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500 Crawford: Multifamily At 500 Crawford St.


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This was announced earlier this year. More confirmation via the Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/business/article/Apartments-by-ballpark-could-be-grand-slam-3703726.php
 

Real estate developer Marvy Finger is buying two prime downtown blocks for a seven-story apartment project to be built across from Minute Maid Park.

 

Renderings and info as of 12/2013:

 

http://blog.chron.com/primeproperty/2013/12/ballpark-apartments-break-ground/#19082101=1

 

11522356105_a87dfa2077_o.jpg

 

11522423356_52c7558618_o.jpg

 

500-Crawford-Pool-Render.jpg

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Good news/bad news:

Good: more residential in downtown. More Activity in the MinuteMaid Park neighborhood.

Bad: they are demolishing the old hotel and asking the city to abandon Prairie Street between Crawford and La Branch.

IF the city is prepared to abandon Prairie (and it sounds like they are), they should require at least 2 things in exchange (in addition to money for the property). (1) the city should require that the pedestrian route be maintained along the Prairie path. We should not allow another superblock to cut off pedestrian access to MinuteMaid. (2). They should require ground floor retail space, preferably on all sides of the project, but most definitely along the Prairie pedestrian path and along Crawford and Texas.

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http://www.chron.com/business/article/Apartments-by-ballpark-could-be-grand-slam-3703726.php

Real estate developer Marvy Finger is buying two prime downtown blocks for a seven-story apartment project to be built across from Minute Maid Park.

Another project by Marvy... great to see some of those parking lots disappear although he is tearing down the old Ben Milam Hotel. Marvy's apparently ready to cash out sooner rather than later hence the reason he has so many projects in the works. strike while the iron is hot.

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Posted earlier today in the Ben Milam thread:

Good news/bad news:

Good: more residential in downtown. More Activity in the MinuteMaid Park neighborhood.

Bad: they are demolishing the old hotel and asking the city to abandon Prairie Street between Crawford and La Branch.

IF the city is prepared to abandon Prairie (and it sounds like they are), they should require at least 2 things in exchange (in addition to money for the property). (1) the city should require that the pedestrian route be maintained along the Prairie path. We should not allow another superblock to cut off pedestrian access to MinuteMaid. (2) They should require ground floor retail space, preferably on all sides of the project, but most definitely along the Prairie pedestrian path and along Crawford and Texas.

Edited by Houston19514
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Posted earlier today in the Ben Milam thread:

Good news/bad news:

Good: more residential in downtown. More Activity in the MinuteMaid Park neighborhood.

Bad: they are demolishing the old hotel and asking the city to abandon Prairie Street between Crawford and La Branch.

IF the city is prepared to abandon Prairie (and it sounds like they are), they should require at least 2 things in exchange (in addition to money for the property). (1) the city should require that the pedestrian route be maintained along the Prairie path. We should not allow another superblock to cut off pedestrian access to MinuteMaid. (2) They should require ground floor retail space, preferably on all sides of the project, but most definitely along the Prairie pedestrian path and along Crawford and Texas.

Couldn't agree more!

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Posted earlier today in the Ben Milam thread:

Bad: they are demolishing the old hotel and asking the city to abandon Prairie Street between Crawford and La Branch.

.

Not necessarily. There could be two separate structures connected by bridge, a la Galleria over Hildago or the apts by Dynamo stadium.

And in the end Prairie is cut off just a block further, so no biggie right?

Edit: Suppose I should read before commenting, if he is buying Prairie, then of course he will build on it!

Edited by ChrisPHous
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Not necessarily. There could be two separate structures connected by bridge, a la Galleria over Hildago or the apts by Dynamo stadium.

And in the end Prairie is cut off just a block further, so no biggie right?

What do you mean "Not necessarily". Did you read the article? It says they have asked the city to abandon Prairie Street. (When I first read that the apartments would cover two blocks, I presumed they would be connected by bridges, but then kept reading and saw they are asking to take over Prairie.)

