Memorial Park At 6501 Memorial Dr.

[phillip_white]

19 hours ago, MidCenturyMoldy said:

The sidewalk on one side is blocked halfway through the tunnel. 

That's a stairway railing, but it looks like there's enough room to walk around it.

[samagon]

23 hours ago, Luminare said:

I'm wondering if this was city official mucking around after the fact because if this was truly only for emergency egress then they would have already put in the one way exit gate per plan and they wouldn't need the temporary barriers. Or it could have been contractor error. 

or the priority is to get it up and going for cars, then to add permanent pedestrian deterrents to replace the sandwich boards saying to keep out.

although I'd guess smelly exhausts, and loud cars would be deterrent enough, but they probably need more.

Edited March 29, 2022 by samagon

[Houston19514]

7 hours ago, samagon said:

or the priority is to get it up and going for cars, then to add permanent pedestrian deterrents to replace the sandwich boards saying to keep out.

although I'd guess smelly exhausts, and loud cars would be deterrent enough, but they probably need more.

It appears there are no sidewalks or other paths leading to or from.  That will probably deter as well.

[innerloop]

Work is well underway on the next re-route of the Seymour-Lieberman running trail. It looks like they are going to replace those last few hundred meters of the trail that run right up next to Memorial Drive just east of the land bridges. The trail is going to be moved north into the park 20 or 30 meters, but that means that the trail will now have to cross that big gulley. Most of the trees have been cleared so they can start working on the bridge that will be needed.

 

[hindesky]

Westbound Tunnel lane of Memorial Drive is now open.

[hindesky]

Architect - https://schaumshieh.com

[hindesky]

Memorial Drive to be closed thru the park next weekend.

[Paco Jones]

Project:

Memorial Park Running Complex - Cafe

 

Architect:

Schaum/Shieh

 

Information:

3,100 S.F. cafe/concessions building.  Approx. 2,000 S.F. interior and 1,000 S.F. exterior covered patio area.

 

[gene]

Yes please 🚴‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️🥪☕!!!

[innerloop]

Here are the results of the weekend closure of Memorial Drive. They lifted in the spans for the three bridges necessary for the rerouting of the SL jogging trail. These photos are of the longest spans where the trail will cross the big gulley. I was disappointed at first that they used such generic looking concrete spans, but then I realized that a) once the trail is rerouted no one will be able to see them from this vantage point and b) the trail users will be above the decking so they won't be able to see them either. So now I'm just hoping that they pick nice materials for the decking and the bridge rails. Based on how nice that the Eastern Glades turned out, I'm not really worried. 

 

[hindesky]

[hindesky]

 

@MaxConcrete What are panels? I'm assuming concrete sections of roadway.

[astrohip]

16 hours ago, hindesky said:

What are panels? I'm assuming concrete sections of roadway.

I believe you are correct. I drove thru there yesterday, and I noticed there are small sections of the roadway being replaced. I found it odd that some sections that appear perfect--not a crack, hole or patch--were being demo'd and replaced.

They're also putting up some curved concrete walls as entrances to the tunnels. Cool looking!

[gene]

yes it really does look amazing! 

i am wondering if i missed a timeline on when they will reopen the "real" and new concrete pathway that connects the running center to the picnic loop... i see they have the new winding and super cool pathway ready to go it seems however they are still working on the whole south side of the tunnels creating a large grass area that goes up to the tunnel hills. It also has a large drainage? rock way "stream" like feature that runs through it. I have seen all the work going on as i ride my bike through the new rock/gravel/dirt pathway that you have to go on from the running center to the picnic loop. I know it is alot of work and so it takes time but just wondering when it is supposed to be done. 

Also wondering if they are planning to revamp the picnic loop? It may be in the plans that i missed, but i wish they would just go in and take all the mismatched and broken down picnic tables and replace them all on even concrete pads/surfaces and make it a nicer safer and more stable experience. 

thanks for reading that super long post btw haha  

[bobruss]

I'm pretty sure they plan on bringing everything in the park up to the these new standards. Just think what they've already completed and how great it looks.

[innerloop]

It looks like they may have started on the bridge railings of the SL trail reroute. Here is a not-very-clear photo of what may be the start of the new railings. The best that I could tell, it is horizontal metal bars/tubes. I couldn't really tell what was going on with the vertical supports. They've also installed a lot of the trail curbing and filled some of the trail with crushed granite.

