bachanon Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 JOHN AHEARN The Orangeman, 2003 A View From "Central Park" Water Jets at "Central Park" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 Dec. 1, 2004, 7:45PMWoodlands considers pavilion for Town CenterFacility would serve as site for ice rink, public eventsBy BETH KUHLESChronicle CorrespondentPROPOSED PAVILION Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Reston, Va.Reston Town Center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 thanks pineda, i enjoyed the links. b. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Yes, I did too, bach. Reston sounds like a very nice place to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfinke Posted February 25, 2005 Share Posted February 25, 2005 Disney's Boardwalk and Yacht Club ResortsPicture of BoardWalkConstruction to Begin on The Boardwalk at Town Centerby The Woodlands Operating Company Cambridge Development Group has purchased a 9.2-acre site in The Woodlands Town Center for construction of a 450-unit luxury apartment community called The Boardwalk at Town Center, according to Thomas J. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted February 26, 2005 Author Share Posted February 26, 2005 Feb. 23, 2005, 12:29PMTown Center boosting area real estate valuesBusiness hub in Woodlands helps increase home pricesBy BETH KUHLESChronicle CorrespondentThe Town Center Improvement District, which covers the new downtown district and the College Park Shopping Center, commissioned a study to examine its impact on surrounding communities, including The Woodlands, Oak Ridge North and Shenandoah.The district is mandated by the state Legislature to spend 10 percent of its budget to deal with negative impacts from commercial development, such as police, fire, traffic and aesthetics, within two miles of its boundaries.For 2005, the Town Center Improvement District adopted a $9.8 million operating budget, which will add more security to the growing downtown district and expand marketing and operations for The Woodlands Waterway. The budget represents a 36 percent increase in spending for The Woodlands' central business district, up from the $8.1 million amended budget for 2004.The district expects to collect an increase of about 21 percent in sales tax and hotel tax this year, adding $1.7 million more in revenue, mainly from retailers in Market Street and The Woodlands Mall expansion.Barton Smith, a professor of economics at the University of Houston, found that home values were higher within the impact area around Town Center than in nearby areas outside that zone in South Montgomery County or North Harris County. Smith attributed a 6.7 percent boost in home prices specifically to a close proximity to Town Center. For example, a typical house in the South Montgomery County/North Harris County area may sell for $150,000. Those located within a two-mile radius of Town Center are selling for $162,000 and those a mile from the central business district sell for $172,000, the report said.The study found that a Woodlands address raised home values 14.5 percent, while a Woodlands address within Town Center raised values 21.2 percent."We always approach this with a feeling that there was a net negative impact and what is the net positive impact?" said Frank Robinson, president of The Town Center Improvement District."What we have been doing is contributing to a quality of place. You sensed that these needed to be done for the benefit of the public. You should continue to look at the big picture as to what can be done to support the quality of place."Funding public safetyThe Town Center Improvement District finances many public safety enhancements in the district, including The Woodlands Fire Department, Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and Precinct 3 Constable's Office deputies, Alpha and Omega Mounted Patrol and The Woodlands Waterway ambassador program. "This gives us a platform now to spend the money not for obligations, but on things that we have with particular goals," said Thomas J. D'Alesandro IV, a TCID board member and president of The Woodlands Development Co.D'Alesandro took issue with property gains the analysis reported within one-half mile of Town Center, which were lower than those within a mile of the downtown business area. He argued that those figures should be higher because of the introduction of high-priced townhomes and lofts in the center of the business district. Smith said the analysis was based on home values from January 2003, and those properties were not captured in the data.Business, residential mixSmith said the study looked at the overall impact of Town Center and not at specific issues such as crime, fire calls or traffic. He said many of those statistics are not available and were hard to attribute just for Town Center and its two-mile impact area. "The net overall impact can be seen through its influence on home prices," Smith said.Smith suggested that the home values may indicate a need to make improvements for residential areas closest to the commercial areas.While the report provided Town Center with good news, it did little to address how the district should spend its budget, which comes from sales tax and hotel taxes in the district.The Town Center is faced with deciding on increasing law enforcement costs and a recent request to assist with funding a new fire station for The Woodlands."As long as everything stays status quo, the homes would appreciate in value," said TCID Board Member Peggy Hausman, who also serves on The Woodlands Community Association. "As TCID expands and grows, if The Woodlands Fire Department or law enforcement is not at the same level, would the values stay that same level? "Hausman encouraged TCID to start collecting data from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department as a way to monitor crime statistics and law enforcement