* Make the land available at fair market value. No $1 deals!

* Set aside sigificant nature and park reserve.

* develope within the existing height and density ordinance.

* coordinate with and develope in cooperation with UTMB

* mixed use

* other than that, let "the Donald" bring it on

Carpe Diem

— By robert strevell on Oct. 14 at 7:00 PM

In other words, do nothing...

With restrictions like that, why would I or any developer care to try with the development problems that already exist with the land.

Pure fantasy Mr. Strevell.

Best Regards,

Mark

— By Mark Wyant on Oct. 14 at 7:50 PM

The above attitude of a developer says it all. They aren't concerned with the integrity of the island or what it's majority of tax paying citizens want for the future of the island.

Rainy

— By Rainy Brown on Oct. 14 at 8:37 PM

Do nothing for the next year or two - hold off until the Ike Dike study is complete, and we'll probably have an approved protection plan.
That will make the East End Flats incredibility more valuable, and the city will get a much better mixed-use project to benefit everyone.

— By Jackie Friedman on Oct. 14 at 9:23 PM

No No---Let the Donald have it for a buck, then buy the infrastructure from him to minimize his investment. Maybe the "Wicked Witches of the Isle" will get a little extra $$ on the side.

— By Don Ray on Oct. 14 at 11:50 PM

I'm waiting for the EPA to decide that the material dumped there in the early 1900s constitutes a toxic waste dump, and therefore it becomes a Superfund site.

In any event; all Galveston can do is argue argue argue. No action is ever taken. Councilwoman Beeton has proven herself a master of in-action -- instead of working constructively with what we have, she insists on arguing everything to a standstill. I appreciate that she's looking at things critically, but politics is politics -- there has to be give and take (its the nature of the beast).

The East End flats will remain that...empty flats....nobody in our lifetime will live to see anything beyond petty arguing over dotting "Is" and crossing "Ts".

— By J. Garcia on Oct. 15 at 12:21 AM

Does anybody know if Trump's Chicago and Las Vegas highrises were able to roll their notes? Both properties were teetering on bankruptcy earlier this year.

Fertitta and Trump? Hmmm. Casino?

Carpe Diem

— By robert strevell on Oct. 15 at 7:44 AM

Yes, Rainy, we are ONLY concerned about profits. We are the big bad boogeymen who have to be stopped. By the way, who "developed" your home you live in the the place you work at? Kind of glad they did huh? Did they do it without the potential for profit?

Development restrictions such as the ones suggested above would only remove the possibility of anyone actually doing anything (which I understand is your intent) and it staying a huge dump.

Galveston needs money pumped into it, not ongoing obstructionism such as that purported by you and your ilk.

Dance the same dance, get the same result. Or do you like the way Galveston looks today compared to other historic cities such as Charleston, Savannah, etc?

— By Mark Wyant on Oct. 15 at 8:13 AM

I like the idea of doing nothing with it. Let's clean up the land that has already been developed first. Start with a large number of the buildings on 71st and work east.

— By Susan G. on Oct. 15 at 8:17 AM

the fed will never give up the land...to valuable as a disposal site

— By chris rossi on Oct. 15 at 9:05 AM

Sounds like Rainy belongs to the "I've got mine and I don't want anyone else to share it" group.I'm sure the folks already here didn't want you either.If we stop developement where are people supposed to go?Oh I forgot,anywhere but here.

— By Joel Martin on Oct. 15 at 10:38 AM

I guess I am naive and may live in fantasy land, but my bench mark on this whole "devloper" deal is a friend up in Houston who got into into residential real estate developement a number of years ago. He bought land at fair market. Built the streets and drainage out of his pocket. Sold lots or built them out himself. Gave the streets and improvements to Harris County. No TIRZ. No borrowed money. He just included the cost of the improvements in his business plan.

He now builds in India, Croatia, and New Zealand. All cash deals. No government rebates. He does the improvements on his own nickle.

And he is making a ton of money.

The reason I bring him up is that he is a successful self made developer who did it without borrowed money and city handouts and special deals. If the deal didn't make ecomomic sense, he didn't do it.

So my take based on the only international developer I know who started with nothing is that if need to borrow, you need government handouts, you special incentives the deal doesn't make sense to begin with or you are all hat and no cows.

The East End Flats in fact may make no economic sense to develope. If developement does make sense than somebody with real money will do it.

Carpe Diem

— By robert strevell on Oct. 15 at 10:51 AM

Given what we now know about building at or below sea level, it seems like the best use for most of that property is non-residential. A park and nature preserve, with mixed-use development on the higher ground along the edge would be great. NO CASINOS!