[innerloop]

They left the lights on last night so I was able to get a picture of the new trail segment. It looks very far along, most of the curbing is in, there's gravel down everywhere that I could see and the bridges are coming along. And the lights work.

[mattyt36]

I recently reread this article by our wonderful and own Mimi Swartz from the earlier days of planning for a lot of these investments--it really is a great "primary source" for the record book.

In re Memorial Park, there are some great anecdotes in there about not wanting to make the park "too nice."

Finally, in April 2015, the city council unanimously if begrudgingly approved Woltz’s stunning $220 million overhaul. Councilman Oliver Pennington was still worried. “We don’t want to make it too nice,” he warned.

How Houston Became the Model For Green Space in Cities (texasmonthly.com)

[KirbyDriveKid]

Memorial Park trail runners get a surprise as new section of Seymour Lieberman Trail opens

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/home-design/article/Seymour-Lieberman-Trail-17494262.php#photo-23021416

It was her birthday and she was walking, not running, but 45-year-old Tammy Holmes and her co-worker Tony Clomax were enjoying the new section of Memorial Park's Seymour Lieberman Trail, which opened Friday morning after about nine months of construction.

The third-of-a-mile section of trail was opened without a lot of advance fanfare, as park officials wanted the new route to be a happy morning surprise to those out for a walk or jog. This section routes walkers and joggers off of the noisy, exhaust-filled section of sidewalk that ran alongside Memorial Park.

MORE FROM DIANE COWEN: Nancy & Rich Kinder give $100 million to expand Buffalo Bayou Park eastward

Now, the experience is quiet, with a thick layer of crushed granite to protect runners' joints, new landscaping and three pedestrian bridges to carry runners over ravines. Instead of noise, heat and the loud whirr of cars passing by at 45 miles an hour, walkers and runners feel the cool shade of trees and, if they're able to glance off of the pass, will see shallow pools of water in ravines or the occasional glimpse of a fairway at the Memorial Park Golf Course.

One in a series of finished projects, this $4.2 million trail improvement is part of the 10-year master plan well underway at the 1,500-acre Memorial Park. This project, designed by landscape architect Lauren Griffith Associates — who also is responsible for the design of Discovery Green, Market Square Park and the McGovern Children's Zoo — was funded by an Uptown Development Authority TIRZ and accelerated by a $70 million gift given to the Memorial Park Conservancy in 2018.

Accelerated schedule

Work began on this new trail segment in January, exciting park staff and fans, since wok on this much-talked-about plan wasn't expected to begin until 2025, said Randy Odinet, vice president of capital projects and facilities at the Memorial Park Conservancy.

MORE FROM DIANE COWEN: New Houston Endowment HQ brings brings the city one step closer to new age of modern design

The new section of the nearly 3-mile Seymour Lieberman Trail is located between the new land bridge tunnels and the Eastern Glades, more projects in the master plan. The Eastern Glades were finished in two phases, and the land bridge tunnels opened to traffic earlier this year, while the seeding of the native prairie that will cover them is still a work in progress.

A new running complex with a 400-meter timing track and other amenities — including new restrooms and a cafe — is expected to finish early summer 2023. Then, a project called Memorial Grove, a more passive park area that will tell the story of the World War I camp that was once here, and then a new southern trail with a pedestrian bridge over Crestwood and the East Memorial Loop, will be tackled.

"We haven't stopped working on something since 2015," Odinet said of the ambitious plan. "(This trail work) is finished before it would have even started. The tree canopy will make a tremendous difference in how comfortable it is on a hot afternoon, getting away from car exhaust right on the roadway. Users will enjoy how pretty it is once they’re back in the trees."

The new sections of trail are 16 feet wide with a thick layer of crushed granite. The three pedestrian bridges range from 50 feet to 105 feet long and are made of reinforced concrete with steel posts and wood hand rails.

diane.cowen@chron.com

Edited October 9, 2022 by KirbyDriveKid

[004n063]

Anyone know when the commuter path section on the south side will be finished? The MTB trails are nice and all, but after a while the detour gets old.

[gene]

yeah so that cool bridge section opened last week but as far as the pathway from the running center to the picnic loop opening i am not sure...it does look like all the sidewalk is now poured (edited to say except for a short 20 foot span to connect the new path to the existing path by picnic loop) but they may be waiting until they have more landscaping done etc for safety reasons since they are using machinery etc?

