Ivy District: Mixed-Use Development In Pearland

[Hanuman]

Special News Flash!!

The Presidents Are Losing Their Heads!!!

I stopped at the site today, and took some photos of the presidents falling apart!

It's a good thing the project, as planned failed, because the presidents wouldn't make it to the openning day!! I went inside the Washington statue, and man - these things are engineered really poorly. Someone has tried to repair them with paper mache' and paint. Looks craaapppy! I don't know where they are going to end up, but I don't want them!

Also, lots of construction going on, including a 4 lane, divided boulevard, drain main recently buried parallel to the boulevard. There is also a winding roadway being cut into the property that meanders from the boulevard to the lake area. Question is, who is paying for all this recent development? Could this be the developer's, "February Surprise"?

[Hanuman]

Channel 13 announced this evening that they were foreclosed on today, and that the owner is going to store the presidential heads to be used at another location. Like I said in my previous post, the heads are really in poor shape, so my best wishes to the owner. What a shame!

[20thStDad]

Latest email:

To all:

We are extremely sad to inform each of you that Amegy Mortgage, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation, will foreclose tomorrow on the 48 acres of land that was planned to be home to The Presidential Park & Gardens and the WaterLights District, in Pearland, Texas.

The six statues on the property will be removed starting tomorrow morning at 9am and returned to storage in the Heights area. The presidential monuments are not part of the foreclosure.

The Presidential Park & Gardens was planned to become a national destination attraction featuring giant statues of the U.S. Presidents and an educational tour of American History. The park was projected to attract millions of tourist to the area, as well as an educational field trip opportunity for thousands of school children from the greater Houston area, all ofTexas, as well as the other states.

We are actively evaluating alternative sites for the destination park to be relocated. Our team is sincerely sorry we were not able to deliver on our plans to build a world-class community and destination complex in Pearland.

Thank you so much for your support over the years. It's the right idea, with the wrong bank, during one of the worst commercial real estate markets in history

Please be bold about your desires for the park in Pearland to your elected leaders. We encourage you to email and/or call the elected officials and Amegy Bank to let them know how disappointed you are to lose The Presidential Park & Gardens and the WaterLights District.

Stay tuned, we won't give up.

Sincerely,

Developers of

The Presidential Park & Gardens

and WaterLights

[Subdude]

Latest email:

Please be bold about your desires for the park in Pearland to your elected leaders. We encourage you to email and/or call the elected officials and Amegy Bank to let them know how disappointed you are to lose The Presidential Park & Gardens and the WaterLights District.

Is this a joke? They're trying to encourage a groundswell of support for giant presidential heads? I think no.

[jonj101]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Presidentialparkforeclosed-89987772.html

Chan 11 News from this morning.

[TheNiche]

Is this a joke? They're trying to encourage a groundswell of support for giant presidential heads? I think no.

Yeah, that was pretty dumb...even for these guys. Lenders on projects this large do talk to one another. And waging a PR war against one is a pretty effective way to get blacklisted.

[lockmat]

Yeah, that was pretty dumb...even for these guys. Lenders on projects this large do talk to one another. And waging a PR war against one is a pretty effective way to get blacklisted.

I would guess money is more important than friendship to these banks, no? If it's a good deal, I would think another bank will sweep them up once the economy is up and going again.

[TheNiche]

I would guess money is more important than friendship to these banks, no? If it's a good deal, I would think another bank will sweep them up once the economy is up and going again.

1) Reputation is a developer's greatest asset, and there are plenty of reputable and competent developers that will swoop in on a good deal if a competitor can't pull it off. This isn't the kind of thing that you can patent/copyright/trademark. The only thing that a developer really has is a non-disclosure agreement, but those are incredibly difficult to enforce.

2) Amegy's involvement to date was limited to the mortgaging of land. Had land prices held steady or even dropped a little, they'd have still been covered in a foreclosure situation. So the land deal would've at least looked like a good one at the time...but it wouldn't have gotten anything built.

