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Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Discussion Thread


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Hey everybody!

 

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion. For pictures and videos of the park as well as past updates, see TPR's Park Index Page (coming soon).

 

Official Park Website

 

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

 

--Robb

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2010

October 7th, 2010 - Galveston Pier project announced by Landrys

 

2011

April 23rd, 2011 - Early Pier project concept art released!

October 27th, 2011 - Park website and Facebook page launched

October 28th, 2011 - Park teases new coaster with track photo

 

2012

January 18th, 2012 - Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier Construction Update

January 30th, 2012 - Ride names and park layout revealed

April 19th, 2012 - Park prepares for Memorial Day weekend opening

April 26th, 2012 - Pricing Announced

July 4th, 2012 - Galaxy Wheel is open

 

2013

March 25th, 2013 - Iron Shark POV videos posted!

 

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Original Post:

 

Park Website Link

 

 

Article from Galveston Daily News

 

As was announced yesterday, the not-so-beloved Flagship Hotel in Galveston is being torn down so Tilman Fertitta's Landry's Restaurants can build an amusement park on its pier.

 

Landry’s to demolish iconic Flagship Hotel

By Amanda Casanova

The Daily News

Published October 6, 2010

 

GALVESTON — The iconic Flagship Hotel, long neglected and more recently battered by Hurricane Ike, will be demolished if the city approves plans revealed Tuesday.

 

Landry’s Restaurants told the city planning commission it was abandoning plans to restore the historic hotel, the only one in Texas built on piers over the Gulf of Mexico, and would instead build an amusement park on the pier.

 

A year ago this month, the company said it would renovate the 225-room hotel and build an amusement park on the pier at 2501 Seawall Blvd.

 

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the company’s plans for the park.

 

Company officials originally agreed to spend $15 million on renovations to the 45-year-old hotel and add a Chart House restaurant to the building.

 

“The hotel structure just wasn’t conducive to renovate,” said Jeff Cantwell, senior vice president of development for Landry’s.

 

Landry’s bought the hotel from the city in 2005 for $500,000. It already was dilapidated and was mauled by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Landry’s had said it would consider selling, demolishing or restoring the hotel.

 

In a return to its roots, the pier will boast a double-decker carousel, a Ferris wheel and 1940s-style amusements similar to the attractions the pier featured when it was built in 1943.

 

The hotel was built in 1965 as a show of confidence after Hurricane Carla.

 

“I’m really glad you couldn’t do the hotel because this really looks nice,” Dominick Sasser, a member of the planning commission, said. “I think this has a lot of potential for Galveston.”

 

Once approved, the project is slated to take about 18 months and cost about $30 million.

 

“We just thought ‘what a great opportunity to restore this pier to its original glory,’” Cantwell said, adding the park will employ Galveston and area residents.

 

While mostly positive about the project, the panel did voice concerns about parking, which will be across the street adjacent to Fish Tales restaurant, also owned by Landry’s Restaurants.

 

The panel also recommended that Cantwell look into walkover access to the pier over Seawall Boulevard.

 

“We’re proposing to go explore that,” Cantwell said. “We’re prepared to carry the torch, but it wasn’t a condition for us to go forward on the pier.”

 

Plans and details of the park still are being discussed, Cantwell said.

 

Representatives from Landry’s will meet with city council at the end of October and in November with the zoning board.

 

If officials OK the plans, demolition and construction could begin by the end of the year, Cantwell said.

Edited by robbalvey
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It would be a small pier park but I'm sure Houston would welcome the park relatively nearby after losing Astroworld.

 

They've already got Kemah, but for a demographic that large I agree that another would be warmly welcomed.

 

Landry's also owns Kemah. I should have mentioned that in the lead post.

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  • 5 months later...