There will be a water feature/man made lake or pond of sorts because from that current path/MTB trail. it takes you along and past a huge dock they have built that will go over it...

i was looking for a detailed photo of that area and can't seem to find one showing a water feature...but i think it is going to be right above the circled Land Bride & Prairie Parking where that florescent shade of green and brown is that looks like a golf green area above the trees (it does not show all the finished work, the new work, the path or the new dock i speak of)

anyway, yes i am excited about that opening as well and i bet October, November for this part to be done 

Edited October 11, 2022 by gene

[cityliving]

[bobruss]

Great images. They're always much appreciated! it makes so much more sense now seeing it from above.. It's kind of hard getting the overall while driving thru the tunnels. Looks awesome. I cant wait to get out on that hill.

[gene]

yes, amazing to see that from above!!! thank you @cityliving !!!

those images are from awhile ago maybe (?) which if you look at the top image on the upper left of the green group of trees, that darker brown patch is where they have built the pier, so that must be the pond(?)... i am just speculating but dying to see this all finished...i know it is going to be incredible.

[cityliving]

4 minutes ago, gene said:

yes, amazing to see that from above!!! thank you @cityliving !!!

those images are from awhile ago maybe (?) which if you look at the top image on the upper left of the green group of trees, that darker brown patch is where they have built the pier, so that must be the pond(?)... i am just speculating but dying to see this all finished...i know it is going to be incredible.

I took these photographs this past Saturday so they are recent images. 
I am looking forward to the project being finished to see what it will look like when all the landscaping, trails and other features are finished.

Edited October 17, 2022 by cityliving

[cityliving]

Gene. Here is a pic of that area that you mentioned, I was looking at a image that I took and when I zoomed in, I saw that pier also, perhaps the master plan shows if this will be a pond?

Edited October 17, 2022 by cityliving

[gene]

"what is this? a pier for ants!!!???" 

🤪

man i can barely tell in that photo that the pier is shown haha!!! thank you again for posting amazing photos!!! 
 

[ArtNsf]

On 9/30/2022 at 8:35 AM, mattyt36 said:

I recently reread this article by our wonderful and own Mimi Swartz from the earlier days of planning for a lot of these investments--it really is a great "primary source" for the record book.

In re Memorial Park, there are some great anecdotes in there about not wanting to make the park "too nice."

Finally, in April 2015, the city council unanimously if begrudgingly approved Woltz’s stunning $220 million overhaul. Councilman Oliver Pennington was still worried. “We don’t want to make it too nice,” he warned.

How Houston Became the Model For Green Space in Cities (texasmonthly.com)

 

Incredibly selfish short-sighted comment by this Pennington person.  It's impossible to have anything "too nice" for Houston.  Thank you!

[BEES?!]

I looked on the master plan but couldn’t quite get a good idea for how the top of the land bridges are going to look. Those circular features on top of the bridges(with what appear to be soil going in)- are those going to be some sort of seating/gathering space? 
 

in any case, great shots, @cityliving! It’s hard to see all the progress on that area from street level. It’s great to see them from above!

[samagon]

15 hours ago, BEES?! said:

I looked on the master plan but couldn’t quite get a good idea for how the top of the land bridges are going to look. Those circular features on top of the bridges(with what appear to be soil going in)- are those going to be some sort of seating/gathering space? 
 

in any case, great shots, @cityliving! It’s hard to see all the progress on that area from street level. It’s great to see them from above!

I don't think we can rely upon the renderings of the master plan to gather any insight upon how they match the awesome photos @cityliving has captured.

the reality has clearly diverged from these. and I'm sure at the time they were simply just what an artist put together based upon what they read, or were told, and the people who were in charge of the project saw the renderings and said "yes, that's what we want to show the people so they get an idea of what it may look like, let's put them in the master plan so people will donate money"

it's very clear that they are not city approved blueprints that must be followed 100%.

page 106 is a perfect example when compared against the photos:

https://issuu.com/memorialparkhouston/docs/mph_mpbook_final_small_webversion_a_c7f9e7eed3d03c

a few things stand out in that image vs the photo from above by cityliving, the western land bridge is shorter in reality, and the EB and WB lanes do not diverge before exiting the tunnel.

the paths are clearly different from the rendition, improved I would say, there's no 'creek' in the rendition either, so that's a plus that didn't exist. anyway, it would be really cool if cityliving could mimic the location of the rendition for one of his shots so we can play compare the differences.

Edited October 18, 2022 by samagon