Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

New Park in Houston Area (Grand Texas Theme Park)


Recommended Posts

In other words, there's basically nothing to photograph as far as theme park construction at this point. The only construction photos I've seen thus far have been basic land-clearing/bulldozing, presumably for the sports complex.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drove by the site today on my way home from SFOT. There really isn't much to see from the road but a portable building, a sign and a mailbox. To many trees to really see if they are working in the back of the property. I've heard that October might be when we will see a lot of work started but don't quote me on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://abc13.com/family/grand-texas-theme-park-set-to-open-in-2015/208990/

 

It's called Grand Texas, and if the plans are any indication, the new park in Montgomery County will live up to its name.

 

We first told you last year about developers' plan for a Texas themed amusement park in Montgomery County at Highway 59 and SH 242.

 

We now know the tentative opening date for the water park component is Memorial Day 2015. Plans are to open the amusement park, with designs for five roller coasters, around Memorial Day 2016.

 

Right now $40 million worth of infrastructure is in the early stages of installation.

 

The more than 600-acre venue will also include a motorsports park, a sports park with fields for baseball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and seven on seven football, an RV park, along with hotels and restaurants.

 

"We are opening the project in phases," says Monty Galland, the project's developer, "and we have plenty of room for expansion."

 

Galland says their studies indicate that the complex will ultimately have the capacity for 3 million visitors a year, drawing from local, tourists, and participants in the athletic tournaments they exec to host at the sports complex.

 

The sports complex and motorsports park are expected to open in the Spring of 2015.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why Grand Texas won’t be another Six Flags

 

 

 

The initial plan for Grand Texas Theme Park in New Caney.

 

Enlarge Photo

 

Courtesy Monty Galland

 

Grand Texas will include a 30-acre ranch to educate families and school groups about farming and Texas history.

 

""

 

Jenny Agee-AldridgeReporter-Houston Business JournalEmail  |  Twitter

 

While Grand Texas, which is under development northeast of Houston, will include the usual zooming loop-de-loops, it will also focus on slower-paced attractions.

 

“Although it will still have some thrill-oriented rides, Grand Texas will focus on entertainment for the whole family,” said developer Monty Galland. “It’s not going to be another Six Flags.”

 

Plans call for 300,000 square feet of dining and entertainment space that will include a bowling alley, movie theater and a family-entertainment complex, similar in style to Dave & Buster's. The park will also include a 30-acre ranch to educate families and school groups about farming and Texas history, with hands-on experiences as well as play areas and a petting zoo. There will also be several miles of trails for horseback riding, stagecoach rides and an indoor horse arena for demonstrations and shows.

 

“You can find some of those same sorts of attractions at Six Flags, but we are much more like Silver Dollar City or Dollywood,” Galland said.

 

The Woodlands-based Palmetto Racing and Utah-based Miller Performance USA recently announced they are working on a new attraction for the venue: Motorsportz at Grand Texas. It will include nearly two miles of track for motorsports activities for both public and private use.

 

The complex will also include five hotels for a total of 860 rooms with construction beginning in the fall on the first hotel, which will have 242 rooms. The first hotel will be situated on 2.2 acres located at the park’s Hospitality Village across the street from the Motorsportz complex.

 

Many other components of the Grand Texas Sports and Entertainment District are scheduled to break ground this summer and fall, as well.

 

 

 

Jenny Agee-Aldridge covers commercial real estate and retail for the Houston Business Journal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why Grand Texas won’t be another Six Flags

“Although it will still have some thrill-oriented rides, Grand Texas will focus on entertainment for the whole family,” said developer Monty Galland. “It’s not going to be another Six Flags.”

“You can find some of those same sorts of attractions at Six Flags, but we are much more like Silver Dollar City or Dollywood,” Galland said.