And yes, cutting Prairie off a block further is a biggie. No more breaks in the pedestrian grid should be allowed, especially at this location.

Edited by Houston19514
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Let's get to work, guys. Here's the Mayor's and city councilors' email addresses:

mayor@houstontx.gov

districta@houstontx.gov

districtb@houstontx.gov

districtc@houstontx.gov

districtd@houstontx.gov

districte@houstontx.gov

districtf@houstontx.gov

districtg@houstontx.gov

districth@houstontx.gov

districti@houstontx.gov

districtj@houstontx.gov

districtk@houstontx.gov

atlarge1@houstontx.gov

atlarge2@houstontx.gov

atlarge3@houstontx.gov

atlarge4@houstontx.gov

atlarge5@houstontx.gov

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Let's get to work, guys. Here's the Mayor's and city councilors' email addresses:

mayor@houstontx.gov

districta@houstontx.gov

districtb@houstontx.gov

districtc@houstontx.gov

districtd@houstontx.gov

districte@houstontx.gov

districtf@houstontx.gov

districtg@houstontx.gov

districth@houstontx.gov

districti@houstontx.gov

districtj@houstontx.gov

districtk@houstontx.gov

atlarge1@houstontx.gov

atlarge2@houstontx.gov

atlarge3@houstontx.gov

atlarge4@houstontx.gov

atlarge5@houstontx.gov

You're kidding right? Those goons can barely compose a decent speech or announcment. Much less check their email. Much less actually respond. MUCH less care.

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You're kidding right? Those goons can barely compose a decent speech or announcment. Much less check their email. Much less actually respond. MUCH less care.

If you were able, or cared enough, to have ever composed an email to the mayor or a city councilor, you would know that is not true.

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To be fair, it's only cutting the block off one street earlier than it is already cut-off. It's not like this will do anything to motor traffic (It will slightly inconvenience some fans walking from their cars to the game). That said, I'm all in favor for requiring ground floor retail (although, I don't think it can support retail completely on three sides-- these are huge blocks; there is nothing like that in the City that I know of).

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Let's get to work, guys. Here's the Mayor's and city councilors' email addresses:

mayor@houstontx.gov

districta@houstontx.gov

districtb@houstontx.gov

districtc@houstontx.gov

districtd@houstontx.gov

districte@houstontx.gov

districtf@houstontx.gov

districtg@houstontx.gov

districth@houstontx.gov

districti@houstontx.gov

districtj@houstontx.gov

districtk@houstontx.gov

atlarge1@houstontx.gov

atlarge2@houstontx.gov

atlarge3@houstontx.gov

atlarge4@houstontx.gov

atlarge5@houstontx.gov

Done. Thank you, Houston19514!

I also wrote Marlene Gafrick, Director City Planning marlene.gafrick@houstontx.gov.

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To be fair, it's only cutting the block off one street earlier than it is already cut-off. It's not like this will do anything to motor traffic (It will slightly inconvenience some fans walking from their cars to the game). That said, I'm all in favor for requiring ground floor retail (although, I don't think it can support retail completely on three sides-- these are huge blocks; there is nothing like that in the City that I know of).

Vehicle traffic I am not nearly as concerned about. Closing it off to pedestrians, however, would be a very bad move.

No, these are not huge block. In fact, downtown Houston's blocks are fairly small. Imagine a setup like Post Midtown Square sitting across from MinuteMaid Park! (and the retail space that is filled in those blocks would more than fill up what I am proposing for this development).

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To be fair, it's only cutting the block off one street earlier than it is already cut-off. It's not like this will do anything to motor traffic (It will slightly inconvenience some fans walking from their cars to the game).

Of course it will do something to motor traffic: It will stop motor traffic from traveling or parking on that section of road. As to inconveniencing people, that's exactly the problem. I shouldn't have to walk around what was formerly a public road just so a developer can create his urban utopia. Eliminating public roads to create a public park that we all can use is one thing, but eliminating it for a private apartment complex is quite another.

