[hysinger]

The Feb 1-7 HBJ Citybeat section mentions the pending sale of property just south of W Alabama on Shepherd. The property in question includes the Jamail real estate office and adjoing Fly High Little Bunny shop along with two houses behind the property. The article indicates that a high rise development is planned for the sight. Has anyone heard anything along these lines?

[ricco67]

if you can provide a link, that would probably be easier. Other than that, I don't know. maybe our local snoops know something.

[Subdude]

Boy, if people are concerned about the traffic impact of 1717 Bissonnet, that would be beans compared to the traffic impact of a high-rise on Shepherd at Alabama. I'm curious to learn more about this one.

[ricco67]

I was thinking the same thing. It's going to be a bit scary with just the construction traffic alone. Depending on how tall and who the potential tenants are, it might not be that bad, anything over 10 storeys and people are going to have a nighmare.

They're going to need a bigger footprint.

[Subdude]

Obviously they would have to funnel traffic out the back to Greenbriar, which won't be happy news for the people in that little bungalow neighborhood.

[hysinger]

ricco67, on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 @ 11:57am, said:

if you can provide a link, that would probably be easier. Other than that, I don't know. maybe our local snoops know something.

I actually have a copy of the paper and the web content is for subscribers only. Not much more was said in the article (it was only two paragraphs) other than the property was under contract to an undisclosed buyer and would not officially comment on plans.

[bachanon]

maybe the bissonnet developer has found a new site, or someone wants to avoid the same kind of resistance.

[hysinger]

I agree that the land area seems small for any significant building, unless the developer also plans to acquire the strip center just north of these properties.

[ChannelTwoNews]

The blurb in question...

[sidegate]

could be the would-be wilshire village developer, commerce equities/matt dilick, since that plan appears to have run out of steam. if the neighborhood association has got its act together they should be able to stipulate 911 access only for any entrance/exit into the neighborhood, as winlow place did with the trammel-crowe for the development on westheimer just east of shepherd.

boy the apartment glut in that area is really getting ridiculous!

[OkieEric]

hysinger, on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 @ 1:13pm, said:

I agree that the land area seems small for any significant building, unless the developer also plans to acquire the strip center just north of these properties.

Agreed that you'd need a bigger footprint to go "vertical"...or heck, even have a new development with any parking. Oh no, first Little Woodrow's and now Ruchi's?

But in all seriousness, a high-rise on that strip of Shepherd? Not buying it just yet...

[Dream]

the buyer also purchased the old shopping center on the corner with the ruchis and nail salon. word on the street is its an apartment developer like gables or hanover is behind the purchase and redevelopment. high rise apartments with retail on the ground floor, parking garage, etc. good location and a much better use of the property.

dream

[LTAWACS]

Is this not the ashby highrise?

[Jax]

The Ashby highrise is planned for Ashby and Bissonnet not Shepherd and Alabama.

It seem kind of a shame to replace the Ruchi's building with a highrise, because it's actually a decent block from a pedestrian's standpoint - with some trees between the sidewalk and the street and a decent width sidewalk. Why can't they replace a strip center with a new highrise rather than replacing one of the few building that is built up to the street? I guess whatever they do will be an improvement, but I'd rather see a strip center go first.

[OkieEric]

Any other word on this? Is there a way to know if ownership of the property has actually changed hands and, if so, who acquired it? Still can't see a high-rise at this corner, but curious as to what's going on...

[lockmat]

Is this it, or is it on the east side?
http://maps.google.c...U...mp;t=h&z=19

Maybe I need to see it in person, but that looks plenty big enough for a taller building.

[OkieEric]

lockmat, on Friday, February 29th, 2008 @ 8:24pm, said:

Is this it, or is it on the east side?
http://maps.google.c...U...mp;t=h&z=19

Maybe I need to see it in person, but that looks plenty big enough for a taller building.

Yeah, that's it - it does seem large enough for a "tall" building, but a "high rise"? I just don't think the infrastructure around there can handle it. For instance...if apartments, can you imagine residents coming home up Shepherd and trying to turn left right before the W Alabama light?

[jfre81]

Subdude, on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 @ 11:59am, said:

Boy, if people are concerned about the traffic impact of 1717 Bissonnet, that would be beans compared to the traffic impact of a high-rise on Shepherd at Alabama. I'm curious to learn more about this one.

Bingo. The increase in traffic with the Ashby highrise is going to have nothing on this. Shepherd/Alabama is already one of the busiest Inner Loop intersections as it is. Shepherd is always congested with the constant stream of people getting off/getting onto 59. I don't see how this is going to work.

[bachanon]

OkieEric, on Sunday, February 3rd, 2008 @ 6:47pm, said:

Agreed that you'd need a bigger footprint to go "vertical"...or heck, even have a new development with any parking. Oh no, first Little Woodrow's and now Ruchi's?

But in all seriousness, a high-rise on that strip of Shepherd? Not buying it just yet...

i think the same way; however, this IS houston. anything can happen at this point.

[capnmcbarnacle]

BrewsterMcCloud, on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 @ 11:34am, said:

Bingo. The increase in traffic with the Ashby highrise is going to have nothing on this. Shepherd/Alabama is already one of the busiest Inner Loop intersections as it is. Shepherd is always congested with the constant stream of people getting off/getting onto 59. I don't see how this is going to work.