 

Yup. Just confirming what I said in the Six Flags Development thread about how Six Flags has spoiled the concept of amusement parks in the public's mind and how new developers have to fight against it. It's all about providing an all-around wholesome and worthwhile experience, not sucker punching guests with hidden costs and making no effort to actually help people have fun. I'm so glad they're modeling themselves after HFEC properties instead of going for the low-hanging fruit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

So with the water park to be open next spring could we see more parks in Texas invest in there water parks I know splashdown invested money this year to there park but what about next year, I just hope we can see some water renderings on what we're getting .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
Why Grand Texas won’t be another Six Flags

“Although it will still have some thrill-oriented rides, Grand Texas will focus on entertainment for the whole family,” said developer Monty Galland. “It’s not going to be another Six Flags.”

“You can find some of those same sorts of attractions at Six Flags, but we are much more like Silver Dollar City or Dollywood,” Galland said.

 

Yup. Just confirming what I said in the Six Flags Development thread about how Six Flags has spoiled the concept of amusement parks in the public's mind and how new developers have to fight against it. It's all about providing an all-around wholesome and worthwhile experience, not sucker punching guests with hidden costs and making no effort to actually help people have fun. I'm so glad they're modeling themselves after HFEC properties instead of going for the low-hanging fruit.

 

I think you're over-reading. Six Flags has positioned themselves as a place to ride rides and maybe do a few other things. That's the differentiation Galland is trying to make. For what it's worth, SDC and etc are attempting to make inroads in the opposite direction too--I'm one of the people they're after, who wouldn't even consider SDC or Dollywood unless they up the thrill quotient.

 

The Flags circlejerk here is exhausting sometimes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why Grand Texas won’t be another Six Flags

“Although it will still have some thrill-oriented rides, Grand Texas will focus on entertainment for the whole family,” said developer Monty Galland. “It’s not going to be another Six Flags.”

“You can find some of those same sorts of attractions at Six Flags, but we are much more like Silver Dollar City or Dollywood,” Galland said.

 

Yup. Just confirming what I said in the Six Flags Development thread about how Six Flags has spoiled the concept of amusement parks in the public's mind and how new developers have to fight against it. It's all about providing an all-around wholesome and worthwhile experience, not sucker punching guests with hidden costs and making no effort to actually help people have fun. I'm so glad they're modeling themselves after HFEC properties instead of going for the low-hanging fruit.

If parks are all like SDC, actually I would miss something like SF parks. Herschend parks and SF parks are both needed for the market. Sure SDC has Outlaw Run that the majority of Six Flags rides cannot compete with, but Six Flags can put huge new coasters year after year because they can put nearly all the money into buying new rides. With the amount of theming on Outlaw Run, I think SDC can buy two naked RMC coasters in three years. Texas currently has two SF parks but no SDC level park so that's what the state needs.

 

Now what the world doesn't need is Happy Valley park.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

By Jennifer Summer | Updated 20 hours ago

 

Residents and passersby may see bulldozers and heavy equipment finally turning dirt starting next week where the Grand Texas Entertainment District will call home on State Highway 242 in New Caney.

 

Though they officially closed on the land where a water park, theme park with roller coasters, sports fields, a stadium and sports arena are planned, they recently closed the deal on the parcel of land where the RV park is set to be situated on Sept. 17.

 

According to information presented by Monty Galland, chief executive officer for the Grand Texas Entertainment District, they plan to have crews on the site as early as Monday, Sept. 22, beginning to work on infrastructure and aspects of the RV park.

 

“People always ask me, ‘Why have I not seen any activity at the site?’ That has been the most frequently asked question,” Galland said at Greater East Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo on Sept. 18. “I have been working at the site for the past two months. We were supposed to close on the land for our RV Park on July 19 but was delayed due to work on the site. It just closed Sept. 17.

 

“On Monday, we hope passersby and residents can expect to see excavators, bulldozers and other heavy equipment. We are very excited about moving forward.”

 

The Grand Texas Theme Park is the anchor of the 610 acre park set to be located at the intersection of Hwy. 242 and U.S. Highway 59. They hope to have it open by spring/summer of 2016.

