Help name Houston’s new city park!
by David Benzion · 08/22/2006 6:04 amCourtesy the Houston Chronicle:
When Houston’s new downtown park opens next year, most of its features — the dog run, the fountains, the pond — will bear the names of major donors.
But the park itself will not be named for any person. Instead, leaders of the nonprofit group developing the park decided to choose its name through a public contest that began Monday.
“We want Houstonians to feel like it is their park,” said Guy Hagstette, director of the Houston Downtown Park Conservancy, which is overseeing development of the $81 million, 12-acre park near the George R. Brown Convention Center.
The contest, which continues through 5 p.m. Sept. 18, is open to all U.S. residents. The winner will receive dinner for two at a new restaurant to open in the park, a framed political cartoon by Houston Chronicle cartoonist Nick Anderson and a collection of Houston Astros merchandise.
Hold on there big boy–you are telling me that someone is going to give away, for totally free…?
- Dinner for two at a new restaurant
- A framed [framed!] political cartoon by Houston Chronicle cartoonist Nick Anderson
- A “collection” of Houston Astros “merchandise”
Holy Crap. That stuff must be worth… worth… jeez, I hesitate to even try to put a price tag on it. But it must be worth a lot. The downtown bigwigs surely must think our opinions are important if they are throwing around some serious Bling like that.
Well, we want the Bling, and the solution is simple–LoneStarTimes.com is going to hold its own naming contest, settle on a single candidate, submit that name, and then motivate our vast readership in support of our nominee.
Just to be clear–the rules dictate that the park will actually be named not by a public vote, but by the branding-professionals and downtown heavyweights behind the project. So “motivate our vast readership in support of our nominee” simply means we are going to ask all of you to harass the folks who actually wield some power in this matter until they are beaten into submission.
Potential donors responded eagerly when the first letters offering to sell naming rights to various park amenities went out in May, she said.
“We could have sold the rose garden 10 times, [said Nancy Kinder, the conservancy's board chairwoman].”
Heh. Someone should introduce her to the pro’s down at the Jewish National Fund. [Inside joke for Members of the Tribe.]
Anywho, here are some criteria they’d like you to try to keep in mind–”the winning name may be selected based on criteria such as…”
- Reflecting the spirit and uniqueness of the Park
- Positioning the Park and its amenities in the minds of Houstonians and visitors
- Marketing and branding potential
- Representative of Houston’s diverse history and communities
- Distinctiveness from a regional standpoint
- Ability to lend itself as an easy-to-remember Web address
- Having some historic or geographic basis
Here’s the park’s site plan, in case you actually want to try to look at the thing when coming up with your name.
So COME ON LST readers–our very own Nick Anderson political cartoon is within our grasp!
I’ll get the ball rolling by putting forth my first two submissions.
- World Class Park
- The Lee P. Brown Center for Calmness and Serenity
Suggestions are only official when you add them to our poll.
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22 Responses to “Help name Houston’s new city park!”Search
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if they run the toy train by it - call it the “metro boondogle”
if not “your tax dollars at work and wasted”
either way it tells the truth!
K.I.S.S.! If the director of the park want’s houstonian’s to feel like it’s their park then the thing should be called “OUR PARK”.
How ’bout “The green money belt”
“Habitat for the Homeless”
Allow me to submit my “Top Ten” names for this park:
1) (Corporate Name) Park
2) Tourist Trap Park
3) Out Of Town Brown Park
4) Taxpayer Park
5) Metro Rail Line Park
6) Protest Site Park
7) Illegal Alien Park
9) Muggar’s Park
10) Women of the Night Park
See if you like any of these!!!!
Graffitti City Park.
heroin nights park
Lonestar Park
“Where’d my parking space go? Park”
People’s Perfect Puppy Poopie Park
Only $6,750,000 an Acre Park
W O P F Park (Waste of Public Funds)
“Pork Park”
Okay, try these!! My next “Top Ten” names for this new park:
1) Eminent Domain Park
2) “Are We A World Class City Yet” Park
3) Sports Authority Park
4) Money Pit Park
5) Rip Off Park
6) Loiter Park
7) Expensive Real Estate Park
9) Landfill Park
10) Retention Pond Park
See if you like any of these!!
And watch the spenders downtown talk about how they don’t have enough money to fund public safety!
Katrina Park
second place is TWO framed Nick Anderson cartoons. bah-dum-dum.
I always wondered what happened to Nick Anderson after he bricked those free throws for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals…
Only a Nick Anderson cartoon? They’ll have to do better than that. I won’t be satisfied until they give me an anti-death penalty grim reaper from the old C.P. Houston clipart file. No reaper, no peace.
For the name I have to concur wit either “World Class Park” or “Katrina Park” from #14.
How about:
“Mayor McWhiFi’s Taxpayer Playland”
You must be at least this tall to be taken for a ride. Houston thank$ you for your patronage.
Amost whirled class park.
I have two ideas in light of the most likely use of the park…
Scent-ral Park
Urination Station
Not a Walk in the Park
Panhandler Park
Shot in the Park
Park’n Pay
El Parko Lee
Safe Clear Park
Park ‘n Hide
Ok, here’s mine.
HUD Park. Helping to put a bandaid on poverty for 50 years.
or
BOHICA Park
(ask a service man if you don’t get this one)