Lee And Joe Jamail Skatepark At 103 Sabine St.

[Howard]

The Houston skatepark is a must have for way too many reasons than I have time to sit behind this computer and type. I am from Florida and we have a park in every big city and a lot of small ones. Houston needs a real skatepark and I am for it 100%. The pre-fab garbage around here is just that... Garbage. A city this size is handicaped without one. Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville has been in operation since 1977 and is the WORLD'S oldest continually operating skateboard park. I have lots of business meetings with people from all over the world. I wine them and dine them and they come here quite often. I ask them how they like it and one of the biggest gripes I hear is all there is to do is shop and eat. I laughed and then I thought about it...

[houstonfella]

The Houston skatepark is a must have for way too many reasons than I have time to sit behind this computer and type. I am from Florida and we have a park in every big city and a lot of small ones. Houston needs a real skatepark and I am for it 100%. The pre-fab garbage around here is just that... Garbage. A city this size is handicaped without one. Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville has been in operation since 1977 and is the WORLD'S oldest continually operating skateboard park. I have lots of business meetings with people from all over the world. I wine them and dine them and they come here quite often. I ask them how they like it and one of the biggest gripes I hear is all there is to do is shop and eat. I laughed and then I thought about it...

Recommend to your out of town guests who can't find anything to do:

Water ski Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, numerous venues

Sail out of Clear Lake into Galveston Bay

Jet ski on Clear Lake

Windsurf on Galveston Island

Go deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico

.... I haven't even begun.

Thanks.

[ricco67]

Recommend to your out of town guests who can't find anything to do:

Water ski Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, numerous venues

Sail out of Clear Lake into Galveston Bay

Jet ski on Clear Lake

Windsurf on Galveston Island

Go deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico

.... I haven't even begun.

Thanks.

well, while i agree that houston would benefit from having one or two quality skate parks here, i would have to disagree with the limited options for entertainment here.

depending on your interests and how aggressive in looking for it, you can definitely find something to do.

[Howard]

Recommend to your out of town guests who can't find anything to do:

Water ski Lake Houston, Lake Conroe, numerous venues

Sail out of Clear Lake into Galveston Bay

Jet ski on Clear Lake

Windsurf on Galveston Island

Go deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico

.... I haven't even begun.

Thanks.

I have lived here a year. Most of my clients and co-workers are upper 20's to upper 30's. I take them the Kemah a lot because its kinda cool but too many kids. No one liked Galveston. I dont have access to a boat to ski Lake Houston. Lake Conroe is too far. I did charter a boat once out on Galveston Bay on a Kemah trip. I take them to a club or two. Downtown was uneventful. They seemed to like Montrose for the retro shops. They like the Bayou. They liked Memorial Park a lot. Too bad there isnt more of them also... I would love a list when you have time. They have to be easy access... Not like having a boat or a windsurfer.

But of course we are on about the skatepark! So email: coulducare@yahoo.com

[push_00]

Good point about the lack of tourist activities in Houston Howard. Although there are many outdoor activities around the Houston Area, many are approx. 60 miles from where Downtown / Uptown visitors stay. Cities like Chicago and Portland have really done a good job at making sure tourists can walk out of the hotel lobby and within minutes, have a great experience at centrally located parks. Even though many people visiting these towns don't skateboard, it's highly possible that their kids do or that they would find the dynamics of a skatepark entertaining. Vacations or job trips are usually limited on time (and expenses - for the family vacation), so having a quick and inexpensive activity available such as a skatepark will be an excellent option for our guests.

After my visit to Portland last week, I now realize how much that city's public skatepark system has impacted their economy. Tour guides frequently show directions to skateparks, video promos advertise Portland as an action sports destination, and annual action sport competions are consistently filling up hotel rooms. All of this positive change simply due to a few progressive actions.

