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On 4/1/2017 at 8:38 PM, BigFootsSocks said:

Hope they finish early. It's insane that they just cut off a walk-way for the students going to and from the Purple Line, without any notice, and without providing a small walkway alongside the construction site. 

 

they are doing some work on the southeast side of campus as well, along calhoun road. there's fence up to the curb. you'd have thought they'd at least put the fence 3 or 4 feet off the curb so people can walk safely. as it is, if they don't cross the street to walk on that sidewalk, they have to walk in the street.

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8 hours ago, samagon said:

 

they are doing some work on the southeast side of campus as well, along calhoun road. there's fence up to the curb. you'd have thought they'd at least put the fence 3 or 4 feet off the curb so people can walk safely. as it is, if they don't cross the street to walk on that sidewalk, they have to walk in the street.

Perhaps crossing the street to walk on that sidewalk is exactly what they intend for pedestrians to do for their safety...

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1 minute ago, Sparrow said:

Perhaps crossing the street to walk on that sidewalk is exactly what they intend for pedestrians to do for their safety...

 

indeed, but when the closest crosswalk adds 100 yards extra walking and 2 extra times crossing a street, laziness prevails, and there are safety issues associated with crossing streets as well. 

 

One thing UH excels at is not lighting the crosswalks, or notifying drivers when there are pedestrians in the crosswalks. Not a pedestrian friendly environment at all.

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21 minutes ago, samagon said:

 

indeed, but when the closest crosswalk adds 100 yards extra walking and 2 extra times crossing a street, laziness prevails, and there are safety issues associated with crossing streets as well. 

 

One thing UH excels at is not lighting the crosswalks, or notifying drivers when there are pedestrians in the crosswalks. Not a pedestrian friendly environment at all.

I thought at one point in the Campus Master Plan, or some other long range guide, UH intended to petition to close Cullen to thru traffic and create a pedestrian mall. If that is on the agenda in the near term, it would be quite positive in creating a more friendly walking and biking environment. Parking garages have been built at the periphery of campus--check. Light-rail/Scott Street construction complete--check. What's standing in the way of transitioning Cullen?

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I would love for a sort of West Campus feel to the area around the rail stops next to UH. It would definitely spur a lot of development like retail, residential, hotel, etc. It'd also give UH a more college experience for its students which would make the school grow and be more attractive. Win win 

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16 hours ago, HoustonBoy said:

I would love for a sort of West Campus feel to the area around the rail stops next to UH. It would definitely spur a lot of development like retail, residential, hotel, etc. It'd also give UH a more college experience for its students which would make the school grow and be more attractive. Win win 

I would like to see UH develop a near campus-student community that is unique to UH.  UH has never been and will never be "like UT" (and I think that's a plus).  With the new construction and focus on creating a full-time student community on and around the campus, UH has a great opportunity to create something one of a kind. I have degrees from both schools and think UH and UT are both equally but differently "fine".

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5 hours ago, quietstorm said:

I would like to see UH develop a near campus-student community that is unique to UH.  UH has never been and will never be "like UT" (and I think that's a plus).  With the new construction and focus on creating a full-time student community on and around the campus, UH has a great opportunity to create something one of a kind. I have degrees from both schools and think UH and UT are both equally but differently "fine".


"Near campus", as in like a cluster of student housing/amenities around a rail stop/intersection in East Downtown?

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On ‎4‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 0:17 AM, HoustonBoy said:

I would love for a sort of West Campus feel to the area around the rail stops next to UH. It would definitely spur a lot of development like retail, residential, hotel, etc. It'd also give UH a more college experience for its students which would make the school grow and be more attractive. Win win 

Scott could be UH's version of Guadalupe in Austin, but one major planning variation between the two universities is the location of the sports infrastructure. UT has sports fields located nearest the highway. UH has the sports fields furthest away from the freeway. This is a distinction that can be overcome, but one that will be necessary to not ignore, and must take a dedicated effort by the University to overcome. 

 

Guadalupe is a vibrant, active scene from early in the morning until late at night because it has many differing uses of the surrounding land--housing, classrooms, retail, restaurants, bike route, transit corridor, and so on. These many uses result in many people using the street at all times of day. Scott has barrier forming transit, pad lot fast food, single family houses, empty lots, sports fields, and parking lots.   

 

The potential for the Third Ward to become a student enclave for TSU and UH is there, but creating that urban feel to the corridor on Scott and the West Campus feel for the neighborhood beyond will take smart steps. It's great to have many food options as Scott does have, but if maximum lot lines were in place (as opposed to minimum) the streetscape would begin to form creating an environment more conducive for pedestrian movements. UH must do something about all of those parking lots fronting Scott--if you want the urban feel they all need to become mixed-use garages with both residential and commercial use to add all day, every day foot traffic to the corridor. Connections need to be made with the street--a linear pedestrian path connecting Alabama and the heart of the University could have been great in connecting to the neighborhood--now the indoor practice facility is blocking that physical and visual connection. UH missed a huge opportunity to improve Scott when the decision was made to rebuild TDECU on the same spot at Robertson--building at Cullen/Elgin/45 would have opened up the SW corner of campus for educational development. I'm not sure how to create a pedestrian environment with the rail line along Scott's eastern side from Wheeler to Holman--that's pretty devastating.

