[talltexan83]

I noticed a variance request for a development called "Richmond Landing" yesterday. It appears to be pretty large; encompassing most of the block bordered by Jack, Colquitt, Richmond and Garrott. I always thought that was a great piece of land with easy access to 59-N and the light rail. Anyone know what this "Richmond Landing" is all about?

[rgr]

It's going to be midrise residential from Post Properties. Public hearing on the variance is Thursday.

[Jax]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly is a public hearing on a variance? I see signs for this all the time but I still don't quite understand the system here in Texas...

[sevfiv]

Jax, on Monday, August 27th, 2007 @ 9:33pm, said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but what exactly is a public hearing on a variance? I see signs for this all the time but I still don't quite understand the system here in Texas...

http://www.houstontx...andDev_Faqs.htm
Variances
Planning Commission does have discretionary authority if a plat requires a variance or special exception. Residents in the city limits that are within 250 feet of the proposed development will be notified of certain variances and have a chance to offer input on how the variance will affect their neighborhood or property. A variance is a deviation from the strict compliance of the rules and regulations of Chapter 42. The applicant must document a reasonable hardship for the variance. This usually means that applying the rules of Chapter 42 would make the land undevelopable without the variance.

and starting on page 2878 of Ch. 42: http://www.houstontx...s/codes42-2.pdf (yawn!)

[Jax]

It seems like a lot of midrises are going up along the proposed metro rail route on Richmond. I think this is the 3rd after the one at Dunlavy and Richmond and the one near Kirby and Richmond.

[OkieEric]

Jax, on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 @ 7:38am, said:

It seems like a lot of midrises are going up along the proposed metro rail route on Richmond. I think this is the 3rd after the one at Dunlavy and Richmond and the one near Kirby and Richmond.

There is also the other proposed development at Dunlavy/Richmond to replace the Wilshire Apartments...but there has been no word on that one in nearly 2 years! I personally keep waiting for something on it, which of course means it will never happen

I think the developer of the apartments already going up by La Tapatia actually stated that there would be another phase of that development if the rail passes that section. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the current rail plan, at least there should be plenty of density along the Richmond corridor to support both it and any businesses adversely affected...

[talltexan83]

This is more good news for Richmond. I don't know much about variance requests either, except that they seem to indicate the development is moving along quickly. Time will tell.

I enjoy the Post property in Midtown and hope this development continues along the same trend. Do you think a retail component is possible? I believe anything from a bar to restaurant to food market could be successful.

[Jax]

It's actually a pretty good location because you can walk to Wheeler station and at some point you would be able to go on either of the rail lines. It would be cool if it was mixed use too. Maybe this could start a trend of cleaning up some of the empty lots and abandoned buildings near Wheeler.

[Highway6]

This is Richmond right at the Spur..

Isnt this the location that was proposed for that midrise that looked like 5-6 twisted stacked cubes ?

[Jax]

Oh yeah I forgot to mention - also you could walk to "Chapultepec Lupita"! Yum!

[OkieEric]

Highway6, on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 @ 9:50am, said:

This is Richmond right at the Spur..

Isnt this the location that was proposed for that midrise that looked like 5-6 twisted stacked cubes ?

I believe that mid-rise is supposed to be on Westheimer...

[KinkaidAlum]

According to Sue Lovell (city councilor) yesterday at the light rail public hearing, over 2,700 living units have been built, are under construction, or are approved of ON (not adjacent to) Richmond Avenue along the rail line to Cummins over the past 2 years.

That is impressive! If only the original line would catch up. Musuem Place is a good start...

[ricco67]

Jax, on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 @ 10:00am, said:

Oh yeah I forgot to mention - also you could walk to "Chapultepec Lupita"! Yum!

ugh. That place stinks. ate there a few times, the food was okay, but the service sucked.

[woolie]

renderings?

[ricco67]

woolie, on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 @ 5:43pm, said:

renderings?

sure! Ask and you shall recieve!

From Dictionary.com

American Heritage Dictionary - ren·der·ing (rěn'dər-ĭng) n.

• A depiction or interpretation, as in painting or music.
  
• A drawing in perspective of a proposed structure.
  
• A translation: a rendering of Cicero's treatises into English.
  
• A coat of plaster or cement applied to a masonry surface.

Sorry.

[rgr]

woolie, on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 @ 5:43pm, said:

renderings?

I have them but they are too big to upload. If someone knows how to do it and wants to share info I will put them on. Sorry not very computer literate here.

[rgr]

woolie, on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 @ 5:43pm, said:

renderings?

[Jax]

Cool!! There are so many mid rise buildings of this style going up around town. Does it by any chance have a mixed use component?

rgr, on Wednesday, August 29th, 2007 @ 10:52pm, said:

[rgr]

Don't think so. Should find out more today.

[Highway6]

What a downer.

This is only slightly more appealing then the cr@p at the NW corner of 59 and 610 and the Calais.

[OkieEric]

Jax, on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 @ 7:31am, said:

Cool!! There are so many mid rise buildings of this style going up around town. Does it by any chance have a mixed use component?

