Metro West

It's not an ugly tower. But it is way too ordinary to be dominating the northern downtown skyline or obscuring views of superior towers. From some angles it will hide the far more interesting International Tower (if they ever build it) and lessen it's impact. I wish they could trade places.

They say construction on the sports complex is to begin next month. Construction on the water park is to begin in September. http://impactnews.com/houston-metro/the-woodlands/more-details-announced-for-grand-texas-park/

Maybe they should turn this plan inside out. Put a little park in the dome instead of a little dome in the park. They can still use it just like the uses they have in their renderings.

I agree. I hate the idea of losing the dome. Tearing it down and replacing it with an ordinary parking lot would kill me. At least this idea pays some kind of tribute to the impact the Astrodome made in this community. That open green space could really be an asset in that area. If they could find a way to somehow keep the domed ceiling over this skeletal ring structure or even build a few curved beams to give the outline of the dome's roof it would make this plan even better.

Please for the love of God. All of you need to stay as far away from this park as possible. Y'all could suck the fun out of Willy Wonka!

This is going to be an awesome tower. People are going to love it.

All Houston needs is a popular T.V. show based here about the beginnings of NASA or maybe a medical drama set in the TMC and that would change our perception overnight. After people saw how cool the TMC is they couldn't wait to get sick so they could come here.

The first thing the article says "When you think about Houston, Texas, you probably picture massive oil refineries..." How accurate do you think that is? When people think of Houston why would they think of the oil refineries? Sprawl and junky buildings on the side of the freeways I could believe, but all the refineries are confined to the east side and there is no reason to go to the east side unless you live there or you work there (not counting San Jacinto Monument or Battleship Texas). I lived in Houston for years and very seldom had a need or desire to drive to Pasadena or points east where all the refineries are located. When people come to town, is that where they go? Do they drive right past downtown, uptown and everything else and head straight to the Houston ship channel where the image of refineries are baked into their long term memories? And when they leave, is that all they can remember? L.A. has lots of refineries. The San Francisco bay area has lots of refineries. The entire Texas coast has refineries sprinkled all over it. Or is this another one of those articles that think they are being clever by starting off with a few negative qualities because they are really going to focus on the positives for the rest of the article?

I went to Six Flags Over Texas recently and noticed that what was once called 'The Confederacy' section has been changed to 'The Old South'. 'Old South' must be a less offensive term than 'Confederacy'. As a kid, I always wondered if some people were offended by it. I guess it can be difficult to celebrate one culture without offending another if people want to take this stuff too seriously. I have no problem celebrating the American Old West, but I must admit AstroWorld had the politically correct right idea. There were 9 themed areas when they opened in 1968... Americana Square Oriental Corner Plaza de Fiesta Children's World Western Junction European Village Alpine Valley Modville (my personal favorite) and Fun Island later they added... Country Fair, Coney Island Nottingham Village (used to be Country Fair) Looney Toons Town I suppose it might have been offensive to people from Iraq, Uganda and Australia, but I guess there just wasn't enough land to please everyone.

Trebelino, I think you're over thinking it. It's just meant to be an escape from the real world. If you are going to throw politics or all the awful things the white man has done to the world into it then I guess you will have a hard time having any fun. If it makes you feel any better, the plans call for the "Plaza Feliz" section at Grand Texas to be the largest section in the park and is the section that is supposed to have the 2 big roller coasters.

Actually, Monty Galland (the ringleader) told the press that he intends to model Grand Texas after Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. Go online and check out what those parks have to offer if you want to get an idea of what the developers of this project have in mind. I know that both those parks are considered to be very good old west style theme parks from the reviews I've read. But, yes. It's a theme park. Heat, sunburns, mosquito bites, vomit, 4 hour lines, painful rides, screaming babies, incompetent teenage workers who don't know the meaning of the word "service", nasty bathrooms, overpriced tickets, disgusting food, smelly people...ect. - the whole works! The good news is that it's not like there will be any SS Nazis rounding people up and forcing them against their will at gunpoint to be there. If theme parks aren't your bag and you find yourself in the middle of it, you have no one but yourself or your own kids to blame. BTW, I think most parks serve alcohol these days.

