TWS on last leg

[kbrewmr2]

hopefully some of the city council isn't big on knocking out the only real non-university related reason to ever visit the city.

[Rob Liebbe]

hopefully some of the city council isn't big on knocking out the only real non-university related reason to ever visit the city.

Café Capri, The "Dirty Sock" and the George Bush Presidential Library are at least three other reasons.

[kbrewmr2]

I can come up with a longer list for a lame place like Tomball, TX....

(full disclosure - Tomball HS Class of 2000 here)

[Pranav]

You, just like everyone else, just don't get what it means to be an Aggie.

That being said after having graduated from A&M I only go back for TWS and Caffe Capri. Never was a sports fan and outgrew most of what I used to do in that town a long time ago.

[AllZWay]

hopefully some of the city council isn't big on knocking out the only real non-university related reason to ever visit the city.

So true... if not for TWS... and Cafe Capri as result of the banquet... I would never visit College Station.

[Pranav]

From the TWS FB page:

Tap the brakes on the rumor mill!

A recent news report shows a redevelopment plan for the property on which TWS sits. Rumors are flying fast and furious, and there are even "Save TWS" petitions roaming the interwebs.

First, let it be known that the management at TWS loves this track as much or more than anyone. No one spends this much time and effort, often 7 days a week, on something they don't care about. That said, the property was purchased several years ago and the owners made no misrepresentations about their intentions. They are real estate investors, not motorsports facility operators. There was an ongoing attempt to sell the property, and an IPO to clubs and racers, and no one in the motorsports world seemed to be interested.

Now the owners have filed a redevelopment plan for the property so that, at some point in the future, the property can be repurposed for residential and other uses. Keep three things in mind:
1. That is the eventual fate of TWS, regardless of who owns it. College Station is a high growth area and is moving South. At some point in the future, TWS will be no more.
2. This is an eventuality that most of us understood, but none of us knew, or know the exact timeframe of.
3. It's only a plan that shows the owners intentions. As some of you know, there are a number of hoops to jump through between the first plan and breaking ground.

So what does this mean for the racing community? Right now, not much. We know what we've always known - TWS could be sold or redeveloped at any time. So nothing really changes for the ongoing operation of the track. All contracts will be honored, and unless track management is instructed otherwise, we will start writing 2015 contracts in the Fall. Improvements will continue.

The owners will let us know months in advance of anything that will impact speedway operations, so no one will be surprised or left holding the bag, whether it's 18 months or 5 years down the road.

Until then, it's business as usual here.

The real problem here is all of this federal money being pumped into university programs and this notion that everyone has to go to college to succeed in life. Cut federal money, teach universities how to price their tuition against an open market with less bloat, and funnel everyone going for less than an engineering/science/hard degree into trade schools. Less people will go to A&M and drive up demand for housing and tuition.

In the end the sprawl that will eventually consume TWS will be stopped and in 30+ years from now whatever kids I pop out can actually afford to go to college; at this rate I'm sure a 4 year ride would cost a few hundred grand...

[kbrewmr2]

wonder if they'll still want to ding every vehicle that comes in $5 for the capital improvement fund

[Pranav]

Have Dave SUPER BOLD AND HIGHLIGHT the "do not harass gateworker about $5 fee" note on the welcome letter.

Poor guys up front are just there to make some side cash, they don't need anymore shit from us and what we read on the internet.

Also leave your dogs at home and don't complain about the restrooms.

[kbrewmr2]

I'd happily continue to pay it if I knew it was going to improve the facility instead of lining the ownership group's pockets. If teardown starts 1/1/2015, what do you think that $5 you give them this coming April will go to?

That's just me though...

[Pranav]

Be sure to bring it up to track mgmt in person, after you pay the $5 fee to get in to talk to them.