Houston's downtown grid is easy to understand and navigate. Adding obstacles in the grid makes it less easy.

Edited by kylejack
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Why is everyone against this? I think it's a great development and easily worth one block of a street (which doesn't have much traffic on it anyway).

The development as is is in jepordy if the City is pressured to not sell the ROW to the developer.

Edited by mfastx
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Why is everyone against this? I think it's a great development and easily worth one block of a street (which doesn't have much traffic on it anyway).

Because I don't like screwing up a simple to navigate grid unless it is for something that's for the use of all/most of the public.

The development as is is in jepordy if the City is pressured to not sell the ROW to the developer.

According to who?

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Because I don't like screwing up a simple to navigate grid unless it is for something that's for the use of all/most of the public.

Well I don't really see it as "screwing it up." C'mon, man, it's just one block. Now, I would agree if they wanted multiple blocks and wanted to install curvy suburban streets and shit, yeah I can see why people would be against that. But every time I go to MMP I never see anyone using this street except to go to the parking lots on these blocks. It's not a used street and it dead ends right there at MMP anyway.

According to who?

According to the plans of the devleopment. Obviously they will have to change plans and downscale the development if they won't be able to secure the street.

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Well I don't really see it as "screwing it up." C'mon, man, it's just one block.

They are repurposing current public parking lots to be apartments. A bunch of parking spots there will therefore be lost, and we counter this with...removing more street parking as well?

According to the plans of the devleopment. Obviously they will have to change plans and downscale the development if they won't be able to secure the street.

You're saying if they can't do what they want to do that they'll have to do something different? Well...yeah!

Edited by kylejack
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Retail in this location at this time would be a total failure. It's not close to anything.

Not close to anything? Are you being sarcastic?

Directly across the street from a stadium that has 80+ game days per year

6 blocks from Dynamo Stadium, that will host many event days every year.

4 blocks from one of the largest convention centers in the country

across the street from a hotel

underneath 324 apartments

close to several light rail stops

3 blocks from a likely new convention center hotel

According to the plans of the devleopment. Obviously they will have to change plans and downscale the development if they won't be able to secure the street.

They haven't even hired an architect yet. Their plans are hardly set in stone. And it does not in any way necessarily require downscaling the development. They could do bridges acorss Prairie, including possibly buildling apartments briding across the street. They could also add a floor or two to make up any lost scale.

Of course there is always the (not unreasonable) hope that the Chronicle just got the story wrong and they are merely seeking the right to put a bridge across Prairie, not to close it altogether.

Edited by Houston19514
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Not close to anything? Are you being sarcastic?

Directly across the street from a stadium that has 80+ game days per year

6 blocks from Dynamo Stadium, that will host many event days every year.

4 blocks from one of the largest convention centers in the country.

across the street from a hotel.

underneath 324 apartments.

and a few blocks from another stadium, and a few short blocks from a major convention center, etc., etc.

close to several light rail stops

3 blocks from a likely new convention center hotel

If they include retail, they could probably get away with one or two spaces. And the only reason I say that is because of light rail potential and maybe Minute Maid. I mean, Minute Maid helped produce like what, two bars? Besides that, what else is even remotely close besides Vic & Anthony's?

I honestly do not think any convention goers will go that way for retail, at least not enough to help sustain it. All the synergy is to the west.

Putting retail on the entire first floor would mean mostly empty spaces for a very long time.

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Well I don't really see it as "screwing it up." C'mon, man, it's just one block. Now, I would agree if they wanted multiple blocks and wanted to install curvy suburban streets and shit, yeah I can see why people would be against that. But every time I go to MMP I never see anyone using this street except to go to the parking lots on these blocks. It's not a used street and it dead ends right there at MMP anyway.