3) The Waterlight District never received construction financing even when cap rates were ludicrously low because the Waterlight District was never a good deal. It didn't matter which developer was pitching or which lender was underwriting; it sucked balls.

[lockmat]

Makes sense now, thanks for the explanation.

[20thStDad]

New email

To All Our Loyal Friends,

Our previous email has been misunderstood by some of The Presidential Park & Gardens' most passionate supporters.

Since day one, Mayor Reid and all the city of Pearland’s government, including city council, department heads, staff, and city manager Bill Eisen have been extremely supportive of the vision for the Presidential Park and Gardens. Our earlier email request to voice your opinions to city government was intended to heighten the importance of your POSITIVE SUPPORT of the Presidential Park and Gardens to city leaders. In no way were the city leaders anything but supportive of the Presidential Park and Gardens. The earlier email request was intended to encourage your “bold” positive support and to inform the city officials, that you, as a citizen of Pearland, consider the park important to the city’s identity, community pride, and commerce.

The reason the project was foreclosed was due to our inability to negotiate a modification and extension of our loan with terms acceptable to the development and Amegy Mortgage during one of the worst real estate recessions in American history.

Please only send positive words of support to Mayor Reid and city council members, as they have been very responsible in managing potential risks, while at the same time being supportive of our development plan. They need to know that you are FOR or AGAINST the Presidential Park & Gardens being developed in the Pearland area.

Let’s bring the Park back to Pearland.

Sincerely,

The Developers of WaterLights™ and the Presidential Park and Gardens

We will continue to keep you informed at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Presidential-Park-Gardens-at-WaterLights-DistrictTM/108327915853140?ref=ts

[Timnwendy]

New email

<snipped>

This is a good example of how these kinds of drives for 'shows of support' can actually cause more confusion and harm than they do good. I'm not really sure what they were trying to accomplish by soliciting for this support anyway.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Timnwendy

[Hanuman]

I drove by there yesterday @ 6:30 PM, and all the heads are gone! As I posted previously, there is development on the property - but, by whom?

The whole business really is disappointing to many, who looked forward to the concept. I really long for a uniquely fun place as this was planned to be. A River Walk for the Houston area would have been very relaxing, and a super hangout ... oh, well!

[uscats35]

Looks like this area is back in action.  http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9417869

Edited February 4, 2014 by uscats35

[Urbannizer]

Beijing-based Developer to Bring Urban Living to Pearland

PEARLAND, TX (KTRK) -- A new development could soon bring "urban" living to an undeveloped area of Pearland. The proposed $300 million project would be built on 48 acres near Highway 288 and Clear Creek Boulevard.

That area, formerly dubbed the "WaterLights District," used to be home to presidential busts designed by Houston sculptor David Adickes. It was an area discussed for development by another party until the economic downturn in 2007 stopped a prior developer's plans.

But the developer went belly up. The land was purchased by another developer, intent on turning it into more of a center of 'urban living.'

"The advantage that Pearland has today is that the property value is among the lowest in the Houston area and the opportunity for growth in the Pearland is among the highest," said Architect Steven Biegel.

Beijing-based Modern Green Development says it chose this location over anywhere else in the U.S. They want to build out the 48 acres to include retail, restaurants and residential. The $344 million project would include about 900 condos, 400 apartments and at least one hotel.

Developers say it would be 'multi-generational' but would be geared toward seniors and would even include some assisted living.

Link w/ video: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9417869

[Naviguessor]

OMG.  It's so Pearland, in a Geriatric sort of way.  Just everything about it. 

 

[cloud713]

Pearland = Old People? ive never made that connection. im glad something is finally happening at this site after being one of the ones disappointed nothing ever came of WaterLights.

[Naviguessor]

I guess when the developers stated that the development would be "geared toward seniors" could've meant the graduating class. 

 

"2013 Seniors forever, yall!  Woooo!"

[cloud713]

lmao, obviously it meant older people for this particular development (which i hope it just turns out to be an assisted living component in an otherwise trendy urban mixed use destination that appeals to younger people as well).. but how is assisted living so Pearland? unless you were being sarcastic.

