A 3-block jaunt from the proposed site of the recently reincarnated Ivy Lofts development will land you at 2619 Polk St., where do-it-yourself sports bar Sports Creek is setting up. The developers look to be planting a series of sand volleyball courts and blue-turfed soccer fields on the long-paved-over block bounded by Polk, Live Oak, Nagle, and Dallas streets (catty-corner from the former Kings warehouse building slated for a wholesale-to-retail makeover).
One of the involved developers recently told Maggie Gordon that the new place should open in January, and that there will be 3 volleyball courts; the above rendering shows the latest published update to the bar’s planned layout of the space (though it appears to show 4 courts instead). It’s also not totally clear which side of the development that drawing is meant to show, as none of the site’s depicted neighbors appear to quite match up with the array of townhomes, warehouses, and electrical substation that ring the block.
Older renderings released earlier this year showed the business with only 1 and 2 fields and courts respectively, on a much skinnier piece of land:
***
- Volleyball Scene Spikes in Houston [Houston Chronicle]
- Previously on Swamplot: Brick-Faced Polk St. Warehouse Marketers Propose Increased Transparency, Wholesale Changes; Signs of Townhomes Coming to Polk St. in East Downtown
Images: HTX Sports Creek
Great concept if they can make it work. too bad there will be no roller hockey rink :(
Many cities around the country designate certain areas of the city as public areas, called “parks.” In these “park spaces” sometimes they will build tennis courts, volleyball courts, soccer fields, etc and everyone is welcome to use them at any time. But Houston is a pioneer. By having the city do nothing at all, they empower businesses to create Sports Bars that allow young urban professionals exclusive access to sporting facilities while they drink craft beer. We’re doing such a great job!
@Opportunity, I believe the opportunity in this case is the combination of gratuitous amounts of alcohol with sports. While par for the course is smaller population centers, not something condoned by public municipalities in large urban areas.
.
I think it’s a snoozer though. If they built a cool japanese game show park where people could get smashed and sign away their right to live they could be onto something.
Brilliant investment. Run it for several years, subsidizing the holding of the land, turn some profit, then sell the land to developers for a nice premium. The amenity itself should drive neighborhood development and impact the land’s sale price. Call it The Kicks Indoor Soccer approach.
Open in January? The lot is still one big concrete pad with a trailer on it. Also, where is this creek in EaDo that they’re naming it after?
Sports & Alcohol don’t mix???
@Neighbor
The creek will ‘appear’ after the bar opens. (wink, wink)
Oh.
Soccer.
That’ll go over well.
lol