 

It's great to wish Scott was more urban and vibrant, it's a whole different thing trying to get the transition to happen with the barriers the University's planning has put in place. It could be done--but it will not be easy.

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Thank God TDECU wasn't built next to the Feeder road off of I-45. Traffic would SUCK on game days and back up way more people than those going to the game. The current location allows people to come in off of 45, via Elgin, or via 288/MacGregor to Scott. Also, the light rail on game days has proven to be a huge plus. Having the stadium adjacent to a station is a much better situation. Thousands use it to get to the games. 

 

 

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Now that I have moved from the Menil neighborhood to Riverside Terrace I can give away my secret route to get to the stadium and avoid all traffic. I went down Alabama all the way till I got to Yates H.S. and turned south a block to the next east west street that put you right into the parking lot for the stadium. I know that since the rail opened its a little more difficult to get across Scott. Now I can just walk a half a mile to the stadium and not worry about traffic. I also liked riding the rail from the ensemble station transferring to the purple line. That way after the game I had the perfect excuse to stop by Flying Saucer for a nightcap! 

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The rail is so much fun for a U of H game because its full of cougars and its just a neat way to get to the game. Hey and when you get off the rail your practically in your seats! That is a great mode of transportation to the stadium. We also stop at the little bar across from the Continental club. I cant think of the name but we park at the ensemble station and ride. I might try walking over to Magregor park and catching the rail there this year.

Off the subject but I keep waiting for the NRG stadium to bring back the Astroworld shuttle trains to pick you up at the rail station and deliver you in front of the stadium or the carnival for rodeo or BBQ cookoff event. It would be such a great help to get across that massive parking lot.

Especially if your wearing those boots that you haven't worn since last years cookoff!

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I don't think Scott is the answer.

 

Considering that the university owns and is buying (a rumor I heard) land south of the Wheeler, Wheeler would be the best solution. Other than the post grad housing all of the dorms are right there anyway.

 

Another possibility would be that once the parking garage is built behind the law center (I assume it's going to have GFR like the garage at the stadium) that they transition some of the remaining lot parking on Elgin into strip center and lease (but keep aramark out of it) that space to restaurants, bars, game stores, whatever.

 

I know we're trying to be nice, but the problem with anything going up on Scott street is the local crowd that isn't on campus. I mean, let's be honest, the barriers that were built by UH are more to discourage people that aren't wanted on campus from coming on campus than to make it hard for students to get to Scott street. Historically, and currently, 3rd ward isn't the safest place in town (although that is changing).

Edited by samagon
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I'm not sure where south of wheeler U. of H. could go. University Oaks is a well established popular neighborhood where a lot of professors have lived. I have friends that live there and I haven't heard them saying that U. of H. is moving in. Besides with the rail and Wheeler it makes it difficult for a lot of activity. If they wanted to create a safe and robust street pedestrian area they should look to the east side on Calhoun between the spur and Calhoun. Just redevelop the area. Create a destination area with restaurants, bars, shops and service oriented businesses.

 

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21 hours ago, bobruss said:

The rail is so much fun for a U of H game because its full of cougars and its just a neat way to get to the game. Hey and when you get off the rail your practically in your seats! That is a great mode of transportation to the stadium. We also stop at the little bar across from the Continental club. I cant think of the name but we park at the ensemble station and ride. I might try walking over to Magregor park and catching the rail there this year.

Off the subject but I keep waiting for the NRG stadium to bring back the Astroworld shuttle trains to pick you up at the rail station and deliver you in front of the stadium or the carnival for rodeo or BBQ cookoff event. It would be such a great help to get across that massive parking lot.

Especially if your wearing those boots that you haven't worn since last years cookoff!

Double Trouble?  

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If 3rd Ward becomes reflective of the diverse UH campus, that would be great. As a long time resident of 3rd Ward, I've said before here that it has good and bad parts like any other place, but let's not make the mistake of thinking gentrification is the answer. Third Ward has too rich a tradition of past and current African American achievement and institutions to be supplanted by more that which is "vibrant and urban" (which is code for cookie cutter gentrification). For those who are new to the area, welcome! Learn about its history and add to it, but institutions like Wheeler Ave, Good Hope and St. Mary's churches, or TSU, Frenchy's, Shape Comminity Center, or Jack Yates are there. Learn about them, their history and current contributions and join us. 

