DogTown Parks
Donation protected
Situation - The Dog Park
How do you feel about your regular dog park? When it's time to take your furry buddy to exercise and socialize, do you get excited too? At DogTown Parks, we're looking to make sure the answer is a resounding YES! We want to change the way pet parents think about time spent with their furry kids. You should look forward to getting your kids out of the house to blow off some steam!
Sshhhh, don't say that too loud. Mere whispers of DogTown (DT) are sure to send your four-legged friend into a howl of excitement once they've been there.
Mission
DogTown is a revolutionary take on the dog park. It's more of a recreational facility than a typical dog park. DogTown is separated into 5 functional areas, which are individual parks designed for pure enjoyment. These are Free Play (dry), Water Play (wet), two Agility parks*, and a set of Obedience Training Lanes. The Free Play park will be separated for small and large dog sizes. Accompanying the fun and excitement are next-level dog wash stations, an education center, and a shop. We're packing all this bliss into a 5-acre plot in the heart of Houston!
A quick snapshot of the park details can be found at the bottom.
Execution
DogTown will come into existence in phases.
Phase 1) Marketing, Promotion and Funding (GoFundMe)
Phase 2) Land Purchase, Design, Permitting
Phase 3) Construct Free Play park, Wash Stations, Shop and Ed Center
Phase 4) Construct Water Play park and Splashpad
Phase 5) Construct Agility Practice park and Obedience Training Lanes
Phase 6) Construct Agility Training park*
Phase 7) Continuous Improvement
Costs
-Real Estate
As the nation's 4th largest city, real estate in Houston comes at a true premium. The cost of 5 acres inside the loop is the brunt of DogTown's funding requirement. We have earmarked two locations inside the loop as possible landing zones for DogTown. Both of these locations have price tags above 1 million dollars. In order to serve the greatest number of pups in the city, and to make our fun zone centrally located, this premium pricing cannot be avoided. We want to make it easy and convenient for all pet parents to bring their kids to have the time of their life.
-Construction
We offer an experience, with a side of destination. Elegance and style are imperative to the overall feel of the park. To accomplish this, we select high quality building materials, and place a heavy focus on functionality and design. These things require a more significant investment than low-grade alternatives. The difference between chain-link fence and wrought iron is significant, both in terms of cost and appeal. When faced with the tough choice between dollars and beauty, we will always choose beauty.
-Personnel
DogTown will require a team of personnel to operate. From the cashiers enrolling your pups, to the Poop Patrol, all of them will need to be paid. Beyond their hourly salary, the company must also keep an amount of funds available to continue to pay those employees. Also, personnel will require training, uniforms, etc. as part of the whole employee package.
-The Unforeseen
Every business has stories about The Unforeseen. These are the things that cannot be designed into the build plan, such as municipal ordinance changes, extreme weather events, contract breaches, etc. As a point of prudence, DogTown Parks will maintain a buffer to ensure business continuity in the event of The Unforeseen.
Risks and Challenges
~Landing in Houston
As previously stated, land is sold at significant cost in Houston, particularly within The Loop. It is possible that DogTown could get locked in a bidding war over property. If this happens, it is likely the developer with deep pockets will win, and DT will have to move to a different location. Several sites have been researched immediately outside The Loop, though we will do our best to avoid this.
~Regulations and Ordinances
Nothing like DogTown currently exists. That means that there is likely no precedent set in law, or ordinance in place to govern such a thing. As with many of the other revolutionary service companies recently birthed, DT will likely be subject to municipal scrutiny, and new laws will be enacted around it. It is also possible that DT will have to fight for its rights (and yours!) in court. This could significantly delay the arrival of DT, and perhaps drive us out of business. Look for updates in our newsletter for ways you can help in these situations.
~Design and Execution
DogTown Parks has a few sites to choose from, but all of them are different. They are different sizes, shapes, terrains, etc. All of them present their own design challenges. This means that the park design and layout cannot be finalized until the land is purchased. Though there is an overall vision for DT, the park could expand or contract, or change shape entirely depending on where it lands. Modifications to the design after purchase are inevitable, but will mean a delay between purchase and breaking of ground.
------------------------------------------------------------------
.*-We Believe in Democracy-*.
We're strong on community. We believe that the best ideas are developed when people work together for the common good. That's why we chose crowd-funding over traditional forms of investment. The power of the purse resides with The People.
Because of our strong belief in the power of The People, we've decided to give YOU the opportunity to decide what your future favorite dog park holds. DogTown Parks will be holding a design competition for the Free Play park! The winner of this competition will see their dreams become reality, and receive a life-time platinum membership to DogTown to boot! More information on the design competition will be posted on our website once we meet our funding goal. Get the word out!
Park Details (More available on our website )
Dry Park
*Slides *Tunnels
*Hills *Confidence Course
*Nature Walk *Landscaping
*Lured Run *Elevated Walks
Water Park
*Dock jump *Slides
*Beach entry *Clean water
*Islands *Splash Pad
*Artificial Turf
Agility Parks
*Regulation Obstacles
*Artificial Turf
*Practice Park Open to Public
*Stadium Seating
Training Lanes
*Divided by Skill Level
*Isolated Environment
*Stylish and Comfortable
*Featured Pups Wall
Education Center
*Hosts Guest Speakers
*Provides DIY Workshops
*Supplies Training Materials
*Take Classes
*Hosts Special Events
Shop
*Rent Safety Equipment
*Rent/Buy Toys
*Buy Swag and Goodies
*DogTown's second agility park will be a stadium design. This will be the Agility Training park. The intent is to create a place in Houston to host dog sports. Currently, this does not exist. This has the potential to bring significant tourism and enterprise to Houston.
