The stadium revisited: getting priorities straight
In the forums, David Crossley asks if there is an alternate stadium site:
Putting it directly behind GRB or the Ballpark or the Toyota Center wouldn’t be a problem, I presume. Those streets are already gone.
That sounds familiar. Here’s the
The Dynamo first set sights on land owned by the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority just east of Minute Maid Park and U.S. 59, but have since decided against the property, which the Astros lease for stadium parking.
Let’s compare:
- The currently proposed site is 6 contiguous blocks. The parking lot site is exactly the same size.
- The currently proposed site blocks two east-west streets, making it harder for people who live on the East Side get to work. The parking lot site blocks no east-west streets.
- The currently proposed site requires the light rail line to jog around it, making tens of thousands of daily transit trips a bit longer. The parking lot site does not affect any light rail options.
- The currently proposed site would displace at least one business. The parking lot site would not.
- The currently proposed site is privately owned. The parking lot site is owned by a government agency whose purpose is building sports stadiums.
However:
- The parking lot site would require some spectators at Astros games to walk further to get to their cars.
And that, apparently, is unacceptable.
UPDATE: BlogHouston has an excellent primer on the weird property dealings behind all of this.