Houston CultureMap contributor Barbara Kuntz collected all the project proposals the website covered in 2014 and recapped four daring developments that could alter the cultural landscape in Bayou City:
A New Swimming Hot Spot
In December, three entrepreneurs proposed a natural public swimming pool in Houston, Kuntz reports. Today, the project already has more than 270 backers making pledges on the project’s Kickstarter page. The project is also receiving support from civic leaders and organizations, including the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the Greater East End District, the city of Houston Sustainability Office, and the Shell Center for Sustainability at Rice University.
Grand Texas: The Lone Star State’s New Entertainment District
Back in 2013, developer Monty Galland announced that the Grand Texas theme park is just a single component of a larger plan that involves 450,000 sf for retail, dining, an RV area, and a 6,000-seat stadium for minor league baseball games. As of last fall, bulldozers have started clearing out space on the site along Highway 59. By 2020, officials expect 4.5 million annual visitors to this theme park district.
Farming in the Astrodome
The Urban Land Institute presented what Kuntz called an “ambitious plan” to repurpose the iconic stadium after Houston voters rejected a $217 million bond to transform it into a special events center. This plan involves constructing an oak-lined promenade from the METRO light rail station to the Astrodome, where the space could be used for functions including a park, sustainable farm, farmer’s market, festivals, and museums. The dome’s top area would include a vieweing area with zip-lining, hike-and-bike trails, and indoor rock climbing.
Memorial Park Long-Range Master Plan
This April, the final design for Houston’s Memorial Park goes before the Houston city council for consideration. The so-called Long-Range Master Plan by Thomas Woltz, principal with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, highlights updates from public input, such as 8.5 miles of mountain bike trails and 17 miles of paved walkways for bikers and pedestrians.
Related Stories
Laboratories | Oct 5, 2022
Bigger is better for a maturing life sciences sector
CRB's latest report predicts more diversification and vertical integration in research and production.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022
Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing
The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.
Contractors | Oct 5, 2022
Materials shortages, cost spikes throwing Design-Bid-Build process out of whack
The traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery process is under considerable stress this year as materials shortages and cost spikes are upending usual practices, according to a new report from JLL.
Green | Oct 5, 2022
In California, a public power provider’s new headquarters serves as a test case for an innovative microgrid and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Sonoma Clean Power (SCP), the public power provider for California’s Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, recently unveiled its new all-electric headquarters.
Contractors | Oct 4, 2022
Which comes first, the building or the cost estimate?
At the start of a project, don’t forget to establish financial parameters when you’re discussing the design and program. By establishing the costs up front, you can avoid the pitfalls that might derail your project and guarantee its lasting success.
Fire and Life Safety | Oct 4, 2022
Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings
Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.
| Oct 4, 2022
Rental property owners want access to utility usage data for whole properties
As pressure from investors for ESG reporting mounts, owners of multifamily properties increasingly look to collect whole-building utility usage data.
| Oct 4, 2022
In dire need of affordable housing, Aspen, Colo. will get a development that provides 277 affordable homes
A few miles from downtown Aspen, Colo., a development will provide 277 new affordable homes for an area experiencing a dire affordable housing crisis.
Green | Oct 3, 2022
California regulators move to ban gas heaters for existing buildings
California regulators voted unanimously recently on a series of measures that include a ban on the sale of natural gas-powered heating and hot water systems beginning in 2030.
| Oct 3, 2022
The College of the Holy Cross completes a $110 million performing arts center
In Worcester, Mass., a one-hour drive from Boston, the College of the Holy Cross has completed its $110 million Prior Performing Arts Center.