A Couple of weeks ago Landry's Restaurants, Inc. who own Kemah Beach and Boardwalk announced that they are going to be tearing down the Iconic flagship hotel in Galveston Texas to make way for a new amusement park over the Gulf of Mexico. The Flag ship is a hotel that was built in 1956 Ironically replacing a previous amusement park known as pleasure pier that had been damaged by a hurricane. The hotel was severely damaged by hurricane Ike in 2008 and has been closed since. Very little information has been made public but the construction application asks permission for a 225-foot ride although it dose not say what kind of ride it will be, demolition started last Monday. Personally I am very interested to see this develop in Galveston and hoping for more information in the future. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7975420

http://galvestondailynews.com/story/181598

galveston-flagship-hotel-surf.jpg.5b82339f49026ca3e8ff2bb2b9d5e0d4.jpg

Flag ship hotel before Hurricane Ike

images.jpg.906d8ee9f5a36da59d4291995c4a4b71.jpg

After

Edited by Stephen G
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  • 1 month later...

http://blog.galveston.com/what-to-do/coming-soon-galveston-island-historic-pleasure-pier/

 

With the demolition of the Flagship Hotel well underway, we thought you’d like to see a few of the artist’s concepts for the all-new GALVESTON ISLAND HISTORIC PLEASURE PIER. Please note: the information below was provided to Galveston.com by Landry’s and is subject to change.

 

In the late 40s, Galveston’s Pleasure Pier became king as the largest of its kind in the country.

 

Prior to the Great Storm of 1800, The City of Galveston stood as a stronghold of the Victoria Era of architecture (1825-1900). As a result of the storm, much of the great architecture was destoyed, but many of the jewels were spared and remain part of the rich Galveston architectural landscape.

 

The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier will bring guests back to that era with reminders of a more carefree lifestyle, and a time where art in the form of architecture played a strong part in the culture of the city.

 

Landry’s is proposing a magnificent renovation of the Pier. The renovation will turn the property into a world-class destination such as the Navy Pier in Chicago, and the Santa Monica Pier in Malibu, CA, and many others throughout the country.

 

The renovation will usher in a new generation of traditions with a first-class, nostagically-themed amusement park offering a variety of family-friendly attractions.

 

Much like Galveston’s Historic Electric Park, known as “The Coney Island of the South,” the Pier will offer attractions for all ages.

 

The new attractions will restore the historical element of The Pleasure Pier, become the premier Galveston Island destination for events, family outings, and sightseeing, transform the Pier with a nostagically-themed Ferris wheel, an old time double-decker carousel, and a new family-friendly amusement area. Amusements will bring back memories of the historic destination.

pleasurepier1.jpg.f0347e6917cb124da9db6690b6b492cb.jpg

pleasurepier2.jpg.14adc9c83be140b16450efa179c840c7.jpg

pleasurepier3.jpg.97b53558d0af657ca91cb90851e38ea6.jpg

pleasurepier4.jpg.6ba2a4151dbb172d3f1c33ca5ae35e8e.jpg

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I wonder how much insurance is on a place like this?

 

I mean, how do you go to your insurance company and say: "Look, a hurricane just destroyed the pier, but I want to put something nicer and more costly on that same pier."

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  • 6 months later...

Looks like the official website is up.

 

 

www.pleasure-pier.com/

 

 

There's also a facebook page.

 

www.facebook.com/pages/Galveston-Island-Historic-Pleasure-Pier/177272299004361?sk=wall

 

Looks like the Houston area will finally get another amusement park. However we still don't have a major one yet. Just two small ones from Laundry's.

 

Now if only Earthquest Adventures will break ground.

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^ If you look closely on the website, you can see the sillhouette of Incredible Hulk. So obviously that's what is going to be on the pier. Just kidding of course.

 

And I know right? Earthquest is taking forever. But I still feel pretty good about it's chances.

 

 

Also, thanks Johnychen for backing me up on the Greezed Lightning idea!

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With all the news recently about new parks proposed around the world, it's good to see something that has a good chance of actually working out. It's not Astroworld by any means, but combine this with Kemah Boardwalk, and I could see people making a day trip out of both parks.

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