COMMENT OF THE DAY: WHERE TO PLANT GREENSPACE TO FERTILIZE GROUND DOWNTOWN 
“What Downtown really needs is repeat performances for park spaces like Discovery Green and Market Square. Tranquility Park is a dud. . . . Jones Plaza is also a misfire in that all the activity inside the plaza is invisible from the street. The city should snatch up a parking lot or two over by Minute Maid as another amenity for all the new multifamily going in over there and new office construction. The same goes for the southern part of Downtown near where the twin Skyhouses are. Parks get people out and moving around downtown. It is too difficult to redo all the ground floor development in Downtown to make it more street friendly — it is what it is. But a couple of really nice parks can really help push more ground floor development, and help support existing ground floor retail/restaurant development.” [OldSchool, commenting on ‘One Bin For All’ All But Dead; Signs of the Oil Rout in Houston] Illustration: Lulu
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@Old School I think you’re right on with a park needed on the south side of downtown. The new SkyHouse buildings and other apartment next to it should bring around 1,000+ residents to that part of downtown. That area also has easy METRORail access too. Imagine what that area would look like if two things happened…..the Pierce Elevated was torn down and the Greyhound bus station was relocated…..GAME-CHANGER.
I’m a downtown resident and rarely leave downtown during the weekdays. Most everything we need is right here.
As for Tranquility Park / Jones Plaza….that area is in need of a total redo. The “ponds/lakes†at Tranquility Park can’t even hold water anymore. And Jones Plaza needs to turn into Jones Park. Take out the concrete and put in GRASS.
Why the hell does downtown need any more parks? Discovery green is amazing. Market square is pretty sweet too. Give that money to other neighborhoods.
Commenter7 You basically answer your own question. The downtown neighborhood is unique from the standpoint of recreation. Residents aren’t the only stakeholders to benefit. People are drawn from other neighborhoods, cities, countries. As OldSchool noted, a park close to Minutemaid would be fantastic for residents, but I argue Astros fans or fans of the pop-star du jour as well…
What a concept. Next thing will be allowing more on street parking.