knows what else. Just seems rather clustered to me. It's a nice addition to DT, but at a price of more than 100 million, I'm not sure it was worth it...especially if it only attracts downtown residents. Time will tell though.

DG is a landmark for Downtown and the Inner Loop. Once light railg ets up and running, it will be even more accessible. It is there for relaxation before/after concerts, Rockets, Aeros, Astros, future Dynamo games. It is there for GRB Conventioners wanted a place to just rest. It is there for the many future residents hopefully coming Downtown. And let me take a wild guess as to why it cost $100 million? Could it be the higher land prices Downtown than in the Woodlands? Could it be the underground (two-level) parking garage (and all of the other features)? Also, no suburb has a park like DG. None, especially in its setting. If you can find some, post them.

By the way, what is so natural about fountains? Enlighten me.

[Trae]

Delete...

[N Judah]

I don't know the exact total of the fountains. But I can promise you it wasn't 100 million dollars.

Hrm...at any rate I am interested in how much such a "top 5" fountain would cost. I did a web search but didn't come up with anything right off the bat.

DG isn't really a place for suburban picnics -- it is my understanding that it's more of an urban park. I personally think that it's the cost of land that made it so expensive, but being near the convention center, minute maid park, and the proposed soccer stadium ensures that it will be used consistently by not just downtown residents/shoppers but by local sports fans before and after the games (a large and diverse group, to be sure). I don't know how "natural" it could reasonably have been expected to be but anyplace you have concrete fountains surrounded by tall office buildings (whether downtown or in a suburban Woodlands office park) you can be sure that "natural" probably wasn't what they were going for when they planned it all out.

And let me take a wild guess as to why it cost $100 million? Could it be the higher land prices Downtown than in the Woodlands? Could it be the underground (two-level) parking garage (and all of the other features)?

I just read today that the mayor of Seattle's proposed Seattle Center renovation would cost $650 million. We're extremely lucky to still have land lying around downtown that we can use for brand-new park construction.

[lockmat]

My opinion is that a comparison isn't needed and is just unfair. They are both great things. Why complain?

[97saturn]

I agree lockmat. Every area in the metropolitan is connected when a proposal such as the one that has been put together to lure the SuperBowl to Houston. Discovery Green is the top attraction to open in Downtown in many years. (Good For Downtown).

The Fountains at Waterway Square is the top attraction to open in The Woodlands in many years. (Good for The Woodlands).

Discovery Green has gotten much attention and was very successful, and I can see it staying that way for many reasons.

The Fountains also with less attention around the metro has also done good in its opening. Both will become more popular and will attract more people as time goes on, as they become more familiar with both projects. WHY? Because Discovery Green has attracted other development that is nearby.......also in October the Houston Pavillions open.

The Fountains has just announced a 20 story project and is currently adding many restaurants and shops only a minute walking distance away. No comparism....It is what it is

Facts: Discovery Green $122 mill 12 acres

Waterway Square $6.8 mill 1 acre

[Trae]

Fountains is not DG and the surrounding areas. I don't see people from other suburbs traveling to the Woodlands for some fountains.

The Fountains at Waterway Square is great for the Woodlands and vicinity (Conroe, northern Spring, etc.).