Guest Plastic Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Houston's got alotof things, among things it need is rail. We've got the 1960 and Westheimer strips,Toyota Center,Reliant Stadium,lotsof malls and even The Galleria.Besides a new amusement parki what Houston needs is a civic center. When I say a civic center i mean a place that's open to the public with restreaunts,shops,clubs,oddities,and open 24 hours a day. We've already kinda got something like this with The Marque Entertainment Center,Bayou Place, and The Pavillions.But I want something that's open to the general public. All thos eprojects are privatley owned and they can decide who comes in and not. They also close. While it ould have other little alleys and corridors it would have a big central arena. This would be something like Time Sqaure in New York, Picadilly Circus in London ,West End in Dallas and the many other sqaures of the world (Tienimen,Red). It would be the be open space where you could have fistivals parades, events,even concerts.I was hoping for an indoor facility but the real sqaures and to get the real feeling it would have to be outdoor. We could have minor centers all over town including where Town&COuntry Mall was and where Greenspoint Mall currently is. Of course there'd abe a central one Downtown. Not so much a place to shop as a place for events. If we wantede a superduper one we could rennovate the spac e where Astroworld was intoa huge civic complex.Whatever Houston needs it, The Marque gets packed on weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
largeTEXAS Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 I agree that Houston needs a civic center. The Chronicle did an article on this a year or so ago (one of the better Chron pieces). They were searching for the city "center." Their conclusion was that we really didn't have one. I agree. There really aren't that many places that would work. However, there's one place I've always thought would be a great central plaza if designed right - the northeast corner of Main and Prairie. It has many of the aspects of a great plaza - restaurants and activity centers surrounding, easily accessible to transit, and a central location. I would love to see those parking lots paved with some nice stones or design elements. Then, when the Astros win the World Series we'd have an official place to watch the game then throw a party! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Well technically there are Downtown Sqaures. There's Market Sqaure and Main St Sqaure.Although their hilarious when compared to Time Sqaure they do get linked in with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Well technically there are Downtown Sqaures. There's Market Sqaure and Main St Sqaure.Although their hilarious when compared to Time Sqaure they do get linked in with them.If you please, it's Times Square, not Time Square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 (edited) If you please, it's Times Square, not Time Square. Bigtex, c'mon now, even though it scrambles my brain sometimes to try and decipher Plastic's posts, you shouldn't correct the guy, he is "edumucated", at least PM him so he can edit. Edited February 27, 2006 by TJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 What is Main street designed for? It's the cities attempt at creating that one place everybody goes to for big city feel and entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 (edited) I sure hope not. It would be more respected if it was simply this city's attempt to get Main Street looking right. Edited February 27, 2006 by Plastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 well Houston Pavilions is gonna do all of that, it will be a core for the city, downtowns main street is heading in the right direction in becoming a center for the city, im liking the progress, the city is beginning to build right, build on every lot of land possible and improve on its eye sores Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The new park at the GRB is intended to adress the issue of a city center. It remains to be seen if it can do that, but I'll give it a chance. It also has enough open land around it for private entities to augment it with the requisite restaurants and pubs and shops. There are enough pedestrian generators nearby (GRB, Hilton, MMP, Toyota, Houston Center, South Tx Coll of Law, Pavillions) to provide potential users of the park, as well. A tavern with a patio or balcony overlooking the park could be pretty cool. Maybe I'll look into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) I agree with the park as a public meeting space. Hopefully the city encourages the right type of development around the park and there will be a nice residential wall of development around the public space with some retail at the bottom levels of those residential properties to compliment the retail that will be at the park. Edited March 22, 2006 by WesternGulf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 oh yea, whats the status on the park thing, i remember hearing a lil sum bout that but i dont kno when its supposed to begin or what? someone give me a link, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 oh yea, whats the status on the park thing, i remember hearing a lil sum bout that but i dont kno when its supposed to begin or what? someone give me a link, lolIt is suppose to begin this summer with a late 2007 opening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 wow thats fast, i cant wait for that, u think it will be done around when houston pavilions begins to finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 wow thats fast, i cant wait for that, u think it will be done around when houston pavilions begins to finish?Apparently they are suppose to. Pavilions is supposedly to break