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Vacant Hotel Parcel On Westcreek Ln.


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Typical. We have developers from multiple cities in addition to our home grown one's and yet its the home grown one that's low balling the potential and deciding to build gated townhomes instead of hirise residential and more integrated pedestrian activity.

We need to stop us from making decisions for ourselves, lol.

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Actually that builder did the Highland Tower and had difficulty selling it due to the 2008 meltdown. He had planned two towers but switched in 2010 before the recovery (darn it) and built the townhomes now under construction next to HT. Now he is building a midrise and his successful townhomes on the Westcreek property he purchased. His Highland Tower building is really well done, IMHO. I would have loved a second one.

I do agree more midrises would have been better though.

Edited by Dakota79
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What happened?

 

All of the buildings were evicted to make way for Westcreek Centre, SkyHouse, the Pelican town homes, a soon to be empty lot Cypress is retaining, and two soon to be empty lots that Cypress is still marketing.

 

This does not include the "Highland Terrace" building, 2220 Westcreek (formerly Westcreek Building E), which is owned by Pelican as well, but for some unknown reason is conducting business as usual.

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  • 1 month later...

The Highland Terrace apartments (2220 Westcreek Ln) are being actively marketed for short term (2 month) rentals, available "though May 2014".

 

http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Texas/Houston/Highland-Terrace/552/

 

Posted 1 day ago: http://houston.craigslist.org/apa/4391423912.html

 

Not sure if that could be interpreted as "new leases available to start until May" (implying termination in July), or "sign up now and live here until May".  I couldn't obtain any solid information from the manager.

 

Also, HBJ is reporting that all 3 remaining tracts "are under contract to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed price". This includes the San Felipe frontage, and the awkward plot of land sandwiched between the future Pelican townhomes and the ROD - the plot which Cypress had originally planned on retaining for some unknown reason, at 2221 Westcreek Ln. Although the land has an apartment building on it which is not in the process of being demolished, it was rendered unusable after demo work started on the adjacent building and blocked access to tenant parking in the rear.

 

Anyway, thought it was interesting. 

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  • 1 month later...

They are now doing asbestos abatement in the building located at 2221 Westcreek Lane. This is the building that sits between the ROD and the now-cleared land where B & D buildings once stood.

 

On the other side of the street, there's been some utility disconnections at A & C buildings (where the office tower is going), and some utility reconnections at the lone occupied E building. A new electric meter is being installed for the common area lighting. According to the property manager, this is "good news" and means Highland Terrace (2220 Westcreek Lane) will stick around until "January".

 

Pelican probably needs to build and sell their townhomes first before they have enough capital to build their new mid-rise apartment building.

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  • 3 months later...
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There are two additional apartment towers planned for Westcreek.

 

An office building, a hotel and two additional high-rise apartment building are planned on the remaining Westcreek property, Brand said.

 

The surge of development has led to concerns over increased traffic congestion in the area.

High-density development will increasingly take the place of low-rise buildings in desirable, close-in areas, Bland said, as more people want to live in the city center and land become more expensive.

Additional traffic, he said, is the price of progress. But he also points out that the number of new residential units proposed on the old Westcreek site won't be a whole lot higher that what was there originally.

"Surprisingly, if you take all the apartments that were demolished, the total number of (new) residential units is not going to be much more," Bland said.

 

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/sarnoff/article/Tall-buildings-to-arise-near-River-Oaks-District-5828150.php#/0

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  • 2 weeks later...

The "old Westcreek" apartments by Hauck & Swain were fairly well built, and the development grew in rental income in part because of that over the many years.  I am impressed with the quality of the Sky highrise apts, and especially Oliver/McMillan's, among all the new development in terms of architecture and construction.  Even Pelican's architecture is usually pretty good.  And let's hope the Mid Lane project(s) are similar like the Weslayan/Alabama projects seem to be.

 

All are immensely better than the youngsters who built High Street.  "High" must stand for 'if the market is strong, then cut corners and build ugly to maximize profits,' because the back end of High Street is very poor/low... El Cheapo looking.  These developers who I was told also do their own construction might be the ONLY one of the area developers who are failing to put the power and cable utilities underground!   The absence of high-quality development planning/ protections / management for its own residents has some 'special' ones parking along driveways instead of in the garage or clearly appropriate parking spaces.   Place is looking more ghetto than Uptown.  I'm sure they are good folks, but I heard the Dinersteins are quite young, with mentoring that likes to undercut rents in areas of high-quality projects.  I understand the business model, but admire developers who seem to care more about community, legacy, and the long term.  River Oaks District will really be something in terms of multi-use upon completion, and with multifamily replacing the high quality of Messrs. Hauck and Swain...great developers back in the day.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • The title was changed to Westcreek Hotel Plot

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