We're trying to make a pedestrian friendly downtown here. Prairie (along with Preston) leads directly from the ballpark to the MetroRail Preston station. Requiring a one-block detour (which adds 2 blocks to your walk) is not the way to build a pedestrian friendly downtown (and is not the way to help retail businesses, if they are included, to succeed.)

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If they include retail, they could probably get away with one or two spaces. And the only reason I say that is because of light rail potential and maybe Minute Maid. I mean, Minute Maid helped produce like what, two bars? Besides that, what else is even remotely close besides Vic & Anthony's?

I honestly do not think any convention goers will go that way for retail, at least not enough to help sustain it. All the synergy is to the west.

Putting retail on the entire first floor would mean mostly empty spaces for a very long time.

Retailers of the sort we are talking about here generally don't build structures for themselves. They lease from developers. For whatever reason (probabaly largely property costs), no developer has built any space for retailers to try there. Landry's built Vic & Anthony's. The two bars and the hotel filled the only habitable buildings that pre-existed MinuteMaid. The two bars, hotel, and Vic & Anthony's have all apparently been at least somewhat successful, so I would imagine there would be leasing interest from other retailers (and I'm talking here about bars and restaurants).

Look at what was close to Post Midtown Square before it was built. Nothing. And yet, retail has been very successful there. I cannot imagine why a similar setup could not be even more successful in this location. The absence of retail in a particular block is not proof (or really even evidence) that retail cannot be successful there.

Convention goers don't currently go that way for retail (except the retail that is there, Vic & Anthony's) because there is no other retail there. Of course the "synergy" is currently to the west. That's where the only retail is. If there is retail three or 4 blocks from the north end of the convention center, some of the "synergy" will shift to the north. This will be even more true if/when the new convention center hotel is built (which could be completed shortly after the apartments are built.)

Edited by Houston19514
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Touche. Retailers do not generally build structures for themselves, especially downtown.

Trust me, I love retail as much as anyone, I'm just cynical. Finger will be pioneering the area if he includes it. I'd expect someone to have to be less brave when the next project in that area goes up.

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Touche. Retailers do not generally build structures for themselves, especially downtown.

Trust me, I love retail as much as anyone, I'm just cynical. Finger will be pioneering the area if he includes it. I'd expect someone to have to be less brave when the next project in that area goes up.

Personally, I think it takes zero bravery. Just a minimal amount of vision.

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Before we go too far off the deep end, it should be noted that Prairie is a one way street heading west. As Minute Maid Park blocks Prairie from the east, this is already not a through street, and its closing would not significantly hurt traffic flow. The only traffic that would be hindered is that traffic heading north on Crawford that wishes to turn left onto Prairie. As Crawford itself is not a thoroughfare (it is blocked by Discovery Green), there is very little traffic on Crawford, either. So, in turns of hindering traffic, closing Prairie at that block won't impact much at all.

As for pedestrian traffic, there is a bit more to think about. One of the entrances to Minute Maid Park sits at the corner of Crawford and Prairie. There are two parking lots directly behind this proposed project, and a parking garage another block west. These lots tend to funnel baseball patrons down Prairie toward the left field entrance. Blocking the street to pedestrians would cause some inconvenience to some patrons, though even this is a bit overblown, as no one would have to detour more than 250 feet, the length of one block. The entrance at Prairie leads to the Crawford Boxes and center field, which has no seating. Patrons would be detoured either to Texas or Preston entrances, which are directly next to the majority of the stadium seating, as well as ramps to the upper decks.

Given that Finger put retail in the ground floor of One Park Place, it probably wouldn't take much to convince him to put some here. I don't know that all four sides is worth it, but Crawford and Texas would likely sprout a few bars or restaurants. I would like to see a pedestrian breezeway and a little retail in return for giving up a street, but if all we got was some retail, I think the loss of pedestrian passage is tolerable.

By the way, Preston is the street that leads directly to the Red Line's Preston Station, not Prairie.

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