Convention center approved with 5-2 vote

Mike Jackson · November 12, 2015

So exactly what is Rayzor Ranch? It looks like on the map is is the spot of land between Wal Mart on University and around where the hospital is?
So if it is located there, my question is why would you put it on the Oklahoma side of 35E? No one sees that side unless they are heading north.
Having the convention center located on the Dallas side of I35 near the entrance to the campus made so much more sense. We are trying to get rid of the Sack and Save and that notoriously ugly entrance issue.
I just don't get Denton sometimes. They seem pleased to have saved the money but at what cost? Now you have a convention center and hotel that is hidden away from the most visible part of the city... please convince me I am wrong about this.

UNT and the city of Denton do not work together. The residents of Denton do not embrace UNT like it is their university and key part of why the city is unique. As a Denton native and UNT graduate I have a unique perspective. I have NEVER felt in all my years in Denton the people of Denton loved UNT. There is a long history Denton residents, UNT and TWU being at odds with one another and it is a big part the reason our sports venues remain empty. Big things requiring the City of Denton and UNT to work together seem to never happen. The fact that there is a commuter train that goes through Denton and does not have a stop on campus almost criminal. Community support is almost just as important as alumni support. There are over 100k people living in the city limits of Denton and I believe 75% of them could care less about UNT or TWU and the remaining 25% only care minimally because they connected to the school in some way.

UNTLifer · November 12, 2015

First off, this is not going to be located near WalMart, nor on the "Oklahoma side" of I35 since there isn't one considering I35 runs north and south in that area. The convention center/hotel is to be located on the southwest corner of Razor Ranch, according to the DRC, which puts it near the hospital at I35 and Scripture. Second, this is not the worst part of Denton by a long shot. Third, if UNT wants a hotel/convention center near Apogee, not that big of a deal to me, then it should build it. Downtown near the train station and the new "entertainment district" makes the most sense, but I am not sur where that would be considering there is not a lot of available land down there.

Edited November 12, 2015 by UNTLifer

Cerebus · November 12, 2015

Rayzor Ranch will do better than most here think because of the next 10 years, not because of today. RR is right in the bullseye of where most of the residential development in and approximate to the current city limits will take place. RR isn't for people like me who live close by right now; it's for the thousands of likely future residents who will be settling in that area.

Hey look, someone with fore-site. I don't what Ryan has against Rayzor Ranch but it's eateries are packed every day even now and that place is going to be heavily used in the future. He also never mentions the new Guitar Center that just opened up, which if nothing else let me buy a used mini rec online and have it delivered there for free.

An area close to downtown, especially one close to the A-Train Station would have been amazing. The simple reality is that there's no single or adjacent parcels of land for sale in or near downtown to build a facility of this size.

The initial proposal I saw for the A-Train many years ago had it follow I35 right to Fouts Field, which would have been a great place to put the station. I think the current location is going to leave it under used for a very long time.

oldguystudent · November 12, 2015

The initial proposal I saw for the A-Train many years ago had it follow I35 right to Fouts Field, which would have been a great place to put the station. I think the current location is going to leave it under used for a very long time.

I think it's current location is fine. Easy access to downtown, the jazz festival, pretty much everything that ever goes on in Denton that isn't UNT football. I feel it's underused (including by yours truly) because it only runs every fourteenth Thursday of months ending in F exactly 7 minutes after the fiftieth hour, and NEVER ON SUNDAYS.

That and the stops between Denton and its terminus at, what, trinity mills? are all completely useless and not within walking distance of anything.

Censored by Laurie · November 12, 2015

There's a ton of land by Rubber Gloves and GDAC. In fact, land for the council's BS "event space" they're building there.

I'll pistol-whip anyone who proposes putting an effing convention center next to Rubber Gloves.

oldguystudent · November 12, 2015

I'll pistol-whip anyone who proposes putting an effing convention center next to Rubber Gloves.

But think of the entertainment in watching a bunch of Mary Kay conventioneers wandering in to Rubber Gloves.

Censored by Laurie · November 12, 2015

We've already killed Denton's grungy past, who cares anymore? Hailey's is closing. We've put fancy apartments next to Big Mike's and that sketch alley on Hickory.

a lot of "we" in this post.

pistol-whip.

Cerebus · November 12, 2015

Easy access to downtown, the jazz festival, pretty much everything that ever goes on in Denton that isn't UNT football.

Except, of course, for the tens of thousands who live off campus and have to commute to school every day. F anyone living south of the bridge amirite? The main day to day reasons people travel from outside Denton to Denton is 1) attending UNT, or 2) working at UNT.

Far more than the amount of people who come to the jazz festival or anything else Denton does.

oldguystudent · November 12, 2015

Except, of course, for the tens of thousands who live off campus and have to commute to school every day. F anyone living south of the bridge amirite? The main day to day reasons people travel from outside Denton to Denton is 1) attending UNT, or 2) working at UNT.
Far more than the amount of people who come to the jazz festival or anything else Denton does.

I don't have much of a rebuttal to this at all. I suppose there is good reason I'm not a civil engineer. Incidentally, I live south of the bridge, but F me for looking at it from my own perspective, eh?

Army of Dad · November 12, 2015

I'll pistol-whip anyone who proposes putting an effing convention center next to Rubber Gloves.

I was going to comment that a major convention center hotel might not fit in with the surrounding neighborhoods well.

But, where are you going to get a pistol?

Cerebus · November 12, 2015

but F me for looking at it from my own perspective, eh?

Finally you're getting my point.

GreenTexan13 · November 12, 2015

Also, have you been around loop288 during a weekend?

loop 288 is the epicenter of hell on a weekend.... You have to wait 15 minutes at each light to get through all the backed of traffic. And the stretch of road has pretty much all of Denton's red light cameras. I live in Corinth and gladly drive past the loop to go to Rayzor Ranch. I like the Ranch, but like some said before.. There isn't enough housing development over there. I use to live over in that area while I was a student, and back in that area is the older and less expensive housing.

Fry Guy · November 14, 2015

Help me out, what's the name of that strip club looking place with the palm trees out front. Rocky's? Awful.

Yeah, Rocky's. Classy joint.

Bad news Rocky's fans. That building currently serves as the existing site of the newly relocated Luigi's Italian Restaurant. The palm trees do, however, remain intact.