needs in the future.LINK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted February 26, 2005 Share Posted February 26, 2005 Nice. A bit cartoony in apperance(as stated) but, it will go great in The Woodlands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brijonmang Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 I agree...its a good fit for the woodlands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f95kai Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 How does going from 8.1 to 9.8 represent a 36% increase? That Chronicle reporter seems to be mathematically challenged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 For 2005, the Town Center Improvement District adopted a $9.8 million operating budget, which will add more security to the growing downtown district and expand marketing and operations for The Woodlands Waterway. The budget represents a 36 percent increase in spending for The Woodlands' central business district, up from the $8.1 million amended budget for 2004.i believe the writer does not intend to call 8.1 to 9.8 a 36% increase. the central business district's spending is up 36%, not the TCID budget. the 9.8 million dollar operating budget comes from the taxes on the central business district's spending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 (this sounds like it will be a nice addition, is this where the ice rink was?) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 02/23/2005 Natural Landmark: Town Green Park to be 'great' addition to vibrant downtown By: BURTON SPEAKMAN , Villager staff The groundbreaking for Town Green Park, which will be The Woodlands' 100th park, was held Friday morning in Town Center. The $3.5 million project will be contained within four acres located near the South Montgomery County Library on The Woodlands Waterway, and will eventually serve as a stop along The Waterway for water taxis, and for the new Town Center trolleys. The groundbreaking for Town Green Park, which will be The Woodlands' 100th park, was held Friday morning in Town Center. The $3.5 million project will be contained within four acres located near the South Montgomery County Library on The Woodlands Waterway, and will eventually serve as a stop along The Waterway for water taxis, and for the new Town Center trolleys."Every vibrant downtown has to have a great park, and this is it," said Frank Robinson, president of the Town Center Improvement District. "It will be great for people who live here in Town Center and those who come to visit."A "vibrant downtown" has to have green space. This park will utilize a significant amount of green space within Town Center, said TCID President Bob Kinnear. The centerpiece of the park will be its "Great Lawn," which will be a long, open community gathering area. This area will be nearly the length of two football fields. The park will also have a children's area on the western side called The Children's Garden that will feature contemporary excerpts of Aesop's Fables on large permanent storybooks. "We are thrilled to be part of such a wonderful addition to The Woodlands Town Center," said Thomas D'Alesandro, president and CEO of The Woodlands Development Company.Robinson said he expects Town Green to become a natural landmark in the heart of Town Center that residents are sure to enjoy. It will be a nice place for families with children to hang out as well, he said, since the children's area will have an amphitheatre large enough for at least 50 children."Town Green Park will be a great addition to the area and we are pleased that children and their families will be able to access a literature-friendly park right in our backyard," said Bonnie Boorman, South Montgomery County Library branch manager. TWDC donated the land to TCID for the park and is handling construction, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2005 or early 2006. "That's no small donation for the development company considering the cost for land in Town Center," Robinson said. Land is currently selling in Town Center for approximately $300 per square foot, D'Alesandro said. "The development company is best credited for what it didn't do," he said, referring to the natural and open areas within The Woodlands and Town Center. When Town Center is finished, it will retain 28 percent open space.TCID is paying TWDC for construction costs associated with the project. SWA group of Houston is designing the park and Miner-Dederick Constructors is the general contractor. Town Green Park groundbreaking was originally planned for August 2004, but delays pushed the project back to February. The TCID has been working toward the construction of the park for a total of five years. Robinson said the process leading up to Friday's groundbreaking has been kind of like giving birth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f95kai Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 If it's close to the library, it would be west of Six Pines, behind the pavilion. The ice rink wais right on the east side of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 New pics for Broadwalk at the Town Center Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 16, 2005 Share Posted June 16, 2005 Cool development. The Woodlands seems to be moving farther along in making themselves the leader in masterplanned communities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfinke Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 houstonsemipro,Where did you find those pics? Whenever I tried to go to www.cambridge.com it never let me in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonsemipro Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Try this link, dfinke...http://www.cambridge11.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brijonmang Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 Cool development. The Woodlands seems to be moving farther along in making themselves the leader in masterplanned communities.