bachanon

nice picture. is anyone else a little put off by the plain vanilla podium parking garages on buildings such as randall davis' cosmopolitan?  i realize that this is the norm, but i do see developers and architects going for a little less profit in exchange for good design, on occasion.  too bad davis isn't of the latter sort. his faux facades are a guilty pleasure of mine, i wish he would be all in or not at all.  it ruins the building for me; i wouldn't consider living in that building because i would hate parking in the ugly box my condo was resting on.  it would piss me off each time i came home.  does that make me shallow or just refined?  i guess the ugly box will be mostly unnoticed after all of the additional buildings are up; plant some pine trees or giant bamboo around that thing please.

with my rant out of the way; back to reality, we can expect more downsized or diminished designs with construction costs through the roof.  i think that the building industry is having difficulty getting things built on time, labor shortages, material availability,etc.  as long as constructions costs are high, design and flash will take a back seat. sad but true.

houston's transition to higher density is truly fascinating.  it would be interesting to see if there is photo documentation of the transition of manhattan island from single dwellings, to multi-storied buildings, to high and mid-rise.  the higher density transition taking place in and around the loop is a rapid cultural shift that may be quite significant historically.  houstonians will be a different breed altogether in 10-15 years.  it's amazing and fantastic....and we are documenting it here on haif.  haif will be a boon to anyone wanting to research houston's boom in the 2010s.  uptown is but one focal point of houston's rapidly changing city-scape.

Don't forget that The Woodlands is working with planners to make sure the last Houston stop includes The Woodlands....a stop near The Woods/ExxonMobil means no 249 corridor. My only wish is that the HSR would originate at in Downtown Houston, swing by IAH, The Woods/ExxonMobil, to Dallas.....or at least a stop close enough to IAH for a cab or shuttle to/from to be feasible.

the hotel is going to be a westin hotel: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/02/new-luxury-hotel-coming-to-the-woodlands.html

more than a little disappointing.  no turrets!  the roof is different. is that the same property as the rendering?  

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

i wonder if there will be a house of horrors or a freak show?  bearded lady maybe?  they will definitely need alcohol for it to be worth taking the kids; "sorry kids, daddy can't handle grand texas theme park without a buzz."

Uncivil discourse will be removed.  Please use the Off-Topic threads to rant or go off.  A simple statement of fact is all that would be necessary to make a point.  Cursing politicians and "going off" is not appropriate here.

I'm responding to reports from earlier today:

Thanks for keeping everything on topic HAIFers and bringing order even when mods are not around!  You guys are the best!

Please try to remain civil when corralling those who get off track.

Unfortunately, I have nothing to offer on the international terminal at Hobby Airport and have not read entire thread: do we know what it will look like?  Architects?

Those views are fantastic! If anyone would like to make a huge donation so I can get a place there, just send me your details in a PM.

we could buy a unit and split the cost as a haif happy hour pad, but, we would all probably drink too much and miss a lot of work..

too bad.  i had hopes for more towers around the park.  i wonder if demand is such that, for some companies, it is more profitable to get something built sooner. or, maybe the market is such that people prefer hi-rise buildings downtown and uptown more so than the med center?  it could be any number of factors.  just thinking "out loud".

I know that in the case of Six Flags Fiesta Texas, they actually ended up building really nice residential and a large outdoor mall relatively near it. And building a theme park based in the state that it's in isn't too unusual, I mean, California Adventure was built, for instance...but given the troubled history of that theme park, it's not the best example to bring up.

i get it.  i understand that ir occurs, but i don't understand the logic behind it. Naming it Six Flags Fiesta Texas doesn't necessarily mean it's "Texas" themed; I haven't been there however.  Do they have western themed things, like cowboy and rodeo motifs? 

When the "grand texas theme park" was looking at property at crighton road and i-45 in south conroe, nearby established neighborhoods were freaking out a bit.  why build or stay in a 400K custom home if you're going to hear rollercoasters until 10 or 11 at night, and share the road with theme park people day and night.  i'd be so out of there.

theme parks are a hard sell and must be a handful to manage and keep profitable.  i'm happy with theme parks in florida...for vacations.  i'd rather not have them too close.  the pleasure pier in galveston and the kemah boardwalk are more than enough; just passing fertitta's overrated neon abomination downtown turns my stomach.  

each time i see posts in this thread i get a little queasy; i loathe this project.  it's been given way too much press and only because we do not have a theme park in houston and because they are naming it a "theme" park which it isn't.really.  it's more like some rich guy's grandiose idea for a playground on a ranch.  texas isn't a theme in TEXAS.  we are IN TEXAS. japan can have a texas themed park.  north dakota could have a texas theme of something, but texas is already what it is.  moronic.  simple minded (not in a good way).

i'm sorry, but i hope this project doesn't happen.  i'm sure the neighborhoods nearby are hoping the same thing.  the grand parkway is going to breathe life into this part of the region but a "theme" park next door will ensure your home values stay low.  