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You left out Project Row House, Bert Longs "Field of Vision", and The Eldorado Ballroom, not to mention others.

I agree that the area should not be erased of it memories like an etch a sketch, but renewed and appreciated for what it is.

But I also think that some of the people who are in control of all of the land that has been purchased by the Midtown Tirz and put into the hands

of developers who are putting up these cheap poorly designed and built stucco atrocities should be shot. Not only are the new homes inappropriate to the existing stock of wonderful old homes, but they are shoddily built with cheap materials that will not pass the test of time.

I watch these ugly new homes coming up and they look like something out of some of the new cheaply built neighborhoods in the burbs. 

Its really a shame, and I hate it. They look so out of place.

Edited by bobruss
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As a new resident of Third Ward I'm curious to see how things develop.  I've attended Midtown TIRZ, Emancipation Economic Development, Houston Improvement Plan meetings, Lots of ideas on what should be done to preserve the community but HCAD is in control.  Most of my area is still empty lots so I'll take a home of any type being built.  It's better than a lot of illegally dumped trashed.

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UH owns the wooded land bordered by Wheeler, MLK, Spur 5, and OST/Alt 90. I haven't seen any of their master plans indicate any planned use of it though some campus maps color it as part of the "medical district" of campus, which would work well with Khator's goal of starting our own medical school.

I've heard from people who would know, that it's university policy to not purchase any surrounding land. A theory is that Khator fears the university buying land will encourage developers to bring in gentrification at the expense of the historic Third Ward community.

Judging by how consistently packed The Nook and it's neighbors are, UH needs more campus-adjacent food and beverage options. There aren't really any good places for this though except the empty lot across from the rec, currently temporarily occupied by The Gateway on Cullen leasing office.

 

(UH is re-bidding of the campus food contract though after an internal audit recommended significant changes, such as making the Moody Towers dining hall into a 24-hour lounge with expanded power outlets and coffee options. The new contract would also include the choice of what to do with the old Chinese Star property, afaik. What effect this might have on The Nook et al.'s business is unclear.)

With the continued growth of off campus student housing complexes though, enough students may spread far enough off campus to support development on OST south of the park or on Scott St. between Elgin and I-45. I imagine it'd be 2-4 years though before it's clear whether such investment would be warranted by developers.

Edited by KyleJohnstonNet
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On 4/8/2017 at 11:30 AM, bobruss said:

You left out Project Row House, Bert Longs "Field of Vision", and The Eldorado Ballroom, not to mention others.

I agree that the area should not be erased of it memories like an etch a sketch, but renewed and appreciated for what it is.

But I also think that some of the people who are in control of all of the land that has been purchased by the Midtown Tirz and put into the hands

of developers who are putting up these cheap poorly designed and built stucco atrocities should be shot. Not only are the new homes inappropriate to the existing stock of wonderful old homes, but they are shoddily built with cheap materials that will not pass the test of time.

I watch these ugly new homes coming up and they look like something out of some of the new cheaply built neighborhoods in the burbs. 

Its really a shame, and I hate it. They look so out of place.

Not only are the new homes inappropriate to the existing stock of wonderful old homes, but they are shoddily built with cheap materials that will not pass the test of time.

 

I agree with you, but that's Houston in a nutshell and is not specific to 3rd ward, but sadly every place where town home farms and McMansions are being built.  Again, let's not act like 3rd Ward has unique problems that are not common in other areas.  The elephant in the forum is that the area is historically and predominately black,has poverty, crime, etc., but also many African Americans of political and economic influence who are not about to passively allow the area to be gentrified.

 

 

Edited by quietstorm
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There is an awesome history to 3rd ward and it goes back all the way to the beginning of our city. It is a history that isn't much told.

 

There's a lot of really cool stuff tucked away inside the 3rd ward. I've gone exploring and it's both amazing and shocking what you find so close to the heart of the city. At the same time, the crime rate in the area is a lot higher than most of Houston and anyone venturing in should be aware of that fact, and their surroundings. Sure something bad can happen anywhere in the city, but you're more likely to be a victim here. I'd be remiss though if I didn't say it's getting better, and that's great. It's a very livable area though because I know a few students and alum of UH that live there, and are quite happy to do so. Which brings up the real elephant of the 3rd ward...

 

It's great that UH doesn't want to jumpstart any taking over of the area, but just through proximity and familiarity, as the area becomes safer, students that live in Houston are going to want to live in the 3rd ward just because it is outrageously cheap and safeish, and so close to everything. So while UH actively and directly won't be gentrifying the 3rd ward, the 3rd ward will be gentrified by UH.

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Only in Houston could an area with 2 large universities be such a disaster and have people wanting to preserve it exactly as is segregation and all... Why would anyone want a neighborhood dominated by one ethic group in the 21 century? This should be a booming university neighborhood and it's not. UH needs to jumpstart cleaning up the area.

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