Nau Center For Cultural Heritage Museum

[Triton]

Terrible. Absolutely terrible.

[arche_757]

I always did have a feeling that this - museum to showcase our museums - was completely unwarranted and unneeded.

 

Sad that this actually got kicked off before they found out they couldn't afford it.  But this leaves room for something better than a cheap rip-off of the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin (which is a really sad museum for a "STATE" museum of history).

Edited April 6, 2015 by arche_757

[Montrose1100]

Better grass than a surface lot?

[jmitch94]

In my opinion the parcel of land where the train is would be a great spot of a boutique office building say 5-8 stories with GFR that would be supported by the hotels and apartments going up near it. It should fit in with the architecture surrounding it and should complement the building that is already on the land. 

[Nate99]

In the meantime, build a shed, buy a couple of longhorn steer and let them graze on those blocks. Sure its hokey and contrived, but so was the bazillion dollar concept, and with this you'll get everyone from out of town taking selfies with the cows.

[SSGinSpringBranch]

LOL At selfies with the cows!

[Luminare]

I always did have a feeling that this - museum to showcase our museums - was completely unwarranted and unneeded.

 

Sad that this actually got kicked off before they found out they couldn't afford it.  But this leaves room for something better than a cheap rip-off of the Bob Bullock Museum in Austin (which is a really sad museum for a "STATE" museum of history).

 

Funny because the same lame architecture is similar with both....

[arche_757]

^Yep.  Hence why I compared it to that museum.  Very similar.

[UtterlyUrban]

It would be great if they could just keep the house and open it to the public. keep the train. And keep the rest as a park. Win!

[tigereye]

It would be great if they could just keep the house and open it to the public. keep the train. And keep the rest as a park. Win!

Keep the train on site and add something Houston is really famous for... STRIP CLUBS! We could even maintain the train theme by naming it "The Caboose" lol

[toxtethogrady]

LOL At selfies with the cows!

 

What is this - Fort Worth?

[Nate99]

What is this - Fort Worth?

 

I’m not saying it’s a perfect idea.

[SSGinSpringBranch]

It would be great if they could just keep the house and open it to the public. keep the train. And keep the rest as a park. Win!

 

I am very curious what they will do with the house. The city donated the land (and I think) the house for this project, and the train was donated along with $$ from Union Pacific for the museum. I suspect the train will be returned along with the money. And chances are there is something else totally-non-history-related on the horizon for the land which means the house either has to be incorporated or removed.

[cspwal]

Does any one know if the train could still run if someone were so inclined?

[rechlin]

That locomotive and the two houses have been in that area since long before the museum was announced.  They moved them more recently (a few years ago maybe?), but they've been within a block or so of there for close to a decade, if I remember right.  So I don't think those will necessarily be taken away.

[Houston19514]

^Rechlin is correct.

[placoors]

That locomotive and the two houses have been in that area since long before the museum was announced.  They moved them more recently (a few years ago maybe?), but they've been within a block or so of there for close to a decade, if I remember right.  So I don't think those will necessarily be taken away.

 

Is this the land that Metro used for the park and ride during the first 2-3 years that the ballpark was open, I cannot recall?  After that closed, I think the city spent a weekend laying down temporary track to move the train from Herman Park to a nearby lot and then to this one a couple of years ago?

[Houston19514]

Is this the land that Metro used for the park and ride during the first 2-3 years that the ballpark was open, I cannot recall?  After that closed, I think the city spent a weekend laying down temporary track to move the train from Herman Park to a nearby lot and then to this one a couple of years ago?

 

The train was moved from Hermann Park to downtown in August 2005.  For the record, the tracks that were laid were the new tracks and ties at its new resting place downtown.  They did not lay tracks all the way from Hermann Park to downtown.  They loaded it on a trailer for the move.

 

[Nate99]

Does any one know if the train could still run if someone were so inclined?

 

I have no particular knowledge of what it takes to restore a steam locomotive, but there are bigger and more complicated engines out there that have been restored and/or maintained in working condition. Based on my experience with cars, except in the most extreme cases, with enough money, you can restore anything, what is actually left of the original might be fairly superficial though.

 

I remember this engine on display at Hermann Park as a kid in the late 70's/early 80's. 

