My Idea for the Astrodome: World's Largest Indoor Aquarium (Houston: taxes, live in)

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Gatlinburg is a tourist destination, next to the Smoky Mountains. Houston is a major city, where, while tourism is nice its not the major goal for the city. We should take down the dome.

You are right,
doesn't change the fact that there's 6 million people in Houston.

[HouTXmetro]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Gatlinburg is a tourist destination, next to the Smoky Mountains. Houston is a major city, where, while tourism is nice its not the major goal for the city. We should take down the dome.

And who are you to determine what the goal of the city is? No, Houston isn't a tourism city but that's not to say we can't evolve into a city that has multiple things to offer beyond business. Houston probably won't ever be major a tourism city but we can get some decent attractions.

[RCH99]

These whimsical ideas are fun to ponder, but the biggest obstacle to doing anything with the dome, is the fact there is still a $32 million debt owed by Harris County on the property. The dome is owned by the county, not the city, and this huge debt is the end game of decades of kicking the can down the road by refinancing, restructuring debt, reconfiguring, supposed improvements, etc....

That $32 million figure owed by the county today, is close to the original amount spent to build it in 1964. It's a political cluster..

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by RCH99

These whimsical ideas are fun to ponder, but the biggest obstacle to doing anything with the dome, is the fact there is still a $32 million debt owed by Harris County on the property. The dome is owned by the county, not the city, and this huge debt is the end game of decades of kicking the can down the road by refinancing, restructuring debt, reconfiguring, supposed improvements, etc....

That $32 million figure owed by the county today, is close to the original amount spent to build it in 1964. It's a political cluster..

#1 - Why isn't that place paid for with everything that was done there?
#2 - Why not use it for anything to make money and lower that debt?

I bet I know the answer for both = Politics

[HtownLove]

Houston may not be a tourist city but it gets darn near more visitors than just about every other city in the us other than seven or eight others.

If the people are coming, why not give them things to throw their money at?

Only NY, Disneyland, Miami, LA, ATL, Chicago and SF gets more visitors than Houston.


It's not that Houston is not a tourist city, it clearly based on visitor numbers, what it is not is a city with **** to do.

Again the powers that be here lack vision. The visitors come, whether it be for shopping or for business and we tell then. Nothing to see here folks, go spend your $$$ in SA.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

Houston may not be a tourist city but it gets darn near more visitors than just about every other city in the us other than seven or eight others.

If the people are coming, why not give them things to throw their money at?

Only NY, Disneyland, Miami, LA, ATL, Chicago and SF gets more visitors than Houston.


It's not that Houston is not a tourist city, it clearly based on visitor numbers, what it is not is a city with **** to do.

Again the powers that be here lack vision. The visitors come, whether it be for shopping or for business and we tell then. Nothing to see here folks, go spend your $$$ in SA.

There's stuff to do there, it's just spread all over the metro which sucks for visitors with no car or no sense on direction. A central entertainment district would solve that.

[HouTXmetro]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

There's stuff to do there, it's just spread all over the metro which sucks for visitors with no car or no sense on direction. A central entertainment district would solve that.

Right, and the Dome could be a key piece to developing a Central entertainment district.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by HouTXmetro

Right, and the Dome could be a key piece to developing a Central entertainment district.

No you need a place where you can get out of a hotel and walk around for hours, no need for a car or anything but PT. There's nothing around that area that will offer that. Reliant is too suburban for that. Midtown is a perfect example, tax credits for bars and clubs, the metro is already there, hotels are downtown.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

No you need a place where you can get out of a hotel and walk around for hours, no need for a car or anything but PT. There's nothing around that area that will offer that. Reliant is too suburban for that. Midtown is a perfect example, tax credits for bars and clubs, the metro is already there, hotels are downtown.

The area being empty is just a plus. Lots if open land to develop.

But I made a thread about this. More Houstonians prefer a suburban theme park than to develop an entertainment district near downtown. My preferred location is midtown, a couple blocks South if all those darn churches near St Joseph Hospital :

Since then I have taken a better look at the east side of downtown. Downtown itself not east Downtown, and that area is large enough for an entertainment district. I counted 39 city blocks that were empty lots. I am sure there are lots with empty buildings that can be used too. The Area is bounded by Travis in the West Clay to the North, 59 to the east and 45 to the south.

It is the south east corner of this map. http://www.downtownhouston.com/image...ouston_map.jpg
This would increase the walkability of downtown better than anything else could

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

The area being empty is just a plus. Lots if open land to develop.

But I made a thread about this. More Houstonians prefer a suburban theme park than to develop an entertainment district near downtown. My preferred location is midtown, a couple blocks South if all those darn churches near St Joseph Hospital :

Since then I have taken a better look at the east side of downtown. Downtown itself not east Downtown, and that area is large enough for an entertainment district. I counted 39 city blocks that were empty lots. I am sure there are lots with empty buildings that can be used too. The Area is bounded by Travis in the West Clay to the North, 59 to the east and 45 to the south.

It is the south east corner of this map. http://www.downtownhouston.com/image...ouston_map.jpg
This would increase the walkability of downtown better than anything else could

A theme park isn't an entertainment district. Not saying one wouldn't do well but there should be a natural place where people like to gather. That's one thing I didn't like about Houston. Washington Ave was spotted with bars and clubs and walking around just wasn't feasible, especially with the fast traffic.
I was thinking about EaDo as well, it's good that the new Dynamo stadium was built there and the Toyota Center and Minute Main Park are near it. Plus I remember the area where you're talking about, SE Downtown I guess. I remember getting off on N Jackson or maybe Hamilton was noticed all the potential there. There's some good bones and older buildings that could be saved. Only if the city would put some dedicated funds towards one of the areas.