Redevelopment Of Bryan's Midtown

[Scotch]

Company modernizing sites on South College Avenue

By CASSIE SMITH

Doug Pederson and Jack Threadgill officially are turning a half-mile stretch of South College Avenue into Midtown.

That's the surname given to five rental properties in Bryan that the pair are spending millions on renovating, hoping to turn it from what many described as an eyesore to a well-groomed area that will become a catalyst for future development.

Twin City Properties Management Inc. plans to have a grand opening and ribbon cutting April 15 for the project.

"We're transforming this neighborhood and it's going to be powerful," Pederson said.

Pederson, co-owner of the real estate management company along with Threadgill, declined to detail how much they're spending on buying the complexes and then doing the massive upgrades. He did say that they're doing it without funding from the state, federal or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The company is renaming Bryan Arms, Emerald Park, Monterey Oaks and Echols Street apartment complexes, along with a few houses, which will all be known as different variations of Midtown...

"I'm absolutely convinced it's going to be spectacular," he said of the area along College Avenue that's bound by Coulter Drive and McKinney Street to the east and Rebecca Street to the west.

Pederson said the company excels at buying older properties and modernizing them architecturally and aesthetically. Most of the complexes for the Midtown project were built in the 1960s and 1970s and will see the addition of central air and heating, new lighting, floors, roofs, plumbing and more.

"All these properties together give us control of the neighborhood," he said, adding he wanted his tenants to feel comfortable and pleased with the surrounding area.

Pederson bought all the properties along Hardy Street two years ago, which will be known as Hardy at Midtown, and is in the neighboring area. He said he also recently purchased several houses down South College Avenue, which will be known as Midtown Homes.

The company, which started 20 years ago with one house and one property, recognizes that the Midtown revitalization is a wager, but Pederson said it's one they are willing to take.

"The risk we're taking on here is huge. Everything is vacant," he said.

...The renovation

The improvements will include adding washer and dryer connections, redoing the parking lots, fixing up the swimming pool and converting one-bed apartments to two, Pederson said.

"We're looking to redo the property pretty much completely from top to bottom. Everything from roofs to flooring to plumbing and lighting fixtures," he said.

Model units are scheduled to be available in March and construction should be complete in September, he said. Between Texas A&M and Blinn College, the student population controls a lot of the renting schedule, he said.

"If it's not rented by Sept. 1, it will not rent. So we have no choice," he said. "It has to happen and it has to happen fast."

The target audience for the units will be students, retirees, the working young and middle age, and single and married individuals, he said, adding it would be a melting pot of people.

...Pederson said he thinks the location for Midtown is perfect.

"For me, there's something about being off the beaten path, but not too far," he said.

Acting as a catalyst

Pederson said city officials helped the company expedite the paperwork process.

City Manager David Watkins said Bryan Arms was in awful shape when he first moved to the city.

"What Pederson is doing to revitalize the area is exactly what the city is trying to encourage in older parts of the community," he said.

"We are just absolutely thrilled like you can't believe at what he's doing," Watkins said. "Any time you go into an area that has a blighted image and someone improves the property, it encourages the adjoining property owners to do the same thing."...

[Scotch]

I have long felt that this area, and actually the entire area south of Coulter, north of Villa Maria, between College and Texas Ave, are ripe for redevelopment. This location, located between Texas A&M and Downtown Bryan, has the ability to become a great trendy area for the grad student/recent grad types that have been historically underserved.

[citykid09]

I have long felt that this area, and actually the entire area south of Coulter, north of Villa Maria, between College and Texas Ave, are ripe for redevelopment. This location, located between Texas A&M and Downtown Bryan, has the ability to become a great trendy area for the grad student/recent grad types that have been historically underserved.

They were supposed to widen South College a few years ago and make it a signature street. I like how a lot of the buildings come up to the street. Its would be great if they made it a walkable mixed use area.

[LTAWACS]

Are they going to put some bars there too? Cool.

[IronTiger]

Looks like mostly apartments. Given the relatively recent "Woodlands of College Station", I hope that this isn't a trend of knocking off Houston neighborhood and suburb names for apartment projects.

Sadly, LTAWACS, there's no indication there will be bars like the real Midtown in Houston. However, looking at the area as seen on Google Maps there are some improvements/barriers to overcome.

1. The area is very close to the railroad.

2. There used to be a surplus store up the road. It was always kind of interesting, as there was a sign that had a lit neon border but there was no name. Now it's a sex toy store. That could be evicted or something to help spruce up the neighborhood.

3. There was a major redevelopment of Townshire done several years ago, and a the carcass of a short-lived Albertson's is there. Something needs to be done!

[Scotch]

Well, they aren't close together, but there are a number of bars/potential bars along College Ave.

Coming from Texas A&M you have Carney's, The Ptarmigan, possible new bar(s) accross the street from P-Tar's, Graham's Nightclub and Whiskey River before hitting Downtown Bryan

Graham's is right next to the former "Bryan Arms", which I am surprised they kept standing for a remodal, as I probably would have just bulldozed the place and the club(s) at carson and College are just a few blocks away.

[citykid09]

Well, they aren't close together, but there are a number of bars/potential bars along College Ave.

