I want something bigger than Astroworld. I didn't grow up in the late early 70s, so I can't really say how big it was then, but was it a big tourist attraction? I want a damn central of the map Disney World thing. I didn't go to Astroworld much, but I always got the feeling it smelled like throw up and a bunch of vatos running around.
The reason it is gone now is because they had basically given up about 5 years before it closed, and started selling season passes for something like $20, which meant that the park was inhabited from open to close by mostly thugs and gang bangers with no place else to go. It was not a good place to take a family any more, and its demise was inevitable. If anyone builds a new park, if they sell season passes at all, they had better be expensive enough that it will keep the place from just being a cheap 'hangout', which is what Astroworld had become.
I was wondering that too, but I will be more than happy to pick up the slack on his behalf. I read this thread from start to finish yesterday and, I must say, it was pretty entertaining. Complete with Vacation references and Don Henley lyrics. Everything you need for a classic CF thread.
It's not canceled, just changing to an actual developer. Contour is legit. John Marking and his company are frauds it seems.
No real "I told you so" because 99% of the people who checked in here agreed this was a longshot at best. Also...it still would be nice to have some sort of theme park in the area.
We are still on schedule. The park is going to be built. There is no problems. The regime will outlast the naysayers! Long Live EarthQuest!
I worked there from 2003 to close. Season passes were like 45 bucks which was still cheap compared to other parks. The gang bangers didn't come out till fright fest with the exception on a few here and there during the season. They had plans to bring in a mega coaster where xlr8 was, and another family ride in the plaza between dungeon drop and serial thriller. The guy who sold the park was after money, and shortly after he sold it he was fired that's why it's still a grave site. Most of the rides were shipped off by that time. Also another major issue was parking. They sold land to sams which was right next to astroworld which couldve been used for other things such as parking. The astrodome/reliant parking wasnt for the park and when it was events for both at once, sharing the parking was a problem for both trying to make money. When Katrina happened it really messed up the parks attendance. Evacuees we caught jumping fences at waterworld to try to get it. Raising all kinds of hell at the front gate because someone lied to them and told them they could get in the park for free. For such a small park we had the highest ratings. I used to see the same kids there all the time. Most we knew by name (I worked rides so I got to move around and see a lot). In addition to all that was stealing employees. Food service was pathetic 50 percent of the employees were stealing over one hundred dollars per day or per shift. Buying cars left and right I was amazed and never put 2 and 2 together until a college associate of mine who worked there as well told me all the schemes. Anywho, our city does need some kind of attraction. That undeveloped land is very depressing every time I pass by it. Our city is too large not to have a major attraction.
Disney should buy that ****... and call it Ranch Disney. A Texas themed Disney resort but with more roller coasters and less kiddy ****
I can't believe they used public funds to buy the concept art and drawings for this. http://www.chron.com/default/article/Proposed-Disney-like-theme-park-faces-uncertain-3334594.php In 2005, many area residents shed tears over losing the longtime Houston icon AstroWorld. That same year real estate investor John Marlin of Dallas bought land about 30 minutes north of downtown Houston that he envisioned turning into the area's next Disney-style theme park called EarthQuest. But now the fate of Marlin's 1,564-acre tract in Montgomery County that he planned to use for the 500-acre theme park and 1,064-acre residential development will be decided by a U.S. bankruptcy court in Sherman on March 5. Marlin heads Whitestone Houston Land, LTD., which filed for the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. He could not be reached for comment. But two groups that had been working closely with Marlin in pursuit of the theme park - East Montgomery County Improvement District and Contour Entertainment - are joining forces to try to buy the land and establish a new developer. The court has set a minimum purchase price of $10 million, which is about half what Marlin originally paid for the land that straddles U.S. 59 near New Caney. Completion of the project is estimated to cost about $500 million. Not good P.R., but ... "While not a good public relations move, the bankruptcy sale brings the price down. It could save a substantial amount of money for the project," said Frank McCardy, the improvement district's CEO. The district, started in 1994 to improve the area's quality of life and create jobs, retains ownership of the park's conceptual and site engineering drawings, which the district purchased for $7.5 million in bond money. The district has also spent an additional $2.5 million on legal and other efforts to move the long-delayed project forward - all of which are being repaid through the district's 1.5-cent sales tax, he said. He would like to see Chris Brown, president of Contour Entertainment, act as an assistant developer with funding coming from outside backers. Contour Entertainment of Van Nuys, Calif., designed the conceptual drawings for the park. It would be seven times larger than AstroWorld, with 50 attractions that stress environmental stewardship. This would include such things as a 12-acre water park made from a retreating glacier to an animal park that includes threatened species and a ride through a land with a fiery volcano and life-sized dinosaurs. Brown, an ex-Disney designer, believe he has the experience necessary, as his company continues to design projects for Disney as well as a new theme park that he says is opening this year in Mumbai, India. "Marlin was a residential developer with no theme-park background," McCardy said. "He couldn't get any financial traction in this tough economy." But now McCardy and Brown believe the financial climate is improving and they have active discussions with potential developers who would be able to write the check, but they said they could not disclose the names. Seeks Texas investors Brown would only say he is focused on Texas investors, who would benefit the most from the enhancement of their community and other properties being developed. "I feel very comfortable," said McCardy, adding that if his preferred developer, Contour, is unsuccessful with fundraising he has two others "ready to step in and build it." He said he feels good about the project because three theme-park experts have said this spot has perfect demographics. Houston is the only one of the 11 largest U.S. cities without a theme park. Major theme parks are located on each coast but not the central U.S., 18 million people live within a four-hour drive of the site and Houston has a young population with one of the strongest economies. But with all the false starts, spurts and delays in the last six years, some area residents are skeptical about it ever being built.