[Naviguessor]

Was being toally sarcastic.  The developers just seemed to be really emphasizing this aspect of the development...but the Architect seems to be in the dark.  I agree with you, Cloud, that it would be great to see a nice mixed use destination type development here.  Especially if it includes a Luby's.  ;-)

[cloud713]

Was being toally sarcastic.  The developers just seemed to be really emphasizing this aspect of the development...but the Architect seems to be in the dark.  I agree with you, Cloud, that it would be great to see a nice mixed use destination type development here.  Especially if it includes a Luby's.  ;-)

Lubys, ha! i said Applebees in another forum (dont they have a lot of early bird specials or am i crazy?). though i think there is already one close by. 

at least there is hope that the developer said they wanted it to be 'multi generational', and it didnt sound like anywhere close to all of the 900 apartments and 400 condos would be assisted living, so there is a chance the area will be a decent chunk of younger population too.

[cloud713]

wait.. what is that looming over the main yellow building? is that a highrise i see?

[Naviguessor]

I'm very sure that it would be a wide mix of residences.  Maybe the Chinese developers were just trying to be respectful of their (and our) elders.  Maybe "geared toward seniors" means "Accessable to Seniors"  or "Appealling to people with time and money on their hands".  I'm sorry...just bored today and getting a bit carried away. 

 

The renderings certainly suggest something interesting and dramatic...although I'm not sure just what exactly. 

[cloud713]

haha me too. i just watched the video and noticed a crude half built rendering of a hotel which looked to be 13 stories, making it the tallest building in Pearland, but whatever that dark shadowy area is looming over the main building in the rendering i just commented on is intriguing me most. will their be an even taller highrise for the condos or something? is that thing even a building? ha.

[Urbannizer]

Here's their best-know project, linked hybrid in Beijing.

 

 

 

 

I think the project for Pearland will definitely be something different for the area, and Houston. 

[Naviguessor]

Yay! Think we'd all love to see that.

[cloud713]

oh they did that? havent seen it in a while.. that project is massive! i think given the rough sketches we could expect something like the middle building in the second picture, but probably nothing like the high rises linked with skybridges. the site layout looked more like low/mid rise apartment complexes and i doubt they would link a condo high rise to a hotel. it would be interesting if they introduced an office high rise component to the project for more height and sustainability. i have always wondered when Pearland would finally get a highrise.. still would rather have WaterLights (minus the Presidential Park), but oh well.. at least its not just an expansion of the shadow creek ranch housing development or something boring.

here are a few more renderings from the video for those who didnt watch it.

pretty original street names.. Promenade Shops Drive?



i wonder if all the gradients are parking garages..? that would be quite a few.



and the bare bones rendering of the hotel.. 12-13 stories. pretty basic looking (though it doesnt seem to match the footprint of any buildings in the site lay out) but i bet it will have an awesome view of all the skylines across in the inner city.

[Subdude]

Those are just the strangest renderings.  Colored geometric shapes that I suppose suggest crystals more than real buildings, like World's Fair pavilions.  It will be interesting to see how the actual project develops. 

 

As an aside, I always enjoy checking out the cars in architectural renderings.  Usually they are heavy on the Audis and Porsches, so I give these guys points for the convertible antique whatever in the realistic-looking drawing.  

 

 

[Naviguessor]

Saw those renderings in the recent Modern Interiors Magazine, in an "article" about the architecture firm.  I just scanned the text but didn't notice any mention of the Waterlight District.  My feeling here is that they are unrelated.  Those seem to be huge, showcase type "pavilions", like you said, which doesn't fit the description or the property layout.  Hope I'm wrong.   

[cloud713]

It seems like one of the two "pavilions" could go just south of South Jade Ave, in between the ivy garden and that art sculpture(?) area. Kind of matches the footprint of that building..

[Naviguessor]

^^ Yes. I could see that.  Central, located by the amenities.  Doesn't appear to be wrapped around parking.  Let's hope.