Looks pretty generic to me, but I guess it's more or less what I expected... Who on earth is living in all of these places, though? There seems to be a huge supply of new apartment units as of late

[Jax]

I guess people who move to Houston who don't want to live in the suburbs / aren't ready to by a house? I know graduate students love these places, as do post docs, doctors doing internships in the medical center, and newly graduated business people who don't have a family. Those are the types of people I know who live in similar places. Those types of people love to be near public transit and close to their jobs, especially those from other big cities who are used to that sort of lifestyle. Believe it or not, but the suburban commute is hard to get used to for some. Or even the city commute (since you can commute 30-45 minutes and still technically live in Houston).

This post has been edited by Jax: Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 10:24 AM

[ricco67]

That building looks like it's much bigger than the lot it's supposed to be on!

It should (along with a couple of other developments) be interesting when the U-line gets completed. With these structures going up, the U-line will be much more important.

This post has been edited by ricco67: Thursday, August 30, 2007 at 11:07 AM

[OkieEric]

Jax, on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 @ 10:18am, said:

I guess people who move to Houston who don't want to live in the suburbs / aren't ready to by a house? I know graduate students love these places, as do post docs, doctors doing internships in the medical center, and newly graduated business people who don't have a family. Those are the types of people I know who live in similar places. Those types of people love to be near public transit and close to their jobs, especially those from other big cities who are used to that sort of lifestyle. Believe it or not, but the suburban commute is hard to get used to for some. Or even the city commute (since you can commute 30-45 minutes and still technically live in Houston).

But aren't there already apartments for these people?? On top of that, there is a new influx of condos... Maybe there is more growth in professional employment than I thought - that, or this reverse influx from the 'burbs is a strong, continuing trend

Whatever the case, these new apartments will be a nice improvement to what's there now. I'm assuming this is that blank lot with the rough looking stuff in the back?

[talltexan83]

I can find any links to a rendering. what am I missing?

[Jax]

See post #17. Click the thumbnails.

[Houston19514]

OkieEric, on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 @ 10:39am, said:

But aren't there already apartments for these people?? On top of that, there is a new influx of condos... Maybe there is more growth in professional employment than I thought - that, or this reverse influx from the 'burbs is a strong, continuing trend

Whatever the case, these new apartments will be a nice improvement to what's there now. I'm assuming this is that blank lot with the rough looking stuff in the back?

Houston area added 82,000 jobs in the past year. Most probably will add a similar number in the coming year. All those people have to live somewhere.

[jt16]

Houston led the country last year in new job creation.

[OkieEric]

jt16, on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 @ 1:28pm, said:

Houston led the country last year in new job creation.

I wonder what % of the new jobs were added within the loop? And added in downtown vs medical center vs greenway, etc. Does such data exist?

Even with all of this job growth, there still seems to be an abundance of new apartments coming online or planned IMO... Then again, I'd think the people building all of these units have a better idea about it than I do Regardless, I hope the net effect is that they wind up tearing down some of the older, ratty complexes in my neighborhood

[rgr]

[ricco67]

Fascinating.

I guess they still have to buy up all the other properties first, eh? On the corner of Jack and Colquitt, is that supposed to be some open space for parking? Greenspace?

[rgr]

ricco67, on Tuesday, September 4th, 2007 @ 8:09pm, said:

Fascinating.

I guess they still have to buy up all the other properties first, eh? On the corner of Jackson and Colquitt, is that supposed to be some open space for parking? Greenspace?

apartment complex that is not selling. parking is in the center, surrounded by the apartments

[kurian]

I really wish these midrises would add a retail component. I think that's one of the things that keeps Houston from having a more open atmosphere.

[ricco67]

I agree that it would be nice, but the density isn't quite there yet. If they added a some retail and encouraged a couple of businesses to RELOCATE there it might do, but as it is, I don't really see it happening. The Demo isn't quite there yet.

This post has been edited by ricco67: Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 10:35 PM

[KinkaidAlum]

ricco67, on Sunday, September 9th, 2007 @ 9:22pm, said:

I agree that it would be nice, but it isn't density isn't quite there yet. If they added a some retail and encouraged a couple of businesses to RELOCATE there it might do, but as it is, I don't really see it happening. The Demo isn't quite there yet.

I really don't think it has to do with density. Retail is popping up all over Midtown but nearly all of it is in the form of a strip mall.

Until the Midtown District gets together and prohibits new strip mall development, developers will continue to do what they do best; provide cheap retail spaces with ample surface parking usually facing the curb. Unfortunately, consumers can't really boycott these places (like CVS, BW3, etc...) because there aren't enough alternatives.

I hate to say it, but it might already be too late for much of Midtown. About 10 years ago, there was a really perfect opportunity to create an urban hood on the coming rail line. If planning had been set in place, Midtown could now be a place with blocks full of aparment buildings with ground floor retail, wide sidewalks with cafe tables, garages in place of surface parking, blocks of townhomes with alleys to take the garages off the streets and pocket parks to serve the inhabitants.

