Astroworld got rough at the end. I wouldn't have been afraid, but I wasn't interested in being there either.
Dude, you lost me at saying they put the stuff in Arlington into a nice area. Before they built the ballpark for the Rangers, before they built Cowboys Stadium, it was just Six Flags and ugly ass Arlington Stadium with a bad Rangers team, and I was there all the time to hit up Six Flags -- and if you stayed anywhere in the area, you were lucky to not be propositioned by prostitutes, or be witness to crack deals. They stuck their neck out, decided that if they built it up, added some green space and revenue for the city of Arlington, the area would clean up, and compared how it used to look, it really has. That said, I was also just there a few weeks ago, and Arlington is still mostly a dump, so maybe you just don't know what the hell you're talking about. An armpit of urban blight is exactly what Arlington was before they starting building all of that stuff there. Whatever beauty is there now, was planned and put there as part of the revitalization plan of the city of Arlington. But, I guess you ignored the plan to do the same in the Houston presentation. Makes sense, since it doesn't help your rant any. That mall you're talking about -- it's either their smaller version of our Galleria, literally a smaller copycat developed by the same Hines Interests development group that developed the Houston version first and bigger and nicer, or it's Grapevine Mills, which is just Katy Mills with a giant ice rink and hotel plopped down in it. Also by the same company as the Houston area version, same crap concept of an oversized outlet mall with air conditioning and the typical Dallas glitz without substance. Also, I guess I should really bow to your wisdom regarding conventions at Reliant Park. No one in their right mind would want to hold their convention or event there, at least, none except for... Neon Splash 5K Color Me Rad 5K Houston Blues Festival AMA Supercross Internal Auditors 4th Annual Conference Kids Artistic Review Dance Competition Run for the Rose Quince & Bridal Expo Texas Technology Summit International Gem & Jewelry Show Houston Gun Collectors & Antiques Show The Ultimate Women's Expo Digital Run 5K Offshore Technology Conference Gulf Coast Symposium on HR WBEA Expo LEGO KidsFest Festival De Mayo 24th Annual Spring Accounting Expo Memorial Weekend Music Festival Tristar Collectors Show That's just April of this year. I'd list more, but I'd hate to get the dreaded Nero 'big load of dung tldr' stamp of disapproval. You'll just have to trust me that every other month on the Reliant Park calendar of event for the year is similarly booked pretty damn near full. There are very few days where some event isn't happening over there. Clearly, the people at Reliant are doing a HORRIBLE job scheduling events down in the anal fissure. If you don't like the anal fissure, Nero, I'm sure Reliant would be happy to take some Charmin, reach in there and wipe YOUR ass right up to the Metroplex. Then, when you're done licking Dallas' nutsack the way a Chinese teenager licks eyeballs, get yourself a nice little place and stay there. As for the sports teams and the locations of our stadiums and the state of the television deals, I personally would rather watch the Texans from the asscrack of a homeless man in the dumpster behind a gas station on Kirby than sit in a luxury box in Arlington and watch the ****in' Cowboys. 'Never gonna be as good as that' -- that's the attitude that's sickening. It's people like you jumping on the couch and throwing tantrums wanting everything for nothing. That's why we can't have nice things. But you're right. "Just tear it down and get rid of it". That's the way to go. If there's one thing in Houston we've always needed more of, it's flat, hot concrete. Good call. It's a wonder you're not the apex of inner-city planning, because you're a god***n visionary.
Sorry to offend you personally so badly. And you're right - no, I don't know all the details, but frankly, I don't care. Because at the end of the day, it's still WHAT it is and it's still WHERE it is. And unless they are going to relocate all those car dealerships, and re-route 610, and get rid of all the half-empty strip malls in the immediate area, that's all it's GOING to be. How long has Reliant Stadium been there now? And how has the immediate area responded? From what I am told, it's basically pretty much the same as it has always been, minus the amusement park of course. But turn the Astrodome into another GRB, and watch the blossoming of the area. Ok, whatever. But it is good to see that the Reliant Park is so busily scheduled all the time. Clearly they don't need a bond issue then, they can afford to renovate the place with private money, because of all the profit which will pour in. With so many 5k runs, they will have their 190 million dollars back in no time. Look I am not saying Houston shouldn't be making moves to improve. Just look at the area at I-10 and the Beltway - that place is thriving and growing, and people are flocking to it every night of the week. Somehow without a convention center. But this Astrodome thing is not about a need for a convention center and everything about politicians not wanting to be the bad guy who has his/her name attached to the order to tear the thing down. As for licking Dallas' nutsack.. Whatever floats your boat. But whether or not Arlington used to be a a dump, what it WASN'T was a dump crammed in and locked in an area with no land and no room to grow. And now it's not a dump. Now it looks good. But the Astrodome? Even under the best possible outcome, it will still just be a big giant building in the middle of a big giant parking lot. With a really tall chain-link-and-barbed-wire fence all around it. Yippee. Shrug. I am entitled to my opinion about it, just the same as you are. In the end, it's just one person's opinion followed by another. Fortunately, the voters will have final say.
I'm not personally offended. I just think your opinion is backward and ridiculous, and I have a tendency to be a smartass. I'm great fun at parties.
I haven't exactly been keeping up with this ongoing drama, but does anyone know enough about the apparent contradiction of the highlighted bits in this story to make sense of it? If private funding was a requirement, why was their plan exempt from that and taxpayers have to foot the bill for it? http://blog.chron.com/houstonpoliti...missioners-send-astrodome-proposal-for-study/
That sounds to me like a classic case of going through the motions to make it appear as though they would take any ideas, but planned to go with their own all along.
This one is a total no brainer. I mean lets stay with the 8th wonder of the world theme here. What is Houston known for? ....Good STRIP CLUBS! Make it the worlds largest strip club! Then we can still lay claim to the 8th wonder of the world!!! Yo ..wheres El Hitman when we need him?!?!?
The article doesn't say that the proposal had to be funded privately 100%...just that, to be accepted, the proposal had to include private financing. More than a few projects are done as public/private partnerships.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Here is Houston Astrodome under construction, early 1960s: <a href="http://t.co/KEcdJbevsh" title="http://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/361688400190898176/photo/1" org_href="http://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/361688400190898176/photo/1">pic.twitter.com/KEcdJbevsh</a></p>— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/361688400190898176" data-datetime="2013-07-28T22:23:29+00:00">July 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
this guy's Twitter feed is awesome, full of great Americana pictures I love how this picture captures what Houston is. The vast expanse of open country, the industriousness and ambition of our city, the beautiful sunshine, the big shiny car.