[houstonfella]

I definitely agree the younger generation needs a skate park. I am looking forward to Houston having one. But as for things to do, well, you gotta be flexible here. We are not San Francisco with the Pacific lapping at the door and the Bay a few miles away. But with imagination and the desire to do things, there are lots of things that can be done in Houston. I didn't mention sports, theater, bars, bowling, volleyball, hike and bike trails or the zoo etc. either. Howard, your friends sure are picky. They need to move to Chicago where the winter is so fun that you have all kinds of outside things you can do.

[312]

Thought there might be some interest in the progress of Downtown Public Skatepark Project on this site. The detailed design is close to complete and the following renderings show much of the anticipated layout for the park. Here's a link to the design/build company which put the design together - http://grindline.com/cgi-bin/view.pl?view=houston .

It's great to be close to completion for this phase of the project but construction is still ahead and is not an easy task without the support of the Houston community. With over 2000 public skatepark already built (many in major metropolitan areas), Houston has a lot of catching up to do. Please relay this information to your friends and colleagues and explain to them that this skatepark will provide a sense of place along the Buffalo Bayou walk/bike trails. Having more destinations along these trails is the type of catalyst needed to get more people to use them. More information about this project is available at http://www.hpbinc.org and http://www.pushhouston.com .

While your checking out the Grindline site, you may want to look at the photos of the Austin skatpark which was completed this summer - http://grindline.com/cgi-bin/view.pl?view=austin .

i like the idea especially downtown. Where will it be located ?

[push_00]

Chicago winters are definitely not amicable to casual outdoor activities, and neither are Portland winters (too much rain). I'd almost go as far as to say same goes for Houston summers if it weren't for outdoor lighting and a moderate gulf breeze. Houston's fall/spring/winter on the other hand...

Houston offers many outdoor activities but it does require more effort than most cities to consistently enjoy them. Just look at Houston's bike riders and how hard it is for them to tour the city. In 2006, Houston is finally showing some signs of building an adequate bike trail infrastructure that actually links different communities together. It is however, hardly at the level yet were people staying in Houston for the weekend could easily rent a bike (from a downtown or uptown location - preferably close to their lodging) and see a significant amount of the city. In many other major metropolitan areas, trails like these are the norm; As are skateparks.

A good rule of thumb concerning tourists and clients - They have the right to be picky of you want them to give you more business.

[ricco67]

A good rule of thumb concerning tourists and clients - They have the right to be picky of you want them to give you more business.

But you should always ask what your clients interests are and see what is available for them.

clients have every right to be picky, but if the job is done correctly, the should be receptive at your suggestions and enjoy themselves.

[push_00]

But you should always ask what your clients interests are and see what is available for them.

clients have every right to be picky, but if the job is done correctly, the should be receptive at your suggestions and enjoy themselves.

Yep, the every so fine line between being successful and being the "yes" man

As clients of the public systems in Houston (especially those involved with outdoor activities), we should all be receiving better service. I wouldn't necessarily call that "picky" but maybe "conscientious"?

[houstonfella]

Yes, tourists can be picky. But we can't compete with San Francisco or New York on this one. They have years and years and, of course, natural landscapes we don't have. But we can bring more conventions here and something as unique as a great skate park will help give people that bring their families something extra. I say make our zoo the best in the nation. That'd be a draw. Hermann Park is really awesome with the Natural Science Museum and Miller Outdoor, but Houston could put lots (millions) of money into creating a San Diego like zoo and that would be a draw. Zoo is already on the Red Line. Think: Reliant Park with the new hotel and convention facilities, Texas Med Ctr, Hermann Park and (great) Zoo, the museums are already there, and then downtown over to the Pavilions for fun and shopping. We are knocking on the tourist dollar door here, but we must follow through. Aren't we?

[fbmkink]

I was just wondering about how the construction of this skatepark is going?, Has it started yet or what is going on with it?, thanks.

[ricco67]

Yes, tourists can be picky. But we can't compete with San Francisco or New York on this one. They have years and years and, of course, natural landscapes we don't have. But we can bring more conventions here and something as unique as a great skate park will help give people that bring their families something extra. I say make our zoo the best in the nation. That'd be a draw. Hermann Park is really awesome with the Natural Science Museum and Miller Outdoor, but Houston could put lots (millions) of money into creating a San Diego like zoo and that would be a draw. Zoo is already on the Red Line. Think: Reliant Park with the new hotel and convention facilities, Texas Med Ctr, Hermann Park and (great) Zoo, the museums are already there, and then downtown over to the Pavilions for fun and shopping. We are knocking on the tourist dollar door here, but we must follow through. Aren't we?

