Buffalo Bayou Master Plan

[bobruss]

I always thought we should commission Claus Oldenburg to design a tower in the shape of a flashlight with a restaurant and observation deck on top and 

the light would shine into the night sky like a beacon into space which would relate to Houston's part in the exploration of space, and  a tie to energy.

I planned it at the bridge at Montrose which would have tied to all Museums along Montrose and Lake McGovern in Herman Park which are on what I wanted to be known as the Montrose  Boulevard of the arts and science, where I proposed a statue in the middle of the lake in Herman park, honoring the  splashdown of astronauts coming back from space in a space capsule with parachutes open just landing in the middle of the lake.

To me this yellow thing looks  like someone said, a Specs wine cover or a medical device. It doesn't say anything about Houston. Not really to excited about the color or the shape. Im really tired of people who say just build something because we can or its tall, and accept mediocrity. When will we learn from all of the mistakes we live with now. They don't go away for a very long time. Trust me.

[gene]

and its 7,000 watt beacon! love that i can tell people when they cant find my home/part of town...look for the beacon!!!  

[BeerNut]

1 hour ago, MarathonMan said:

This is interesting, although I wonder if Houston will ever erect something really bold, on such a grand scale that it becomes a defining element of the city (e.g. The Space Needle, Golden Gate Bridge, CN Tower, Eiffel Tower, Hancock Center, Empire State Building, or The Shard in London -- although that's relatively new).  Something that, when people see it, they immediately think, "Houston!"  It seems to me that most architectural projects in this city are quite understated.

 

What about something artsy on a smaller scale like 'The Bean' in Chicago?

[samagon]

17 minutes ago, gene said:

and its 7,000 watt beacon! love that i can tell people when they cant find my home/part of town...look for the beacon!!!  

 

I thought you said bacon. then I re-read it.

 

28 minutes ago, MarathonMan said:

I think your use of the term "iconic" best reflects what I meant in my comment.  Yes, Heritage Plaza and the Bank of America Building are very nice buildings, but I'd submit they are not iconic.  Someone not from Houston or someone who's not an architecture buff would have a hard time coming up with "Houston" when shown a photo of these buildings.  In my mind the Williams Tower is the closest thing we have to an iconic structure.  It's a beautiful building, yes, but what makes it lean iconic is its monumental presence in a sea of small boxes.

 

if Houston were as photographed and in the media as these other places, sure they'd be recognized, and recognizable to most people. They are unique buildings, not just random boxes.

 

How many movies, TV shows, tourism posters have all of the places referenced as iconic ( The Space Needle, Golden Gate Bridge, CN Tower, Eiffel Tower, Hancock Center, Empire State Building, or The Shard in London) been the focus of? Houston just doesn't market their iconography well. I will say that probably the Astrodome is the most iconic building in Houston. That's simply because it's been featured in numerous films.

 

I've seen lots of movies that were shot in LA, thus I know exactly what their city hall looks like, as an example. Sure it's a beautiful building, but would I know what it looks like otherwise?

Edited June 14, 2016 by samagon

[MarathonMan]

5 hours ago, BeerNut said:

 

What about something artsy on a smaller scale like 'The Bean' in Chicago?

 

5 hours ago, BeerNut said:

 

What about something artsy on a smaller scale like 'The Bean' in Chicago?

Yes... The Bean is pretty cool!!

[bobruss]

Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate, is a remarkable piece of art. It was originally expected to cost 6 million dollars but when all was said and done the final cost for Chicago was $23,000,000.00. It does what every public art board hopes for. It captures the imagination of all and attracts incredible crowds. The problems for that type of sculpture along Houston's Buffalo Bayou's banks are two-fold. Cost and flooding. Which brings up a question, I don't know the answer to. Has anyone observed the Henry Moore sculpture at the crest of Buffalo Bayou during a flood. I'm not sure how high it sits and just curious because its not nearly 

as expensive as the Kapoor, but its probably one of the most valuable works on public display.  The Miro in front of Chase,  the Nevelson in Allen center, and the DeBuffet in Discovery Green are a few others that might be more valuable.

Of course the most expensive work on public display up until its value was set after an auction two years ago for one of the castings by the sculptor Giacommeti which stood in the middle of the sculpture garden at the MFAH, sold for roughly $120,000,000.00. It was  taken in doors the next day after the results of the auction were announced.