[SSGinSpringBranch]

That locomotive and the two houses have been in that area since long before the museum was announced.  They moved them more recently (a few years ago maybe?), but they've been within a block or so of there for close to a decade, if I remember right.  So I don't think those will necessarily be taken away.

 

Well technically, the Cohn house has been within a few blocks of its current location for a little over a century, hence its importance. The city bought it around '03, moved it a bit to save it from road construction, and there it has sat. The city felt it was important enough to save a decade ago when they needed to widen a road, and there were plenty of empty lots in the area. That is not to say they still feel it is worth saving if they choose to build something on the lot. That area has filled in considerably in the last decade, the fact that the house is still just sitting does not speak well for it's future preservation. The other old house which was next to it, the Foley house, was gifted to Incarnate Word, they were supposedly going to use it for offices, but I don't know if that's still the case.  The deciding factor will be what the city and Houston First want to do with that parcel of land, there are a lot of options which would be far more economically profitable than any sort of cultural/historical use. Whether they want to add economic value or cultural value to the area is the key.

[tigereye]

Random thought: The cancellation of this was so sudden, what if there's another reason behind it ...like this site being used for the GHP building hotel instead? Larger plot of land, closer to the ballpark (while still being located next to GRBCC) and next to bars open already.

[Naviguessor]

^^Crossed by mind too.

[cloud713]

doubt they would do that to the investors who already forked over millions of dollars in donations. plus, the city owns the block and a half of parking north of the Marquis if they wanted a bigger plot for the hotel. they originally wanted someone to come and develop into a mixed use complex. the last rendering of the property i know of included a residential tower and a hotel tower with some sort of sports museum in the bottom.

edit. i still seriously doubt the city would do that. but its fun to think of all 3 of the mentioned sites (Nau, GRB expansion office/hotel block), and the parking lots north of the Marquis were all linked together into some sort of mega mixed use complex like Brickell City Center or something. its a damn good location, straddling the two new light rail lines and an intermodal station/transit center(?) on site.

Edited April 15, 2015 by cloud713

[SSGinSpringBranch]

I think there was definitely something else besides funding at play.  I asked three times about funding, I've been in grant-funded humanities for a decade, I know the drill. They swore up and down funding was not an issue, 10 days later, funding is an issue. I do not think the price tag just all of a sudden dawned on them. Nope. Someone changed their mind. Don't know who or why but there was a change of heart somewhere.

[j_cuevas713]

I think there was definitely something else besides funding at play.  I asked three times about funding, I've been in grant-funded humanities for a decade, I know the drill. They swore up and down funding was not an issue, 10 days later, funding is an issue. I do not think the price tag just all of a sudden dawned on them. Nope. Someone changed their mind. Don't know who or why but there was a change of heart somewhere.

Wow you really think so?

[Triton]

Just sadder and sadder going past this lot. All the construction fencing has been gone... the street is open again... all it is is a grass lot with the house and the covered train now.... Such a disappointment.

[Nate99]

I'm telling you, pet cows.

 

Have some interns from the GHP take care of them.

[j_cuevas713]

Though the idea was a bit ambitious... let's take a step back and realize that this plot of land could become some very nice residential with ground floor retail. I felt like the Nau Center was nice, and a great idea, but in the back of my mind I wanted the land to be used for so much more. Maybe another Catalyst type development? I mean the Alexan development will start construction in June, and along with the Finger property and the Catalyst, it will create a great environment outside the ballpark. You figure another mid-rise on the Nau Center land, and we could have some real connectivity between the JuiceBox and Market Square and some nice density outside the ballpark.

Edited May 11, 2015 by j_cuevas713

[tigereye]

Though the idea was a bit ambitious... let's take a step back and realize that this plot of land could become some very nice residential with ground floor retail. I felt like the Nau Center was nice, and a great idea, but in the back of my mind I wanted the land to be used for so much more. Maybe another Catalyst type development? I mean the Alexan development will start construction in June, and along with the Finger property and the Catalyst, it will create a great environment outside the ballpark. You figure another mid-rise on the Nau Center land, and we could have some real connectivity between the JuiceBox and Market Square and some nice density outside the ballpark.

I still think the planned GHP boutique hotel actually ends up here instead. IMO, it's just too prefect of a site, next to GRBCC & the ballpark, not to mention 2 blocks east of the Westin. With all the development down Texas Ave, it would make the perfect bookend.

[cloud713]

I hope you are wrong.. Heh.