WestGrayGuy Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 This is the master plan for Buffalo Bayou. It is a 2 billion dollar (with a plan to revitalize the whole reason Houston is here. Included in the plan is a flood mitagation canal, waterfront commercial developments and "green fingers". Green fingers are collection basins to naturally remove silt from the water. This would change the water from a brownish color to more of a green one. Have a look, I think it is quite exciting. Buffalo Bayou Masterplan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceCity Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Buffalo Bayou is a great plan. It could really change the face of the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallasite Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 What is the status of this project? Have the plans been improved? Is there any funding? Is it well recieved by residents, politicians, environmentalists?Forgive me for asking. I could not read the whole site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 This is the master plan for Buffalo Bayou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestGrayGuy Posted August 31, 2004 Author Share Posted August 31, 2004 Again, this is a master plan. There have been hearings at city hall and as far I can tell the plan is still valid. The hold up now is getting federal funds for the flood mitigation portion.... This could be sevral hundred million. I am sure they are holding out for that kind of dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Again, this is a master plan. There have been hearings at city hall and as far I can tell the plan is still valid. The hold up now is getting federal funds for the flood mitigation portion.... This could be sevral hundred million. I am sure they are holding out for that kind of dough.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>800,000,000 I belive the site said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 The plan is on its way! If anyone remembers from the CHRON, they already bough tons of land for the East Side drainage pit thingy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted August 31, 2004 Share Posted August 31, 2004 Love that term "Green Fingers". Sounds like the title of a David Lynch film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 The Buffalo Bayou Partnership has done a great job defining parcel projects that enhance the bayou a piece at a time. They've also done a good job of keeping their site up to date with recent information on projects, something that you don't see much. The Master Plan is well designed and well thought out, even if some of it does seem a bit far fetched.Some of the most interesting aspects of the Master Plan are under the "implementing the plan" section. The Greater Allen's Landing map, for instance, shows some interesting features such as a future Metro Intermodal Center at Hardy Yards, a relocated Metro Bus Facility, the Commerce Street Promenade and relocation of the Harris County Correctional facility. These are lofty goals indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 I'm impressed by the Partnership's ambition and attention to details. I hope that the city, county, state and federal governments match the Partnership's drive in helping this become reality. The developers are already hankering and chomping at the bit for an opportunity to get in on this thing, but they, like the public, need to know what's tangible and what's not.I would like to think the Partnership, civil engineers and architects could do quite a bit with $800 million in dedicated funds, and if done right, flooding would be of far lesser concern for decades to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceCity Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I'm sending them all the cash I have in my wallet. Two dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 The Partnership and the Plan are great. Ann Olson is a rock star. I can't wait until the canal is dug making the area which houses the jail it own little island. Also, getting rid of the Metro bus storage by the arts district will be a major boost to development in that area. There are so many ingenius aspects of the plan - like relocating the post office, creating finger lakes, and creating symphony island - if all happen, damn this city will look good! It's great to hear the city and so many of its richest residents are supporters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 The Partnership and the Plan are great. Ann Olson is a rock star. I can't wait until the canal is dug making the area which houses the jail it own little island. Also, getting rid of the Metro bus storage by the arts district will be a major boost to development in that area. There are so many ingenius aspects of the plan - like relocating the post office, creating finger lakes, and creating symphony island - if all happen, damn this city will look good! It's great to hear the city and so many of its richest residents are supporters.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>We're going to have to develop a lot of patience, though. I mean, considering all the antsiness surrounding the Shamrock project, we might all have strokes waiting for the entirety of the Buffalo Bayou Plan to become reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 We're going to have to develop a lot of patience, though. I mean, considering all the antsiness surrounding the Shamrock project, we might all have strokes waiting for the entirety of the Buffalo Bayou Plan to become reality.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think this plan is projected to take 20 years if I'm not mistaken. You could have a 100 Shamrocks by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 4, 2004 Share Posted September 4, 2004 I love the plan, especially the Alcatraz Island where the bayou diversion would be cut. Unfortunately, Houston has a really poor record getting plans like this accomplished, so it would be something of a miracle if any significant gets done. Jeez, it's taken the city years and they still can't manage the bayou bike path part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 6, 2004 Share Posted September 6, 2004 The Partnership and the Plan are great. Ann Olson is a rock star. I can't wait until the canal is dug making the area which houses the jail it own little island. Also, getting rid of the Metro bus storage by the arts district will be a major boost to development in that area. There are so many ingenius aspects of the plan - like relocating the post office, creating finger lakes, and creating symphony island - if all happen, damn this city will look good! It's great to hear the city and so many of its richest residents are supporters.What is the "arts district"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 The "arts district" is just north of the jail area. It's where Last Concert Cafe and all those nice old warehouses are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstngoal Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 The "arts district" is just north of the jail area. It's where Last Concert Cafe and all those nice old warehouses are.