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University Place: Mixed-Use Development In Third Ward


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"A Transit Oriented Development located in the heart of Houston's historic 3rd ward district. University Place encompasses 8 blocks of redevelopment and will be phased for incremental completion. The redevelopment area is uniquely situated between 2 major universities.  The University of Houston and Texas Southern University which include a daily population of over 70,000 students, faculty and staff.   Additionally, the location is conveniently situated for access between major highways I-45 & I-59 as well as the newly constructed light rail line."

 

http://www.laidesigngroup.com/mf_univ.html

 

Read more about the project here:

 

http://www.laidesigngroup.com/gallery/articles/mixeduse.pdf

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Yes, it is just a vision. They are looking for $16M in equity. They don't seem to have lots of development experience, so it's a hard sell. Unless they JV with a much more experienced developer, I don't see this happening. Seems more like an academic exercise to me.

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The name choice surprised me.  There is already a "University Place" in SW Houston, it's an assisted-living retirement community connected to MemorialHermann SW Hospital (near Sharpstown).  

 

OTOH, if they can get some those well-off swingin' seniors to invest in this one, it may get built!  :-)

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The name choice surprised me.  There is already a "University Place" in SW Houston, it's an assisted-living retirement community connected to MemorialHermann SW Hospital (near Sharpstown).  

 

OTOH, if they can get some those well-off swingin' seniors to invest in this one, it may get built!  :-)

 

Who's to say it won't get built?

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Not me.  Inauspicious names don't necessarily doom projects, especially if the pool of potential buyers are unaware.  

 

I just thought it was strange because, if the people floating this concept were experienced in this market, they would have been aware that the name already had a strong brand association and would therefore have avoided adopting it.  

 

Forgive me, but my dad lived in the original "University Place" in his declining years, consequently that name doesn't give me a good vibe as a place for young people to live when launching their adult lives.

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seems like a nice development, but too ambitious for 3rd ward.

 

oh really?  Why is this prospective development too ambitious as per the "3rd Ward"?  May you please explain upon your rhetoric...

 

I am most certain, that if I could speak upon behalf of the residents of this historic as well as highly adverse area of Houston, that most residents would be inclined to agree that this is the sort of ambitious / anticipated / as well as prospective development that is sorely needed as per this particular region of of the "3rd Ward".

 

"Ambitious" projects of this nature, are of the sort that normally can bring about badly needed jobs...as well as "gentrification" to this particular region.  Not to mention...a bit of pride.  monarch

 

 

 

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The name is confusing.  Isn't University Place the name of the super-neighborhood east of West U? 

 

That said, it's great to see new development spreading further inside the loop.  This could well be early days in a total transformation of the east inner-loop.  After all, 20 years ago no one would have imagined the changes that have happened in the Fourth Ward and Midtown.

 

 

 

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oh really?  Why is this prospective development too ambitious as per the "3rd Ward"?  May you please explain upon your rhetoric...

 

I am most certain, that if I could speak upon behalf of the residents of this historic as well as highly adverse area of Houston, that most residents would be inclined to agree that this is the sort of ambitious / anticipated / as well as prospective development that is sorely needed as per this particular region of of the "3rd Ward".

 

"Ambitious" projects of this nature, are of the sort that normally can bring about badly needed jobs...as well as "gentrification" to this particular region.  Not to mention...a bit of pride.  monarch

 

 

 

 

 

uh, maybe b/c this is an 8-block development in an area that hardly has any single or 2-block developments outside of UH? an 8-block development in any part of town would be demmed "ambitious" - proposing one in an area not known for any major developments makes it moreso. and just b/c you have taken it upon yourself to speak for all the residents in 3rd ward doesn't make your opinion any more valid.

 

and why are you putting 3rd ward in quotes?

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uh, maybe b/c this is an 8-block development in an area that hardly has any single or 2-block developments outside of UH? an 8-block development in any part of town would be demmed "ambitious" - proposing one in an area not known for any major developments makes it moreso. and just b/c you have taken it upon yourself to speak for all the residents in 3rd ward doesn't make your opinion any more valid.

 

and why are you putting 3rd ward in quotes?

 

uh, well maybe you are now in position to enlighten me upon just how many developments were in place around the Holly Hall / South Main area pre Astrodome.....I'm waiting?

 

Thank God for "out of the box" thinking visionaries such as Judge Roy Hofheinz and his minions.  I am not at all naive or gullible swtsig, for I know that prospectives such as this aforementioned concept, as well as direct planning vs financing can be hard to come by.  However, I would like to think that this is the way that density begins.  Wayward / forward thinking with an added ounce of gamble.

