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Galveston Hitting It Off


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Palisade Palms, a Gambling ordinance, a boardwalk, a pier? Whats instore for our neighbors to the south? Galveston has had a face lift recently, with new projects being planned for the Island, including new condo towers, pricey with great views. But why would so many people flood to a place that has Brown water, Jellyfish, and sharks? This island is a great place to go for the weekend, but when I go, I usually stay out of the water, infact, off the sand. The sand can get extremely hot on bare feet... The Shops are great there, and renting a 4 person bike with a family is a great idea, not to mention Moody Gardens. Galveston could become our next own little Las Vegas or Atlantic City if the gambling ordinance pulls threw. what is instore for the City next? giant High-rise casinos? who knows...

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  • 2 months later...

Galveston is a dying city. The only real appeal it has is access to the surf. Even though it would be a shame to see it go it would take a miracle to save the place now. One good hurricane and most of it would most likely vanish under the relentless waves.

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Oh I have. I read them all. I also remember that in the late 70's the place was undergoing a similar revolution until Alicia Struck. It has taken this long for it to turn around. Now the place has much more development than ever before. One good Hurricane will really hurt the place bad and in time it will recover again. Human memory is short. Most the most part anyway. Oh I do like the idea that it is growing again but I also know that one good storm and the loss to the insurance and maybe life will be great again. The new buildings are not being built like the old ones. They will not withstand even a minor hurricane. They were not designed to.

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I don't know, I find it hard to believe that the Emerald and Palisade Palms would build without considering the possibilty of hurricanes.  I'm sure they will build accordingly.

I would like to believe this as well. I do love the place and it makes me feel very happy to see the place growing so much but on the other hand I probably know a little to much and that spoils it a lot for me. So far the only people that I know of that have built for that possibility is the Moody Garden folks. Other than that the vast majority of the people building on that island are not. Many of the newer homes and business that re being built do not and can not even get Hurricane insurance. Like many people I enjoy visiting the strand and going to the soda shop for ice cold lemonade. Doing a little shopping but those buildings were built to last. Mostly Stone or cement.

There is a very good reason many of the older buildings were made the way they were. Good and strong and not much wood in them at all.

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Guess you have never heard of Florida.

I follow all of the storms. And sometimes a place gets lucky. Florida is use to getting hit by storms. It happens a lot. That is why many of the residents live in manufactured homes and build special storm shelters in their homes. Galveston is not use to getting hit so when it does happen it will be a huge mess. The vast majority of the current residents has never been in a major storm or even knows what it will be like.

My family and I went down there for the first time in years, 2 weeks ago I saw all of the new development. Where it does look very nice now I was still shocked by the many short cuts I saw underway the lack of planning I saw. I use to want to live on the Island but not now. What I saw scared me. I sometimes think that the residents forget how small that place is and how open it is to storms.

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The Daily News also reported on July 15th that 61st st. is getting new retail.  Old Navy, Walgreens, Eckerds, Carnival shoes, Marshalls, Ross, and a Chico's downtown. :)   Also a Ben & Jerry's and  an Applebees on the seawall.

Where is "CVS???" -name change from Eckards to CVS probably. :P

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I can see both sides of this argument.

Granted that building codes have yet be properly tested to prove whether the current standards are adequate for a cat-5 storm.

Also pity that Galveston isn't hit by more hurricanes (I know this sounds sad, but hear me out) so that people become aware. Hurricane-amnesia has a tendency to take place if it isn't hit for almost a decade.

IF the buildings fail during a hurricane, let's chaulk it up to an engineering version of Darwin's. IF they build it properly it will stand, if not, then ohwell. You deal with the hazards of living on a island/coastal area.

Ricco

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I follow all of the storms. And sometimes a place gets lucky. Florida is use to getting hit by storms. It happens a lot. That is why many of the residents live in manufactured homes and build special storm shelters in their homes. Galveston is not use to getting hit so when it does happen it will be a huge mess. The vast majority of the current residents has never been in a major storm or even knows what it will be like.

