Lou Minatti asks the $54 million question:
Why is Discovery Green a sea of brands? Waste Management, Inc. Gardens? OK, I understand the revenue issue. Are these naming rights perpetual?
Dunno about the perpetual part, but the list of brand and donor names on the new 12-acre Downtown park’s many features does go on and on! A few of our favorites: The Kinder Large Dog Run, the Martin Family Scent Garden, and the Marathon Oil Bike Racks.
Fortunately, Houstonian Kim Borja didn’t have to pay anything to choose the park’s name — he won the naming contest:
The response was overwhelming: more than 6,200 entries were submitted, and a theme soon emerged. Houstonians wanted a name that was distinctive and unusual, including elements that mirrored Houston itself. Words such as “surprising,” “unexpected” and “vital” were reoccurring.
If this place had ended up with a name like “Unexpected Gardens,” we’d all probably want there to be a serious donation behind it.
After the jump: that long list of Discovery Green’s branded park parts — plus: a few yet-unbranded park features may still be available!