This one has land around it, Astoria is using the entire plot. That makes logistics much more difficult.

did the astoria have a large amount of sales prior to breaking ground?  belfiore was practically sold out before it started going up.

I would like developers and retailers alike to get on board and take a chance by converting an entire block into a retail Mecca for DT. I would say go practical before trying to cater to the DT elite. Having said that, I would create a four or five story building that has a large courtyard in the middle which contains a food court on the second level. It would be open to the sky with suspended walkways between the four major retailers located on each corner. Those retailers would be a Target superstore ( at least two levels like several in LA); an HEB Flagship with restaurant; a Best Buy; and some clothing/ accessories retailer like TJ Maxx, Kohls, or Marshalls. Smaller retail venues could be Starbucks, some sort of ice cream/ yogurt place, like Cold Stone, an Apple store, Sephora or something comparable. Then ever so slowly add higher end locales like Harry and David, sur le Table, etc., which would appeal to the demographic AND attract those living outside of DT. Perhaps, have cooking classes every Sat. For a lower cost at some foodie type store. Anyway, you can tell I have thought a lot about this one. I am considering moving DT just for the experience, but would definitely need some retail incentives to do so.

as much as i like your idea, i think houston pavilions would have taken off if downtown could support a "retail mecca"; the demand just isn't there yet.

with the hotel at green street, other hotels, new office space, and more residents downtown, the fickle retail space that already exists might get some motion.  (add to that almost 300,000 jobs coming to the houston area in the next 3 years.....http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/print-edition/2014/06/27/houston-we-have-a-plan-to-fill-300-000-blue-collar.html) only when we see the existing space disappearing could we have our retail fantasies realized.

i've had my doubts about this building. seeing it in person last week changed my mind.  the original rendering and even the pictures above do not do it justice.  it's really nice!

i imagine i would like to see privately owned unique retail begin to pop up between rail and residential, but i'm not sure how feasible this is for downtown or anywhere inside the loop for that matter.  property is too expensive and you really need steady cash flow to make it.

it's great to fantasize about what kind of "retail" we want, but if it isn't likely to look good on paper, it doesn't matter.

this is precisely why downtown/midtown/medical center/uptown developments need to make room for retail on the ground floor.  the income needed for the property is provided by the major tenant/tenants (office/residential) and the retail is a benefit to the major tenants and the community.  in my opinion, a smart developer would make space for retail and seek out the type of businesses that would enhance the lease experience of major tenants (office/residential) or expand on the property's brand.  it is understood in mixed-use development circles that your property has to survive with or without constantly occupied retail space.

the retail i'd like to see most downtown, retail restaurant supply/hardware store/apple-microsoft/urban, multi-storied target/satellite auto dealerships (audi/fiat/alph-romeo)/a vespa dealer.

This 2008 looking building will really be an eye sore amongst all the other great buildings in uptown that people come from all over the world to see.

....it could be worse!  howard hughes corporation is placing 4-6 of these babies from 8-12 stories on prime lake front property in the woodlands.  be glad for your pretty glass box with painted garage.  

Yes, a very old proposal and long ago abandoned.

thanks.  i get disoriented on architecture websites and lose track of past, present, future...

http://www.kirksey.com/project/central_library_master_plan

....this says that a central library building is going in "on" midtown superblock; surely they mean bordering the superblock.  is this an old library proposal?  i've searched several threads and cannot find anything.

Houston is ranked as the ugliest city in America according to this and one of the 10 ugliest cities in the world.

 

Ouch!

 

http://www.ucityguides.com/cities/10-ugliest-cities-in-the-world.html

ucityguides is worth $1,645 and receives 750 hits/day per domaintools.com; their opinion doesn't really count.  

on another note: who is this newbie "sparrow"?  curious who he/she might be.  positively curious.  

i think the students, families, and alumni of hspva are very proud of the name and would not be surprised if all were consulted during the design process. although "hspva" makes me think "husqvarna" lawn equipment, i have a good feeling about this building.

most renderings i see, i expect the building to look less than; i think this one may turn out to look better than the rendering.  fingers crossed.  that said, if it looks worse than the rendering, it will be one ugly building.

new guilty pleasure (not sure if it really is....) lindsey stirling; she's at bayou center next month.  i'm a little too excited.

Cool!  Thanks.  We are getting close to 1000 likes; maybe your photo will put it over the edge!

nice!  can i use them on the HAIF facebook page?

.....this building does not disappoint; it is turning out to be an elegant and welcome addition to our rapidly growing skyline(s).  I'm excited to see what they are planning for the property nearby.

Also, welcome to the forum "ThirdCoastRyan"!

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/25891-marriott-marquis-new-grb-convention-center-hotel-retail/

searching for marriott marquis in going up!/titles only would have produced the result.