 

The traffic plan for the Grand Texas Entertainment District has drivers making a U-turn at the Creekwood Drive intersection and driving back south toward the park where there will be an access road off of the Hwy. 59 feeder road. The developers want to keep as much traffic off of Hwy. 242 as possible.

 

Set to open Memorial Day weekend of 2015, Big Rivers Waterpark is a 40-acre water park that will be reminiscent of an 18th-century fishing village that harkens back to some of Texas’ most famous rivers.

 

“My contractors continue to assure me the Big Rivers Waterpark will be open for guests Memorial Day weekend,” Galland said.

 

The Grand Texas Sportsplex will include 90 acres of baseball, softball and soccer fields for tournament play which they expect will be the biggest draw to the area with an expected 1.4 million visitors per year. They expect for this to be open for play starting in spring of 2015.

 

There will also be the East Montgomery County Stadium which could house a minor league baseball team and hockey that is expected to be open in May 2016 and an event center expected to be open in October 2016.

 

Additionally, the Speedsportz at Grand Texas, formerly Motorsportz, will be managed by an outside company; it is expected to be open in spring of 2015.

 

Speedzportz at Grand Texas will include almost two miles of track for a combination of super karts that reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour; test-track operations for sports cars; high performance driving schools; as well as more traditional karting and other motorsports activities.

 

“What impressed me about this site is all of the development in the area,” Galland said. “One of the things we looked at are the traffic counts. On a daily basis, there are 89,000 drivers per day who drive on Hwy. 59 in this particular area. Through the Texas Department of Transportation, they estimate there will be around 225,000 drivers on this same stretch of freeway in 2035. It will come faster than you think.

 

“Our goal is to build a state-of-the-art attraction for the next 30 years while at the same time making sure we don’t have to tear something down to continue with the additions.”

 

For more information on Grand Texas Sports and Entertainment, contact Monty Galland at monty@grandtx.com or visit www.grandtx.com.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Newest update from Grand Texas Facebook (it's been a while since they posted anything)

 

Thank you everyone for your patience!

 

We just closed on the RV Resort and Campground site at Grand Texas. This will be the premier RV destination in Houston.

Unfortunately, the loan required that we cease construction until it funded which is why the site has been so quiet lately. Thanks to Members Choice Credit Union's successful closing on the RV Resort and Campground we are able to begin infrastructure improvements once more!

 

We're one step closer to Opening Day!

 

I know we don't care about the RV park but any construction going on will be something. At least Grand Texas is being active the last few days. Of course with all the rain we've been getting, that will push back construction even more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, that is interesting news, plus it also explains why there haven't been any activity on the site.

 

But the part that read "We have closed on the deal" means that this is happening!!!

 

If you all can make this work, then not only Houston would be thankful, but also all the riders and amusement park flyers who have been avoiding this city for all those years.

 

But I must leave you with this - Just like Texas once had the saying "Remember the Alamo!", I think Houston should have their own saying: "Remember Hard Rock Park!" I don't want to GET BURNT AGAIN!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Not Texan, but I'm not too antsy yet. I watch a ton of development projects, and the bigger they are the more back-and-forth there is. From everything I've heard, things are still chugging along, albeit slowly. I want the water park to get off the ground, but even if it gets delayed another year it's not the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Their facebook is being regularly updated -> https://www.facebook.com/GrandTexas

There's a recent shot of major clearing going on for the RV park, and some of the attractions people went to IAAPA.

 

You really just have to be patient. It might be sometime between 2018-2020 before the park actually opens, but that's just the way things are and always has been. The FB page is so annoying with all the "enthusiast" kids posting in anguish every day about how they think the park will never open, or whining because the project isn't revealing every up-to-the-minute detail of their planning. Patience children, at least construction is happening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The FB page is so annoying with all the "enthusiast" kids posting in anguish every day about how they think the park will never open, or whining because the project isn't revealing every up-to-the-minute detail of their planning. Patience children, at least construction is happening.

 

I could not agree with you more on this. When the park is ready to announce things they will. At least they are clearing land and moving dirt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/