 

Additionally, this is not to patronize you my good pal, but as I have mentioned beforehand as per a few of my prior post, "I have been trolling this great site for a few years now, as I was out of the country.  Personally, I think that you are brilliant.  I am always looking forward to your post...as they have taught me a great deal as to what is being planned / implemented upon our fair City of Houston.  However, please pardon my quotes around the 3rd Ward....for I do know just how these small details can easily get on your nerves.  Please keep up your great and yet informative post.  monarch.

 

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As a UH employee, alum and former Adjunct Faculty member at TSU, I can guarantee that we're 5 years or less from this type of development being real. The universities are pushing hard for it. Unlike the Main St. Line, TOD will come quickly along the Southeast Line precisely because of the universities, and proximity to the Medical Center.

If you haven't been paying attention, UH is building up faster than any time in its history. They want nothing more than to revamp the areas to look more like a "true college town". This is a big step towards that.

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Swamplot has more on the project.

 

http://swamplot.com/a-first-look-at-the-strip-center-and-apartments-combo-that-could-go-up-between-uh-and-tsu/2013-09-23/

 

 

 

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HERE’S A PLAN that looks to plug in to Metro’s still-under-construction Southeast Line and redo about 8 blocks along Scott St. in the Third Ward between UH and TSU. Though the plan, drawn up by LAI Design Group and dubbed “University Place Redevelopment,” is provisional, it appears to have in mind something like what the rendering above shows: A reshaped streetscape on Scott St. that would combine apartments, restaurants, shops, offices, andcommunity buildings.

 

The first phase appears to call for a strip center facing Scott between Holman and Reeves, with 289 1- and 2-bedroom apartments and a parking garage in the rear:

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It appears that much of the development would happen on the other side of Scott St. from the new UH football stadium, still under construction:

 

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Additional phases of the development, shown in the map directly above as bumping into the Yates High School campus, call for a largegrocery store, a new library, hotels, townhouses, and “community and educational facilities.”

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looks like this may be closer to reality than we thought.. the renderings all look good with the exception of one from the first comment by Urbannizer with the green and yellow building in the lower left corner. hopefully they change the colors for that portion of the project.

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This can't happen soon enough.  The Trey is ripe for redevelopment, land prices are low, and the location is perfect.  UH is booming and solidifying it's new Tier One appearance and importance.  TSU also despreately needs this as I'm told student housing and nearby amenities are subpar to say the least.  I think both insitutions will gain alot from this as will the neighborhood as a whole.  In regards to the commentary about gentrification, it is inevitable.  The city has chosen to construct these rail lines as part of a much larger plan to densify and gentrify the urban core (inside Loop 610) of this city.  They chose depressed and under-utilized corridors for all three new light rail lines with the express hope that developers would come riding in on their cash cows and re-do the cityscapes in those ares with the added benefit of boosting tax revenues for the city.  Expect more developments just like this one to pop up on he N and E sides as property values rise and people with money decide to come back inside the Loop.

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Reporting this story, I tried to get a comment from the principal at LAI Design, in Colorado, but was rebuffed. It's hard to tell whether this development has any legs.

 

I'd guess that it won't happen at least until the light rail is up and running. It's too bad, because Scott St. is poorly used.

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Reporting this story, I tried to get a comment from the principal at LAI Design, in Colorado, but was rebuffed. It's hard to tell whether this development has any legs.

 

I'd guess that it won't happen at least until the light rail is up and running. It's too bad, because Scott St. is poorly used.

I thought most of them did not talk about projects still in the  design stage anyway ?

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If you haven't been paying attention, UH is building up faster than any time in its history. They want nothing more than to revamp the areas to look more like a "true college town". This is a big step towards that.

Along those lines, there's a large model of the UH campus in the lobby of the main admin buliding. Looks like it was originally made years ago but it includes buildings in a different color from the older buildings, some of which are newly built additions to campus and some that don't exist yet.

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3rd ward as we know it is about to be gone! Gentrification comes with a price.

If the price that it comes with is losing a run-down, crime-filled neighborhood and improving the safety of the third largest university in the state, I'd happily pay that price.

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If the price that it comes with is losing a run-down, crime-filled neighborhood and improving the safety of the third largest university in the state, I'd happily pay that price.

The Third Ward isn't really that worn down, especially north of ost. There are some small shady apartment complexes, but the neighborhoods have a lot of huge historic homes, especially the ones along MacGregor and Riverside Terrace/Southmore. The gentrifying.neighborhoods have mcmansions across the street from shacks or vacant lots (sometimes). I don't want those ugly tin can townhomes to fill up the third ward tho. More mixed use along major streets like the Vue.

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  • 4 months later...

This article notes the project as one of the developments underway for the area.

 

http://blog.chron.com/urbanpolicy101/2014/01/scott-street-corridor-coalition-needs-to-be-restarted/

Good News! It's a cool looking project! I see the areas north, east, and south of Downtown will start developing in this matter. I give it 20 years and Houston will have a brand new core.

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  • 7 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

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