I don't think this would have any more impact on traffic than all the other 5 story apartments going up in the area. It's about the number of units. If the gables is going to throw another couple hundred conventional units where Little Woodrow's is, what is the difference with putting a couple hundred up and going vertical. The one that is going to be insane is the old Westheimer Square apartments by Randall's. All of those people trying to get in and out via Westheimer? Good luck.

I don't think 200 units of residential radically effects the traffic by number of trips on the street. Ashby has always been about scale and size. Look at the Fairmont museum district -- it's on Dunlavy and has more units than Ashby but it is not going vertical. Dunlavy through Blvd. Oaks will see an increase in traffic from those residents getting to Bissonet, but where is the outrage? Nobody freaked out when the Rice Graduate Apartments put a similar number of units in 3 stories on Bissonet near the Ashby intersection.

I am concerned about the problems that come with the inevitable increase in density but I think the concern over highrises is overblown. Retail draws much more traffic. When the corner of Alabama and Kirby was The Ale House and the car dealership, the traffic was nothing like it is now. Traffic at Kirby and Westheimer is going to be nuts in a year not because of 2727 Kirby, but because of all of the retail at West Ave.

And let me say for the record that I will miss Roeder's pub. I waited out a flood in there one afternoon. Which reminds me that I've seen those businesses flood more than once in heavy rain. That's part of the reason Land, Sea & Sky moved to Richmond Ave. Oh well, I'm sure the developers are aware of all of that.

[McGillicuty]

I heard it was a JV between Gables and Read-King (retail developers). They are doing a similar development on San Felipe and Bering on the site currently occupied by Earthman's Funeral Home.

[OkieEric]

McGillicuty, on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 @ 5:37pm, said:

I heard it was a JV between Gables and Read-King (retail developers). They are doing a similar development on San Felipe and Bering on the site currently occupied by Earthman's Funeral Home.

Anyone else notice that Gables is seemingly behind everything lately? Anyway, any idea as to height, or can you not say? Nice to see a retail component, obviously....

[lockmat]

McGillicuty, on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 @ 6:37pm, said:

I heard it was a JV between Gables and Read-King (retail developers). They are doing a similar development on San Felipe and Bering on the site currently occupied by Earthman's Funeral Home.

jv?

[KinkaidAlum]

lockmat, on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 @ 10:23pm, said:

jv?

joint venture

they be rollin' that doobie together.

[Dream]

I heard the same thing about gables and reed king being the developers of this property.

Dream

[OkieEric]

Dream, on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 @ 12:57am, said:

I heard the same thing about gables and reed king being the developers of this property.

Dream

Hmm...looks like 2115 W Alabama is going to bite the dust soon, per swamplot. I did a little digging on hcad.org, and it looks like "Shepherd Alabama LLC" acquired 2115 W Alabama, 2111 W Alabama, and 3102 S Shepherd back in July - all together, a sizeable piece of land on that corner

Edit: The address listed for Shepherd Alabama LLC does indeed match Read King

This post has been edited by OkieEric: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 2:53 PM

[lockmat]

OkieEric, on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 @ 1:26pm, said:

Hmm...looks like 2115 W Alabama is going to bite the dust soon, per swamplot. I did a little digging on hcad.org, and it looks like "Shepherd Alabama LLC" acquired 2115 W Alabama, 2111 W Alabama, and 3102 S Shepherd back in July - all together, a sizeable piece of land on that corner

Edit: The address listed for Shepherd Alabama LLC does indeed match Read King

"Shepherd Alabama LLC" is on the Planning Commission agenda tomorrow with Gene Carroll and Associates for Consent. 2.2 acres

[JWW]

lockmat, on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 @ 3:03pm, said:

"Shepherd Alabama LLC" is on the Planning Commission agenda tomorrow with Gene Carroll and Associates for Consent. 2.2 acres

Where and when is that meeting/where can I find this info online???

[lockmat]

JWW, on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 @ 6:17pm, said:

Where and when is that meeting/where can I find this info online???

http://ataps1.pd.ci....ng+Calendar.nsf

Click on "View Planning Commission Meeting Agenda"

The 2:30 link worked for me. Also, make sure you download the .pdf after clicking on it.

This post has been edited by lockmat: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 10:13 PM

[jc281]

KinkaidAlum, on Thursday, March 6th, 2008 @ 1:35am, said:

joint venture

they be rollin' that doobie together.

lollll

[OkieEric]

Would this be an effort to combine the acquired properties into one, or break up differently? "Shepherd and West Alabama Reserve Subd" doesn't appear to be all that informative

Also, a quick check on HCAD shows that the 2.2 acres would also include all of the originally discussed land, including the Garvis property on Shepherd and onto Sul Ross

[lockmat]

Confirmation it will at the least be multi-family...

Quote

If this plat is proposed to be multi-family residential, it is subject to the Parks and Open Space requirements of
42-251. A fee per unit will be assessed at the time of permitting at the then-current fee rate. If a private park is to be
proposed or public park land is to be dedicated, park land reserves or land dedication must be shown on the face of
plat at this time.

From yesterday's agenda

[OkieEric]

lockmat, on Thursday, February 5th, 2009 @ 8:01pm, said:

Confirmation it will at the least be multi-family...

I dunno....a lot of "if"s in there. Maybe they'll turn it into park

Did anyone else notice that Ruchi's name is no longer there? Now it's just some generic "Taqueria & Grill" or something. The fact that there are large "For information" signs posted all over the property also seems to confirm that there will be a commercial component as well

[OkieEric]

nm

This post has been edited by OkieEric: Friday, February 13, 2009 at 3:26 PM