— By Sandy Beach on Oct. 15 at 10:57 AM

Having left Galveston 10 years ago I can now sit back and laugh at the usual Galveston gossip.

Nothing will ever change. The usual crowd will run the town to suit themselves and the ordinary folk can learn to like it or leave it. Personally, I am very happy we chose the latter.

— By Bill Tolle on Oct. 15 at 3:38 PM

You're making the right point Robert. I don't care who owns/develops/sells the east end flats. I just don't want the city to make me invest my hard earned money on infrastructure costs. It seems the city council volunteers the helpless resident taxpayer for everything under the sun, and we pay pay pay.

The Wicked Witches of the Isle are at it again.

— By Don Ray on Oct. 15 at 3:39 PM

Developers are the ones who have fought against preservation and protection of our wetlands, dunes, and the residents and tax payers island wide are doing with less for years due to the TIRZs. Development is fine, if done in a responsible manner that considers the integrity of the Island first and pays their own way.

As for my home, the developer did not get any city help. As a matter of fact he made numerous trips to the beach to stop a new developer from illegal posting bollards several times across the beach to shut the public out. And as for my home, the first owner built it himself.

I believe the people on this island deserve a great park. Better yet, combine it with an entertainment venue that would bring in city revenue. Let the city brainstorm and come up with something that would benefit the island's people and create a lot of jobs. There has just got to be much more to life here than hotels and condos for visitors. It should definitely be something that creates jobs, and not just making beds.

I am not against all development but I am against any that require a TIRZ or those that infringe upon our wetlands and dunes and the public citizens access to beach or bay. I am also against any development that doesn't take into full consideration the existing neighborhoods that they will border. If developers didn't fight doing the right thing for the community we could all get along much better.

I didn't mention profits-- you did!


Rainy

— By Rainy Brown on Oct. 15 at 3:45 PM

Yes Mark, Rainy is right. If you weren't in it for the money you wouldn't be in it. Times have changed, citizens of the Island are tired of making developers and realtors wealthy after being taxed for every project the crooks on the council vote for. Get your hands out of their back pockets and support yourselves and we won't care what you do.

— By Don Ray on Oct. 15 at 3:47 PM

Rainy and Don-

Incredible. Your socialism is showing through. Every person that has ever done any construction on this island of ours has done it with the profit motive in mind (with the exception of the government and we all know what a mess they make of economic development) As to your "back pocket" Don think things through please. A TIF merely reimburses a developer for infrastructure IMPROVEMENTS to an area with the INCREASED taxes resulting from his PRIVATE development. Get it? NO Improvements - NO taxes =status quo. The money is just not going to another area for the local government to spend. NONE of this comes out of your pocket - but you DO get the infrastructure if the development happens.

As to me, I purchased a derelict building, razed it and created 2-300 grand per year in new taxes for you. So don't preach to me - I send more to the city than the both of you!

— By Mark Wyant on Oct. 16 at 8:33 AM

By the way Rainy, exactly what areas do the East End flats "infringe" upon LOL?

— By Mark Wyant on Oct. 16 at 8:35 AM

600 acres at the end of our island across the road from the only self-accreting beach we have and the most expensive condos and Beachtown? Now what could that be worth? More every day it is available and it is simply nuts that the City hasnt gotten title to it already. or wants to give it to a developer or sell it. It is a treasure for the citizens.

Ask the Corps to sign it over so we can turn it into our own Key West destination area. With trolley access and pedestrian and non-motorized pathways. Fill it with tiny, funky little cottages (google the Neshoba County Fair, Ms) and let people use them for studios, galleries, temporary residences for artists, musicians, writers and Americorp or other volunteers here to better the island or study the ecology. Dedicate part of it to the fishing and shrimping folks and have restaurants and markets like Fishermans wharf in San Francisco and turn the whole place into a garden with some set aside to raise food and a farmers market.
Allow only enough concrete to stabilize the ground and the only permanent structure to be a raised and glorious shade area that could be used for concerts and contain public restrooms and showers and seating to observe the rest of the area and water views.
Collect taxes on the rest of the island from non-resident condo owners and beach house builders and the long timers that already pony up yearly for crumbling infrastructure and poor management. Give us one place that isnt about greed and profit and speaks of joy and culture and life affirming relief from the daily everyday grind. What a crazy folly.

Come on you grant writers, naturalism, art, eco-friendly, learning and horticultural wonderland, go.

— By rosemary foote on Oct. 20 at 7:20 PM