The Next Memorial Coliseum Plan

On the show this past Saturday, I mentioned that I had a new plan for the Memorial Coliseum, but ran out of time before I could go into it...or did I?

Brass is dead. Energies toward getting Brass back on the table are a waste of time. Energies should go into a plan that is 1) economically feasable, 2) a proper use of this public land, 3) properly honoring the veterans that Memorial Coliseum was built to honor, 4) is a tourist/local attraction, and 5) promotes growth in the area and citywide.

Councilman Mark Scott is floating a plan that I'm, at this time in it's inital stages, am on board with. Below is a simple text outline of it from Mark Scott, but it won't read well without the following visual aid.

Here are some pictures of the new Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston, TX. You can not understand the weight of this proposal until you go to the website for Discover Green Park and explore it fully HERE. This is not just a park. Go to that website and imagine something as dramatic on our bayfront.

The park to be modeled has:

•a one-acre lake
•a children's playground
•interactive water features
•an amphitheater stage and slope
•dog runs for large and small breeds
•public art works
•spacious green lawns
•and great restaurants

The plan would be to tear down the coliseum and put in the most amazing urban green space you could ever imagine that is controlled in part by a private group (and not the city). One centerpiece would gbe the most amazing outdoor WWII Veteran's Memorial you can possibly imagine to PROPERLY COMMEMORATE OUR VETERANS.

Read on from Mark Scott:

Proposal: Making Lemonade out of Lemons

In its simplest terms, I propose we tear down the coliseum and get on with our lives. However, I would like to propose a concept for an urban park experience, incentivize private development (on private land) and create a truly unique memorial to our veterans.

The general goal will be to create a unique urban park destination, (I propose “Memorial Park”) with a significant Memorial feature, while taking the basket of incentives we were proposing to use with the Brass project and offer them to any land owner in that area of downtown. In the end, we would have a great urban park, similar to the Discovery Green Park in downtown Houston, and leverage it along with incentives to stimulate private development in that area.

As such, I propose we move forward with:

1) Remove Memorial Coliseum – I am going to request that we task the City Manager with setting out the necessary steps to demolish the building. I am assuming there are several steps that need to occur whether you renovate or remove the building such as an Asbestos Report (necessary for either renovating or demolishing). I understand that we will visit with the National Swim Center group, but want to move both conversations along a parallel track so that time is not lost.
2) Create a Park Conservancy – This Conservancy would consist of private sector individuals (again similar to the Discovery Green project) and be tasked with coordinating the park design and fundraising for its completion. I see the Conservancy managing the park once completed.

I also see the park effort as a public/private venture that would include the City of Corpus Christi, the Downtown Management District and the Memorial Park Conservancy. The park land would include several pad sites for restaurants and retail shops. Again, I propose using the Discovery Park concept in Houston as our guide on this initiative.

3) Engage the Mayors Committee on Veterans Affairs as well as other veteran organizations to work with the Conservancy/City in developing a truly unique and regionally (if not nationally) recognizable memorial. The Memorial would be incorporated in the Memorial park.

4) Take the “basket of incentives” that we were offering in our most recent RFP and in negotiations with Brass and offer them to the private land owners in that area of downtown. Let’s work to leverage this park and incentives to create the development we are working so hard to gain.

The goal various groups have been working for include maintaining public space, recognizing the Memorial dedicated years ago, and stimulating development. The Memorial Park concept can achieve these goals, probably with the least amount of controversy and public outcry.