Coming from Texas A&M you have Carney's, The Ptarmigan, possible new bar(s) accross the street from P-Tar's, Graham's Nightclub and Whiskey River before hitting Downtown Bryan

Graham's is right next to the former "Bryan Arms", which I am surprised they kept standing for a remodel, as I probably would have just bulldozed the place and the club(s) at carson and College are just a few blocks away.

I hope that the development could help that area, but it needs a lot of help. I would have torn down the Arms of Bryan also. It would have been nice if a developer could come in and buy the whole neighborhood all down South College and have retail, clubs, restaurants, etc with Apartments above.

[IronTiger]

An AboutTown press mentioned that at the apartments, "vermin of all types were evicted". I'm sure they meant more than just mice...

[Scotch]

Bryan working on master plan for area between Northgate and Downtown

 

 

BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) - The City of Bryan is looking for new ideas for a large section of town. As the new super park develops at the old municipal golf course, they are now asking for consultants to look at ways to plan what they call the "Midtown Area." Friday, the city opened up the process to receive requests for proposals. Bryan city leaders are working on a new "go to" destination. The Midtown Area goes from just south of Downtown to Northgate... Read More

 

 

[Scotch]

Bryan to review consultant proposals for Midtown Area Plan

By Clay Falls | Posted: Fri 6:20 PM, Jun 15, 2018  |  Updated: Fri 6:43 PM, Jun 15, 2018

Companies who want to take part in what the area might look like for the next 30 years were asked to send in proposals to the city.

The Midtown area stretches around two square miles from Downtown to Northgate. With the help of residents and consultants, the city is looking to the area's future. Read more: http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Bryan-to-review-consultant-proposals-for-Midtown-Area-plan-485710431.html

[IronTiger]

No mention of NorthPark Plaza, which was exactly the type of thing everyone wanted but it still failed. It's a strip center at North and Texas Avenue (built 2006) that demonstrates how hard this is. It included a number of restaurants and a few smaller stores (Red Wing Shoes, Cindie's sex shop) but the restaurants there really struggled as it was too far from campus and too far from Bryan. La Riviera, Lenny's Sub Shop, a Thai restaurant, and others have come and gone, and there was even (from what I heard) supposed to be a Hooters in the parking lot...they pulled out about a decade ago and the space was developed as a Bush's Chicken restaurant but even that struggled and it closed down. There was another project, The Garden District, which was built or at least established in the 1980s as a place for locally-owned boutique shops, but there's not much activity there except for a salon or two and law offices. Until the cities can attract some higher-paying businesses to improve the tax base (A&M pays low wages, and for years that was okay since it had great benefits and an easy way to get to work, but that's increasingly no longer the case as there has been tons of outsourcing and a rapid expansion of the university), the "Midtown" area is going to and will suck for years to come.

[Scotch]

The City of Bryan needs to align at least two crossings of Texas Ave. between Rosemary and Villa Maria. The way the light cycles are now with akward crossings at Sulpher Springs/Eagle Pass, North/Broodmoor, Hensel/Inwood makes for less efficient east-west traffic and longer waits on Texas. College Ave is in a better position for continued development. It's already happening, just slowly. 

[IronTiger]

44 minutes ago, Scotch said:

The City of Bryan needs to align at least two crossings of Texas Ave. between Rosemary and Villa Maria. The way the light cycles are now with akward crossings at Sulpher Springs/Eagle Pass, North/Broodmoor, Hensel/Inwood makes for less efficient east-west traffic and longer waits on Texas. College Ave is in a better position for continued development. It's already happening, just slowly. 

They are very awkward, you basically have to make a right turn then a left turn to go straight. For Eagle Pass/Sulphur Springs, they should've taken out the Church's when it was vacant between restaurants (which has been happening a lot in the last five-six years, it was a Church's and now on its third restaurant) and placed the curve there.

The North/Broadmoor stoplight is even more weird, as the west road is "East North Avenue", then "North Avenue" on the east side of Texas Avenue. Taking out that failed strip center would be the best option here without chopping out a house. Hensel/Inwood isn't a signaled intersection.

[Scotch]

https://www.bryantx.gov/midtown/

 

Quote

 

The City of Bryan has embarked on a proactive planning process to tackle the challenges and unlock the opportunities in the Midtown area. The plan will be the principle guide in promoting orderly growth, development and redevelopment of the Midtown Bryan area, with recommendations to include changes to standard zoning districts and recommendations for the creation of new districts to help maximize (re-) development potential...

...The study area includes approximately two-square miles surrounding the Travis B. Bryan Municipal Park property from historic Downtown Bryan to the city limits shared with the City of College Station and adjacent to the Texas A&M University, generally bounded by Finfeather Road to the west and South College Avenue to the east.

 

 

[Scotch]

Midtown plan released on 2/17/2020

 

Bryan Midtown Plan

[Luminare]

24 minutes ago, Scotch said:

Midtown plan released on 2/17/2020

 

Bryan Midtown Plan

 

Wow. Its very thorough. This idea of a "pattern book" is a clever idea. Seems very flexible. Its something which can be adjusted by the city as it grows, and at the same time provides a direction for others to follow.

[zaphod]

I think it's only a matter of time before discover that area as being as close and as interesting as the southgate and college hills area, and you get some Bellaire/West U style teardowns for McMansion development.