While it's rather true that Houston's landscape can't compete with some of the more "outdoor friendly" areas such as Seatle, Portland, Minneapolis, San Fran, San Diego, and Florida; A realistic hunt for entertainment must be made. It drives me crazy when tourists are very inflexible when it comes to entertainment or outdoor choices and don't want to get out of their "comfort zone."

As far as conventioneers, believe me, 98% do NOT bring the family with them. They're usually too busy doing what needs to be done and partying WITHOUT them. That and most companies don't provide an adequate allowance for them to come along.

The few that I do know that have brought their wives/families are those with some serious money to burn (read: High Level Executive or those turning it to a vacation...which is rare).

But back on topic, I know very little about the skate park, but it would be a terrific addition and I do wish to know more about when groundbreaking would be and what final layout.

[push_00]

HP, NSM, & MOT are all excellent attractions in Houston but they are definitely flagships for the city. Just like the sports stadiums and convention arenas, these facilities are at an expense level that eclipses some of the minor Houston tourist attractions. The volume of visitors to just one of these places probably equates to the same volume as ten niche attractions.

Whenever I travel to places like San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, etc. I do visit one or two of the flagship attractions for that city. Additionally, there are several more low key places that I have heard of from friends/family/associates that get visited. I spend money at these places and getting to/from these places (sometimes more or less than at the museums or stadiums). Sometimes, these places are more memorable than a Giants game or Navy Pier.

Point being is that both major and minor attractions in Houston should be attended to equally. Of course, the major attractions are a more significant investment with larger amounts of commerce, but business given to minor attractions adds up. Even if only 2-5% of all of the conventioneers coming to Houston bring their families, that's still additional tourism money coming into the city; which IMO, could be increased if Houston had more destinations that cater to some of the smaller markets.

The Downtown Skatepark Project is alive and well. We've still got a ways to go ($1.5/2.0 million), but we at PUSH are steadfastly pursuing new resources for funding and are going to have a good time doing it:

1. Look for the PUSH booth and auxiliary activities at the Houston Dynamo vs. DC United game on Sept. 30th (Special thanks to Oliver Luck who has been a great supporter of the skatepark project.)

2. Ride in the Heights Skate & Bike Rally on Oct. 15th and show your support for the skatepark project by picking up a PUSH sticker for your bike at the PUSH booth.

3. Check out the art fundraiser at Commerce Street Warehouse on Nov. 3rd where local and national artists will showcase their works using skateboard decks as a medium.

More info about all of these events can be found on http://www.pushhouston.com .

The skatepark conceptual design can also be found on the PUSH website - http://www.pushhouston.com/P_Design/P_Design.htm . This shows the terrain layout sans auxiliaries such as landscaping, artist enhancements, and lighting. More detailed designs are forthcoming as we get closer to construction.

[fbmkink]

1.5 to 2 Million?, sounds like alot to me. I thought that the scheduled constuction date for this was supposed to be this summer. If i sound mean or soemthing im sorry but im just curious about all of this, when do you think that the skatepark will be completed at the pace it is going right now?

[push_00]

1.5 to 2 Million?, sounds like alot to me. I thought that the scheduled constuction date for this was supposed to be this summer. If i sound mean or soemthing im sorry but im just curious about all of this, when do you think that the skatepark will be completed at the pace it is going right now?

A lot compared to what? The $2 million basketball courts near Toyota Center? The $12 million aquatic center slated for Bellaire? You'll have to give more reasons why you think it costs a lot in order to get a better explanation other than the $2 million includes all materials, construction, and continued maintenance costs.

The best estimate for completion of the new park is '07. The park itself takes about 6-8 months to construct. The more support we have for this project the sooner it will get built.