Instead, it's a mixed bag of some nice urban planning projects, some horrible gated/garden-style apartments, blocks of townhomes with garages and driveways ruining any future sidewalk activity, empty lots being sat on by greedy flippers, and a rising number of strip malls and pad sites complete with drive-thru lanes. Really, the only thing differentiating Midtown from anyplace else in Houston is the downtown backdrop.

[Jax]

Does anybody think the city might ever adopt zoning?

I know everybody in here will freak out when I mention the word, but zoning works for just about every other city in the world. Why couldn't it work for Houston?

Wouldn't that solve a lot of the problems Kinkiad just mentioned about Midtown?

Or how about just zoning certian districts (like midtown) while letting other areas such as the outer loop develop without any regulations.

This post has been edited by Jax: Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 10:30 PM

[lockmat]

http://chron.com/dis...ws/5207518.html

Quote

Bart French, Post Properties developer, said it's still premature for details, since the proposal is still before the city's planning department to determine the amount of setback footage from the street, but he said that if it's approved, construction could begin in late 2008.

It would be similar to "that property in Midtown that everybody likes — Midtown Square — that has a restaurant on the ground floor, brick sidewalks," French said.

[Jax]

I'm pretty happy to hear that they want to build it "Midtown Square style", especially since it's pretty close to where I live and I could ride the Metro out there!! But late 2008 seems so far away... I guess it will be worth the wait if it's going to be more than just another apartment complex.

By the way, which complex are they talking about tearing down in that article?

This post has been edited by Jax: Saturday, October 13, 2007 at 9:45 PM

[lockmat]

I went by that midtown square. I liked it a lot. If this is anything like that, it'll be a very nice addition.

OkieEric, on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 @ 8:22am, said:

While I'm not necessarily a fan of the current rail plan, at least there should be plenty of density along the Richmond corridor to support both it and any businesses adversely affected...

We've got the TOD w/o the Transit. Nice!

[Jax]

I think Metro is deciding on the final alignment of the University Line next week.

I guess even if things changed drastically (and they won't), this location is close enough to Wheeler Station as it is to be transit oriented anyways. I'm pretty sure it's closer to a metro station than Midtown Square.

[woolie]

It's absolutely within walking distance of Wheeler Station. No more than 5 mins. About as close as I am.

[roadrunner]

So if he says this is going to be like Midtown Square, will this have street level retail?

Midtown Square is such a great example of how well mixed use developments can do in this city. It is an extremely popular two blocks of land. Anyone looking to live in an urban lifestyle in this city wants to live there.

[lockmat]

roadrunner, on Sunday, October 14th, 2007 @ 9:13am, said:

So if he says this is going to be like Midtown Square, will this have street level retail?

Midtown Square is such a great example of how well mixed use developments can do in this city. It is an extremely popular two blocks of land. Anyone looking to live in an urban lifestyle in this city wants to live there.

Maybe. The article says he couldn't release much detail.

[Jax]

I had a coffee at midtown square today and it's amazing how much activity there is on those two blocks or so. I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work on Richmond near Wheeler Station, but i really wish developers could create some sort of sense of consistency rather than spacing these mixed use developments so much. If only West Ave and Post Midtown and Richmond Landing would all be on adjacent blocks! I guess that isn't possible though since there isn't really enough unused space, and somebody is bound to buy a lot adjacent to any mixed used development and build a strip mall or a CVS.

Does anybody know who owns the empty space in Midtown close to Midtown Square? Are they thinking of expanding or is it owned by somebody else. I recall seeing a few vacant lots west of Midtown Square.

[roadrunner]

Jax, on Sunday, October 14th, 2007 @ 8:50pm, said:

I had a coffee at midtown square today and it's amazing how much activity there is on those two blocks or so. I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work on Richmond near Wheeler Station, but i really wish developers could create some sort of sense of consistency rather than spacing these mixed use developments so much. If only West Ave and Post Midtown and Richmond Landing would all be on adjacent blocks! I guess that isn't possible though since there isn't really enough unused space, and somebody is bound to buy a lot adjacent to any mixed used development and build a strip mall or a CVS.

Does anybody know who owns the empty space in Midtown close to Midtown Square? Are they thinking of expanding or is it owned by somebody else. I recall seeing a few vacant lots west of Midtown Square.

Those empty blocks west of Midtown Square seem like prime pieces of land. One of them has that new midrise going up.

[ricco67]

Looks like they are starting some prepwork or something. They blocked off the views on what's going on and I saw some heavy equipment and at least one storage container on the site.

[bkjones98]

ricco67, on Saturday, December 1st, 2007 @ 8:22am, said:

Looks like they are starting some prepwork or something. They blocked off the views on what's going on and I saw some heavy equipment and at least one storage container on the site.

I also saw several construction workers on the property. One was measure the perimeter of the property.

[bkjones98]

bkjones98, on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 @ 9:42am, said:

I also saw several construction workers on the property. One was measure the perimeter of the property.

Driving by the property yesterday I noticed that the old apartment building is being demolished.

[mls1202]

Is this the former site of the Skyline Apartments (Crack House)?

[bkjones98]

Following the analogy of my avatar, I noticed more construction crews and equipment out there today.

I can't believe we haven't seen a rendering yet (or did I just miss that).