Here's the new definition of world-class: an $81 million park
Isn't it nice that a New York-based company can come to Houston and tell city officials that if they would just spend $81 million on a 12-acre park, Houston "could" be redefined as a "great city"?
Local officials are hard at work on plans to transform a teacup-shaped, 12-acre plot of asphalt lots and vacant land downtown into a major urban park on par with those in New York, Atlanta and Chicago.
[snip]
Other urban parks, such as Chicago's Millennium Park, include world-class architecture, sculpture and outdoor concert venues.
White, who announced the Houston park in October, has said the $81 million park could spur economic development in that section of downtown and raise property values nearby.
[snip]
A New York-based nonprofit, Project for Public Spaces, is helping with the initial planning. It recently held focus group meetings and will conduct today's workshop.
Today's event is expected to move outside onto what will be the park's grounds, now mostly covered by surface parking lots and a small park, said Fred Kent, president of Project for Public Spaces.
[snip]
"It's a big challenge," Kent said. "This could help redefine Houston as a great city."
Random thoughts:
1. Didn't the light rail make Houston world-class?
2. How many jaywalking tickets, red light camera citations, heavy trash violations, and truck zone parking citations will be required to help fund the $81 million world-class park?
3. Doesn't Houston have some money problems? For example, didn't the city shift its pension problem by transferring the debt to the underperforming Hilton-Americas?
4. Why does Houston feel inferior to New York, Atlanta and Chicago? Seriously. Houston is a wonderful place to live and I'd rather live here than those three cities, any day.
RELATED: Project for Public Spaces, Mayor White's "Centerpiece Park" press release, City acquires land for downtown park (Houston Business Journal), Who will pay for Houston's own Central Park? (blogHOUSTON)
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 05/07/05 08:48 AM | Print |
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