[mollusk]

Moore's Large Spindle Piece is on very high ground (well, as high as one gets near a bayou).  Its design also makes it pretty flood friendly - nothing's going to snag on it, and once the waters recede you can just hose whatever mud there might be right off.

[MarathonMan]

I look at it this way:. Yes, an installation like Cloud Gate would be tough to maintain in Buffalo Bayou Park (although Hermann Park would be a perfect place for something like that).  But we've built a myriad of bridges over the bayou, we have The Dunlavy at Lost Lake and a host of major downtown buildings a stone's throw from the bayou.  We can easily engineer something truly grand, that stirs the imagination, draws big crowds and captures the attention of the world beyond southeast Texas while being able to withstand flooding at the same time.  And there is plenty of money in this town to make it happen.  I think the greatest barrier to accomplishing something iconic is Houston's mindset.  Consciously or not, we seem to prefer to fly under the radar.  We'll take the small "I ❤️ Houston" sign along the feeder on I-10 while LA has "HOLLYWOOD".  Mind you, I understand that we don't have hills to pull off the same thing here, but hopefully you get my point...

Edited June 15, 2016 by MarathonMan

[Sunstar]

16 hours ago, samagon said:

 

yeah, thankfully it's unsolicited. not that I don't want to see something like this in Houston, or it isn't a cool concept, but there's other parks in Houston that money should be spent on before we come back to BBP. It was what 50 million to do the current renovation?

 

 

I don't think BBP is slowing down anytime soon. I don't have any direct evidence, but I would expect them to release details on the next phase of the project that will extend the project eastward from Allen's landing some time this year. They've been busy buying up a lot of old industrial sites along the Bayou's east end. Two specific elements from the master plan that I would like to see come to fruition is the Commerce Street Promenade and the Turkey Bend Ecology Park. 

 

 

[samagon]

11 minutes ago, Sunstar said:

 

I don't think BBP is slowing down anytime soon. I don't have any direct evidence, but I would expect them to release details on the next phase of the project that will extend the project eastward from Allen's landing some time this year. They've been busy buying up a lot of old industrial sites along the Bayou's east end. Two specific elements from the master plan that I would like to see come to fruition is the Commerce Street Promenade and the Turkey Bend Ecology Park. 

 

 

 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant the area of the park that's just been renovated. From 45 out to Shepherd. They just put 50 million into it, they don't need to toss more into that area, especially when there are other parks and areas of town that are under served.

[KinkaidAlum]

What about Emancipation Park? The rehab taking place there is already fairly nice and it would go to an underserved but also up and coming neighborhood. Plus, the views from that location would be incredible. Build that corkscrew to 350 feet and you'd have uninterrupted views to downtown, midtown, uptown, med center, museum district, UH, ship channel, and more. 

[BeerNut]

52 minutes ago, KinkaidAlum said:

What about Emancipation Park? The rehab taking place there is already fairly nice and it would go to an underserved but also up and coming neighborhood. Plus, the views from that location would be incredible. Build that corkscrew to 350 feet and you'd have uninterrupted views to downtown, midtown, uptown, med center, museum district, UH, ship channel, and more. 

 

That would be awesome but would probably attract too many dog walkers...

[kbates2]

Have to keep out dog walkers.

[bobruss]

Emancipation Park is going to be a beautiful park and the views of downtown will be remarkable. It has so many different areas for recreation and entertainment and It would be a great place for some kind of public sculpture, and hopefully they plan on adding art to the park. if you haven't driven by recently you'd be amazed at the extent to which it is being developed. I am very happy to see this effort going into this side of 288 and hopefully this will bring much pride to the neighborhood.

Between this and Baldwin the east side is really gaining some magnificent outdoor places for recreation and peaceful tranquility. 

I think a walk through Baldwin park on Elgin in that canopy of Live Oaks is one of the most bucolic settings in Houston. Its a truly remarkable grouping of Live Oaks in one park.

 

[quietstorm]

On 6/14/2016 at 4:26 PM, MarathonMan said:

I think your use of the term "iconic" best reflects what I meant in my comment.  Yes, Heritage Plaza and the Bank of America Building are very nice buildings, but I'd submit they are not iconic.  Someone not from Houston or someone who's not an architecture buff would have a hard time coming up with "Houston" when shown a photo of these buildings.  In my mind the Williams Tower is the closest thing we have to an iconic structure.  It's a beautiful building, yes, but what makes it lean iconic is its monumental presence in a sea of small boxes.