ground May of this year with an October 2007 opening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 western gulf is there anywhere i can find info on the park, i remember hearing about a meeting they had showing rendering of what was to come, but thats all i got Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WesternGulf Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) western gulf is there anywhere i can find info on the park, i remember hearing about a meeting they had showing rendering of what was to come, but thats all i gotThis is the website. How much they update it? I do not know. I just wait for announcements with the chron and HBJ.http://www.houstondowntownpark.org Edited March 22, 2006 by WesternGulf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) The new park at the GRB is intended to adress the issue of a city center. It remains to be seen if it can do that, but I'll give it a chance. It also has enough open land around it for private entities to augment it with the requisite restaurants and pubs and shops.There are enough pedestrian generators nearby (GRB, Hilton, MMP, Toyota, Houston Center, South Tx Coll of Law, Pavillions) to provide potential users of the park, as well. A tavern with a patio or balcony overlooking the park could be pretty cool. Maybe I'll look into that. Thats lovely, but how do we brush the homeless that flood the parks around the GRB & Houston Center? The little "fun stream" and water areas are just attracting the homless. They alreayd bathe in Tranquility Park... would you bring your children to this park to play in the water? This type of developement is too 70s. Edited March 22, 2006 by Montrose1100 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston-development Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thats lovely, but how do we brush the homeless that flood the parks around the GRB & Houston Center? The little "fun stream" and water areas are just attracting the homless. They alreayd bathe in Tranquility Park... would you bring your children to this park to play in the water? This type of developement is too 70s.there are some REALLY big names behind this deal and countless hours of pro-bono work has and still is going on.list of contributorsegos alone will not allow this park to become a homeless shelter. how they will police it, i have no earthly idea; i just "know" it wont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 That's interesting, I thought they didn't call it the park anymore. EVeryone and all the maps say The Houton Center. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-townsfinest Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 u sure your talkin bout the right thing, Houston Center is a building/crappy mall that needs some sort of renovation, the park is something the city is planning on starting this summer right in front of Geroge R Brown, with fountains, trees, pavilions for businesses, etc. etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Plastic Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 That mall directly infront of the George R.Brown........what is it called? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas911 Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 What we need is a giant central plaza, like the circulo in Mexico City. Ringed with goverment buildings and shops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 What we need is a giant central plaza, like the circulo in Mexico City. Ringed with goverment buildings and shops.Actually, we ARE getting a government plaza. The Harris County Court Complex will have a one square block plaza in the middle.http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=2660 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmainguy Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Actually, we ARE getting a government plaza. The Harris County Court Complex will have a one square block plaza in the middle.http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=2660 Red, Are they still putting the Jury assembly area under the plaza? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Actually, we ARE getting a government plaza. The Harris County Court Complex will have a one square block plaza in the middle.http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=2660Although I can't imagine the square by the courthouses could function like the zocalo in Mexico City as texas911 mentioned. That is the traditional heart of the city and is used for demonstrations, civic functions, and just plain hanging around. I don't think Houston, or most American cities, could sustain a public square with that sort of usage. Our culture and our cities are not generally built around a single civic gathering place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted March 27, 2006 Share Posted March 27, 2006 Although I can't imagine the square by the courthouses could function like the zocalo in Mexico City as texas911 mentioned. That is the traditional heart of the city and is used for demonstrations, civic functions, and just plain hanging around. I don't think Houston, or most American cities, could sustain a public square with that sort of usage. Our culture and our cities are not generally built around a single civic gathering place.I understand and agree that the city is not built around a single square. My hope would be that the square might evolve into a central spot for demonstrations, etc. It would seem to be a perfect spot to exercise one's First Amendment rights, or to protest the taking of rights...in front of the courthouse that protects them.nmain, yes they still plan the jury assembly area under the square, with tunnel access to all 5 courthouses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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