bachanon Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Dec. 27, 2005, 4:27PMTown Center looks to bring more art to The WoodlandsNew committee begins a study on various optionsBy BETH KUHLESChronicle Correspondent The Town Center Improvement District is looking into its next big project: a cultural arts offering in the downtown area of The Woodlands.The TCID board is forming a committee to study options that may be feasible for The Woodlands. Among the potentials that will be examined are a children's zoo, a permanent ice rink, a natural science museum or an indoor performing arts center.link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieDidIt Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Dec. 27, 2005, 4:27PMTown Center looks to bring more art to The WoodlandsNew committee begins a study on various optionsBy BETH KUHLESChronicle Correspondent The Town Center Improvement District is looking into its next big project: a cultural arts offering in the downtown area of The Woodlands.The TCID board is forming a committee to study options that may be feasible for The Woodlands. Among the potentials that will be examined are a children's zoo, a permanent ice rink, a natural science museum or an indoor performing arts center.linkThe ice rink will be the NEW place for teens to loiter, like the old roller rinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ V Lawrence Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Dec. 27, 2005, 4:27PMTown Center looks to bring more art to The Woodlands New committee begins a study on various options By BETH KUHLES Chronicle Correspondent It also is building the Town Green Park adjacent to the South Branch Library on Lake Robbins Drive, which will include a great lawn, gardens, a children's storybook garden, an outdoor amphitheater, a sculpture and restrooms. The project is funded through an economic development zone at Market Street, which collects an extra 1-cent sales tax on items purchased in the shopping district. Those funds also were used to help build a public parking garage at the venue. Finally, TCID is expected to break ground on Waterway Square, a public gathering area for The Woodlands Waterway, in 2006. The multilevel public space will include a fountain, walls of water, a pop-up fountain, a pavilion and public seating. It is funded through an economic development zone at The Woodlands Mall expansion, where an extra 1-cent sales tax will pay the tab. link What the hell? They built all that only with a 1-cent sales tax? What if Houston did that? A 1-cent sales tax? Would we complain?! How much could WE build with that? I thought Woodlands had only 60-70,000 residence! Imagine if Sharpstown did that 1-cent tax hike. Okay, okay, I'm cool What exactly is Woodlands' intent or target? Is their main goal to expand, make more revenue, urbanize, family friendly, raise property value? Of course they want all, but what's the #1 priority? Where does the city want to be in 2025? And what does Conroe have to say about that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 notice that this is a 1 cent sales tax on items sold at market street and a 1 cent sales tax on items sold at the woodlands mall expansion for the park and waterway square respectively. here's an article from another thread about upcoming developments. linki think the number one priority for the woodlands development company is to be completely "built out" at the greatest profit by 2025. fortunately, there are some within the woodlands development co. who will respect the original master plan (green space, art, housing for all income levels, good schools, community involvement, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 there are some within the woodlands development co. who will respect the original master plan (green space, art, housing for all income levels, good schools, community involvement, etc).Bach-Are there any within the Woodlands Development Company (or whoever owns it now) that still respects the part of the original master plan that called for the annexation of The Woodlands at the thirty year mark? This was George Mitchell's original plan because at the thirty year mark, he believed that The Woodlands would have been built out, as much as it could be, and that the infrastructure would have started to age to a point where maintenance costs would start to become prohibitive. That's why he looked forward to the day that the City of Houston would come in and take it all over for them. But, since he's gone, I wonder if anyone there still in charge continues to see this happening in the future for The Woodlands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 "A 1-cent sales tax? Would we complain?!"A 1 cent sales tax so a shopping center and mall can build more amenities to their commercial enterprise? And the "No Houston Annexation & Taxes" Woodlands residents have not mounted an all-out siege on the Woodlands Corporation?Damn right, I would complain.For one cent, Houston provides police and fire protection for 2.25 million people, libraries and roads. For one cent, Metro provides transit service to 1700 square miles of the county. For one cent, The Woodlands provides a lawn, a playground, corporate art with no genitals showing AND a urinal! That's in ADDITION to the outrageous Association fees and MUD taxes!No wonder people move to the Woodlands...they are sick and tired of their tax dollars paying for something USEFUL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted January 4, 2006 Author Share Posted January 4, 2006 for a great reference on the original masterplan and how it all came together check out the book by roger galatas, published by the ULI. the woodlandsbased on articles i've read and the book mentioned above, i think that there are people within the woodlands development co. who respect the original ideals of the woodlands but are pragmatic where current needs, services, and making money are concerned. many parcels of land have been sold to developers and the only woodlands' owned property is the green space and public areas surrounding these parcels. from what i gather, TWDC enters into agreements on the usage of the properties and the nature of each project before property is sold and developers allowed to begin construction. if you remember the indian springs HEB retail center development, there may be a difference in what is being agreed to by the woodlands' and what the developers can actually do. or, maybe salespersons made too many assumptions on what would be and passed that on to high end home buyers. regardless, the woodlands was and is a massive experiment. the outcome, as i've said before and much to my dismay, will be determined by politics and economics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 A novel concept for its time, The Woodlands was born from the vision of George Mitchell, a self-made oil and gas tycoon, who turned to real estate development to diversify his business, and the federal government Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 an analysis of the Woodlands experiment in 2001 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted January 11, 2006 Author Share Posted January 11, 2006 awesome link. thanks. i look forward to reading it in it's entirety.as to your question about the low income housing. no, the woodlands does not have the same level of low income housing in the newer villages. the federal programs that the woodlands utilized originally have been reduced or are being zeroed out. i don't think the subsidies that existed are available to the extent that they were. this fact, and perhaps there are other reasons, are why the newer neighborhoods have less "section 8" type housing. the majority of this type housing is in grogan's mill and panther creek, the two oldest villages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted January 11, 2006 Share Posted January 11, 2006 I agree. For anyone interested in background information about the Woodlands, it's a good read. I liked the comparisons of the Woodlands to Irvine and Columbia.Have you heard about this? Is it affecting where you live? I read this in the Courier yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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