hindesky Posted September 21, 2023 Share Posted September 21, 2023 "The downtown square long known as Jones Plaza, named for Houston powerbroker Jesse Jones, has seen many iterations over the decades. It was built in the mid-'60s in conjunction with Jones Hall, but in recent years had become an eyesore. On Thursday, Houston First Corp. celebrated the long-awaited rebirth of the plaza, newly named Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, during a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony. Following a four-year, $26.5 million renovation — including a $10 million donation from its namesake philanthropist Lynn Wyatt — the 1.5-acre park opens to the public on Friday." https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/lynn-wyatt-square-jones-plaza-18378767.php#photo-24259508 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigereye Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 So what’s next on the agenda? Bayou Place demolition and redevelopment? Tranquility Park renovation? Fish Plaza renovation? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 42 minutes ago, tigereye said: So what’s next on the agenda? Bayou Place demolition and redevelopment? Tranquility Park renovation? Fish Plaza renovation? Jones Hall is still upgrading even though this weird article calls it a “theater” and says it’s home to Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet - which it hasn’t been for many years. https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/09/21/jones-hall-renovations.html 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted September 22, 2023 Share Posted September 22, 2023 1 hour ago, steve1363 said: Jones Hall is still upgrading even though this weird article calls it a “theater” and says it’s home to Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet - which it hasn’t been for many years. https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2023/09/21/jones-hall-renovations.html OMG. Every time I think Houston journalism has hit rock bottom, they find a way to be even worse. That is truly pathetic. (To be exact, the opera and ballet moved out of Jones Hall more than 36 years ago!) I’m looking forward to seeing and hearing this year’s improvements to Jones Hall. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted October 2, 2023 Share Posted October 2, 2023 Went to Jones Hall today. Maybe I’m still down about losing ARPA-H but I was just not overly impressed with the renovations. Granted, there is still construction going on. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/jones-hall-renovations-houston-symphony-18394096.php I did like the new orchestra shell and the ceiling: I was not overly impressed with the new seats. They just don’t have that plush velvet elegant feel of the originals. They don’t look “new” at all. But what bothered me the most was the work done to enclose the hall by removing several doors along the sides. Maybe it’s just me because I know they were there but I can see the “ghost images” of the old doors and the work seems unworthy of a prestigious symphony hall. You be the judge. I realize the renovations are not complete so I will reserve final judgment until then. The acoustics were fine but I would prefer to hear from the symphony musicians regarding that. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted October 12, 2023 Share Posted October 12, 2023 Not sure this is the right place to put these permits. Architect - https://www.harrisonkornberg.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomer136 Posted October 13, 2023 Share Posted October 13, 2023 Are they re-doing the flood gates they put in right after Harvey shut them down? Or adding more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookey23 Posted October 17, 2023 Share Posted October 17, 2023 Is there any chance these repairs lead to Tranquility Park getting the much-needed renovation? I seem to remember hearing that a parking lot below Tranquility Park was totally flooded during Harvey and that's why it's in its current state. I could be misremembering though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEES?! Posted October 31, 2023 Share Posted October 31, 2023 Yes, and yes, I think the waterproofing on the garage is shot (or something to that effect). I know it’s in their plans and they’ve floated a few renovation ideas. Some good, some .. But I don’t think they’ve announced a particular one, or a timeline on renos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
004n063 Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 Lynn Wyatt Square is mostly open. Nice little park. Looks like mostly adolescent live oaks, from what I can tell, so the shade canopy should start to get pretty good this spring, and should be great in a few years. Just hope we don't get too many summers like this last one. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
004n063 Posted November 24, 2023 Share Posted November 24, 2023 Some patches of yellow flowers (daisies?) up top notwithstanding, the vegetation here seems to be pointedly "natural," in contrast to the more manicured and color-coordinated flower gardens of Market Square park or Trebly Park. Personally, this is more my speed. I like "gardens" that can (theoretically) flourish relatively unassisted. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hindesky Posted December 16, 2023 Share Posted December 16, 2023 Crane Masters and TDI are replacing the chiller. https://www.cranemasters.com https://www.tdindustries.com 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 On 11/24/2023 at 3:04 PM, 004n063 said: Lynn Wyatt Square is mostly open. Nice little park. Looks like mostly adolescent live oaks, from what I can tell, so the shade canopy should start to get pretty good this spring, and should be great in a few years. Just hope we don't get too many summers like this last one. Is there any update on the restaurant that's supposed to go into Lynn Wyatt Square. It could really use a place for refreshments. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 On 10/1/2023 at 10:04 PM, hbg.50 said: Went to Jones Hall today. Maybe I’m still down about losing ARPA-H but I was just not overly impressed with the renovations. Granted, there is still construction going on. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/jones-hall-renovations-houston-symphony-18394096.php I did like the new orchestra shell and the ceiling: I was not overly impressed with the new seats. They just don’t have that plush velvet elegant feel of the originals. They don’t look “new” at all. But what bothered me the most was the work done to enclose the hall by removing several doors along the sides. Maybe it’s just me because I know they were there but I can see the “ghost images” of the old doors and the work seems unworthy of a prestigious symphony hall. You be the judge. I realize the renovations are not complete so I will reserve final judgment until then. The acoustics were fine but I would prefer to hear from the symphony musicians regarding that. The Houston Symphony is searching for a new CEO. John Mangum has left the organization to take over the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Apparently he relishes a challenge because that Opera company is currently in disarray. By all accounts he has left the Houston Symphony in great financial shape. Here is an excerpt from his letter to the staff: Financially, the Symphony is the strongest it has been in years. We have had balanced budgets or budget surpluses for four of the last five seasons. Our Endowment is worth more than $100 million for the first time in its history. We fully funded our frozen pension plan, retiring what had been a significant liability and a drag on operations. Our earned revenue has recovered to pre-pandemic levels and is trending more than 10% ahead year over year for the new season. Houston Grand Opera under the leadership of Khori Dastoor also had a banner year while many other cities are struggling (e.g. San Francisco and Chicago), so it seems Houston's performance art organizations are doing well. Hopefully the HSO board will find a strong replacement for John Mangum. As an aside, I like this view of Jones Hall without those huge hanging speakers and the two side projection screens. Forgive the picture quality. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbg.50 Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 A lengthy article in today’s Chronicle about the $60M Jones Hall Renovation. The major updates for the upcoming 2024/25 season: This summer, Eubanks oversaw the installation of a new orchestra shell ceiling, shell towers and a forestage reflector. "We completely rebuilt the enclosure, and transformed how it sounds. Before, musicians would have to push to get the sound out. Now, we want them to finesse. By rebuilding the walls on the sides, they can hear each other better," he says. "The forestage reflector directs sound where it needs to go throughout the house, which is a big boost to the patron experience." There was previously a delay for balcony-level seats. Spoken word or lyrics became muffled and difficult to understand. Mangum explained that by changing the room from fan-shaped to a more parallel configuration, there's more support for the sound onstage and in the room, so less gets lost. "There are less holes for the sound to go into. Now the container is water tight," he said. Eubanks reduced the number of doors leading into the auditorium from 30 down to 10. Today, less external sound and lighting leaks in. He describes Jones Hall as a unique building, suggesting that many of its initial design choices prioritized form over function. ————————————————————————————————————————————— Another change that nobody will care about is major donor’s names will now be associated with virtually every part of the building (e.g. Margaret Alkek Williams Grand Lobby). https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/jones-hall-renovation-first-look-19725986.php 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.