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Additionally, there are two notable townhome developments rising in the midst of these warehouses, not far from the bayou. It is very exciting to see this type of infill development adjacent to downtown... and hopefully soon within the downtown core itself. There are many "gaps" in Houston's core that should be capitalized on.Buffalo Bayou's potential is enormous... I certainly hope Mayor White realizes this and creates a city initiative to get our most important waterway clean and beautiful. And waiting 20 years to see it come to fruition (as the plan suggests)?... well, I think we can do much better than that. We spent $1 billion in five years to develop stadiums and will spend $2 billion in five years to expand I-10. Lets make this a priority, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 The revitalization of Allen's Landing deserves mention. I went there tonight at sunset, because I'd heard that the Main Street bridge has a colony of Mexican Free Tail bats, and I wanted to see them emerge. Alas, I didn't see a single bat.Still, it's a great place. This is the birthplace of Houston; the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous. There are ongoing efforts to make it an attraction. Brick paving is being laid along Commerce Street, and the waterfront has already been given a generous amount of attention. There's some streetwise waterfowl who could benefit from bread-tossing visitors. What fun to see a mother duck sizing me up, and guiding her six ducklings past me! And the view of Main Street Bridge from underneath is pleasing. The concrete arch is downright picturesque. Even the brick faced county jail across the bayou isn't jarring; if you didn't know better, it could be dismissed as residential housing. And I suppose it is, however unwillingly.The place has potential. In addition to ducks, turtles can be seen cruising around the bayou. There's a brick building smack in the center of the park which looks utterly cancerous but with a generous influx of money could become quaint. I hope so. Before it falls down. Also, it's one of the few places in Houston where there's a hill that makes sense.The biggest drawback to Allen's Landing is that it's smack in the middle of the jails, and the homeless who haunt the area under Main Street bridge. They didn't bother me, but the sight wasn't attractive. There are higher uses for this area. There must be better places for the homeless to work out their problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Hizzy! Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 Tex,Do you have any idea of what's being done to the green-clad building on the right facing the northbank of the Bayou? At one time, construction or what have you was fairly strong but it has since tapered off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 The "arts district" is just north of the jail area. It's where Last Concert Cafe and all those nice old warehouses are.That is an "Arts District"?! Well, you can butter my butt and call me a biscuit, because that's one of the last neighborhoods I would have pegged as an "Arts District". Is that some sort of official designation, like "Theater District"?Dbig, you can see (and smell) bats under the Waugh bridge over Buffalo Bayou. It is supposed to be one of the biggest colonies in the state.There were plans to illuminate the underside of the Main Street bridge over the bayou after the train was completed. It would have been a nice nighttime view from Allen's Landing, at least in the renderings. Has anyone heard if this is still on? It is a nice little park, but with the jails and the homeless and the somewhat inconvenient location, it will be hard to make it into a tourist draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 "That is an "Arts District"?"It sure used to be. Divese Works would also agree. And the Photo Houston studios, etc. There is a difference between an Arts District and Museum District. I think that area qualifies, as does a portion of the Warehouse District. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 Here's some pictures of the Northside Trail: Wortham Center Ivy slowly taking over Nothing beats a stroll through nature UH - downtown Allen Landing and downtown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 awesome pictures!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstar Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 awesome pictures!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks. I wanted to get some pictures of the Sabine to Bagby section, but almost nothing has been done yet, despite the fact that they broke ground months ago. I don't know what's typical in other cities, but it seems that projects here are announced with a great deal of hoopla and then languish for months. According to Buffalobayou.org, this project is going to include 12 street-to-bayou access points. I wonder if this will include the aquarium and the theater district. This is the point where they will really regret the fact that the Hobby Center chose to face the bayou with a parking garage. Another great moment in Houston development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted September 13, 2004 Share Posted September 13, 2004 It would be nice to install lights under the concrete overpasses. Make it more inviting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 It would be nice to install lights under the concrete overpasses. Make it more inviting.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>but it might keep the bums awake... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceCity Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 but it might keep the bums awake... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Then they need strobelights or perhaps a disco ball. The bums could have a party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestGrayGuy Posted September 14, 2004 Author Share Posted September 14, 2004 Ahhh, you guys did not finish reading through the master plan. There is actually is a pretty cool plan to light the bayou having to do with various colors (blue and white) and the phases of the moon. It sounds cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted September 14, 2004 Share Posted September 14, 2004 Tex,Do you have any idea of what's being done to the green-clad building on the right facing the northbank of the Bayou? At one time, construction or what have you was fairly strong but it has since tapered off.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>This is a great building. Soon enough it will be a fantastic addition to the bayou. What also really needs to happen is the Spaghetti Warehouse needs to open up to the bayou or find a new location. It is downright aweful how it disregards the presence of the bayou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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