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The KBR site would be perfect  for A&M if they opened a Houston campus for their expanded College of Engineering. The internships in the area would be great for students if they decided to do so. It'd also be better because you can only have so many mixed-use developments at once. If this got developed into mixed-use it would probably take away from development that could go downtown, BLVD Place, River Oaks, etc.

 

Heres the article about A&M hoping to expand their Dwight Look College of Engineering by 14,000 students in just 12 years. It's ambitious but has support from big energy players Exxon and Chevron:

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2013/01/23/texas-am-on-mission-to-increase.html

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I totally disagree.

 

1) Having A&M take over would mean a huge reduction in the tax base

 

2) Rice, UH, and TSU all have engineering programs within 5 miles of this site

 

3) UH just started a petroleum engineering program and is spending millions (with corporate backing) to turn the old Schlumberger site into an Energy Research Park. 

 

4) I doubt an Aggie Campus just south of the Fifth Ward would be successful. 

 

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I totally disagree.

 

1) Having A&M take over would mean a huge reduction in the tax base

 

2) Rice, UH, and TSU all have engineering programs within 5 miles of this site

 

3) UH just started a petroleum engineering program and is spending millions (with corporate backing) to turn the old Schlumberger site into an Energy Research Park. 

 

4) I doubt an Aggie Campus just south of the Fifth Ward would be successful. 

 

When you think about it, the competitive perspective doesn't really make sense.  TAMU *is* going to expand and draw in 14,000 more engineering students from all over the state, country, and globe.  They can be based in College Station, or based in Houston.  I would argue it's better for Houston to have them based here.  It should also help TAMU attract those students, since Houston is probably a more attractive city for students than College Station.  Win for the city, and win for TAMU.  Impact on Rice/UH/TSU would be minimal.  In fact, it might be synergistic, with opportunities for collaboration, like what happens in the Medical Center.

 

The tax reduction would be trivial compared to the economic development benefits of a major engineering campus in the city, and it would absolutely transform that east end neighborhood.

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Only works if there is a high speed rail connection between Houston and College Station. No one would go for it.     <_<

 

Christof Spieler, Carroll Robinson, and Tory Gattis Chron Op-ED,

 

 

 

The Brain Train from College Station through Houston to Galveston. Today, cities gain much of their economic strength from their intellectual strength, from engineers, scientists, medical researchers and MBAs. So we can strengthen our region by connecting intellectual centers and employment centers. That's what regional rail can do: one line, connecting Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M, University of Houston-Clear Lake, the Johnson Space Center and UTMB-Galveston to the urban rail network that will include Downtown, Uptown, the Texas Medical Center, Rice University, Texas Southern University, and the University of Houston-Downtown and Central campuses. All that brainpower, connected by fast, convenient, Wi-Fi-enabled trains, creates one connected, more prosperous, region. And the same rail line also carries commuters to work.

 

 

This idea, along with the greener, more effective bayous idea had always stuck in my mind. 

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  • 1 month later...
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Think the the point at this point would be, to develop what?! At least the Rail Yards had a sketchy vision. Does anyone have any clues, here?

Wondering what we will blooming at by Super Bowl 2017. There will now be lots of visions of what Houston will be looking like in 2017.

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It's going to be a trick to connect this tract with downtown. Any ideas?

 

 

And as strickn has pointed out, it's not well connected to downtown either.

I'm very pessimistic.

The East End has plans for a street car system that would run through downtown, form a loop around the East End, and eventually connect to the KBR property, so by the time this would be developed they could have a street car service in place, connecting KBR, the East End, and downtown.

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A resent post my swamplot 

 

SWAMPLOT READER Robert Meaney sends some observations along with these photos from the Fifth Ward of the 136-acre formerKBR industrial property, sold a little more than a year ago and most recently designated for use as a private helistop: “I know they have been excavating for some time to get the contaminated soil out of the area. Currently they are scheduled to be finished digging up the lot by [December of] this year and according [to] the KBR manager I talked to on site the land will be up to commercial and residential standards.”

 

QdUOvcg.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Hey Diggity, I hadn't heard that.  What parcels has Cathexis grabbed?  There are big empty nearby pieces:

1. North of Clinton/East if Bringhurst

2. West of Jensen

3. South of Buffalo Bayou

 

Interesting news if its true.

 

Just what I have heard from some land guys in the area.

Looking at their holdings, it appears that 2800 Clinton was a separate purchase than KBR but I can't be sure of that.

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I'm not sure that is true. I've been hearing that Cathexis has been grabbing up more adjacent land rather than selling it off.

Who knows though, they play it pretty close to the vest.

Ya for the amount he paid I found that a little far-fetched... Wouldn't be surprised at all if he wad actively buying adjacent properties, he'd been linked to many. Def the MO

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Not much more than a rumor...But...

There was some conversation on Swamplot earlier this week about the possibility of HEB building a store on the KBR Site.  This kind of washes with the proposed 380/Retail Incentive programs being discussed with in the Business Journal.  For what it worth...I saw "Scott" (The guy from the HEB Commercials) at an East Side Restaurant a couple weeks ago.  Has anyone else heard anything about this?  Apparently, there is some kind of meeting on Nov 8th, where this may be discussed.  But, I have no idea what that may be. 

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Not much more than a rumor...But...

There was some conversation on Swamplot earlier this week about the possibility of HEB building a store on the KBR Site.  This kind of washes with the proposed 380/Retail Incentive programs being discussed with in the Business Journal.  For what it worth...I saw "Scott" (The guy from the HEB Commercials) at an East Side Restaurant a couple weeks ago.  Has anyone else heard anything about this?  Apparently, there is some kind of meeting on Nov 8th, where this may be discussed.  But, I have no idea what that may be. 

I haven't heard any rumors like that, but I would love it if it was true....I am moving to "EaDo" next week....a short drive from that site.....

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