Nobody's saying this is going to be a better experience than getting laid on prom night, but I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that shaded areas are a little more comfortable in the southeast Texas summer than unshaded areas unless you are a reptile. As long as GT doesn't clear cut the trees (and they say they won't) it will be shadier, EVER-SO SLIGHTLY cooler and a LITTLE more comfortable than a park that was surrounded by a sea of cement and NOT built under thousands of pine trees. It has nothing to do with the area, but I have some doubts that they can build this park too. They keep delaying construction which sounds depressingly and eerily familiar. My only real point is that IF they build it the way they say they are going to build it, it will probably be a better overall experience than that old, neglected, thin-treed, albeit beloved and much missed park that the Six Flags Corporation ran into the ground 10 years ago - and that there is no reason to hate on the plan.

No Comparison? Bob Russ, you are passing on some BAD INFO. Shame on you. I understand that AW can never be replaced in our hearts to those of us who loved it, but Grand Texas certainly has more potential than AW ever did. Here are some facts - all can be verified in a simple google search. If they build GT to the plans they released, it will beat AW in almost every category. AstroWorld had 1 "roller coaster" on opening day (Alpine Sleighs). GT will have 5. It took AW over 10 years to get to 5 roller coasters. Monty Galland has told the press that GT will have a wooden coaster over 150 tall (Texas Cyclone was 92 ft) and one of the tallest loop coasters in the world when it opens. It is also planned to have a runaway mine coaster built into a fake mountain and a modern day version of Greezed Lightnin'. AW had aprrox 15 rides on opening day. GT will have about 25. AW was approx. 50 acres of actual park land on opening day. GT will have 71 AW was built in a shadeless, treeless plot of coastal prairie - just about every tree was planted and rather small. It took DECADES to get what little shade they had. GT will be surrounded by a shady, cooler pine forest. AW was built on a plot of land that was 104 acres (this included the park, the offices, the water park and storage areas. GT is to be built on over 600 acres which will include the park, the offices, the waterpark, storage areas, hotels, baseball fields, shopping areas, r.v. park and a bunch of other things. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE. In the later years AW had no room to expand. GT theme park will have up to 150 acres to expand on. AW was the SMALLEST park in the Six Flags chain. In the last 20 years AW existed, most of the coasters were hand-me-downs with antiquated technology. AW was surrounded by power lines, freeways, giant parking lots, warehouses, car dealerships, big box stores and urban blight - all visible from many places within the park. GT is going to be completely surrounded by a tall pine forest, a more natural environment, streams, lakes and set back from the freeway. Mosquitos? Show me a place in Houston that doesn't have to spray for mosquitos. I really don't get all the hate for this theme park at this website. It's a theme park. It's mostly for kids. If theme parks aren't your bag or if you think an old west theme is too unoriginal for you to enjoy, you should probably stay away. This place IF BUILT will bring a LOT of joy to the public. I really feel sorry for the generation growing up in Houston who didn't have a theme park to escape to. Why try and ruin, trash and bash a place that will put Houston back on the map in the theme park business, and IF BUILT, will do it in a way that AstroWorld was incapable of doing due to it's limitations and HORRENDOUSLY INCOMPETENT upper management. Haters need to go check their facts before they post. It's not that hard to get answers on the internet. If they build this theme park anything close to their plans, Houston will be VERY VERY lucky.

People who use bike lanes in car oriented urban environments need to be placed in institutions where they are no longer a threat to public safety or to themselves. Driving in Houston without killing anyone is hard enough!

It seems like in every new photo that someone post of Houston, the more the downtown, uptown and TMC skylines look like one giant mega skyline. Every day these skylines seem to get closer and closer to each other. Houston is growing out, up and in. Very cool pic.

Just before AstroWorld was closed, it looked very much like what Six Flags over Texas looks like today. Faded paint, dirty, terrible customer service and neglect. Many rides standing but not operating and very short lines. It's almost as trashy as the State Fair in dallas. I just went to Six Flags in dallas and it was pathetic. Rotted wood, rusted paint, overgrown lawns and tall weeds. Once Six Flags was beautifully maintained. It's really sad today. I hope Grand Texas does not follow the same path - if they ever build it.

Instant Las Colinas?

Can you give a few examples of well founded information that swtig has given on this forum? I'm talking about info that can ACTUALLY be verified.

You mean like this... This must be how they can promote moving in in 12 months... Once completed, Aura will be the tallest residential tower in Canada. So tall in fact that it was split up into 2 separate condo corporations so that the developer could start moving in the residents on the lower floors while the upper floors are still under construction.

San Francisco light rail is so beautiful. I wish Houston was as progressive as this.

Maybe Austin is modeling their rail system after Houston's because they want people to actually use it.

These towers will make Uptown look more urban. I like them.

I like the part when Andy DuFrense escapes at the end.

Homeless people like parks. They will love this park the most. This park is a game changer.