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>yeah it reminds me of pinehurst, NC or peachtree city, GA both masterplanned towns it makes for a very natural and very appealing setting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominax Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 I can find a lot more than that came from.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Cool photos. That John guy almost looks like he is plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YakuzaIce Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 I can find a lot more than that came from.! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Not totally sure what you are saying, but if you have pics post 'em. Funny it took seven and a half months for this to get replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 Not totally sure what you are saying, but if you have pics post 'em.Funny it took seven and a half months for this to get replies.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Just look at who bumped this thread.BTW, the guy IS plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 ^^ Ahh okay, wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks on me or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citykid09 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I recently went to the Woodlands for the first time in my life (Not counting passing through) and I don't think I saw the Town Center. I went to the Woodlands Mall and there is an out side area with a river walk out side shopping and lots of fancy resturants like the Cheese Cake Factory. Is That the town center? Or is that something else just for the mall? And if that isn't the town center, does the riverwalk run through the town center? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpringTX Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 I recently went to the Woodlands for the first time in my life (Not counting passing through) and I don't think I saw the Town Center. I went to the Woodlands Mall and there is an out side area with a river walk out side shopping and lots of fancy resturants like the Cheese Cake Factory. Is That the town center? Or is that something else just for the mall? And if that isn't the town center, does the riverwalk run through the town center? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You found the mall, you found the riverwalk and the boat, but you didn't find the town center. The Cheesecake Factory is just part of the mall and the stuff immediately around it. The town center is a little farther from the mall - maybe half a mile away. It looks sort of like what you saw around the Cheesecake Factory, but it's a lot larger, and it resembles a downtown more, with its little blocks of streets and sidewalks. If you drive outside the mall and head west, I think you'll run right into it. I haven't seen the new townhouse community yet, but I think it's right near there, too. I think I've seen the new ice rink, which is there, too. That stuff is all nifty, but that's not the coolest part of The Woodlands. The coolest part is everything else. Drive around the rest for a while. You'll literally drive for miles and miles and see nothing but trees, and almost no signs of civilization anywhere. The McDonald's sign is about 4' tall and hidden behind a tree. The Wal-Mart is nearly impossible to find, and doesn't even look anything like a Wal-Mart when you do find it. Most every residential street seems to be a cul-de-sac, and many or most of the houses are hidden behind trees. There's a hike/bike path along most every road, and they wind away and disappear into the trees. It's almost impossible NOT to get lost when driving in The Woodlands, even if you're familiar with it, and that's half the fun. Many of the roads bend, or even go in circles. There is no logical layout of streets or naming conventions that would aid in navigation. And I would start picking on the people, calling them 99% white-skinned, silicone-breasted, blonde-haired, botox-injected "pretty people", but that would just be shallow and unfair. I think the white population is actually closer to 98%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted August 7, 2005 Author Share Posted August 7, 2005 "town center" encompasses the mall, market street, the riverway, etc. its borders are i-45 on the east, lake woodlands on the west, woodlands parkway on the south and (i think) lake front circle on the north.also, the population of the woodlands is closer to 90% white (unfortunate imho, but a better percentage than formerly mentioned).next time you visit the woodlands, start out at the homefinder center. it is right off of woodlands parkway, westbound, before you get to grogan's mill. they have huge models of the development and town center and free maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I think "town center" in this case means Market Street. market Street is right beside the Pavilion, which is past the Cinema, and close to the new Marriott Hotel.I walked the waterway a few months back. Pretty cool, but, as of yet, not much development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 If you go in there, do the salespeople put any pressure on you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted August 7, 2005 Author Share Posted August 7, 2005 "town center" is the area i described above. like grogan's mill and research forest, the woodlands' town center is a specific development area. market street is within the "town center" improvement district (TCID). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomv Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 If you go in there, do the salespeople put any pressure on you?<{POST_SNAPBACK}>The homefinder center, that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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