How do you feel about your regular dog park? When it's time to take your furry buddy to exercise and socialize, do you get excited too? At DogTown Parks, we're looking to make sure the answer is a resounding YES! We want to change the way pet parents think about time spent with their furry kids. You should look forward to getting your kids out of the house to blow off some steam!Sshhhh, don't say that too loud. Mere whispers of DogTown (DT) are sure to send your four-legged friend into a howl of excitement once they've been there.
Mission
DogTown is a revolutionary take on the dog park. It's more of a recreational facility than a typical dog park. DogTown is separated into 5 functional areas, which are individual parks designed for pure enjoyment. These are Free Play (dry), Water Play (wet), two Agility parks*, and a set of Obedience Training Lanes. The Free Play park will be separated for small and large dog sizes. Accompanying the fun and excitement are next-level dog wash stations, an education center, and a shop. We're packing all this bliss into a 5-acre plot in the heart of Houston!
A quick snapshot of the park details can be found at the bottom.
Execution
DogTown will come into existence in phases.
Phase 1) Marketing, Promotion and Funding (GoFundMe)
Phase 2) Land Purchase, Design, Permitting
Phase 3) Construct Free Play park, Wash Stations, Shop and Ed Center
Phase 4) Construct Water Play park and Splashpad
Phase 5) Construct Agility Practice park and Obedience Training Lanes
Phase 6) Construct Agility Training park*
Phase 7) Continuous Improvement
Costs
-Real Estate As the nation's 4th largest city, real estate in Houston comes at a true premium. The cost of 5 acres inside the loop is the brunt of DogTown's funding requirement. We have earmarked two locations inside the loop as possible landing zones for DogTown. Both of these locations have price tags above 1 million dollars. In order to serve the greatest number of pups in the city, and to make our fun zone centrally located, this premium pricing cannot be avoided. We want to make it easy and convenient for all pet parents to bring their kids to have the time of their life.
-Construction
We offer an experience, with a side of destination. Elegance and style are imperative to the overall feel of the park. To accomplish this, we select high quality building materials, and place a heavy focus on functionality and design. These things require a more significant investment than low-grade alternatives. The difference between chain-link fence and wrought iron is significant, both in terms of cost and appeal. When faced with the tough choice between dollars and beauty, we will always choose beauty.
-Personnel
DogTown will require a team of personnel to operate. From the cashiers enrolling your pups, to the Poop Patrol, all of them will need to be paid. Beyond their hourly salary, the company must also keep an amount of funds available to continue to pay those employees. Also, personnel will require training, uniforms, etc. as part of the whole employee package.
-The Unforeseen
Every business has stories about The Unforeseen. These are the things that cannot be designed into the build plan, such as municipal ordinance changes, extreme weather events, contract breaches, etc. As a point of prudence, DogTown Parks will maintain a buffer to ensure business continuity in the event of The Unforeseen.
Risks and Challenges
~Landing in Houston
As previously stated, land is sold at significant cost in Houston, particularly within The Loop. It is possible that DogTown could get locked in a bidding war over property. If this happens, it is likely the developer with deep pockets will win, and DT will have to move to a different location. Several sites have been researched immediately outside The Loop, though we will do our best to avoid this.
~Regulations and Ordinances
Nothing like DogTown currently exists. That means that there is likely no precedent set in law, or ordinance in place to govern such a thing. As with many of the other revolutionary service companies recently birthed, DT will likely be subject to municipal scrutiny, and new laws will be enacted around it. It is also possible that DT will have to fight for its rights (and yours!) in court. This could significantly delay the arrival of DT, and perhaps drive us out of business. Look for updates in our newsletter for ways you can help in these situations.
~Design and Execution
DogTown Parks has a few sites to choose from, but all of them are different. They are different sizes, shapes, terrains, etc. All of them present their own design challenges. This means that the park design and layout cannot be finalized until the land is purchased. Though there is an overall vision for DT, the park could expand or contract, or change shape entirely depending on where it lands. Modifications to the design after purchase are inevitable, but will mean a delay between purchase and breaking of ground.
------------------------------------------------------------------
.*-We Believe in Democracy-*.
We're strong on community. We believe that the best ideas are developed when people work together for the common good. That's why we chose crowd-funding over traditional forms of investment. The power of the purse resides with The People.
Because of our strong belief in the power of The People, we've decided to give YOU the opportunity to decide what your future favorite dog park holds. DogTown Parks will be holding a design competition for the Free Play park! The winner of this competition will see their dreams become reality, and receive a life-time platinum membership to DogTown to boot! More information on the design competition will be posted on our website once we meet our funding goal. Get the word out!
Park Details (More available on our website )
Dry Park
*Slides *Tunnels
*Hills *Confidence Course
*Nature Walk *Landscaping
*Lured Run *Elevated Walks
Water Park
*Dock jump *Slides
*Beach entry *Clean water
*Islands *Splash Pad
*Artificial Turf
Agility Parks
*Regulation Obstacles
*Artificial Turf
*Practice Park Open to Public
*Stadium Seating
Training Lanes
*Divided by Skill Level
*Isolated Environment
*Stylish and Comfortable
*Featured Pups Wall
Education Center
*Hosts Guest Speakers
*Provides DIY Workshops
*Supplies Training Materials
*Take Classes
*Hosts Special Events
Shop
*Rent Safety Equipment
*Rent/Buy Toys
*Buy Swag and Goodies
*DogTown's second agility park will be a stadium design. This will be the Agility Training park. The intent is to create a place in Houston to host dog sports. Currently, this does not exist. This has the potential to bring significant tourism and enterprise to Houston.
Organizer
Douglas Gallardo
Organizer
Bammel, TX