Momentum Plaza New Home for "Get to the Grid"

From KTBX

Published: April 19, 2015

By: KBTX Staff

COLLEGE STATION - The controversy over where to relocate Texas A&M’s park-and-ride site, known as Get to the Grid, for home football games is over. Beginning this fall, fans can park at Momentum Plaza and ride to Kyle Field.

Texas A&M had been looking for a new home for Get to the Grid since December when Post Oak Mall ended an 11-year agreement. The mall said because of increased traffic generated by the $485 million expansion of Kyle Field and A&M’s move to the SEC, it could no longer accommodate the park-and-ride.

During the search for a new site, the University approached College Station about the possibility of using Veterans Park. Before the City Council finalized an agreement, the Brazos Valley Youth Soccer Association sent a letter to parents saying there would be no place to park several Saturday’s this fall because A&M was going to use it as the news park-and-ride location.

Parents complained to the city and questioned why it would allow A&M to use of the park, which was created using millions of tax dollars, as a parking lot.

Monday afternoon, Provost Karan Watson told the faculty senate that Veterans Park is "off the table" for Get to the Grid, and that they hope to have a solution by week's end.

That solution was announced Tuesday. Momentum Plaza is home to American Momentum Bank and the Adam Corporation. It is located on FM 60 and Copperfield, less than a mile from Veterans Park.

Chancellor John Sharp thanked Don Adam, CEO of American Momentum Bank, for offering to help.

"Once again, Don Adam has proven his commitment to Texas A&M and to the Bryan-College Station community," Sharp said. "American Momentum Bank will be a perfect location for this program and we greatly appreciate Don Adam and the Adam Corporation for making it available."

"We always have a strong interest in assisting our community and Texas A&M University, and are happy to continue this tradition by offering a solution to this community problem," said Adam. "We feel that our location provides a perfect solution, in that it is within the same geographical area of the prior service, easily accessible from the major thoroughfares, and provides the safety of a lighted 55 acre location with over 1,000 parking spots."