The Pragmatist Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Now all they need is a Gravitron, and Mr. Fertitta's dream will be complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinsanity02 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Some of you sound like curmudgeons. Ease up. Children love this place. I know it looks out of place but so do many of other things in our haphazard and dynamic city. There are few places for the little ones in the DT. Watching the children enjoy themselves adds to the downtown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 (edited) Some of you sound like curmudgeons. Ease up. Children love this place. I know it looks out of place but so do many of other things in our haphazard and dynamic city. There are few places for the little ones in the DT. Watching the children enjoy themselves adds to the downtown. I, for one, am all for it, and am serious about wondering what would come post-45 downtown. You see, people embrace the whole “Keep Austin Weird” thing, which is all well and good, but they just have a bunch of bad bands and pot smokers, which has really ceased to be anything but marketable commoditized “cool”. Authentic weirdness requires stuff like interstate-side Ferris wheels and 80’s “Hypermarkets” that become Chinatown. Fertita is a local treasure in an eccentric rich uncle kind of way and people do love his stuff. It’s all good clean fun, if a bit gaudy. Beats pretention 10 times out of 10. Edited August 28, 2015 by Nate99 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avossos Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I don't understand what I am looking at here... Are they removing Preston? they better not be.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Some of you sound like curmudgeons. Ease up. Children love this place. I know it looks out of place but so do many of other things in our haphazard and dynamic city. There are few places for the little ones in the DT. Watching the children enjoy themselves adds to the downtown.The rendering threw me off, as they look like identical rides to what they already have. I don't expect them to build anything other than kiddie rides, but hopefully something different from what they already have. It's a shame the aquarium is mostly restaurant space. It gives it more of a carnival feel, like a money vacuum, rather then something educational. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triton Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 they better not be....Appears they have for this expansion to be viable... is that part of the future I-45 construction or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 It looks like where the swinging pirate ship boat is replaces Preston. There goes one of my return routes from late night Sonic runs... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 If they're going to remove this section of Preston Street, they may as well also remove the section up until Smith Street--it wouldn't really serve a purpose. Even better, don't remove the Preston Street bridge itself, keep the bridge structure, make modifications and dress it up to create the pedestrian bridge that is in the Theater District master plan between Preston and Prairie and save a few dollars. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 "I don't know much about the project, just saw it. Looks like they're trying to expand the world's finest under-freeway amusement park!" omg that description made me laugh out loud!!! thanks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I would have expected performing dolphins. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Nope that's too much like a real aquarium. This is an aquarium with a tiger - never forget 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intencity77 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Unless it's a full fledged theme park (which I realize there isn't any space for one near downtown), then it's going to be lame. Not to mention, this looks cheap, too kiddish and out of place near our high density downtown. It's as if Fertitta is trying to recreate his Boardwalk/Pleasure Pier on a smaller scale in downtown Houston and that style development looks just plain wrong in an urban setting. IMO, if a developer is trying to attract a family/child demographic to their downtown attraction at least try to be aesthetically conscious of your urban surroundings in your development! Discovery Green is a great example of doing just that and tastefully. I guess we can't expect much change from Fertitta's usual cheesy projects. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 comes to downtown houston.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmat Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Actually, what I like about this concept is it brings more families downtown, diversifying the area. Although it may not draw families to LIVE downtown, at least there be some in the vicinity. I don't want a downtown made just for the childless. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Actually, what I like about this concept is it brings more families downtown, diversifying the area. Although it may not draw families to LIVE downtown, at least there be some in the vicinity. I don't want a downtown made just for the childless.I don't want to see, hear, or smell children. They belong in the suburbs. Unless they are well behaved. Which 99% of the time they are not. We need a wall. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstontexasjack Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Well, I guess this is trying to fill a void in Houston. Agree that we could use a real aquarium--a draw like that could be an anchor to revitalize and develop the KBR site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregpet Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I vote for getting rid of Preston between Bagby & Franklin....Pretty much duplicates Franklin and we could get rid of a bunch of concrete (street & bridge). Bring a little more green to downtown (enlarge Sesquicentennial park). And this could get done much quicker than the 45 re-route which is a really long way off (if they even approve)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 There also going to be a bunch of people living on Preston, so access for them might be a good idea to keep open Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I don't like the idea embodied in this rendering. It looks like schlock to me --- Disney for Dwarfs. As the 4th largest city in the country, Houston CAN do better, IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cspwal Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I think we finally found something HAIF likes less than a surface lot 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) I also dislike the interaction with the bayou, but I guess wandering children and drifters should be separated by fence. I can agree with that, just stinks those amazing views of 700 Louisiana, best angle, are being utilized for something so cheesy. I guess we are lucky Houston doesn't allow gambling. This would be a casino. All of his big properties would. Edited August 30, 2015 by Montrose1100 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonIsHome Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I agree with Montrose on those views of 700 Louisiana. You are at the aquarium, you turn around and boom. I wonder what I did with those photos? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cloud713 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I guess we are lucky Houston doesn't allow gambling. This would be a casino.Are we really "lucky" this property is what it is/is proposed to become, instead of a casino? I'm not so sure?I agree with Lockmat and the others that want family friendly/diversified demographics downtown, but is having a few kids and families on the other side of the bayou really benefitting the rest of downtown? Besides, would a real aquarium not be an even bigger family friendly attraction? One could argue an aquarium would be better off in Hermann Park next to the zoo, or down towards/in Galveston, but this already exists/could be redeveloped into more of an aquarium, less of a theme park. Just saying.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The rendering threw me off, as they look like identical rides to what they already have. I don't expect them to build anything other than kiddie rides, but hopefully something different from what they already have. It's a shame the aquarium is mostly restaurant space. It gives it more of a carnival feel, like a money vacuum, rather then something educational. A money vacuum is a very good description of the Fertitta business plan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 A money vacuum is a very good description of the Fertitta business plan. Most of the carnival games are like gambling for adults, except kids win stuffed animals, dollar store toys, and candy. I guess the amount of money you spend has a similar ratio to how much you "win". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bransocial Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I don't have an issue with expanding aquarium downtown but what Houston really needs is a major downtown tourist attraction like Space Needle in Seattle or Willis Tower in Chicago or Effiel tower in Paris. Also, Market Square/ historic region can be build to the level of the Strand in Galveston and area around Toyota Center can be entertainment region like LA live in Los Angeles (by Staples Center). Walkable, pedestrian destinations. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigereye Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) I don't have an issue with expanding aquarium downtown but what Houston really needs is a major downtown tourist attraction like Space Needle in Seattle or Willis Tower in Chicago or Effiel tower in Paris. Also, Market Square/ historic region can be build to the level of the Strand in Galveston and area around Toyota Center can be entertainment region like LA live in Los Angeles (by Staples Center). Walkable, pedestrian destinations.These areas aren't as clustered together for walk-ability but at least they're connected by Green/Purple train for now. But with development sprouting up on Texas Ave (along with a potential Dallas St shopping corridor), all of these districts could be well connected in the future. Exciting possibilities to think about, especially if Houston First achieves all of its plans for the Theater District.As for your Space Needle attraction, maybe you should email that to Lovett. They have plenty of land available with no set plans. Who knows, maybe you'll get your wish lolEDIT: Now that I think about it, it probably wouldn't happen. I could only see Fertitta building something like an observation tower and I'm not sure Id want that. Could end up looking extremely tacky... Edited August 31, 2015 by tigereye 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timoric Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) - Edited July 9, 2019 by Timoric 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryDierker Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 These areas aren't as clustered together for walk-ability but at least they're connected by Green/Purple train for now. But with development sprouting up on Texas Ave (along with a potential Dallas St shopping corridor), all of these districts could be well connected in the future. Exciting possibilities to think about, especially if Houston First achieves all of its plans for the Theater District.As for your Space Needle attraction, maybe you should email that to Lovett. They have plenty of land available with no set plans. Who knows, maybe you'll get your wish lolEDIT: Now that I think about it, it probably wouldn't happen. I could only see Fertitta building something like an observation tower and I'm not sure Id want that. Could end up looking extremely tacky... He tried to build an observation tower when he built the aquarium but the city denied him. Or am I remembering incorrectly? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangledwoods Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 How will this project be affected by the I-45 realignment? Isn't that section of the freeway being demolished and brought to surface level streets? I know it is still a few years away, but it seems odd that Fertita would move forward on an expansion with so much change coming his way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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