Yes, Williams (Transco) Tower is imo the most 'iconic' Houston building.  Most people assume it's our tallest rather than Chase Tower given it's location.

[nativehoustonion]

I always needed Houston ones like Space Needle, Reunion Tower, and CN Tower in Toronto.  I don't like this one and will flood and should be Downtown.  

[Houston19514]

Great article about Buffalo Bayou Park

[Sunstar]

2 hours ago, Houston19514 said:

Great article about Buffalo Bayou Park

 

"Olson, for example, has snapped up an abandoned 1920s sewage treatment plant on a piece of property along Buffalo Bayou’s far east end. We drive over to the less affluent side of town, park in a vacant lot, squeeze through a hole in a chain link fence, and gaze down at the facility’s rusted array of plumbing. Bravely—and somewhat perversely—she thinks the plant’s large, round settling basin (designed to allow solid human waste to sink to the bottom), unused since the 1970s, could be incorporated into a facility for a community group that wants to build a swimming hole along the Bayou."

 

Map

[Sunstar]

Up until now, I didn't like the notion of converting the Pierce elevated into a Highline type park. I thought it was too derivative and would also serve as a continuity barrier between downtown and midtown. This article is making me rethink that notion. Ripping out the Pierce would make the Sabine Promenade less unique. And the Sabine Promenade also defies the notion that land under a freeway is useless. 

[Montrose1100]

42 minutes ago, Sunstar said:

Up until now, I didn't like the notion of converting the Pierce elevated into a Highline type park. I thought it was too derivative and would also serve as a continuity barrier between downtown and midtown. This article is making me rethink that notion. Ripping out the Pierce would make the Sabine Promenade less unique. And the Sabine Promenade also defies the notion that land under a freeway is useless. 

Don't worry, even the future plans still have ribbons of concrete to remain on the west side. I'll have to look back because I don't remember how far they extend but I'm pretty sure Allen Parkway, McKinney, and Dallas exits will still exist.

 

As is the "south" portion of the Pierce is useless underneath. If private development occurs on the remaining half blocks the underneath will not get much sunlight. Demolish it!

[Sunstar]

18 minutes ago, Montrose1100 said:

As is the "south" portion of the Pierce is useless underneath. If private development occurs on the remaining half blocks the underneath will not get much sunlight. Demolish it!

 

Yeah, I guess it would have to be developed as a highly programmed park to be successful, similar to the Under Gardiner project in Toronto sited in the article. To your point, removing the Pierce would only free up half blocks, which I imagine is less than ideal from a development standpoint. 

Maybe you split the difference and keep it up until Main Street from the west, then it frees up after that.

[BigFootsSocks]

1 hour ago, Sunstar said:

 

"Olson, for example, has snapped up an abandoned 1920s sewage treatment plant on a piece of property along Buffalo Bayou’s far east end. We drive over to the less affluent side of town, park in a vacant lot, squeeze through a hole in a chain link fence, and gaze down at the facility’s rusted array of plumbing. Bravely—and somewhat perversely—she thinks the plant’s large, round settling basin (designed to allow solid human waste to sink to the bottom), unused since the 1970s, could be incorporated into a facility for a community group that wants to build a swimming hole along the Bayou."

 

Map

Lol I'd love to be the TCEQ Rep that sees this proposal on their desk. 

[Houston19514]

1 hour ago, Sunstar said:

 

Yeah, I guess it would have to be developed as a highly programmed park to be successful, similar to the Under Gardiner project in Toronto sited in the article. To your point, removing the Pierce would only free up half blocks, which I imagine is less than ideal from a development standpoint. 

 

 

But a bunch of the adjoining half-blocks are undeveloped or underdeveloped, so the pierce removal can create a bunch of full blocks.

 

[Urbannizer]

http://houston.novusagenda.com/agendapublic/CoverSheet.aspx?ItemID=9325&MeetingID=198

 

On June 13, 2001, City Council approved Resolution 2001-28 authorizing the nomination of the Buffalo Bayou Heritage Corridor (the Project) for funding consideration in the statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (TEP) administered by Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT). The project was selected for funding, but in 2014 it was withdrawn from the program due to multiple unforeseen delays. TxDOT continued to develop plans and specifications and has worked with Buffalo Bayou Partnership to complete acquisition of right-of-way.