Sounds to me like you have no hope for Galveston. As to where i think Galveston is showing alot of potential to become maybe not a Fort Worth, but like a miniature San Antonio which will draw alot of tourism to the Houston metropolis. I'm excited for it and i think that every project its planning should be underway, i'm sure they've already considered the hurricane and flood factor.

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I follow all of the storms. And sometimes a place gets lucky. Florida is use to getting hit by storms. It happens a lot. That is why many of the residents live in manufactured homes and build special storm shelters in their homes. Galveston is not use to getting hit so when it does happen it will be a huge mess. The vast majority of the current residents has never been in a major storm or even knows what it will be like.

My family and I went down there for the first time in years, 2 weeks ago I saw all of the new development. Where it does look very nice now I was still shocked by the many short cuts I saw underway the lack of planning I saw. I use to want to live on the Island but not now. What I saw scared me. I sometimes think that the residents forget how small that place is and how open it is to storms.

Anything within 30 miles of the coast must comply with the Texas Windstorm requirements. Some buildings are required to have impact resistant glass for up to 60 feet above existing grade.

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Anything within 30 miles of the coast must comply with the Texas Windstorm requirements.  Some buildings are required to have impact resistant glass for up to 60 feet above existing grade.

What are the wind storm requirements? I do not believe I have ever seen them before. Heard of them yes but not seen them.

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Galveston has some of the most stagnant property values in the nation. It barely keeps up with inflation. People have been pouring money into it for years and run themselves dry doing it. I hope these new cash cows have more staying power than their predecessors. I'd love to see it prosper.

As for losing shoreline... its a barrier island.. of course its gonna move. Thats what they do. If your concerned sign up with the Galveston Bay Society and go plant some sea grass on the bayside.

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As for losing shoreline... its a barrier island.. of course its gonna move. Thats what they do. If your concerned sign up with the Galveston Bay Society and go plant some sea grass on the bayside.

I once was a member and I spent 2 years working with a small group on a section of the shoreline trying to restore it and build it up to a natural state. We were finally making progress when the city sold the land to a developer and they tore up all of our work and developed it.

The place is now abandoned (Declared unsafe for habitation by the same city) and is sinking into the sea. The shoreline is gone and beyond hope.

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I once was a member and I spent 2 years working with a small group on a section of the shoreline trying to restore it and build it up to a natural state. We were finally making progress when the city sold the land to a developer and they tore up all of our work and developed it.

The place is now abandoned (Declared unsafe for habitation by the same city) and is sinking into the sea. The shoreline is gone and beyond hope.

That saddens me. I lived down in Galveston from '88 to '94 and worked on lots of different restoration projects. I'd hate to go take inventory of them now and see what state they are in. <_<

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hmm, I wonder if this developer reads houstonarchitecture, because we suggested he do this very thing a few months ago :P ...

By Laura Elder

The Daily News

Published December 9, 2004

Thinking big: Look for developer Mark Wyant next week to announce a big change of plans for his project on the Seawall

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  • 2 weeks later...

Family resort is being built on Seawall

By Laura Elder

The Daily News

Published December 16, 2004

Building Spree: A new type of hotel is heading for the island. Developer Mark Wyant says the hotel under construction at 1702 Seawall Blvd. is a 100-room Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort, the 21st in the world and the first new one to be built in eight years.

Wyant, who also developed the Holiday Inn Express at 102 Seawall Blvd., said the SunSpree concept is a family, mid-market resort, which will offer such amenities as kid suites, a pool with tanning ledges and Gulf of Mexico views, a full-service restaurant and live bands on the weekends. SunSpree is best known for offering supervised activities for children, as well as sports and games for entire families. Locally, SunSpree will offer deep-sea fishing charters and billiards, among other activities.

The project also includes a nod to some island history. To make way for the hotel, Wyant demolished the crumbling old Captain Jack

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