[NIKKI]

Galveston Daily News
Feb. 9th
08:08 PM in Buzz
Flat-out interesting
Posted by Laura Elder

Should we file this under “P” for preposterous? Around the holidays, a rumor was floating that the Royal Family of Dubai was planning to buy roughly 600 acres known as the East End flats in Galveston.

What I dismissed as rumor went something like this: Members of the royal family wanted to go where no developer had gone before, investing millions and millions of dirhams just to stabilize land long used for dredge spoils.

The plan? Build a waterfront residential project massive enough to house 80,000 people. About 60,000 now call Galveston home, in case you're missing just what “massive” means.

Perhaps I was too hasty in dismissing the rumor.

City officials recently dispatched requests for information from potential developers. In Thursday's city council meeting, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said the city had received encouraging interest from developers, including some from Dubai.

Dubai's royal family has been in a $3 billion hotel-buying spree in the United States, according to reports. Apparently, money is no object for Dubai's ruling family. Members also have snapped up trophy properties around the United States. Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf.

Stay tuned.

http://galvestondailynews.com/blog.lasso?b...be34d234d8cd34f (http://galvestondailynews.com/blog.lasso?blog=fbe34d234d8cd34f)

[KevinFromTexas]

Egads. This is intriguing, but I'm cringing at the idea, though.

[Trae]

Galveston is really getting a lot of new things.

[TDoss]

Egads. This is intriguing, but I'm cringing at the idea, though.

Bar none - some of the most amazing and innovative development projects I have seen are taking place in Dubai. I am intrigued to at least hear what the vision is.

[KevinFromTexas]

Yes and no. While I am fascinated at the innovation of the projects in Dubai - world's tallest, first building to be over 2,000 feet tall, (has 162 floors), and another tower which will have the world's largest sun dial on the roof.

The designs are great, but it's almost too much, too fast. Galveston has always sort of been the premier urban coastal city in Texas, plus it has Houston behind it. So I guess if it had to happen somewhere in Texas, Galveston would be it. I just hope they stay true to Galveston's charm, history and style. That's really my only concern.

[TDoss]

Yes and no. While I am fascinated at the innovation of the projects in Dubai - world's tallest, first building to be over 2,000 feet tall, (has 162 floors), and another tower which will have the world's largest sun dial on the roof.

The designs are great, but it's almost too much, too fast. Galveston has always sort of been the premier urban coastal city in Texas, plus it has Houston behind it. So I guess if it had to happen somewhere in Texas, Galveston would be it. I just hope they stay true to Galveston's charm, history and style. That's really my only concern.

I don't know dude - if you get off of the beaten path in Galveston, things can get dicey really fast.

I have been in some section 8 housing neighborhoods that do NOT have a whole lot of "charm, history and style". My friend's family is actually involved with a philanthropic organization that buys and tears down crack houses.

If a Dubai developer is going to do a billion dollar project on a former sludge field, I don't know how you can look at that as anything but a positive.