 

In January 2015 TxDOT submitted the Project for funding consideration in the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) 2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Call for Projects. In August, 2015 TxDOT requested and HPARD agreed to serve as the eligible project sponsor. On September 25, 2015, the H-GAC Transportation Policy Council approved Federal funding for the project through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) administered locally by TxDOT. As an eligible TAP project partner, TxDOT will provide a portion of the required share of the local funding contribution and construction plans as well as bid and contract for construction services.

 

The scope of work for Project consists of the addition of retaining walls and railing to the existing ten foot wide, concrete trail on the north bank of Buffalo Bayou from McKee Street to the Strauss Trunnion Bridge, rehabilitation of the abandoned Strauss Trunnion Bridge over Buffalo Bayou for pedestrian and bicycle use, construction of a ramp to McKee Street and construction of a ten foot wide, concrete trail on the south bank of Buffalo Bayou from Strauss Trunnion Bridge to west of the UPRR bridge. Additional improvements include landscape materials, pedestrian furniture and way finding signage. The purpose of the Project is to create a safe and convenient link between existing paths on the north and south banks of Buffalo Bayou and to bring bike/ped facilities to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design guidelines.

 

The proposed Funding Agreement commits the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) to provide the Local Government Participation - the City's share - required for the project in the amount of $370,000. City Council is concurrently asked by separate Council Action to approve the Advanced Funding Agreements with TxDOT for the Project.

[H-Town Man]

^^Pertinent bridges photographed here:

Strauss Trunnion bridge is photos 27-28. UPRR bridge is photos 21 and 23-24. This is an important link.

 

[Triton]

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

Buffalo Bayou Park by Marc longoria, on Flickr

 

 

[Houston19514]

Revitalizing the waterway east of downtown
from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin

HOUSTON - July 27, 2017 - Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) is launching a major planning effort along Buffalo Bayou’s East Sector that will continue the non-profit organization’s legacy of transformative parks, trails and open space.  In revitalizing the waterway east of downtown (from US 59 to the Port of Houston Turning Basin), BBP seeks to establish a pioneering precedent where green space can be a catalyst for inclusive growth and community development.
 
“At its heart, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is about creating parks, trails and bridges to bring Houstonians outdoors,” says Tom Fish, BBP Board Chair.  “Here in the East Sector, we have an opportunity to bring together communities north and south of Buffalo Bayou that have long been disconnected from the waterfront and each other.”
 
Buffalo Bayou Partnership has assembled a high caliber group of consultants to develop this very important master plan for Houston and its East Sector neighborhoods. Working with BBP on this important planning initiative will be a multi-disciplinary consultant team led by Michael Van Valkenburg Associates (MVVA), an internationally recognized landscape architecture firm, and HR&A Advisors, an industry-leading real estate, economic development and public policy firm.  Other consultants include: Huitt-Zollars/formerly Houston’s Morris Architects (Architecture & Civil Engineering), Utile(Urban Planning & Design), Greenberg Consultants (Urban Design), Nelson/Nygaard (Transportation), and LimnoTech (Hydrology).
 
MVVA brings to Houston wide-ranging experience and a proven track record of success in creating acclaimed and economically viable parks and waterfronts such as Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hudson River Park in New York City, and Maggie Daly Park and the 606 in Chicago.  The consultants also are very familiar with Houston as they have recently completed plans for Hermann Park, The Menil and the “Beyond the Bayous” plan for the Houston Parks Board.
 
For more than 35 years, HR&A has been working with parks throughout the US and abroad to develop open space real estate strategies, financing plans, programming activation, and sustainable operations and maintenance programs.  The High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, Tulsa Riverfront and Dallas Trinity River are among more than 100 parks that have benefited from HR&A’s talent.
 
“While we want to build off our past projects such as Buffalo Bayou Park, Sabine Promenade and Allen’s Landing, we realize that we are dealing with an entirely different context,” says Anne Olson, BBP President.  “We not only want to reinvigorate the waterfront but bring equitable revitalization opportunities to the East Sector neighborhoods.” Olson points out that the Second Ward has been designated one of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s “Complete Communities.”

[H-Town Man]

So is the 2003 master plan for the whole bayou basically forgotten now, or is that more the vision while this is more the nitty gritty?

 

[Houston19514]

39 minutes ago, H-Town Man said:

So is the 2003 master plan for the whole bayou basically forgotten now, or is that more the vision while this is more the nitty gritty?

 

 

I would think the latter.

[H-Town Man]

Hopefully they reference the earlier plan at some point in their press statements so we get a sense that there is continuity and adherence to the earlier vision. I was a big fan of that plan when it came out.