29 replies to this topic

[oodles_oo]

Houston is turning into a big town without any flavor. I would rather go to other cities than ever visit Houston. Hardly no inner city parks. Just building after building. Its number one on the yuckster scale.

[Rardy]

Is there an update to this thread?

Have new plans for the site been announced?  I haven't been to Houston in a couple of years, but I did not know Astroworld had closed for good...

[nowensone]

^I was in Houston over the 4th of July, Six Flags was completely gone by then, nothing but a giant field, quite weird considering what used to be there.  Not sure how long it took them to tear it down and clear the site.  Anyway, I asked some friends what was going on, they said a shopping center and related devs., though I have not verified that.

Edited by nowensone, 28 September 2006 - 07:20 PM.

[Trae]

Some talks have been that a Houston developer (Kickerillo), was going to create a mix-used development on this site.

[nowensone]

Since this topic begs the question, I'll ask.  Why?  The place had to have been earning money, was always packed, the answer I heard was the land was too valuable.  That argument makes sense on paper until you realize that the area has more than adequate retail, restaurants, neighborhoods, etc., but more importantly, huge open areas of undeveloped fields south of 610 all around there behind the access road devs., and down 288 a mile and a half down the road.  Yes, I guess it is bound to fill in at some point, hopefully the mixed use development that goes there will interact with the terminus of the light rail line adjacent to the parcel.

[SBCmetroguy]

nowensone, on Sep 28 2006, 04:48 PM, said:

^I was in Houston over the 4th of July, Six Flags was completely gone by then, nothing but a giant field, quite weird considering what used to be there.  Not sure how long it took them to tear it down and clear the site.  Anyway, I asked some friends what was going on, they said a shopping center and related devs., though I have not verified that.

That would have to be SO weird to see an empty field where an enormous amusement park recently stood. Amazing.

[Rardy]

Are there no plans to build a new theme park in Houston??  That's crazy that a metro of over 5 mill suddenly has nothing...

[davidzLA]

Rardy, on Sep 29 2006, 07:09 AM, said:

Are there no plans to build a new theme park in Houston??

I'm not sure that's even done anymore.  How do you start a theme park from scratch?  Other than Disney parks in Paris & Hong Kong, no other new parks come to mind... except for Visionland in Birmingham, Alabama, an apparently poorly-managed civic project that ultimately was sold for pennies on the dollar to a bonafide operator, who changed the name and is working on adding attractions.

Galveston would be a good place for a theme park...

[marapets]

theyre dumb ass's that land cant be worth that much compared to profits from the park.  what are they gonna do with all that equipment they cant move it all it just seems like an enormous waste of money + im pretty annoyed cause i realy loved astro world.

[eastsider]

The group that bought AstroWorld is asking the city to make the 104 acre development a special tax district. That would help pay for things like infrastructure, parking facilities, landscaping, and security. The developers are also looking at the possibility of rerouting a light rail line through the site.

Quote

The investment group is planning a mixed-use transit-oriented development for the former theme park land. It would include high-density residential units, offices, shops and a hotel.

The management district would sell bonds to build the facilities, as well as collect taxes, user fees, parking revenues and potentially levy special assessments on property owners to pay for the bonds.

Houston Chronicle: AstroWorld site's transformation surges ahead