A spokesperson from ESPN confirms to Swamplot that the network will not be using underground-parking-garaged Midtown Park as the main set for its Super Bowl week teevee shows after all, contrary to that October announcement. Workers were on the scene on Monday (as shown here), and the main pavilion structure appears to have been undergoing glow tests in the last few weeks by the same lighting design company that designed the new US59 bridge LEDs. The scaffolding-covered Camden apartments structure, however, appears to be missing some more significant finishing touches:

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The broadcasts will be held instead from the whole-block parking lot across Bell St. from Root Park, catty-corner to Toyota Center and across Austin St. from the midrise housing the Salvation Army Greater Houston Area Command. That block is also owned by Camden, which delayed plans to put a residential tower on it in the wake of the oil crash. A rep from Midtown Houston tells Swamplot there will still be other events going on at Midtown Park and nearby Bagby Park for game weekend, starting on Super Thursday.

• ESPN moves set for Super Bowl shows to downtown location[Houston Chronicle]
• ESPN to call Midtown Park home for Super Bowl LI [Houston Chronicle]
• Previously on Swamplot: Time to Put the Park in Midtown Park Now That Parking Is In; Midtown Superblock in Its Flooded Mudpit Phase; Why Superblock Construction Is Moving Superslow; Stuff Is Happening Now on the Midtown Superblock; The Park-and-Apartments Plan for Midtown’s Superblock

Images: Swamplot inbox