[fbmkink]

A lot compared to what? The $2 million basketball courts near Toyota Center? The $12 million aquatic center slated for Bellaire? You'll have to give more reasons why you think it costs a lot in order to get a better explanation other than the $2 million includes all materials, construction, and continued maintenance costs.

The best estimate for completion of the new park is '07. The park itself takes about 6-8 months to construct. The more support we have for this project the sooner it will get built.

Okay well i see what you mean, but i thought th the project was only going to cost 2 millio for the whole thing?, meaning no money has been raised or it cost alot more than 2 million, how much was the whole thing suposed to cost?

[push_00]

Friday night @ Commerce St. Warehouse

2315 Commerce Street

7PM - 12AM

[lockmat]

I've never heard of this until now. Anyone know where this project stands?

It says it was supposed to break ground in summer '06. I'm assuming it didn't happen.

Edited March 17, 2007 by lockmat

[push_00]

The Downtown Skatepark Project is still alive and is in the detailed design phase (construction drawings, permits, etc.). The bidding process will begin this Summer. Slower than earlier schedules but still progressing ok.

As far as completed skatepark projects in the Houston Area, The Woodlands opened the first phase of their Bear Branch in-ground public skatepark in February. Very fun indeed. This community has really been progressive with regards to public skateparks (and their whole parks system for that matter - amazing amenities!). The BB skatepark is small ~5000sqft but it's great start. The quality of this park is superb (concrete, landscaping, etc).

Here's a story link and pic of the Woodlands new public in-ground skatepark - http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?new...32533&rfi=6

[Vertigo58]

Thought for sure someone would have started this Topic. Oh well here goes.

Mayor was totally supportive of this new park! Yeah!

Through the collective efforts of Public Use Skateparks for Houston, the Houston Parks Board and the Jamail Family Foundation, the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark will be added to the city's list of recreation sites.

The new facility was designed by Grindline, the most successful skatepark design builder. It has terrain difficult enough to host events for professional competitions, like the X-Games, while facilitating the needs of beginners.

The $2.5 million, 30,000 square foot in-ground skatepark is located near Memorial Drive and Sabine Street. It was placed in the area near Buffalo Bayou to allow kids from all parts of the city to reach it using the public transportation system.

[musicman]

i think it will be a good addition. i'll have to dust my skates off and check it out.

[TexasArchitect]

definately a good addition!! 30,000 sq ft is big...time to polish up on some skateboarding skillz

[jt16]

Good addition. I don't personally skate, but it's good to see Houston reach out to non-traditional sports and recreation. I have always thought it would be really cool if "they" could bring in some natural Central Texas boulders to create a real rock climbing experience on Buffalo Bayou. I love going to Austin and rock climbing on the Zilker Park trails and at Enchanted Rock. I'm not even sure it's feasible, but it's ok to dream.

[Subdude]

Note merged duplicate topics.

[SunKing]

Congratulations PUSH!! I just read that additional funding was recieved - and the project is going full steam ahead!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4904553.html

[TexasArchitect]

Congratulations PUSH!! I just read that additional funding was recieved - and the project is going full steam ahead!

sweeeet!! looking forward to it.

[lockmat]

Awesome news.

I'm wondering about this comment though:

Secondly, more young professionals and artists will be giving Houston a second look as a place to live.

[Subdude]

Awesome news.

I'm wondering about this comment though:

Saw that comment.

Yeah, additional skaters will give the economy a boost!

[Vertigo58]

Awesome news.

I'm wondering about this comment though:

I guess to look at the brighter side, better to have more yuppies than MS13 gangs any day.

To tell you the truth skating is one of the best ways to stay in shape. I remember when I used to be able to jump over a trash can (or 2) and that was amazing! I would probably smash the trash can now though. > and on a happier note I am glad to say that it wouldnt take much for me to get back into shape. I'm ready to go.

The atty supposedly donated the majority of $$$ to get this off the ground and running. They were interviewing him and the mayor on this topic on KUHF about 3 early mornings ago. I thought I was dreaming when I heard it.